The film that set the standards

Rating: Null/10 (31 October 2001)

The movie that started the whole teen slasher genre. Directed by the Grandaddy of horror Mr. Wes Craven and written by up and coming Kevin Williamson, Scream is 'the' horror movie of the 90's.
Made really with teenagers in mind Craven has not only chosen actors/actresses that are well known by teens to appear in the movie, but has managed to incorporate widely known feelings and problems shown by the stars which relates to the audience (ok, not all teenagers suffer with a masked lunatic stalking them, but the problems of school,friends,sex etc).
Scream was originally going to be called Scary Movie as it pokes fun at prior horror movies, especially Halloween. As Halloween is undoubtedly the best slasher horror movie ever made it seems fitting that Craven and Williamson pay it some respect. It is even shot in the same style, with the camera often taking the POV shot of the killer, also the tension building scenes are practically the same style used by John Carpenter. Some dialogue is also used, the line said by Jamie Lee Curtis in Halloween to the children she is babysitting; "Run down to the Mckenzies" is said by Casey Becker's(Drew Barrymore) Father to her Mother except that they changed it very slightly to "Drive down to the Mckenzies".
The story is very basic, teens being picked off by a killer wearing a ghost mask. But of course this killer seems to be focusing on one particular girl, Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell), but for what reason??
A clever little horror film, with all the trimmings, but then would you expect anything less for the master of the genre? 10 out of 10, always watch for the well put in horror movie references.