Wes Craven Reinvents The Teen Slasher SubGenre

Rating: Null/10 (24 August 2011)

'Scream' is perhaps the first slasher parody and it came out at a time when teen slasher flicks were almost extinct. It set a new trend by bringing back this genre and sadly, the result was a boom that provided wannabe trash like 'I Know What You Did Last Summer', 'Urban Legends' etc etc. Of course the boom was only shortlived as people just got tired of watching teen slasher flicks.
Back to 'Scream', director Wes Craven has found a way to reinvent the genre. It succeeds in both the humour aspect and the thriller aspect. Its self-awareness has given it a unique quality. In a way it celebrates the genre but also pokes fun at the clichés and silliness of the formula those movies followed. The teen characters directly make fun of the slasher flick and yet they follow the exact same formula because 'like it's really going to happen in real life'. The element of suspense is also well maintained. Obviously the viewer knows that so-and-so character is going to be killed and yet he/she is hooked to the screen.
The cast includes a host of actors who were cast in popular TV-series. Neve Campbell is very good as the protagonist (and she gets better with each movie). Courteney Cox is terrific. David Arquette is alright. Jaime Kennedy contributes well to the fine comic relief. Rose McGowen is good as the blonde who thinks she's smart. Matthew Lillard goes over the top and sometimes it's annoying.
'Scream' is sheer popcorn entertainment and its sequels successfully find newer ways to poke fun at the genre.