Scream (2022) (2022)
January 14, 2022 4:37 AM - Subscribe
Twenty-five years after the original series of murders in Woodsboro, a new killer emerges, and Sidney Prescott must return to uncover the truth.
dang no discussion? this was pretty good!
I have no particular love or memory of the original(s), but I know them well enough for this movie's themes and vibes to still work perfectly. it's a clever and nasty little piece of work and generally balances its various tones well, which is a neat trick given how much of this franchise is about tiptoeing along that knife's edge (heh) of winking comedy and genuine horror.
I think the franchise's legacy also just gave it a much more straightforward angle at which to have a real raison d'etre, which so many of these "requels" (as a character in this film calls it) lack. as opposed to, say, matrix 4 -- which for all its merits reads to me more as a movie made by its creator less from necessity and more as an angry response to having been forced into a non-choice of either making it or having someone who didn't give an actual shit redigest it into the IP-cannibalism grind -- this feels like something the creators were jazzed up to get out there from the get-go
the legacy characters all put in great performances but are smartly utilized more as peripheral characters than the leads. I thought almost all the new faces did a great job, variously likable and obnoxious in the ways you'd want for a good blend of potential-grist-for-the-mill teenagers. Jasmin Savoy Brown as nu-Randy is a particular highlight.
also it's streaming now (a few bucks to rent on Amazon Prime) so no need to mask up and wander into a theater! go watch it!
posted by Kybard at 5:29 PM on March 9, 2022 [2 favorites]
I have no particular love or memory of the original(s), but I know them well enough for this movie's themes and vibes to still work perfectly. it's a clever and nasty little piece of work and generally balances its various tones well, which is a neat trick given how much of this franchise is about tiptoeing along that knife's edge (heh) of winking comedy and genuine horror.
I think the franchise's legacy also just gave it a much more straightforward angle at which to have a real raison d'etre, which so many of these "requels" (as a character in this film calls it) lack. as opposed to, say, matrix 4 -- which for all its merits reads to me more as a movie made by its creator less from necessity and more as an angry response to having been forced into a non-choice of either making it or having someone who didn't give an actual shit redigest it into the IP-cannibalism grind -- this feels like something the creators were jazzed up to get out there from the get-go
the legacy characters all put in great performances but are smartly utilized more as peripheral characters than the leads. I thought almost all the new faces did a great job, variously likable and obnoxious in the ways you'd want for a good blend of potential-grist-for-the-mill teenagers. Jasmin Savoy Brown as nu-Randy is a particular highlight.
also it's streaming now (a few bucks to rent on Amazon Prime) so no need to mask up and wander into a theater! go watch it!
posted by Kybard at 5:29 PM on March 9, 2022 [2 favorites]
I just watched this and I really enjoyed it. I am from the original age of Scream (saw the first two in the theater!), and honestly this was more rewarding than the last two sequels in the franchise. Like, I can remember the plot in the first two films, vaguely the third, and the fourth I never bothered with.
Again: Dewey told Sam right there, about the love interest. HE TOLD YOU. (Also, I literally screamed "NOOOOOOO" when Ghostface sent Dewey off to his fate. I am gonna be mad about that for a while.) I even told Shepherd that Cutie Pie Baby Quaid was one of the two killers because it's obvious.
Bless, I barely recognized Courtney Cox.
I am definitely at the age where aside from Baby Quaid, I didn't recognize any of the core cast. Even after I looked them up on Wikipedia, it was all stuff that isn't in my wheelhouse but is definitely popular. But hey, that's why we pass the torch on...
posted by Kitteh at 6:02 PM on March 13, 2022
Again: Dewey told Sam right there, about the love interest. HE TOLD YOU. (Also, I literally screamed "NOOOOOOO" when Ghostface sent Dewey off to his fate. I am gonna be mad about that for a while.) I even told Shepherd that Cutie Pie Baby Quaid was one of the two killers because it's obvious.
Bless, I barely recognized Courtney Cox.
