Scream 4 (Scream IV, Scre4m)
| release date | April 15 2011 |
| studio | Dimension Films |
| director | Wes Craven |
| writer | Kevin Williamson |
| starring | Neve Campbell, David Arquette, Courteney Cox, Emma Roberts, Hayden Panettiere, Rory Culkin, Nico Tortorella, Anthony Anderson, Marielle Jaffe, Adam Brody, Marley Shelton, Erik Knudsen, Mary McDonnell, Alison Brie, Cindy Clark, Kristen Bell, Anna Paquin, S |
| rating | R |
| tagline | New decade. New rules. |
| site | scream-4.com |
| trailer 1 | Trailer #1 |
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Great
Scream 4 is definitely the best since the original. It is fun, it has the scares, and it is the most brutal and bloody of the four. The characters are awesome and I never really had the “I can’t wait for this person to die” feeling. Williamson works in the new technology and the feel of this generation perfectly. I am 21 years old and I remember watching Scream on VHS tape when I was about 10. Amazing movie and it is one that got me into my love of horror. Being so young, it was hard to totally recognize the actors and the feel of the 90′s. Going to see Scream 4 gave me the feeling of what I expect many my age in the 90′s felt. I knew the actors and I could relate to the atmosphere (generation). It was great and I hope it turns a new generation toward horror like Scream did for me. Scream 4 is a great movie. It didn’t let me down and I look forward to Scream 5.
Overall, I really enjoyed this movie. It was definitely better than the 3rd, but there were some things that I wasn’t completely on board with. I felt like it just tried to be more of a comedy than a horror film, which is odd to me, considering one of the first lines in the movie is “this isn’t a comedy, it’s a horror film…”
I also kind of feel like the original characters kind of lost a part of themselves. Gale’s “bitchiness” was forced and Dewey’s character wasn’t quite the lovable dimwit that he originally came off as in the other films.
Aside from that, the movie was fantastic. Despite the fact that I think it shouldn’t have tried so hard to be a comedy, it’s humorous moments definitely weren’t humorless. The suspense is still there (stronger than ever, too), the blood is still there (also stronger than ever), and the twist is great.
The justification is great, the cast is DEFINITELY well chosen, and, perhaps, in my opinion, the best thing I can say about the movie, you could watch the first 2 films, and this could easily take the place of the 3rd. Scream 3′s plot and its contribution to the saga seems inconsequential, as it is. The only arguable thing that you would need out of it is knowing that Dale and Dewey get married, but you could infer that that was going to happen from the end of the second film.
Like I said, it’s a solid movie, it’s not perfect, by any means, but it has one of the best lines in horror cinema to date. You’ll know what I mean you hear it (hint: it’s delivered right after the killer is put down).
Just got home from the midnight showing. I’ve always held a soft spot in my heart for the Scream trilogy, especially the first two films. Anyways Scream 4 was good, gory, and hilarious.
The movie wasn’t scary at all, besides the occasional ‘jump’ parts, however, I’m pretty hard to scare but the audience seemed to be a bit spooked. The film was HILARIOUS though. I give mad props to Mr. Williamson.
‘NO SPOILERS’ The few twists in the opening were wicked funny and gets the film rolling. I will say I didn’t guess correctly who the killer was at the end, it was a bit shocking. The setting of the ending was pretty cool too and just the entire third act was like a roller coaster ride. I highly recommend Scream 4 if you liked the other Scream films or just loves horror in general.
Scream 4 was a long overdue love letter to horror fans and I truly appreciated it in all it’s gory glory.
I LOVE Wes Craven. And I LOVE the Scream movies. They reinvented the horror genre when it was dying. But this movie didn’t feel groundbreaking or new…it felt sort of recycled. The trailers build it up well, but it never delivered the way I’d hoped. Plus, there was so much missing from the final cut that was included in the trailer that it was distracting. The death scenes WERE pretty good. The open was just OK – nothing can ever live up to the original. And the ending was so-so. I figured out the killer(s) about 1/3 of the way through the movie. It was way better than part 3, not quite as good as the 2nd, and nowhere near the original. It’s a fun time at the movies, but couldn’t live up to the hype. And it often times felt more like a comedy with death scenes than a straight up horror movie.
WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED?!?! I think Mr. Williamson forgot why a lot of people loved the original and why it did so much better than most self aware teen slasher flicks. It had CHARACTERS. This one had absolutely no character development and it even found a way to ruin the old ones. It tries so desperately hard to be hip and with the in crowd of this hi tech age that it completely forgot about it’s core strengths. There was NO chemistry between Dewey and Gale at all and usually they’re electric on screen. It was more of a parody of Scream than Scary Movie was. Seriously the only good thing that happened in this film was a line said at the end. That’s it…I’m down for a Fifth one if they don’t decide to keep going the Saw 7 route. Start to be more of a smart satire like the series beginnings instead of a ridiculous parody. Sucks that most the horror community will probably love it just because it was gory.
Now I can officially push the debacle of Scream 3 out of my mind forever, and replace it with Scream 4. Truly a gift for the fans of the series, and I thank the original cast, Kevin Williamson (who I still think is a douche for whoring out horror whenever he needs a jumpstart) and Wes Craven for putting out what should’ve been the true third act of the trilogy. Loved the new characters, not a one of them felt like cannon fodder to me. The kills were more brutal (someone’s had a few lessons from the H2 Mike Myers), the denouement made perfect sense without being preachy or feeling tacked on (kind of like Mickey’s rationale in Scream 2, it fit the times). Hayden Panetierre has definitely made a new fan in me. Scream fans, breathe a sigh of relief: the only thing butchered here were the actors, the movie is amazing.
There were some “scary movie” moments but it was really good. Cant wait for the next ones!
As someone who was 18 when the first Scream rolled around, I really appreciated the new film. It could be considered a long delayed directed follow up to the first film as the other two sequels seem irrelevant here. Full marks to Mr. Craven, who has stumbled of late but has finally returned to form. Really satisfying cinema experience. Looking forward to see where we go from here.
Scream 4 definitely will have it’s sooth sayers, as it is a trilogy that grew up with the worlds now, young adults. Waiting 11 years, I was undoubtedly excited for this film, and I wasn’t disappointed. The film offered everything I was asking for, the cast in particular (Hayden Panettiere and Nico Tortorella both did phenomenal jobs in their roles, to name a few..) The film still offers its classic allure, the theater in my small town showing 3 midnight premieres opening night, even shutting down their IMAX film to play another showing. The gore surpassing that of all films, as well as the body count, proves the ruthlessness of the killers, as well as mocking modern films who knock off characters with ease. My bias view, being someone who worships the series, can’t help but appreciate the unexpected twists, and the film itself. 4 ranks just behind the original, only due to the fact of one comedic performance; “fuck Bruce Willis” not to spoil anything, which was completely unnecessary.
This film was fun to watch, but mediocre by any real standard. Lets me clear I think very highly of Wes Craven as all good horror fans will, I really enjoy the original Scream, it was scary, funny, fresh and highly relevant, and these are the missing components of this one. From the opening scene, while very fun and has at least 1 good jump, it sets a different tone for this film, a tone like in the god-awful Scream 3—- a tone that makes you think, well this will never happy to me its a movie! Big mistake, the first Scream worked so well for taking the Halloween idea of making a killer in your own back garden, this can’t help but self reference so much you don’t believe a thing.
I like Wes Cravens directing here, he plays the horror well, good use of unnerving camera angles but what i had problems with is the script. Kevin Williamson seems to have got himself some free pass with horror fans because of the 1st & 2nd Scream films (both of which I like) but let ye not forget he was the man behind Cursed,Vampire Diaries, Dawsons Creek, Teaching Miss Tingle, Faculty, I know what you did last summer, and his name was on the credits for Halloween H20, what does this show you- he writes for teenagers and that is exactly what he has done here- references to facebook and twitter and web cams and live stream already make this feel dated, no dated is the wrong word- ‘needy’ may be better.
‘Ironic’ will be another word that I bet gets used in a lot of reviews for this film and rightly so- it talks about shit horror films and remakes so much but really is just a poor relation to the first film. My god the opening scene says something like ‘The reason I don’t like Saw and Torture Porn films is because you dont get to know the characters so you dont care if they die’ (thats bad paraphrasing, it happens to be a statement I agree with) THEN this film throws so many stupid cameos of people who get killed and I don’t care about the deaths, then a light bulb went on in my head and i thought- this is your fault Kevin Williamson, stop trying to be clever with the script, just let these characters talk normally, then i might care, then i might get scared!- thats my problem with it!
On a slightly more positive note, the ‘story’ works in that it makes sense to the original, with the ‘big reveal’ feeling organic (not tagged on like in the last 2), I liked a fair bit of the acting (this has always been a strength of the first 2, get the right actors and we’ll believe it- remember Leiv Schriber, Mathew lillard, Timothy Olyphant, Rose Mcwagan, Jerry O Connel, Skeet Ulrich- these were all good) well i really liked Neve Campbell,and David arquette (I found Cournty Cox’s new face off putting) but the star was Hayden Pantriee, who was very good in this…
I also find the recent marketing that this is mega gory and scary to be somewhat odd- in the UK it has a 15 certificate (no admittance for anyone under 15) where as the original had an 18 certificate- I honestly believe these are the correct classifications, this maybe slightly gorier, but like it says its self, gore doesnt make fear, and this doesnt have, or try to have the intensity of the original or many other decent horrors.
