The Scream Movies Thread

I thought I'd make thread for discussing the movies (the only Scream-related thread I saw was about the MTV series).

I binged the first and second movies and enjoyed them both very much. Skeet Ulrich and Matthew Lillard's performances as the villains were great.

Edited by windleopard on Jul 29th 2020 at 1:00:05 AM

The first Scream is a genuine classic. I think the second is okay, but the script isn't remotely as tight or surprising as the first film's(probably because they stupidly threw out their original ending due to a leak). The less said about 3 and 4, the better.

Assuming you're talking about Derek being the killer or one of the killers, I think throwing out the original ending was for the best as it would have been too much of a re-hash of Billy from the first movie.

That is somewhat true, and I thought the same, but I think in the end, the choice they went with wasn't any more compelling, even though I do like that actor. Guy was just kind of there.

Weird for me to say as a fan of stabby-kill-kill flicks, but I think my favorite thing about 2 was the development given to Gale and Dewey. It's cute.

I've only seen the first Scream: I'm unsure if it needed any sequels, as the story itself was self-contained. It was a great Deconstructive Parody though.

I know Roman is controversial but I don't think his being involved in Maureen's death is that contradictory. By his own admission, Billy only needed a few pointers and it was Billy who came up with the idea of framing Cotton Weary and roping in a partner to use as a patsy (his mother even did the same thing).

Edited by windleopard on Jul 29th 2020 at 12:58:21 PM

So, I just watched Scream 1 and 2, and I thought they were pretty decent in terms of quality. The first is, of course, superior, and being the gullible person I am, I never would have expected the twist that there were two killers. I also loved the dynamic between Billy and Stu, mainly because of Lillard's over-the-top performance and Ulrich's more subtle, eerie take.

Scream 2 is also respectable, because the movie can go beyond average horror tropes and delve into playing with tropes that horror sequels are associated with. And Laurie Metcalf's over-the-top acting as the killer was a treat to see. One thing I admire is that the movie doesn't belittle or mock the tropes that slasher movies contain; it instead embraces them, which is understandable, as the director helmed one of the most well known slashers of all time. And I'm pretty sure he never directed any PG-rated, Oscar nominated biopic about a violinist...

All jokes aside, I enjoyed Scream. It's another a list of my favorite horror movies for sure.

Courtney Cox will return for Scream 5.

Scream 5 will be released January 14, 2022.

Never thought this would happen.

Edited by FOFD on Sep 16th 2020 at 1:45:37 AM

Official trailer for Scream 5.

I thought this would happen.

And I'm hyped.

Huh. So I guess even a Smart Home doesn't make you safe.

I wonder if we'll finally see the deaths of Dewey, Gale and Sidney?

They have survived a lot of shit. Like, at this point, it's just the three of them. There are no other survivors left.

It would be a feather in the cap of the new killers if they managed to kill the original survivors.

Also, I still love the first movie. I gotta say, making the most obvious suspect (the boyfriend) the actual killer was inspired. Especially since Billy pulled some nice Bait-and-Switch ploys (actually setting himself up as the suspect, knowing he'd have an alibi and even having Stu fake murder him to kill the last bit of suspicion both the audience and Sydney would have) to make himself seem innocent.

And yet, Sydney still almost figured him out before the reveal. Girl has always had her head on straight.

Then again, I'm probably the only person who was fooled by Billy.

I've seen some theories/hopes that the killer will turn out to be Sidney. Thoughts on if it would turn out to be true?

I can't see a way that could play out and still be good, to be honest. Sounds more like a twist there just to be shocking.

I feel like a moron right now.

I only realized this moment that the title can be read as "Screams" as well as "Scream 5" for the incoming movie...

It's just Scream. Like Halloween and a few others it has the same title as the original.

Skeet Ulrich initially thought Matthew Lillard and Jamie Kennedy were ruining Scream by being funny

First reactions to the new movie seem good.

The killer is probably the actor best known for playing a Nice Guy or Nice Girl

I think this was true for the prior films

Edited by magnumtropus on Jan 11th 2022 at 5:57:46 PM

It kind of happened in 2 and 4, but I think the men and women playing the killers have pretty consistently had a skeevy/"off" vibe. I associate more of them with playing heavies, tough guys or weirdos, anyway.

No one is safe from suspicion besides the returning cast members in the sequels.

Saw the movie tonight on my own. Friend dropped out of seeing it because of a COVID scare so I went to a theater that NO ONE goes to and basically had the theater to myself minus a couple sitting in the very last row who could have been making out or fucking for all I knew.

I liked it well enough. It's below Scream and 2, but certainly not Scream 3. Might feel differently after a few days.

It actually makes some bold choices. Namely, while watching the opening sequence, I kept thinking "Y'know, it'd actually be kinda cool if the first kill actually survived for once." And then they did it. Good for them.

I think the story and ideas were there but the dialogue and scenes could be pretty clunky. Dewey and Gale have an emotional conversation about their relationship with Dewey giving some clunky exposition on his feelings and... *ahem* I believe there's a corpse on the sidewalk not 10 feet from you and she isn't relevant to the last 3 conversations in this scene. Granted, him having this conversation makes sense in *hindsight* but... still clunky.

A later scene with him REALLY needed a second pass. Dewey shoots the killer, leads the group to the elevator, realizes he needs to do a double tap, and abandons them at the elevator to slowly walk back alone and headshot the killer... who obviously then kills him. It was already clunky enough to have Dewey struggling with the killer while... at least two able bodied adults are just watching down the hall. There are three of you and one of them!

A script doctor might have handled the surviving cast sooner by having Dewey order them out to safety while fighting the killer instead. It makes it cleaner and less awkward. Then have Dewey get winded, try to leave, and remember the double-tap half-way down the hallway. It makes him look A LOT less stupid.

As for the dialogue... Some of it worked and I liked it. Other parts... the film doesn't take itself seriously enough. Sydney and Gale are clinical and indifferent and so unphased by... Um, m'am, there are at least two dead teenagers right here. A casual snark about if the screaming teenager *might* be a killer in bait just feels... cruel? Granted, we know it *is* the killer by that point but it feels the same as the earlier point; people are dying and they're unphased by children dying. Or later killing and watching a child die a horrible screaming death. Like... I know they're kinda "Been there, done that" as far as doing this but it does kinda pull you out of it and no one "gets used" to children dying.

I don't know why they bothered saying the kids are at the high school. They clearly look like 20 years olds and have a frat party rager and drink with not an adult in sight. Just say they're fucking in college guys. Hell, considering who the killers are, I expected SOMEONE to point out "JFC, you're dating and fucking A HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT?! You fucking pedo!". It seemed like the obvious comment and no one bats an eye at it?

I probably seem too critical. I liked it well enough. I guessed one of the killers. The movie actually had me a bit too. I liked that everyone got too in the weeds thinking about who it could be and the angle that would be that *no one* could trust anyone. And I liked that it was yet another movie that really digs the knife in on stupid entitled fanboys and fan culture. The 'commentary on current horror movies' stuff actually went where I didn't quite expect it to.

Edited by InkDagger on Jan 14th 2022 at 11:39:12 AM

I was surprised that I kind of loved it, but THEY KILLED DEWEY! Unforgivable!

I would call it the best since 2, certainly. Takes a lot to make this horror-hound cringe but there's one neck wound that legitimately had me doing it. New cast was solid, the whodunit was pretty good(but I guessed one killer), soundtrack was great, fine work all around.

As much as I like the Scream series I think I'm going to pass the latest movie because I'm annoyed that they couldn't just call it Scream 5.