I am definitely at the age where aside from Baby Quaid, I didn't recognize any of the core cast. Even after I looked them up on Wikipedia, it was all stuff that isn't in my wheelhouse but is definitely popular. But hey, that's why we pass the torch on...
posted by Kitteh at 6:02 PM on March 13, 2022
I watched this back-to-back with the original, with a friend who had never seen either, and it's bad but reasonably fun. (The original is just straight-up pretty damn good.) Even a marginally smarter handling of the killers' motivations would have made this land much better for me - the setup was clever, all the kill scenes were reasonably well-done (although man, has the level of gore increased exponentially since the 90s) and I was on board with most of it, and then we get the reveal and it just... doesn't work for me. We did have a good time armchair-screenwriting ways to make it actually work, though, and I don't regret seeing it at all.
posted by restless_nomad at 6:44 AM on March 14, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by restless_nomad at 6:44 AM on March 14, 2022 [1 favorite]
I kept waiting for this to bring something to the table that Scre4m hadn't already done, and all the stuff about how the last movie was a betrayal of the series certainly seemed to apply more to the third one than the fourth. All in all, though, it was a satisfactory addition to the franchise, which has always been more about the unfair-whodunit aspect and the metacommentary.
posted by Etrigan at 11:23 AM on April 7, 2022
posted by Etrigan at 11:23 AM on April 7, 2022
Scream 6 trailer.
Looks like it could be fun. Got some Final Girl Support Group stuff going on in there maybe.
posted by Etrigan at 9:56 AM on January 19, 2023
Looks like it could be fun. Got some Final Girl Support Group stuff going on in there maybe.
posted by Etrigan at 9:56 AM on January 19, 2023
Kiddo and I watched the director's commentary on this one last night. Some good stuff.
A few highlights:
-Multiple takes were done of Jack Quaid's reactions to character entrances/exits, allowing them to choose later whether he would be playing suspicious, fanboy, or devoted boyfriend.
-Some of the takes that Courteney Cox and David Arquette did of the scene where Gail and Dewey discuss how they still love each other, even though they couldn't make the marriage work were painfully real and the duo said, "Okay, that take was for us, the next one will be for you."
-Because of the tight production schedule and because the legacy stars would not sign on without reviewing the script first, the screenwriters had to write Dewey, Gail, and Sidney's parts without knowing whether they would agree to appear. They did not have a backup plan.
-The screenwriters and directors had some laughs over the "magic blankets" Sidney and Gail wear at the end, sitting in the ambulance, so dubbed because they healed bullet wounds and gut stabs enough that they could sit upright and have a warm conversation at the end.
-The scene where Chad tracks his girlfriend's phone around the house was ridiculously complicated to shoot, because, having foregone using a real house to shoot in a replica at Studio City, they had very little yard. Plus, they were holding the reveal that this was Stu Macher's house. Chad was not originally supposed to live, but they really liked Mason Gooding and wanted to work with him again.
-Another downside of shooting in the giant studio space at Studio City was that the final scene was written to be in daylight, but the cost to light that enormous indoor space to replicate daylight came back at one quarter million dollars.
-The opening sequence with Tara and Ghostface was intended to be shot first and in sequence, to add to the feel for the performers. They actually did this... until they had a COVID shutdown just as the kitchen scene started. They had to finish on the last day of shooting.
-In order to protect the reveal that Sam is Billy Loomis's daughter, the scripts sent to FX people had the name Billy Loomis replaced with (I think it was) Jack Armhouse, making for a weird nonsensical scene.
-The female half of the killer duo is named after one of the screenwriter's wives. She was excited to have her name in the film in an important role, but did not know until seeing the film that her namesake would be shot in the face and lit on fire.
-Kevin Williamson liked the writer's earlier work and even recalled his favorite lines from an earlier script of their that had come through his office. He quickly gave them his blessing and agreed to produce. Then retracted, saying he wasn't ready. Then said yes, if they dedicated the film to Wes Craven.