So if your a fan of the series go watch, you’ll find things things to like and things to, well, not like. Its fun, entertaining, pointless and somewhat annoying… I don’t think we expected much else, but damn I wanted more.
I feel the same about this film as Scream 3. It was really entertaining to watch and fit well with the series but wasn’t anything monumental. I still recommend people to watch it though
IT WAS F’ING AMAZING!! I Loved this movie..!
It is suspense with HORROR thrown in..It doenst take itself too seriously and it WORKS! I love it because the dialouge in this film sounds like it came from a HORROR Messageboard..the OVER THINKING of all HORROR movies..like..what was the killer thinking ETC..and it works..NEW DECADE NEW RULES..CORRECT..PAYS HOMAGE TO THE OTHER 3 FILMS which were very good..and OPENS A NEW DOOR/CHAPTER FOR A TRILOGY..SCREAM 4 could stand on its own..but..it could go on..we shall see.. 4/ out of 5 BRING ON SCreAM 5
Went to the priemere last night and have to say it was exactly what a scream movie should be like, I loved it I also love how they stuck with the first 3 it wasn’t about all the special effects horror movies have these days, it’s true terror in these characters eyes that you could actually feel if you were In there place. Great job but I think it should end right here no more they’ll ruin it if too many come out. “Don’t fuck with the original” = ]
Pros:
LOTS of death scenes that range from very quick and gory to very drawn out stalk and slash.
Lots of laughes. But thankfully it all comes from the moment and never reaches “scary movie” level parody (something SCREAM 3 suffered from greatly)
LOVABLE CHARACTERS. Although there are a TON of people to keep track of, thereby making it kinda hard to get too terribly invested in them, they are all great. Especially one character who mos def takes the “tatum” mantle and wears it with pride.
GORY! easily the bloodiest of the scream movies, but thankfully NOT as over the top as saw. and by the way, thank GOD one of the characters basically talks directly about saw and how horrible all this torture porn craze is. I LOVED that the “stab” movies within the movie are at number 7, just like the SAW movies in real life.
Meta. There is soooo much reboot and sequel and trilogy and every other kind of horror movie cliche talk that it almost gives you a head ache trying to keep track of it all. but props to this movie for laying out at least 3 times as many “rules” to follow and then avoiding all of those very same pitfalls.
The killer(s) identity is great. I guessed it about halfway through (sort of
. HOWEVER! i will say the motive was FUCKING GENIOUS and sooo effing perfect and on point and that revelation alone makes this movie actually have a reason to exist outside of the obvious cash cow that is ALSO is (which is ALSO discussed within the kfilm itself.)
CONS:
With such a HUGE enseamble cast, a lot of the newer kids don’t get all that much screen time. That being said, the film as a whole just RACES past at lightening speed, and i wouldn’t have it any other way, so I see it as an even trade. And let it be said that with the little time they DO have these guys make a GREAT impression. I actually was rooting for them to LIVE! oh and hayden pannetiere? your now on a VERY short list of women i’d go straight for. so theres that.
* side note. It was really nice to see “ROBERT RODRIGUEZ’ STAB” movie within a movie staring heather grahm playing drew barrymores death scene from scream one. HOWEVER, i def noticed more footage shown in here than what we saw during the opening of SCREAM 2……could they please release this opening UNCUT as a special feature on the blu ray or something.
Many are saying “Scream 4″ is the best film in the series since the original, and it’s hard to disagree once seeing it with an audience. The kills are much more simplistic than most of the over the top kills horror fans have gotten used to in recent years, but they’re just as brutal.
http://onemissedreel.blogspot.com/2011/04/film-review-scream-4.html
Scream 4 is not for everyone. But if you’re a true Scream fan and love slashers, then this is for YOU. Don’t go in expecting anything but a great thrill ride and you’ll be pleased! It’s funny, gory, and smart. I was shaking during the EPIC finale! Some may say it’s over the top, I say WHO CARES! Scream 4 is a great tribute to the original trilogy. There are flaws, but many of them can easily be overlooked. Non-stop actiong, waaay better than the third, and fits in nicely with the first two.
<3
I cannot believe how much I loved this film. In fact, I’m going to see it again just to be sure I didn’t hallucinate the entire thing. It’s pacing is great, it’s hilarious and it is ABSURDLY violent and fun. I can’t think of the last time I had genuinely enjoyed a horror film in the theater. I honestly can’t. Also, I went into it expecting to feel very underwhelmed and “meh” about it. In fact, a friend of mine and myself have been debating ourselves into oblivion the last few weeks about how good it would actually be. I took the stance that it’s just a cash-in motivated, non-genuine time bomb that people will immediately see through while he thought it was going to be fantastic. Well, that bastard is right. Now I have to horribly murder him because I don’t like being wrong. If anyone has any gripe about it (and believe me, I wanted to HATE it soooooooo fucking badly) then you have an even worse attitude than me and must hate fun and enjoyment.
Funny, witty, bloody. Perfect
killercam666 said everything i was going to say. I fell hard for the hype behind this one. “It’s bloodier, more clever than the first 3″ BULLSHIT! This was the biggest let down since the Nightmare on Elm Street remake. and I am also a huge lifelong Scream fan. Kevin Williamson’s dilogue was overshadowed by retarded scene after retarded scene. and who slipped Roger Jackson (the voice) cocaine? His delivery was so awful and laughable I almost walked out. & yes, the first gimmick at the beginning with the movie with in a movie was funny. But after it transformed into real time, I still couldn’t tell if the gimmick was going to come around again because it was really fucking cheasy. and then I see the Scream 4 logo appear on screen. My jaw hit the fucking floor and i thought to myself “are you fucking kidding me, that was it???” skip through lame ass kill after lame ass kill and we get to the ending. The worst thing is that not only is the killer(s) identity(s) predictable, its so fucking stupid and pointless. I sure as hell couldnt care less that he/she/them were the killer(s). After it ended, I thought to myself, where the fuck was Brittany Roberts original death scene? I assume that was supposed to be the original opening and for whatever reason they cut it out. I know everyone remembers the photo of her hanging from the cieling with the words “whats your favorite scary movie” written in blood on the wall. which can be seen here: http://www.soundonsight.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/scre am-4-movie-new-images3.jpg Kevin Williamson had some good dilogue, but it was ruined by money hungry studio dip shits who thought it’d be a good idea to re-launch the Scream franchise. and the sadest part is that Wes Craven has either caved into the studio system so much that he’ll do whatever the fucking Weinstiens tell him, or he has simply lost his edge. I say if you are a Scream fan, then skip this and act like it never happened.
New decade. New Rules. Same old, same old.
I kept an open mind going into Scream 4, but I came away feeling as though the script was pieced together with some interesting ideas that just never jelled thematically as much as they should have. In fact, I came away feeling that this was not written by Kevin Williamson – that a person of lesser talent came along and attempted to do their best version of him writing Scream.
First, the good: The notion of how media has evolved and what role it plays in our lives is fairly relevant. On the downside, it didn’t feel like it was really about that, say in a way that The Social Network was about Facebook…. It was really about relationships (hey, that’s what Facebook is ALL about). Here, it’s merely glanced over and never really given any deeper context to work within. Think of how social media alienates people in many cases vs. what it’s intended to do (bring people together). Also, the idea of identity theft or being “anonymous” online aren’t developed as much as they could be, either.
It’s not really until the end, when we get the killer’s motive, that we get a sense of what was REALLY going on and there’s a hint of irony in the last shot which is what the film was REALLY about – but it just felt like there were too many detours and not a clear through-line to get us there because….
The bad news: …the story’s second act just tanked. There were too many characters, many of whom we had nothing invested in. They were essentially victims in waiting. Whenever the lens shifted away from Sydney, I grew frustrated because she’s the anchor of the story – the main character. We bounce around from so many characters in the second act that it becomes tedious because they either have half-baked agendas (Dewey’s and Gail’s forced marriage woes, for instance), or none at all.
This became distracting because different characters and their relationships with one another represent different story through-lines. Sydney and Gail = the past, specifically dealing with the past. Sydney and her cousin = the present and future. But take Sydney out of the equation and give us Kirby and anybody else, and there’s no real through-line other than “victim”.
Other issues were the fact the film fell into parody at times. Making fun of cliches in the first film was brilliant. Making fun of cliches in remakes, reboots at this time is, well, cliched. It’s played out and grows tiresome – especially listening to a lot of the early deconstructing, post-modernism dialogue.
All in all, the movie succeeds on some levels, but falls far short on others. The ending, while somewhat relevant to headlines in newspapers today, just didn’t feel like it had the appropriate level of emotional set-up to warrant it or make it really POP. Think back to the original and all the attention paid to the backstory of Sydney’s mom dying a year before, how often it’s referenced, etc. Then when the killer reveals his motive, it’s that much more effective because it ties into all those elements in a way we weren’t aware of, but makes sense. Here, it just doesn’t feel like it was set up properly.
I fucking loved it. My favorite character died but whatever. It was so much darker than I expected. Ghostface is much more brutal this time around. I didn’t see the reveal scene coming at all. I lovvvvved this movie and I cannot wait for the sequel.
