A modern horror classic

Rating: 8/10 (4 November 2012)

By the time "Scream" was released in 1996, writer/director Wes Craven already had a couple of landmark horror films under his belt in the form of "The Last House on the Left" & "A Nightmare on Elm Street". With "Scream", he teamed with screenwriter Kevin Williamson for a reflexive take on the slasher genre. The result was both a critical and commercial success.
In a nutshell, the story revolves around a costumed serial killer who is murdering teens while eluding the police and creating a media frenzy. Not a particularly novel concept but that's the point. The screenplay plays up the conventions of slasher movies, offering a clever commentary on the sub-genre that's appealing even to those who sneer at the formulaic nature of such movies.
The acting talent on board isn't half bad for a horror flick. The memorable opening features Drew Barrymore and there are recognizable faces everywhere you look, including Neve Campbell (naturally), Courtney Cox, David Arquette, Rose McGowan & Henry Winkler, among others. One note regarding the casting: Skeet Ulrich is such a dead ringer (sorry) for a young Johnny Depp that I have to assume that his casting was an unspoken nod to Depp's presence in the original "Nightmare on Elm Street".
As for the direction, Craven knows his way around a horror movie, so its no surprise that he supplies the movie with the requisite suspense. The movie also looks attractive and has a decent soundtrack to boot.
Ultimately, "Scream" succeeds both as a slasher movie and as a satire of slasher movies. It's also pretty accessible, being not especially gory, at least in comparison to contemporary fare. Of the sequels, I've only seen the first two, neither of which rose to the level of the original.