October Fright Nights: Scream
Ellis watches 'Scream' for the first time in Fright Night number 4
Another horror which I definitely should've seen by now, but I recon there's a few people reading this that will be jealous of me about to watch this for the first time. The infamous Ghostface better show up though, because I can't face another lack-of-mask disappointment like I did in Friday the 13th.
To read the first Fright Night article click here: https://www.focusfilms.online/post/october-fright-nights-night-of-the-living-dead
Fright Night Film: Scream
Release Date: 1996
Directed by: Wes Craven
Starring: Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Skeet Ulrich, Matthew Lillard
Successful Jump Scares: 3
CREEPINESS
The opening is spine-chilling in a similar way to the opening of Halloween. Even though we're not watching the action from the killers perspective it feels like we are. It's the voice down the phone that is extra creepy here though, it makes for incredible filmmaking.
STORY & PLAUSIBILITY
Influenced by classic slasher films but has more of its own personality, creating much stronger individual characters. Someone needs to have words with Billy though, he's the prime suspect and keeps jumping out on people.
CINEMATOGRAPHY
The visuals are inventive throughout and the filmmakers clearly experimented with different weird, creepy things to do with their movie. My favourite moment was when blood spread across the windscreen as Courteney Cox's character put the window wipers on. The composition of every shot was well thought out and this was the best example of that.
MUSIC
I did think the Peaky Blinders were going to appear at a couple of moments in the film but it's Marco Beltrami's score which is iconic here. With big crashes between scenes and rising crescendos in moments of panic, it's one of the all time great horror movie scores.
PERFORMANCE
I could talk about everyones performance in this as they're all having so much fun but my focus goes to David Arquette's excellent scream. It's fairly early on, and it's a fake out, but it's perfect!
Scream available to rent or buy