WHY! WHY! WHY! Why are we still watching this EFIN Crap!!! WES makes it and we, like little sheep go and part with our hard earned cash, and sit in what can only be the most uncomfortable seats ever produced, and are quite happy to sit through the same old shit time after time. I am just awe struck
by the fact that so many people continue to live in hope that wes will ever produce an “Original” horror flick again. Time to move on guys!
There are so many new/up coming horror film makers out there, give the newbees a chance and stop buying into the same old CRAP!….. wes craven sold his sole to the corporate blood suckers decades ago, lets all just except his demise and look to a new horror dawn!
OMG! THIS MOVIE SUCKED!!! And I can’t even discuss why without posting spoilers. Bloody frustrated now. save your cash and go see Eaters instead.
Clever ending!!! Best of the sequels! I will be buying it on blu-ray when it comes out!
Die hard fan of Scream here. I saw the first Scream movie back in cinemas when it was released in 1996, I must have been 9 years old at the time. I went with my father, and my older brother. That movie horrified me, but in a good way, I was from there on in hooked on horror movies. I saw Scream 2 with my dad, my brother and my brother’s friend on opening weekend to a packed theater! (Basically like the opening of Scream 2 with all the people watching STAB- but alittle less animated, and they weren’t all dressed up as Ghostface lol) and then I saw Scream 3 with just my dad in a somewhat full theater around opening weekend. Scream 4 is a good movie, but there’s too much comedy in it, which sets it apart from Scream 1 which balanced horror, suspense and bits of comedy perfectly. Scream 3 felt more like a Scooby-Doo episode gone awry. I will say this though, Scream 4 beats the shit out of the lackluster Scream 3. It’s alot darker, more brutal, more violent, more fun to watch.
(SPOILERS BELOW!!!)
Some things I would change would be when Anthony Anderson’s character is killed, he says “Fuck Bruce Willis” I thought that was stupid. I liked his death alot, it was almost hard to watch because you feel so bad for him, but when he threw in that last stupid piece of dialogue, I shook my head with disbelief. The revealing of the killers was pretty cool. I didn’t think Charlie would be the killer, but for some reason I thought Jill was the killer from the beginning. Anyways, I know I’m rambling on, but take it from me, I’m a diehard Scream fan; if it wasn’t for those movies, I probably wouldn’t be the horror fan I am today. Give Scream 4 a chance. Every movie should be seen twice anyways, so don’t judge it 100% until your second viewing.
Basically, it’s a pretty fun fucking movie.
fun trip back to woodsboro
Scream – 1000/10
Scream 2 – 5/10
Scream 3 – 4/10
Scream 4 – 8/10
With that being said.. scream 4 is by far the best sequel in the bunch.. alot of fun and I must say I was fooled by the ending.. Don’t go in expecting a gore fest, just go in expecting a really fun time
INCREDIBLE!
I can’t believe so many people are giving this sequel positive reviews. I’m glad they liked it thought because although it is not horrible, it is definitely not a film I will add to my collection. The opening is too silly and the kills in the stab movies kind of desensitizes the audience so that by the time it gets to the kills that are actually “real” the impact is taken away. The music score was lacking and didn’t even feel like a scream film to me. I will pop in the original film in a moment to redeem my dissapointment.
I liked almost everything about it. Very entertaining. It did a good job of confusing me/making me wonder who the hell the killer was. Not as gory as some of the reviews described, but still decent death scenes. The pacing didn’t bother me either. OH but there were DEFINITELY missing scenes from the clips and trailers – kinda annoying. But in the end, it lived up to my excitement and I reccommend it. Only a couple things I considered flaws –
SPOILERS AHEAD :
The real opening death scenes were kinda weak…Jill and Charlie were supposed to be a team the whole time and then she just kills him with no problem. I didn’t see enough motive for that. Yah she was pretty crazy but still…Also how did they set this up for a new trilogy if ALL the new characters died. I wish they saved maybe one new character – someone better than the female cop, like Kirby. I was hoping she’d live, then again you never know who they’ll bring back for a sequel.
Welcome back to Woodsboro… After more than ten years since the last Scream outing, Scream 4 pumps new life into the horror classic franchise of Scream. I have to admit I really did like this film, although I did fear that it might not have been up to the standards of its predecessors I’m happy to say that it probably surpasses all of the movies aside from Scream 1.
What was great about this movie was that it tried its best to be as original as possible unlike most of these new low budget slasher movies we are subjected to all so often. The formula is pretty similar to all the other Scream movies, in that a lot of people could be the killer, however the film is really clever here in that the persons you’d probably least expect are actually the killers. I for some reason believed the killer was actually going to be Gale as they made her seen so desperate for a shot at fame and importance again but the real surprise was who it was. I won’t spoil the ending but this movie is a lot of fun… It’s got gore, a few laughs and an interesting plot. By the 4th film of most franchises the plot is very stale and overdone (like Friday the 13th or Nightmare on Elm St) however Scream is clever because Wes Craven has managed to reinvent Scream where it will appeal to younger audiences now and new fans as well as the old fans of the first 3 films.
Although this movie isn’t perfect, it was fun. I actually enjoyed watching it and I didn’t guess the ending. Don’t go into this movie expecting too much, if you do that you will be pleasantly surprised at how good it actually is. There was a strong perforance from Nev Cambell and Courteney Cox as well. Well I guess now we’ll have to wait for Scream 5 and 6 seeing as Wes Craven has signed on a deal to make another trilogy.
I give this 7/10 -definitely worth watching!
Being a fan of the series I figured out who the killer was before the big unveil yet with all being said…WELCOME BACK Mr.Craven!!!!
So good. Brought me back. Fresh, original, and very funny.
Scream 4 is a really great movie. I’ve seen it twice so far and I just love the brilliance of what the film is about and how its executed. Kudos to Neve Campbell, Hayden Panitierre, Courtney Cox and a very surprising Emma Roberts for bringing their A game. Wes Craven is in great form and he and Williamson make a kick ass team it’s amazing that these guys can make a movie so in tune with times and hip. If I had one criticism I just wish it was scarier. That being said it’s fantastically brutal, smart and the most creative of the Scream franchise.
Eleven years ago, I had thought we’d seen the last of Ghostface. I was 10 years old when Scream 3 came out, and now that I’m 21, I’m glad to see that Ghostface has returned for a new generation. This sequel is just as bloody, epic, and awesome as the previous Scream movies. On the Anniversary that Billy Loomis and Stu Macher had the original killing spree, Sidney Prescott returns to Woodsboro to promote her new self-help book. She reunites with Gale, Dewey, and her cousin, Jill. Soon after, Ghostface shows up and begins killing Jill’s friends. Sidney, Jill, and Kirby seek help from two horror geeks named Charlie and Robbie. They discuss the new rules and how to survive. Who is re-writing the rules? Will Sidney survive again? I highly recommend SCREAM 4!!!
First off I was very skeptical about this because of Craven’s last stinker My Soul to Take. So going into this my expectations weren’t very high. This was a pretty good flick. I loved the first three and this one was just like them and I loved every minute of it. Took me back to my memories of the 90s. Check it out if you wanna see a fun old school slasher flick.
What a blast. I went into Scream 4 expecting a lazy cash in for a movie trilogy (as most of the horror remakes/reimaginings/sequels are) that, in its day, was a smart and inventive riff on those movies we all love to take seriously and sometimes, not so much. I was pleasantly surprised with what I came out of the theatre with. Satisfaction. That’s right. Not disgust. Not euphoria. Satisfaction.
There’s things to love and things to hate in this film. Most films are like that. But the thing is, the things you end up loving more than make up for the few downfalls the film has.
Let’s start out with the cast. Gigantic ensemble cast with most everyone sharing a decent amount of screen time showcasing their characters. Seriously, the cast is huge. But that’s part of the charm. You see all of these characters, some of which you develop hate for and some of which you intensely love (Hayden Panettiere, I’m looking at you) and they are all suspects. Add in to the mix a razor sharp dialogue chock full of insightful commentary on the horror scene today (love the comment on torture porn) and you know they must have had fun making it.
The kill scenes were numerous and they differed enough to keep you interested (watch out for a knife to the skull). Gore hounds will be satisfied (there’s that word again) but let’s not kid ourselves. This isn’t Martyrs. Special effects seemed spot on without any noticeable blunders.
Music? The other Scream movies reflected the era that they were shot in and the soundtracks have always been a favorite of mine. With Scream 4, the music was spot on as well. Slight remakes of the original score with a smattering of some pretty decent sounds made sure I was in the zone.
But I can’t just talk about the positives can I? On to the negative points of the film. And really, they can’t really deter you from the film because the complaints are so innocuous. The film isn’t very original. There, I said it. Truthfully though, did you expect it to be? In this day and age? Where the slasher genre has seen pretty much everything thrown its way? Hardly a unreasonable complaint and yet it did hold the movie back a little. Also, the pacing was a little fast. I felt that it kind of needed to be but others might wince at how fast those bodies are being racked up.
TL:DR Watch it. Really. Stop reading this and go see the film. Its relevant, witty, gory, frenetic, and it’s the return of Wes Craven at his best.
Overrated.
