My Favorites: “Scream”

I was either 12 or 13 years old the first time I saw “Scream.” It was my first horror movie.  I really hadn’t seen anything remotely scary before it. Granted, most true horror fans would probably tell me “Scream” isn’t scary. Well, I was 13. And I was then, and still am now, a wuss. I’ll stick to the “non-scary” scary movies, thank you very much.

I was home alone when I watched it. With my door shut. And even though it was in broad daylight, it still scared the living daylights out of me. I’d never seen someone get gutted or have their throat slit. And I remember how much my mom startled me when she knocked on my door, because I hadn’t heard her come home.

I personally think “Scream” is a well-written, well-acted, intelligent action thriller. It manages to be tongue-in-cheek yet still take itself seriously. It’s not a parody, unlike the unbelievably awful “Scary Movie” series, but it does recognize on-screen that the entire killing spree is following the “rules” of a horror movie. And the sequels, while, perhaps, weaker, still work very well if you view the series as a whole.

You can keep your gory flicks like “Saw” and your Japanese remakes a la “The Ring” or “The Grudge.” I’ll take the teen horror genre, which also includes “Halloween,” “Nightmare on Elm Street,” “Cursed,” “I Know What You Did Last Summer,” and “Urban Legend” — all of which are required viewing for me every October. I do like certain other horror movies, but these will forever hold the fondest place in my heart.

Bring on “Scream 4”!

–
Nathan
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