-The after funeral wake scene where everyone toasts "TO WES!!" was not only intended as a subtle tribute to Craven, it also included the voices of 30+ actors from the series dubbed in, including Matthew Lillard, Drew Barrymore, Hayden Pannetierre, and others.
-Drew Barrymore was also the voice of the high school announcements over the intercom in the beginning.
-The directors thought the screenwriters were brilliant having Chad pick up candlesticks to defend himself, as their study of the original Macher house from the first film indicated there were a prominent pair in the room there as well. In reality, the screenwriters had no idea and were just making a Clue joke.
-Gail's red pantsuit as she arrives in Woodsboro continues her series-long tradition of extremely bright, basic color clothing.
-Clothes were extremely hard to source for the film, as North Carolina's thrift and resale shops had not opened again from the pandemic. Many were shipped in from out of state.
-The entire hospital, including the 160 foot long hallway, is a set.
-Dylan Minnette, who had previously been a successful actor (Don't Breathe, Goosebumps, 13 Reasons Why) had stepped back from acting to pursue a music career, but was cast in the film after calling the producers up and asking to play "literally any part" such was his fandom for the series.
-The dismissive breakdown of "requels" that Mindy Meeks comes nearly word-for-word from the screenwriters' own breakdown of how the format works that they made in getting ready to do the script.
-Heather Matarazzo was who they had in mind for the part of Mindy from the beginning.
-All of Skeet Ulrich's scenes were shot in greenscreen on a single day.
-The knife through Wes's face scene was done with a prosthetic appliance, although CGI was used to "clean it up."
posted by DirtyOldTown at 7:55 AM on March 7, 2023 [2 favorites]
A few highlights:
-Multiple takes were done of Jack Quaid's reactions to character entrances/exits, allowing them to choose later whether he would be playing suspicious, fanboy, or devoted boyfriend.
-Some of the takes that Courteney Cox and David Arquette did of the scene where Gail and Dewey discuss how they still love each other, even though they couldn't make the marriage work were painfully real and the duo said, "Okay, that take was for us, the next one will be for you."
-Because of the tight production schedule and because the legacy stars would not sign on without reviewing the script first, the screenwriters had to write Dewey, Gail, and Sidney's parts without knowing whether they would agree to appear. They did not have a backup plan.
-The screenwriters and directors had some laughs over the "magic blankets" Sidney and Gail wear at the end, sitting in the ambulance, so dubbed because they healed bullet wounds and gut stabs enough that they could sit upright and have a warm conversation at the end.
-The scene where Chad tracks his girlfriend's phone around the house was ridiculously complicated to shoot, because, having foregone using a real house to shoot in a replica at Studio City, they had very little yard. Plus, they were holding the reveal that this was Stu Macher's house. Chad was not originally supposed to live, but they really liked Mason Gooding and wanted to work with him again.
-Another downside of shooting in the giant studio space at Studio City was that the final scene was written to be in daylight, but the cost to light that enormous indoor space to replicate daylight came back at one quarter million dollars.
-The opening sequence with Tara and Ghostface was intended to be shot first and in sequence, to add to the feel for the performers. They actually did this... until they had a COVID shutdown just as the kitchen scene started. They had to finish on the last day of shooting.
-In order to protect the reveal that Sam is Billy Loomis's daughter, the scripts sent to FX people had the name Billy Loomis replaced with (I think it was) Jack Armhouse, making for a weird nonsensical scene.
-The female half of the killer duo is named after one of the screenwriter's wives. She was excited to have her name in the film in an important role, but did not know until seeing the film that her namesake would be shot in the face and lit on fire.
-Kevin Williamson liked the writer's earlier work and even recalled his favorite lines from an earlier script of their that had come through his office. He quickly gave them his blessing and agreed to produce. Then retracted, saying he wasn't ready. Then said yes, if they dedicated the film to Wes Craven.
-The after funeral wake scene where everyone toasts "TO WES!!" was not only intended as a subtle tribute to Craven, it also included the voices of 30+ actors from the series dubbed in, including Matthew Lillard, Drew Barrymore, Hayden Pannetierre, and others.