Wow, I was surprised by how good this new installment to the franchise was. I walked into the theaters expecting something along the lines of Scream 3, except my standards were even lower. But it caught my by surprise. Scream 4 is as good as the original, and I could tell it tried to take on elements of the original. The highlight of this film is the ending. Normally, I’m not to hyped about horror movie endings, but this one just made me happy. It’s an ending that keeps you on the edge of your seat. You’ll be guessing just who is gonna take the spotlight for a conclusion. Overall definitely a must watch for slasher fans, and horror fans in general!
It was excellent had refrences to the first 3 Scream movies but it wasn’t the same without Randy or Tatum.
(Some spoilers)
I disliked the opening. After the first two decoys the third felt cheesy and I couldn’t take it seriously. I felt like it wasn’t powerful enough to open SCREAM 4. And the title card was too ‘fun’ not scary or serious like I myself imagined it to be. I was very much into the first two girls in the first decoy opening. I felt like if it hadn’t ended at the front door, like there was a fantastic chase scene, that would have been an awesome opening. But the whole ‘tricked ya’ gimmick did not work for me personally. After that loved every second of the film. Funny, suspenseful, clever, and at parts disturbing which I loved. I was disturbed with the hot girl being repeatedly stabbed to death brutally and the cop being stabbed in the head and how his body reacted, very realistic to me, freaked me out. The whole thing about Jill’s America was brilliant to me and very creepy considering there are real people and kids out there that think like that. I also loved how instead of remaking scream they made a smart sequel that had remake elements in it. Fucking fantastic. Definitely seeing it theaters a second time.
i loved but had some problems with it. i felt like it was kind of compact and it could have went into many different directions. i also thought of some ideas during some parts of how i would have went with it. i did have a lot of fun though. and it was hilarious when it was supposed to be. i was expecting it to have more of the same type scenes in it which would have been cool cause thats how remakes are now, but love that craven was like “this is how you make a fuckin remake, go into a completely different direction”. also the motives were kind of dumb. the twist was cool though. thought the ending should have been different. overall great installment and a big F-you to remakes just dont watch the original right after like i did.
This film left me speechless. One of the best horror films i’ve saw in awhile. Wes Craven is a fucking master. You HAVE to see this.
The original Scream is my favorite horror movie of all time and it’s one of my favorite franchises ever. This latest installment, after anticipating it ever since the day it was announced, genuinely blew me away. I left the theater feeling so, so happy and satisfied with the end result. I’m not going to say anything about the story, but it was so awesome seeing Neve Campbell, Courtney Arquette, and David Arquette reprising their original beloved roles and introducing a slew of new ones with beautiful and talented faces of the current times. The ending was genuinely brilliant and absolutely WTF I was so wound up and involved in the last act of the movie you could hear me shout things at the screen. The film isn’t totally perfect… but it almost is! I love Wes Craven and am SO happy he’s back in the spotlight with this horror gem. I’m glad to be Kevin Williamson back writing a Scream film, his first since 1997!!! This very well might be favorite horror movie of the year and one of, if not the greatest sequel to a horror film made after so many years since the last installment (Phantasm II is another). I loved this movie, and I will always love SCREAM!!!
This movie was a blast! I haven’t had this much fun at the movies in a long, long time. I loved all of the characters (especially Hayden Panettiere’s Kirby…she was one of the coolest on-screen characters I’ve ever seen), and it was great seeing the original trio back in action (particularly Gale, she was hysterical). I also thought the twist was brilliant, and the last half hour of the movie was pure insanity (and wildly entertaining!) I can’t wait to see this again in theaters, it was awesome.
Okay, we’re all satisfied that the old cast is back, the old crew. We get hyped up. Sidney returns to Woodsboro and we are introduced to a new heap of characters.
With this entry I felt as if it wasn’t as strong as it could have been, as it seemed it would be. The opening was brutal, awesome. What I love about the Scream films is the fact that when there was blood, you could tell it was there, but they didn’t over do it. They kept it believable, but 4 decides to go in an all new direction. The couches bleed for Christ’s sake! The acting was superb. Sure, the opening scene between the two, after Anna Paquin and Kristen Bell’s scene, were terrible. Yet, when it comes to Scream, they are usually believable as hell. They’re fun. They are hip.
Scream 4 felt like it’s own satire. It’s own fart joke. Some places it dragged and dragged and instead of getting the chance to meet new characters, they are disposed of quickly. Flying around, getting cut up, stabbed repeatedly; which seemed to be the only kills we got to see. Stab. Stab. Stab. I know exactly why 4 went for this approach. Killing people off like leaves falling off trees in fall; to raise a huge middle finger to the horror films being made these days. I wish some of the characters hadn’t died ass fast as they did. I wish they were more developed and goddammit! I WISH GALE (Courtney Cox) got more screen time!
There are tons of things that weigh out the bad about this movie. I loved it. There’s a short list of things that bothered me. One scene, where someone is killed, that is way over the top. It shouldn’t have even been in the movie to be completely honest. “F*ck you, Bruce Willis.” That, I will leave to you.
All in all, this felt like a meta-remake-sequel. It was killer. It was fun. It made me jump. It made me life, but I didn’t feel compassion for any of the new characters besides of course, for Kirby. (I HAVE MAJOR, MAJOR QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT CHARACTER.) Gale and Sidney are the highlight of all the characters. Dewy was hardly ever in the movie.
I loved this movie, though. I know it may seem like I am bashing it to an extent, I’m just going with my gut feeling here. It was an awesome movie. It was fun, just remember, like one of the characters say, “Don’t f*ck with the original.”
Best sequel easily. The violence is much better, from the sound of the blade ripping into flesh or the blood spurting from wounds.
The story is also good, although it didn’t really capture the atmosphere of the first 3 films. I think it might have been because the emphasis on kill scenes and less focus on character development. Other than that and the occasional HORRIBLE one-liner coming from victims as they take their last breath, there isn’t much to complain about.
The twist wasn’t too bad, compared to the other sequels, but it’s really hard to top how shocking and satisfying the first one’s ending was. Still not bad considering this is #4. I expected MUCH worse.
Scream 4 is gorier than ever and can still make me laugh. I’m definitely seeing it at least once more in theaters.
8/10
AMAZING! I LOVED IT! It was just as good as the first Scream. It was everything I wanted it to be, and more. Don’t let anyone ruin the ending, just go see it! SO GOOD! AMAZING!
First of all let me say that the Scream’s are my all time favorite movies. When 4 was announced it was literally a dream come true. 2 for me was the weakest but my favorite ending. 3 was the funnest and funniest because of Courteney Cox and Parker Posey. And 1 was the BEST film ever made to me! So the day I waited 11 years and 2 months for came for me FINALLY yesterday! Scream 4… I seen the first showing yesterday and liked it but had to process it. The second time I FREAKIN LOVED IT! A great entry. Probably the best sequel when its all said and done. Great cast. Fast paced. THe funniest of them all(thank you Courteney Cox, she was born to play Gale Weathers). Also prolly the most amazing ending of them all! Totally not scream like. So it was shocking.
I didn’t care for the opening though, it was ok but probably the weakest of them all. I would have rather had a longer version on Lucy and Shenae it started off great! and where were the chase scenes??? Thats one of the best things about the Screams! And yes it was the goriest but eh Im not a gore hound so that didnt seem like scream. All in all Scream 4 was amazing I have to wait in time to see where it ranks in the series but there is definitely no better time at the movies. Loved it! Thank u wes, kevin, ehrin, courteney, neve, david, hayden, emma, marley, ect. ect. LETS GO SCREAM 5!!!!!!!!!
Holy crap! Just saw it, that was the most demented twist i’ve ever seen in a movie! It was gory, funny, straight to the point, and holy balls once again as to who the killer is!!!!!
It was good, good job, Wes Craven and Kevin Williamson, just wow!!
Perfect! Absolutely perfect!! Wes Craven and Kevin Williamson do it again! Williamson’s script was amazing, and Craven’s direction was fantastic. I loved the new cast of characters, Emma Robers, Hayden Panettiere, Rory Culkin, and Erik Knudsen were excellent, and Neve Campbell, David Arquette, and Courtney Cox were amazing, as always!! It’s got a great sense of humor, it’s brutal, and the callbacks to the original were totally brilliant! I love, love, love this film!! All you Scream fanatics out there need to see this right now, this will deliver everything you are looking for and then some!!! It’s perfect in every way! 10/10
It’s really, really great, better than the second and third and although there are a few problems it’s still a great fun time.
Not the shitfest that was My Soul to Take, but Wes Craven definately phoned this one is. Silly opening to a standard middle, to a preposterous ending…I can’t reccomend this crap to anyone. Not a jump or scare throughout, Gayle looked reptillian and Dewey looked like Hitler. Pass on this one fans and non fans alike.
Not the shitfest that was My Soul to Take, but Wes Craven definately phoned this one is. Silly opening to a standard middle, to a preposterous ending…I can’t reccomend this crap to anyone. Not a jump or scare throughout, Gayle looked reptillian and Dewey looked like Hitler. Pass on this one fans and non fans alike.
Ten years have officially passed since the world saw Ghostface last in Scream 3; however, the terror is far from over. Today, I went with the Virginia Horror Society to see the fourth installment of the franchise that reinvented the horror genre in the 1990′s, and I must say right now that I may give minor spoilers on the film but nothing major. I will wait until after many have seen it before I add on to this review. However, I will start my review by giving my verdict on Ghostface’s return to slice up Woodsboro. I absolutely LOVED THIS MOVIE! I have always loved every Scream film and hold the series very dear to me. This was absolutely no exception. In fact, I would have to place this film at the same level as the second film.
