Scream 4

Director: Wes Craven
Cast: Neve Campbell, David Arquette, Courteney Cox and Emma Roberts
DVD release: 12 October 2011
Rated: MA 15+

Having missed the media preview for Scream 4, I caught it at a commercial session full of school holiday teenagers - the audience who will most appreciate it.

Basically there are two forms of horror film. The first is the “slasher” which usually has a demented character, training as a serial killer, often in disguise (even with a bag over the head). This nutcase stalks glamorous young women, causes their demise with much bloodletting in suspenseful sequences and shock cuts. It’s the gory details of the killings, and the tension before they happen, which is the stuff of these movies.

Wes Craven at 71 is a past master at the art, from The Hills Have Eyes back in the 70s, Nightmare on Elm Street series in the next decade, and the Scream trilogy for the 90s. He’s at it again with the rejigged Scream 4.

The other form of horror movie is the older “gothic” horror film, dealing with the supernatural, ghosts, hauntings and the undead. Here character development and credibility of plot are more important for the psychological impact of the movie. In slasher flicks, these aspects aren’t particularly essential. It’s all about shock treatment - as subtle as a ride on the Ghost Train which they closely resemble.

Indeed the opening teaser of Scream 4 slashes up blonde babes in remarkably short time, with dialogue having the surprising honesty to explain the limitations of the genre. It’s a good start when a movie doesn’t take itself too seriously. The action never gets better than before the main title hits the screen.

With three of the series cast still around on the anniversary of the Woodsboro massacre, Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) has returned to promote her memoir with a book signing. Mostly ineffective Dewey Riley (David Arquette) has been elevated to the town’s Sheriff, and is married to news reporter Gale Withers (Courteney Cox) now a bestselling novelist. They’ve all aged surprisingly well considering what they have been though in the past. There’s also cousin Jill (Emma Roberts) and Aunt Kate (Mary McDonnell) as part of the welcoming committee, and Sidney stays at their house.

Naturally as soon as you can say ‘ring ring’, the violent killings get under way; with mobile phone warnings from a new Ghostface. These are centered around the school and members of its horror film appreciation club, with much discussion on the merits of such movies.

Indeed to try and save Charlie (Rory Culkin) from the impending knife, Jill’s friend Kirby (Hayden Panattiere) has to answer a series of trivia questions on horror films. Shaun of the Dead even gets an appearance. Then there’s the line between two deputies guarding the house, “TV cops always get killed unless you’re Bruce Willis”.

All very tongue-in-cheek, this underlying droll in-house material lifts us a little above the grizzly murders, which would make Jack the Ripper envious, and Dexter excited about the excessive blood splatter - such enthusiasm with a collapsing blade.

Director Craven knows how to set up for thrills, a small sting before the big shock, and he’s clever at using wide-screen. Writer Kevin Williamson makes use of contemporary communication fads, from web-cams to Facebook. The empty car park sequence offers a high degree of suspense, but finally the movie just runs out of steam with mindless brutality.

You'll laugh at crazy attempts of Emma Roberts to damage herself, while the ending is so ridiculous as to be embarrassing. Poor Ghostface, despite repeated stabbings, finds some chicks damn hard to kill. However for another generation of teens Scream 4 may have certain appeal, despite the ever present problem of it being formula driven, albeit updated.

John Bale