Scream
Published 2012-09-23
Someone has taken their love of scary movies one step too far
Film info
- Director
- Year / Run time 1996 · 1hr 51m
- Series Scream (1 of 6)
- Genres Crime, Horror, Mystery
- Cast
Legendary director Wes Craven re-invented and revitalized the slasher-horror genre with this funny, clever and scary first film in the hit franchise. After a series of mysterious deaths, an offbeat group of scary movie fans become the target of a masked killer. As the body count begins, it's clear that the rules must be followed, and everyone's a suspect.
Live Blog
| Time | Comment |
|---|---|
| 0:36 | It's always the phones that age things. |
| 3:08 | Mist rolling across the garden is always spooky. |
| 8:32 | See, we don't have big TVs like that anymore, so there's nothing to hide behind! |
| 14:07 | Her dad is freakishly tall. Or she is quite short. |
| 18:12 | I can't believe someone put Monica in a lime green suit. |
| 19:57 | "Remember your principal loves you..." Oh dear. |
| 22:43 | She has such a nice house, big ol' decking and balcony and stuff. |
| 26:11 | This film is a prime example of why you should let calls go to voicemail. |
| 30:29 | He is pretty flippin' creepy. I can see why she'd suspect him. I can't see why she'd go out with him though! |
| 33:32 | A cellular telephone! |
| 37:18 | I want some pyjamas like that. And a big fluffy rabbit. |
| 38:41 | Deputy Dewey is so cute! |
| 42:01 | "Sorry I mangled your face." |
| 44:20 | You don't tell someone to "get over" their mum dying. |
| 45:43 | I don't think the Principal loves them as much as he says he does. |
| 52:14 | I hate it when you scare yourself with a mirror. |
| 1:03:48 | I also quite like Lillard's red robe. I can't believe I'm watching a horror film and admiring all the bedwear. |
| 1:06:10 | The garage door thing freaks me out. |
| 1:11:02 | "But this is life, this isn't a movie." Think again, missus. |
| 1:20:15 | Would she do all of that if she did still think it was him? |
| 1:21:37 | I am amazed at the number of doors that have locks on them in these houses. |
| 1:32:08 | Cotton Weary is an odd name. |
| 1:36:19 | "Movies don't create psychos, movies make psychos more creative." |
| 1:40:08 | I love that he has a feathery arm. |
| 1:44:07 | She rustled up a new cameraman quick. |
Thoughts
After watching The Avengers, we were sort of at a loss as to what to watch next. There had been quite a big build up to that one, and the next time we sat down to watch a film, I couldn't decide what I was in the mood for. In the end, we sourced Scream on Netflix. I've seen it before, Mr C hasn't, and he's not a big fan of horror, but I thought this would be mild enough and funny enough to make it worthwhile.
This was less jumpy than I had remembered it, but there are a lot of the lines that I recalled fondly and it was a fun ride going through it. There's plenty of film in film references, which is something Mr C in particular likes, but as we don't watch many horror films, a lot of the references went over our heads. It's still a classic in my eyes, but perhaps wasn't as great as I'd remembered it being.
Rating: 4 / 5
Revisited - Oct 2026
Thoughts
When I reviewed this film the first time, I thought the fact it was less scary than I remembered was a bad thing. But it’s what makes rewatching it such a joy. Now, instead of focusing on when Ghostface is going to strike next, I loved zeroing in on the logistics of it. Who’s making that phone call, where are they at this point, does it actually stack up? It does! At the very start with sacrificial Drew Barrymore, understanding who might be on the phone and whether they are also creeping around the house is a great puzzle.
I’ve seen a lot more horror movies since then, as well, so more of the references are starting to reveal themselves to me. Randy reeling off the horror movie rules whilst standing in front of Halloween hits harder now! But what’s really working is the script - the Dawson’s Creek-style teens chattering away at each other, dealing with their own drama and angst... and occasionally getting stabbed. Billy’s line about Sidney taking too long to mourn her mother instead of jumping into bed with him is so Kevin Williamson (and so mean!).
Instead of a good horror film that was possibly fading now that I know the scares, it’s become a comforting classic that has lots of rewatch potential. I’m upgrading Scream to a 5 out of 5.
Rating: 4 / 5