However, before I start sounding like a hyper fan, I want to give a bit of a synopsis of the film. Ten years have passed since Sidney’s final encounter with Ghostface, and now things have changed. Sidney is now a very popular author publicizing her newest book on her life, Out of Darkness. Her last stop on her book tour is back in her home town we have not seen in 15 years. However, with her return comes a ghost from the past. Not only does the new generation take the bloody history of Woodsboro as a sick but entertaining gimmick, but Ghostface has also returned to kill on the anniversary of the original Woodsboro murders. Meanwhile, Dewey is the chief of police and Gale, his wife, is retired and finding it incredibly difficult to write her next book. Furthermore, Sidney can’t just protect Gale, Dewey, and herself, she also must fight to protect a group of new teenagers that very much resemble the original cast of Scream. Meanwhile, Ghostface holds nothing back and produces a trail of carnage forcing Sidney to suffer and watch as people around her die brutally.
First of all, this is by far the goriest film in the entire Scream franchise. For example, there are rooms drenched in blood and even disembowelment. It is very horrifying and brutal to watch because it shows that after 15 years, Ghostface has evolved his tactics to fit the newest rule of this new decade – the kills are much more elaborate and ten times more brutal and horrifying. Furthermore, the body count in this film is higher than any Scream film, with a grand total of 15 deaths in the entire film. Meanwhile, speaking of the new rules, this film does exactly what the first one did with the presentation that this decade, the Horror genre has developed new rules and regulations. Now anyone can die, happy endings are very unlikely, and to quote one hilarious line, “to survive a modern horror film, you basically have to be gay.” What is even more perfect about the film, is its criticism on the remake, as there is clear parody of not only the original Scream but also the Hollywood trend of remaking films for clear money grabs leaving no room for original ideals.
Meanwhile, another factor to point out is the film’s clever combination of bloody horror and excellent sarcasm and comedy. Three characters do this excellently. First, Gale Weathers Riley has shown herself as the absolute best at delivering one liners as she gave lines that were so hilarious the theater was nearly in stitches from laughing so hard. Next, there is Kirby Reed, played by Hayden Panettiere, who is the smarter and funnier version of Tatum from Scream. She knows all about Horror films and loves them, and she even has a collection of amazing classic Horror films. Meanwhile, she is the perfect portrayal of an awesome sarcastic teenage girls. She was amazing at delivering one-liners while even being scared out of her wits. Finally, there is Sidney’s publicist, Rebecca, played by Alison Brie, who is the modern equivalent to Gale in the original Scream. She starts off sympathetic, but soon becomes a bitch that you absolutely love to hate and love to laugh at.
The next major feature of importance is the opening scene. The Scream films are known for very impressive and clever openings, and this opening has to be the second best opening after the superb and infamous opening with Drew Barrymore. It meshes the first Scream opening with the opening in Scream 2 and does it so cleverly and shockingly, that by the end of it I was in complete awe. It was absolutely beautiful and had one of my favorite lines in the movie. The usage of current day celebs in the opening made it absolutely brilliant and frightening and twisted. Moreover, the ending has to be one of the best endings to a Scream film ever. The reveal was an amazing twist, and the explanation was probably one of the most disturbing and truthful outlooks on this generation. However, this film is also extremely heartbreaking in that one moment literally had me and some others I saw close to tears due to shock. Meanwhile, the ending to this film is also extremely satisfying in that it has a possibility of producing a sequel, but Scream 4′s ending can easily also be seen as very worthy ending to the franchise.
There is a clear full reference to the original Scream and then some throughout the entirety of the film. This film is a very worthy sequel for Scream and it is the best sequel since Scream 2. In fact, it is equal and also much better than Scream 2. Meanwhile, though it is a clear sequel, this film also shows itself as being a reboot as well. However, this is not a bad thing. Wes Craven and Kevin Williamson knew exactly what they were doing when they were making this, and it works 100%. The presentation of the film as a sequel/reboot of the franchise was brilliantly done. Furthermore, this clearly reflects the criticism on the Hollywood remake fetish. However, this film shows that sequels can do much better when adding originality as we can see with the amazingly clever writing of Kevin Williamson. As for the master of suspense, Wes Craven, he has completely outdone himself this time, as this is his best film to date since the original Scream films. Meanwhile, this film is also one of the most original sequels to a horror franchise that I have seen. Craven has proved himself as the master of suspense in producing a film with terrific scares, clever kill shots, and plenty (and I mean PLENTY) of blood shed.
The characters – old and new – were all amazing and meshed well in the film. I very much liked these new characters because they are relatable to modern society. Meanwhile, the old actors, especially Neve Campbell, make this film even more impressive. Neve Campbell carries this film throughout and shows Sidney as a strong and much more powerful heroin. She is not afraid anymore and will fight back no matter what the cost. I have my complete respect towards her as an amazing actress. Courtney Cox and David Arquette were the perfect team of keeping the comic relief available when needed. They were amazing at keeping the film’s Horror and comedy balanced. Finally, there is the amazing voice of Ghostface, which is done exquisitely by Roger Jackson. He is absolutely chilling in his voice as he is very crisp, clear, and insane. He gives Ghostface, while unknown, the perfect horrifying identity and really makes the part shine as not only does he deliver frightening lines but he is not afraid to get clever and present funny and scary lines together.
The last thing to point out is the music of the film. Scream 4 has my absolute favorite soundtrack as not only are songs that have a 90′s nostalgia feel, but the scores from the original Scream films is also used and taken to an even further and darker level. Thus, we see another way in which this film can be seen as a sequel and a remake. The soundtrack has some amazing songs – my favorite being the one during the beginning of the ending credits.
In conclusion, Scream 4 is absolutely the best sequel in the franchise in that it ties and simultaneously outdoes Scream 2. The acting is superb, and the characters were hilarious and likable. The deaths were brutal and horrifying, while the black comedy was sharp and clever making Scream 4 a surefire success. The twists and turns in this film were insane making it into a complete roller coaster ride. Scream 4 is the sequel that people have been waiting for and it exceeds those expectations tenfold. Finally, with all of its brutality and disturbing content, this film has the best message of any Scream film – “First rule of remakes – don’t f**k with the original!”
wow alot of negative comments
i loved Scre4m!!! 
i think is brilliant and amazing, seeing it again next week.
we got it in australia on the 14th & so far the views on tv & twitter have been great.
im very impressed with Wes Craven. i was shocked by the outcome and think it was definately 100% worth the wait!
Did anyone else see this in the uk? All the reviews I have read say this is the goriest Scream of the series but the film I watched was much tamer than the original 3. Different cut?
Definitely a good sequel.Might be the bloodiest one yet.The only problems i have with it is that it was too comedic at some parts(some bits dont work too well) and the lack of chase scenes.Overall its probably my favorite sequel in the franchise and i loved the remake theme.
So awesome. Loved it.
New Decade. New Rules. Ghost face is back and hes not fucking around. Scream is the movie that really got me into Horror. When I heard about the fourth instalment all I wanted was something better than Scream 3(not a bad film just couldve been so much better). Ten years later Scream 4 hits theatres and damn it hits hard. Not only is the film everything a Scream film should be its easily got the best intro and twist ending since the original. A huge plus is that Ghostface is way more sadistic and creepy this time around. Kevin, Wes you’ve out done yourselves this time. The movie is also the goriest in the franchise. My favorite thing about this movie is the important issues in Hollywood it touches on(Hollywood listen to Sid about her opinion on remakes). This movie couldnt have turned out better. I left the theatre with a feeling a movie has never left me with before and I experienced nerdgasms that still leave me tingling today. Die hards will be pleased but my only concern is how is the rest of the trilogy gonna beat number 4? I guess we’ll see in time. After seeing this we can all ask ourselves “Whats your favorite scary movie?”
the best scream.
Scre4m was so refreshing to see…one of the best horror films ive seen in years since The Descent. I thought it was also the best of the franchise. Thank you Wes for going back to what made you the master suspense…and horror.
AWESOME! easily the best scream after the original and it blows away the 2nd and 3rd in every way.