-Drew Barrymore was also the voice of the high school announcements over the intercom in the beginning.
-The directors thought the screenwriters were brilliant having Chad pick up candlesticks to defend himself, as their study of the original Macher house from the first film indicated there were a prominent pair in the room there as well. In reality, the screenwriters had no idea and were just making a Clue joke.
-Gail's red pantsuit as she arrives in Woodsboro continues her series-long tradition of extremely bright, basic color clothing.
-Clothes were extremely hard to source for the film, as North Carolina's thrift and resale shops had not opened again from the pandemic. Many were shipped in from out of state.
-The entire hospital, including the 160 foot long hallway, is a set.
-Dylan Minnette, who had previously been a successful actor (Don't Breathe, Goosebumps, 13 Reasons Why) had stepped back from acting to pursue a music career, but was cast in the film after calling the producers up and asking to play "literally any part" such was his fandom for the series.
-The dismissive breakdown of "requels" that Mindy Meeks comes nearly word-for-word from the screenwriters' own breakdown of how the format works that they made in getting ready to do the script.
-Heather Matarazzo was who they had in mind for the part of Mindy from the beginning.
-All of Skeet Ulrich's scenes were shot in greenscreen on a single day.
-The knife through Wes's face scene was done with a prosthetic appliance, although CGI was used to "clean it up."
posted by DirtyOldTown at 7:55 AM on March 7, 2023 [2 favorites]
Oh....I really wish I liked this movie more than I did. There were some enjoyable moments, but Billy telling Sam she needed to get in touch with her inner serial killer just...no. Dude didn't survive the first movie. Meanwhile, she has already spoken to Dewey (and disregards his useful advice) and then proceeds to ALSO ignore the advice of two others who have survived multiple Ghostface attacks from different Ghostfaces. And these are the people who help save her despite herself.
posted by miss-lapin at 11:09 PM on June 22, 2023
posted by miss-lapin at 11:09 PM on June 22, 2023
I must have read something about the opening scene of this movie in a review and had it stick with me, because as we were sitting down to pick a movie for the night I started talking about how I didn't want a fancy, elevated horror movie, I was way too tired for that. I wanted a burger.
Cue Jenna Ortega talking about the Babadook instead of slasher movies, followed by me swearing that I hadn't actually watched the scene before already. Very on brand for this movie!
Anyway, sometimes you want a burger and nothing but a burger will satisfy. Out of all the requels we've watched (Force Awakens, Jurassic World, Matrix 4), this was probably the most clever and I suspect the most rewatchable. And honestly, some of the set pieces were just great: we particularly enjoyed the series of fakeouts for Wes's death, followed by the callback towards the end of the party.
It's also interesting that we pegged Amber as one of the two killers immediately, yet Dewey saying the love interest was the villain--even though we knew there'd be two murderers again this time--pulled off the anti-foreshadowing strongly enough that I, too, kind of bought that Tara might have been in on it. That's a pretty damn impressive trick!
posted by thecaddy at 2:19 PM on October 23, 2023
Cue Jenna Ortega talking about the Babadook instead of slasher movies, followed by me swearing that I hadn't actually watched the scene before already. Very on brand for this movie!
Anyway, sometimes you want a burger and nothing but a burger will satisfy. Out of all the requels we've watched (Force Awakens, Jurassic World, Matrix 4), this was probably the most clever and I suspect the most rewatchable. And honestly, some of the set pieces were just great: we particularly enjoyed the series of fakeouts for Wes's death, followed by the callback towards the end of the party.
It's also interesting that we pegged Amber as one of the two killers immediately, yet Dewey saying the love interest was the villain--even though we knew there'd be two murderers again this time--pulled off the anti-foreshadowing strongly enough that I, too, kind of bought that Tara might have been in on it. That's a pretty damn impressive trick!
posted by thecaddy at 2:19 PM on October 23, 2023
You are not logged in, either login or create an account to post comments
posted by ShooBoo at 7:15 AM on January 16, 2022 [4 favorites]