Wes Craven's

Scream

Could it be that horror films are back in vogue? It has been a barren period of late and now three have come along at once. First to arrive is Scream, directed by American horror maestro Wes Craven.

Scream was a big hit at the American box office and is likely to repeat its success in Britain. Gone are the gratuitous gore scenes of the eighties. This is a horror movie with a wider appeal to the mass market, a film to provide thrills and blood spills, a white-knuckle ride that will have you screaming and laughing in equal measure.

Scream is a tongue in cheek parody of the stalk and slash movies of the late 70's and 80's. Even though it doesn't take itself seriously it still delivers in the shock department. The opening scene is brilliant, inventive, and scary and would have made a great climax to any movie. Even though the rest can never quite match the tense atmosphere of the first ten minutes it still remains a likeable film to the end.

Centered around a small, idyllic town the movie employs all the main ingredients of horror cliché - giant wooden houses, high school kids and parents who are always away on business. A year after the last sensational murder the national press are back in town after two more killings. The daughter of last year's victim escapes becoming victim number three and is hounded by popular TV reporter Gale Weathers (Courtney Cox of TV hit Friends). Gale believes that the man convicted for last year's murder was innocent and that the real killer is still free and possibly the one responsible for the recent murders.

The cast play up to the clichés and try to second guess what will happen next based on past horror films they've seen. There are constant references to horror films throughout this movie - even to one of Wes Craven's earlier efforts "A Nightmare on Elm Street". "The first one was good", says Drew Barrymore's character, "but the rest sucked!"

The killer's use of a cellular phone is pure pantomime. When the killer taunts his victims over the phone with the line "Do you know where I am?", you want to leap out of your chair and shout "Behind you!". The film provides enough moments to make you jump and mixes these seamlessly with its many comic moments. There is also a welcome cameo by Henry Winkler as the school principal.

Scream could not be described as a classic movie but it succeeds in its intention of providing a two hour rollercoaster ride of thrills, jumps and laughs.

Director - Wes Craven
Cast - Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox, David Arquette, Rose McGowan, Henry Winkler, Drew Barrymore

Reviewed by Martyn Rees

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