The best sequel yet? Not even close and like a character says at the end don’t fu!ck with the original and also in this case the trilogy! The opening of this film was almost a complete spoof an insult of itself with horrible acting from two actresses who are Aimee Teegarden and Brittany Robinson who probably got cast because they were hot and that’s it and like Sidney says in the original classic they are just some big breasted girls who can’t act who always runs up the stairs which they should be going out the front door it’s insulting and yes it is indeed. I did kind of like the Kristen Bell and Anna Paquin bit it was entertaining but in a Scary Movie way but they completely under used Lucy Hale and Shenae Grimes who were actually good and believable and likable in their parts and didn’t force it but they’re not even real characters in the actual film oops did that just slip out, who cares. The film reintroduces us to the main characters Sidney Prescott, Dewey Riley and now Gale Weathers Riley but took a little bit too much time I mean tell us something we don’t already know people but Courtney Cox brings her A game and is the highlight of that bunch David not so much and Neve just looks bored and I don’t blame her! The new characters were ok Emma Roberts surprised me here and she goes bat shit crazy never seen that side of her it was entertaining to an extent but I really liked Hayden Panettiere as closet film geek Kirby that naming all the remakes bit was priceless and kind of sad because of the state of horror movies now, Marielle Jaffe as Olivia was good eye candy but the rest are not worth mentioning. The kills are bloodier but not really inventive and where were the suspense and chase scenes when you wanted them it’s just ghostface shows up and you die that’s it and some of them were cheesy like one victim saying “fuck Bruce Willis” after being stabbed in the head, lame but the parking garage part with Sidney’s publicist was great! The reveal of the killer or killers was a bit shocking but in a bad way and wasn’t convincing at all and the hospital scene was just hysterical in a Black Christmas remake type of way, too silly like one character says, you’re right again! I just can’t believe how bad this movie ended up being for me I mean this is Wes and Kevin’s worst collaboration since the god awful Cursed maybe this was heavily cut too because some sites say that it’s 1 hour and 43 minutes while others say 1 hour and 53 minutes or something maybe I saw the bad cut but I bet both are just as bad. This movie poked to much fun at itself that it pretty much becomes a sad and pathetic parody of itself and that pisses be off because I love the Scream series and people are saying that it’s better than the third one not really maybe darker but that’s it and I know it’s Wes Craven’s film so he can do what he wants with them but why would you shoot yourself in the foot like that and butcher your own series it’s almost like an cop out in a way and you offically need to retire now because this aint no New Nightmare and you lost my faith and your touch it was great while it lasted. Kevin Williamson still kind of has the witty edge still when it comes to writing and I like how they were hating on remakes and reboots and technology in general how anyone can get famous off sites like youtube ect. but it shows that the other writer from Scream 3 did some rewrites for sure and that’s probably when the cheesieness came in and it had a fair share of those. Another thing I want to say is that some parts from the previews weren’t show in the actual film or the picture shown below and that’s probably why because it was cut and edited for the worst what a shame and false advertisement. Overall the worst sequel of the bunch and I’m a avid fan of the series but they completely missed the mark with this one and it’s an embarassment and sad state for the series that once was hip, innovative, suspenseful, scary, fun, witty but it’s just a tired old joke now unfortunately and for peeps sakes no more Screams after this one, you guys did enough damage already. Not recommended!!!!
Just got back from the theatre, and I loved it. Hayden Pannettiere and Emma Roberts were great. Best of the sequels.
Well thanx for ruining a perfect trilogy.. I have a lot to say about Scream 4 yet so little. I’m still in disbelief how this turned out to be like a direct-to-dvd parody spoof. They dropped the ball on this one and you know who you are. For heavens sake let the dvd cover be like the first 3 films…but I know thats not gonna happen.
Scream 4 is a well written love letter to not only die hard fans of the Scream series but horror movies in general. Packed with slick humor and substance, it’s the kind of fun you should be having from this kind of popcorn flick. Wes Craven, Kevin Williamson and the Weinstein’s have finally returned the series to the greatness it once was. So get out there and support Horror. GO SEE IT MEATHEADS!!!
You know the old saying if it’s not broke don’t fix it. Well this goes for scream 4, they take what has done the franchise best and just add some new stuff. keep the fun thrills and the funny stuff in to. wasn’t scary, only the first was when it came out. But it is still gory, good movie trivia and knod’s. And you gotta love the beverly hills knod
and kudos for mentioning peeping tom. Even though the movie did suck dick and was boring was fuck it did pave the way for feature slashers. Good acting not know oscar wining stuff but hey it’s scream nice to see every one on screen again. feels like time never went by. good twist, good opening. IDK how they will do 5 I say end it here we dont’ need another. welcome back wes it’s nice to have you make solid films again. I knew your last film was a joke, and to throw us off. man you had us going. 
Completely blows away the 2nde and 3rd. Almost as good as the first. The last 25 minutes were outstanding. This was a great.
Let me start off by saying that I had every doubt in the world about this movie. I walked into the theater expecting nothing more than another sucky bullshit sequel. To my utter shock, I left the theater totally blown away. Trust me, I am perhaps one of the biggest critics when it comes to horror and this one pleasantly surprised me. I thought for sure the whole idea of making fun of other scary movies would quickly get old and swallow the entire movie, but it was used at the right times and at a moderate pace. I am not the biggest fan of Emma Roberts either, but her performance wasn’t half bad. SPOILER I think she plays a crazy bitch better than a normal girl anyday! I wasn’t completely thrilled with the reveal on who the killer was, but I quickly came to enjoy the idea more as the ending progressed. The main thing that slightly annoyed me in this movie was the exaggeration and stretching way most of the characters died. I understand that a sense of humor was trying to be achieved, but at certain points I just wanted to see a realistic killing without exaggerated facial expressions or a 5 minute fall after being stabbed. The motives of the killer were also lacking a bit. A better story could have been developed there. Oh well, even with these small faults I really was entertained by this movie. THUMBS UP!
I was totally pumped for this, having gone through the original trilogy in preparation, and I was not let down. This was a fun movie, with a couple of genuine jumps, and the red herring formula the slasher genre is so famous for. The end twist took a few minutes to convince me fully, but was well played out and I left the cinema very satisfied. All in all, an awesome experience ^^
I had high expectations for this and I was still blown away. This installment is easily on par with the original, no question. The opening sequence alone is an absolute ripper, and although not as shocking as the originals it’s really in a class of it’s own. Wes Craven and Kevin Williamson are firing on all cylinders here and it’s clear that the time away from the franchise has served them well. Williamson especially need to take a bow as his script for this is the sharpest and even better than the original. The self referencing and meta approach is completely off the hook and unrestrained, and it’s bang up to date with the times with it’s facebook, twitter, youtube referencing. The kills and gore is the stongest it’s ever been in a Scream movie and Ghostface himself is particually brutal, and I loved his motive in this film, with the twist/reveal to be quite the shocker. My only gripe is that the characters felt underdeveloped, including returning cast members but it’s great to see Syd, Dewey and Gale all together again. Gale especially has some great lines and is hilarious in some scenes. The latest bunch of teens put in decent turns but a bit more development would have been nice. That’s my only gripe with this truly fantastic sequel. Scream is back, baby !
Did I see the same movie as everyone else?
I like the Scream series, but this was ridiculous. This was predictable and a little boring. I shutter to think that even Scream 3 was better than this.
I was always a fan of the original characters, but these “new generation” characters are just BAAADDDDD!! Also, my apologies to any fans of Emma Roberts, but she is a HORRIBLE actress. She plays “deadpan” and “deer-in-the-headlights” fantastic though.
On a positive note, Hayden Pannettiere’s character was great and of course, Courtney Cox. Why was there not more of them?
Pure shite. Terrible plotting, terrible characters, terrible score. The series’ alumni all were wasted, and frankly unneeded. The self-aware, “meta” shit is so tired. 10 years+ and this is what fans of this series get? Shame on Williamson for a bullshit script with no life/humor or cleverness, and shame on Craven for being incapable of making films worth watching. So happy this did fairly poor numbers over the weekend so Weinstein doesn’t opt for a Part 5.
Easily the best since the 1996 original, Scream 4 is a bloody ingenious commentary on the facebook generation, almost as poignant as The Social Network or Catfish… but way more fun!
Ok. First of, I wanted to wait until after opening weekend to write my review so I had the chance to digest everything I saw. I did indeed see the movie twice over the weekend. I thought that it was a fun slasher movie and a great return to the scream franchise. Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox, and David Arquette reprised their roled of the beloved originial trio and I cant get enough of them. They all did amazing. I thought the opening scene was slick, smart, and hilarious. Also, the new cast brings the generation into the franchise. They all brought the most out in their characters. Hayden Panettiere’s Kirby was my favorite character outside of the origanl. The other cast members also did a very good job. I was very impressed with the amount of blood and gore put into the film. I also loved that the film still is a parody within itself. It is genius at making fun of today’s horror films and our internet/facebook generation. The twist was insane and their was some mild suspense throughout the film, especially when Gale or Sidney was in danger. HAving said all of the positive things, there are some things I did not like. First off, I agree with everyone that there could of been more chase scenes and suspense building up to the initial kill. Having said that, in today’s horror films we really do not get suspense leading up to the kill so maybe that was what they were going for to poke fun at. Also, some moments in the film delved way to far into Scary Movie territory. Other than that, I thought this film was a blast. It was the most fun I have had at the movies in years. Between SCream 4 and Insidious, I would say Horror is making a comeback once again. ON a side note, I am very upset Scream 4 did not succeed very well in its opening weekend because I do still believe there is more story to tell. Hopefully they move ahead on Scream 5 and make some minor changes and make it a full throttle blood filled slaher fest.
I was so let down seeing this in theaters, I was always a fan of the scream series -#3. There were some good parts of the movie but overall it failed to do anything that might be remotely “scary” these days. I did like the beginning up until I saw the article of what the beginning was supposed to be and… again that seemed like it would have been a lot more entertaining and fit within the scream universe. One of the killers I thought was pretty obvious from the beginning, when the 2nd one was known it killed off anything good about what the story did have going for it. I dunno I should have just went to go see insidious dam now i know.
