Ingenious, manipulative thriller

Rating: 7/10 (4 February 2010)

From possibly the master of horror for this generation comes the ingenious, manipulative thriller, "Scream". An apt name for the best horror movie I have ever seen. This is actually the first Wes Craven movie I have really enjoyed. The "Nightmare on Elm Street" series did nothing for me, though perhaps that was because they took themselves too seriously. Craven not only scares us to death in "Scream", he sends himself and other horror films up brilliantly. Maybe a horror film cannot succeed without some comic element or a degree of self-parody. It's a theory.
The cast do a great job as they work with Craven to tease us through this clever tale. Neve Campbell is the ideal victim, and Skeet Ulrich the perfect brooding boyfriend who is one of the early suspects, much to his chagrin. Courtney Cox plays the scheming journo super-bitch, and others such as Henry Winkler and Drew Barrymore drop by to add flavour to the proceedings.
All credit though to Craven, who has reached the pinnacle of his genre with this effort. Having said that, many purists would probably claim that "Scream" is more thriller and less horror, and I would be the first to agree. But what of it, it's still a great flick.
Saturday, July 18, 1998 - Video
One of the most clever and original horrors ever made. This tongue-in-cheek send up of its own genre proved Wes Craven to be the horror-master of his generation. And it's scary too!
Owes a lot to a great young cast and Craven's manipulative script.
Sunday, April 4, 1999 - Video