Scre4m - (2011)

I really can't express how much I had riding on this film. Scream was the birth of the modern age of Horror as far as I am concerned and different from many, I actually liked it. Before then we were actually seeing a lot of the same crappy, grainy, body count films with not much to them. Sure there were stand outs, but it was a dry time for horror. Scream came along and suddenly horror was fun again, while still allowed to be bloody and terrifying. Scream 2 lived up to itself, not surpassing the first one but adding to the mythos of the over all franchise much like Halloween 2 (The originals, not the Zombie abortions) did.

The rules of a trilogy sucking could not have hit the franchise harder with the nonsensical Scream 3 hit and most of us were not only sure the franchise was DOA, but were thankful of not having it run into the ground like so many others. Once Kevin Williamson was no longer behind the pen, the movie wasn't worth making.

When I first heard this one was being done my first questions were if Williamson was back and who of the cast would return after all these years. The reason I saw the film so "early" (for me anything under 3 months after release is "early" since I don't go to theaters!) was I was sure I'd hit a spoiler without intending to and the movie I have waited this long to see would be tainted. So I don't want to scare anyone off, there are no spoilers here. I'm not even going to go into particulars. But I do think this was the perfect storm of a Scream movie and every frame came out exactly how I would have asked.

The "celebrity kill" to start the film off was right up there with Drew Barrymore's. The big reveal and who was doing what was pitch perfect not only for the movies, but for the times we live in. It hit every nail on every head I could have asked for. I also have a lot more respect for Scream's treatment of The final Girl than anything they did in the later Halloween Films.

If you are a fan of the first two films, I honestly do not see how you can't love this one. The key word is 'Meta' and I think they do that VERY well.

Eyecandy is fairly sparse in this film unless you like fully dressed high school boys played by 20 something actors. But I have a Lady Boner for both Neve and Hayden (And Anna Paquin and Kristin Bell!), so there was plenty to keep me watching the screen. Plus, you know, the film was actually GOOD.

Thank you Kevin and Wes for bringing me the film I had hoped you'd make. You can feel free to make 10 more if they are this well done and all of you stay on. =)