Wished I didn’t see this at the cinema as it was a let down in all honesty. With all the hype and wait for another Scream film it had, it was a huge let down. On the contrary though, I did quite enjoy it when I took it as a stand alone film and not a Scream film. Have to agree with many people though, it was predictable, the killer and their motives were bad, and the whole film just seemed rush. If you really want to see this film I advise to wait for it to come to dvd.
Just got back from seeing Scre4m and have to say…it’s brilliant.
I loved seeing all the old cast members as well as some newbies. I did however guess the killer in the first half hour (how I don’t know. Usually I’m rubbish at it and they don’t make it particularly easy.)
My favourite character has to Courteney Cox’s Gail. She’s so blunt and kick-ass.
I didn’t like Hayden Panettiere’s character much. She was quite annoying and tries too hard to be the ‘tough chick’. Maybe I’m just used to her playing a sweet cheerleader?
The gore is pretty good, there’s plenty of gruesome scenes in there. There’s a lot of jumps that did actually make me jump which is unusual
I was very satisfied with Scre4m. Definitely a movie I’ll be adding to my horror collection when it eventually arrives on DVD.
I watched Scream 4 without high hopes especially when I found out they brought in Ehrin Kruger to write after Kevin had to back out-esp with the shitty job he did in Scream 3. With that aside it always seems to surprise you more when you don’t expect much. The movie was funny and was not trying to be too hip like the overkill that was My Soul To Take. Even with the new rules b/s it was nice to see that the new generation didn’t learn a damn thing and got sliced and diced while keeping the original protagonists intact. Sydney was back and in full-force and once again made her the most like-able of heroines. The new twist of the ending was surprising and reminded me of the original as it was meant to I’m sure. Everything about this movie was a great throwback to early slasher films and it was great to see them all older but still surviving in a way that only those three can. It was a great film and kept me interested til the very end wanting more. Fans of the original will love this while reminding us we’re getting older lol. Great film better than the last one.
By the beginning of Scream 4, I had chills of thrills for this movie since it being a few months over 11 years since Scream 3 and I couldn’t wait any longer for the commercials to end, the opening scene was very mind um, mind tricking of some sort kind of like Jill’s dream scene in Saw 3D but yeah, I like the entire movie it felt nice and gritty and more like a horror movie but in a way it way a lot like Scream 2. I loved the plot and how well everything came together in the twist but the ending was just like wow, come on? Is this what Scream is amounting to?? I can’t believe Sidney did that! ROFLMFAO. It was good maybe great it felt good to see Ghostface again.
I’d like to write a 5,000 character review about this movie but, eh hell no.
Loved it and that’s all there is to say; 8/10 .. Ending could had been better..
Liked it, the beggining was classic but then the movie was kinda mehh for a while but the last half hour or so kicked it up several notches. My only real complaints are that (sorry wes) it wasnt near as gory as promised other then the 2nd kill and the 2 hilarious cops didnt have near enough screen time, either make them semi main characters or cut them out of the movie. Overall alot of fun and very entertaining
Yeah, there were things that could have been better, but I still thoroughly enjoyed it. The film certainly has moments of suspense, emotion, and comedy that are all reminiscent of the original. Face it, the original is just a better movie, and you’re just not as vulnerable or impressed by this genre as you were 15 years ago. “Fuck Bruce Willis” is no better a line than “My Mom and Dad are going to be so mad at me!”, Stu was just a better character. SCREAM’s brilliance was its timing. Please don’t forget that 1996 called for a film like Scream, and that those actors were all either in or reaching the primes of their careers. Horror, Hollywood and not to mention THE FUCKING WORLD are miles way from where they were in 1996. SCREAM 4 only capitalizes on what you fans have been complaining about for years.
It taunts you with it, rubs it in your face, and gives you only the caliber of film that this era deserves. Not to get side tracked, but since when did Wes Craven have to prove a fucking thing? Hahaha. GOOD ONE. SCREAM 4 does lack character development. You don’t feel the same bond amongst friends as you did from the first film. SCREAM 4 does lack mood and atmosphere. The Scenery, Ghostface, and The Music do as little as possible to be effective and sometimes they just flat our aren’t. Those are my only personal complaints.
Other than that, I appreciated what SCREAM 4 brought to the table. I knew SCREAM 4 didn’t have the chance to be good as its initial film, but it had the opportunity to be better than its current genre, and in my opinion, it succeeded. It might not have captured it completely, but it reminded me of why I loved these characters in the first place, and that was all I was asking for.
I thought this movie was decent until the end, not nearly enough character development, spent a little time on everyone instead of really getting to know any of them. I don’t want to give anything away, but I’ll say for a second I was really excited and would have loved the ending…the way it actually ended lowered it a few points for me.
I thought this movie did an excellent job at revamping the series. There were a few characters they could of done without, or killed off. But for the most part a very good job at bringing ghostface to a new generation.
Scream 4 is a must see if you are a fan of slasher films. While it doesn’t quite have the horror feeling that the first Scream possessed it is still an entertaining watch. It’s a horror movie for the new generation sorta like the original. A smart film that will keep you guessing to the end.
this movie was ok. the beginning was a good idea but could have been done better and the ending is the worst out of all the scream movies. it was pretty entertaining and had some cool kills but nothing i havent seen before. this movie is over hyped but it was better than scream 3.
Good movie. Better than I expected. It was fun, scary and made me long for the 90′s. The cast was great. I think the twist was easy to figure out, but it was fun getting there. It’s a must see.
Well, I should start by saying that Scream 2 is not just my fav of the Scream trilogy, but it’s also my fav film of ALL TIME! It made me LOVE horror films. In December of ’97, the Scream 2 commercials had me so hyped, I finally decided to watch the 1st Scream on Dec.5,1997 one week b4 Scream 2s release date. I loved Scream’s opening with Drew, it WAS the best out of all the openings until the midnight showing of Scre4m came along and kicked it’s A**! After 11 years, there was NO WAY I was going to be dissapointed with Scre4m. I LOVED all of it, including the psychotic killer at the end. I saw it 3x on opening weekend and I still have a few times to go. I was hoping to see a new trilogy, especially considering who the survivors were, but I’m doubting my wish will come true, considering the weak Box Office. After I see it 7x, I’ll patiently wait to add it to my DvD collection. Gr8 job Wes, Kevin, (Ehren, somewhere in there), Neve, David, Court, and the rest of the cast and crew. 11 years is a LONG time and this is one fan u did NOT dissapoint.(10/10)
by far better then 2 and 3 it was fun and witty a must see for slasher fans
Im willing to eat a little crow on this one. Having little to no good expectations, Scream 4 is a very good movie surpassed only be the original. Genuinely clever, violent without resorting to blood and gore just for the sake of blood and gore and a lot of fun to watch. Consider me officially on board for a new trilogy.
I’m a Scream hater but I have to admit to being genuinely entertained by Scream 4. My overall problem with the franchise is that it thinks it’s more clever than it really is. Some snarky dialogue and name-dropping do not a clever script make. Take the classroom scene in the beginning of Scream 2 where a discussion of movie sequels turns into a cringe-inducing, only-in-a-movie round table on which sequels suck and which don’t. Also, it seems dumb to me to make the characters so self aware of their situation in these films but than have them act in such idiotic, slasher-film-victim ways. And don’t get me started on Craven’s staging of chase and slash scenes. In every one there’s the clumsy killer, the knife through the door, the old killer-grabs-the-leg-and-victim-kicks-the-killer routine. Maybe original in the first but tired by part 3. But Scream 4 was a little different. For once, it looked like the midwest, maybe because it was really shot there. The lighting was moody and not garish like it is in some of the sequels. The killer’s motive struck me as prescient and of the now. And Neve Campbell played it very simple instead of the over wrought hair acting she fell into in previous installments.
This is the sequel to Scream I’d been waiting for. Great action, great humor, great ending.
Not as good as the first 3, lacking that 90′s nosglotia feeling, down for a 5th. See in a theater for best viewings. 7/10.
I thought it was a pretty descent sequel. Way better than the third. It plays out really well as a theatre experience.
The teen horror franchise of the 90′s catapulted into a new era!
I actually went to see this in the Cinema and I am so glad I did!
Ok – I’m a smart arse and got 30 odd minutes into it and guessed who it was. But I’m a nerd! I love how it broke rules and made new ones. But the fact that all the original surviving cast members were in it made me irrevocably happy!
In my opinion it’s the best one since the first Scream film!
Before seeing this film I had my reservations. All the pics and especially the trailers and clips, they did nothing for me. I didn’t want to see it, but after reading many fan reviews stating how great it was, I decided to go. The entire opening was what killed the movie for me. It was complete garbage and very disappointing. I wasn’t able to connect with any of the characters, no emotional connection what so ever. They all felt like expositions in Sydney’s world. I was never at the edge of my seat, didn’t care who died next nor felt bad for them dying. The acting was just horrible, with the exception of a few of course. Very predictable, not scary, and the reveal of the killers made it even worse for me. But what put the cherry on top, was the killer’s motive. I was like “you have got to be kidding me”. To me, this felt more like a remake than anything else, but a very horrible one at that. Scream 3 was 100x better than this.
i had my hopes for this movie to be honest, (at least it wasn’t a remake) however all my hopes were crushed. I know that its paradoy of all the new terrible movies, but i was hoping the killer would have been different. As soon as you find out who the killer is, well lets just say i said “again, really, they did this in scream 3″ now the movie itself isn’t terrible and is still one of the better horrors out there right now, but as a scream movie it just couldn’t live up to its other 3, that’s why i give it 3 skulls
WHat an amazing movie, I loved it from start to finish. I really did have reserved feelings about the movie with all the bad reviews going about online but those reviewers must have some sort of distorted view on horror movies.
Scream 4 rocked, especially after the huge disappointment of Scream 3. I really hope the Scream brand goes on to make another couple of movies as it deserves to have some more success in the box office.
Personally, I loved it. Scream 4 exceeded all my expectations with 2 and 3 being disappointing, Scream 4 is almost on par with the original. The opening was extremely inventive and throughout the film some parts were just pure genius! What I loved about it was it went back to the Scream basics. Scream 2 and 3 were trying to be too clever with the third being on a movie set with some poor new characters. Scream 4 had some wonderful new characters thrown in to the bloody mix!
It was 1hr 50mins long but it didn’t feel that long at all! In fact I was still hungry for more. The great thing about the Scream series is that they really don’t try and be something they’re not, they know that they’re a slasher series and play on that idea which eventually becomes something quite ingenius.
Its also the bloodiest of the franchise with plenty of killings going on and the camera does not shy away from the action. And did I mention the ending was incredible?
When it’s not being scary its being funny and so it never gets dull. Funny, fun, entertaining, bloody, great characters, great story. Scream 4 has it all. Bring on Scream 6!
I really don’t see a single reason why ‘Scream’ fans would be in any way dissapointed with this movie. ‘Scream 4′ DELIVERS! The satire is as smart and funny as ever and the whole movie is just a joy to watch. From the fantastic opening scene, to the jaw dropping final act, it’s one fun mystery/slasher that serves up many twists and turns… most of which you’ll never see coming!
I think most horror fans are a fan of the original Scream, even if some of the DIE hard horror buffs wont admit its a fun film. Scream 2 wasnst anywere near its predecessor but is still very watchable and less said about the 3rd the better.
I didnt have high hope for scream 4 but I thurourly enjoyed from begining to the end. If your expecting something new and different added to the series you’ll be majourly let down, but if you go in with a open mind I dont think you’ll be dissapointed at all.
The only critism is that all the teeneage character keep disscusing and dissecting horror films to much dont seem to take the situation serously enough and that was also the majour thing that bugged me about Randy in the 2nd Scream (It was like he happy he was stuck in a horror and not accaully scared about being killed). But theres enough things in this film to help me forget about the negatives like some of old characters being brought back, few decent kills and a some good twist’s.
It was a lot better then I thought it was gonna be.
A nostalgic trip back to a series that defined horror in the 90′s.
Best since the first
Great Movie, went into it thinking i knew the killer the whole time from seeing the trailers, but then ended up being completely wrong. The film itself was pretty entertaining, story line was good especially for a 4th installment, really brings you back to the Original Scream but with just a bit more blood.
This is easily the best in the series!!! It did seem to drag in some parts but when the attacks and suspense happened, it did not let down. There are some brutal kills and i knew from early reviews and cast interviews that this was the best and bloodiest entry yet and I couldn’t agree more! The opening sequence was fantastic with the cameos, could have used better known actors but it was still a fun opening. I noticed that the only ‘Scream” like spoofs of the horror genre in the whole movie were in this opening and the new rules are barely even put to use. Most of the new actors were barely in it at all i.e. Mary McDonnell and Anthony Anderson and I considered them to be a waste of good talent (I use that loosely with Anderson but not McDonnell). Even Emma Roberts was missing for a decent amount of the film. The returning trio we know and love coulnd have had more screen time as well but I guess it was hard to find the balance between the old and new cast. Neve was not at her best but she worked with what she had, as well as Courteney and David. Ultimately Hayden Panettiere as Kirby was my favorite character next to Gale!!! She did a fantastic job with that character and you can tell she had a blast playing her. The whole movie has echoes to the original ‘Scream’ and at times feels like more of a remake instead of a reboot, a large amount of the time it felt like a standard slasher movie instead of a ‘Scream’ movie. The twist ending when you find out who the killer/killers is/are is a brilliant WTF moment and I doubt very many people will guess who it is. The ending does drag a bit and you will see why, they could have left things at the house and ended it there but I have a feeling that the long part was Ehren’s doing. But as soon as the credits rolled, it left me wondering what the next installment was going to hold. It did feel like the old ‘Scream’ but brought it to a whole new level and even succeeded in being better than the original!! Props to Wes Craven and Kevin Williamson (excluding Ehren Kruger) for making Scre4m the best in the series!!! I can’t wait for 5 and 6!!!
Sorry if I repeated myself a bit.
This movie is a piece of shit. Anyone who liked it, says they liked it or defends it in any way is an imbecile. Bloody-Digusting (already known for it’s faulty reviews) should be ashamed. The user reviews show me this site is loaded with 16 year old girls.
I havent seen it yet D:
someonee message me the ending , i dont wanna see it i just want to know the ending ! lol
Scream 4 is a blast. It stays true to the original trilogy whilst also being quite different at the same time. There were one or two cliches in there but it was also surprisingly fresh in parts.
The opening scene was good (and pretty tongue in cheek) but the climax was brilliant and the motives behind the killings were very effective (in my opinion anyway). Scream films have a certain quality to them and they seem very carefully made rather than just thrown together like most slasher films. There were a few good death scenes as well as the usual comedy element (maybe slightly too much comedy at some points though).
I was glad to see Dewy, Gale and Sydney back, but seeing how much they have aged has really made me feel old!
I hope the rumours about another 2 sequels being planned are true.
I thought scream 4 was rly awesome tho tha beggining pissed me off other tht it was vry exciteing
I may have liked this…if there weren’t 3 screams before…If this was the 2nd scream and ghostface was still scary….then perhaps I might, just might feel different. I however cannot imagine how anyone thought it was good.
One thing Wes Craven cannot do, like John Carpenter can…is build suspense anymore. Not since Scream 1, the best one by far….has he actually managed to build up tension. I think the film suffers from too much gloss…. The writing was decent…good puns/jokes…except for the horrible Die Hard Joke/Bruce Willis joke….that was pushing it way to far.
I thought the killer’s motives were absolutely ridiculous…and that’s where I lost respect for anyone working on this film. Scream 4 could have went out with a bang if we actually never knew who the killer was…or only found out but they escaped and got what they wanted…but it ends in a very typical fashion mocking itself while making fun of other horror movies at the same time. Wes Craven is done. After My Soul To Take…I lost alot of respect for him, and he did not earn it back with this movie. I saw an attempt…but it has failed. I give 2 stars…for some cute girls and some nice gore.
As a united community, we horror fans let out a collective sigh when director Wes Craven announced the release of Scream 4 last year. If the previous installment didn’t “murder” the franchise enough, surely this film would! But, of course, we can always admit when we we’re wrong. And we definitely were.
Scream 4 picks up where the its predecessor left off: Sidney Prescott, the survivor of the first three films (once again played by Neve Campbell), returns to her hometown of Woodsboro as the last stop on her tour to promote her new book. Little does she know, her return comes with a body count. As her teenaged cousin Jill (former Nickelodeon star Emma Roberts) and her best friends witness deaths in their community, it is up to Sidney, local police officer Dewey Riley, and his wife Gale (David Arquette and Courteney Cox) to, yet again, help catch the Ghostface killer.
In true Scream fashion, the film uses tongue-and-cheek dialogue to relate to its audience, playfully referencing the Saw and Final Destination series. It is also the most brutally violent and gory installment in the franchise, with rooms covered in blood and floors covered in corpses.
Possibly the best thing about this film is that it brings to light what many modern-day horror fans (such as myself) have been wanting to shout out to genre producers over the last few years (Brad Fuller and Michael Bay, this means you): enough with the remakes/reboots/re-imaginings/rehashing! Originality is not dead; you just have to find it. With the recent releases of such poor-quality remakes as A Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday the 13th, it is definitely time that a movie references this flaw from the inside-out.
The script, by original Scream writer Kevin Williamson, makes unapologetic comments about the direction in which the horror community has been headed in an attempt to improve it. Williamson used this formula in 1996 and ended up changing the genre for the better. It’s not hopeless to think that he and Craven could do it again.
What started out as a simple way for Dimension Films to gross more money quickly turned into an instant horror classic for the 21st century. What we ended up with is probably the second-best installment in the series, behind, of course, the original.
The best Scream in years.
Witty, clever, entertaining, bloody, and as many twists and turns as the original. The problem? It took 15 years to produce a worthy sequel. Seeing how the cobination of Wes Craven and Kevin Williamson getting together again could make such an entertaining film makes you wonder why it hadn’t happened earlier. More details here:
http://thewolfmancometh.com/2011/04/30/scream-4-2011/
Considering how bad “Scream 3″ and Craven’s last hyperflop “My Soul To Take” were, my hopes for the 4th entry in the Scream-franchise weren’t that high – and unfortunately, it actually did turn out to be as mediocre as I expected.
“Scream 4″, one of the most expected horror movies of 2011, is just an ok sequel. Not more, not less.
Things I loved about it:
~ The beginning is just bad-ass! Loved the 3 wonderfully gory kills and all that Stab 6 / Stab 7 stuff.
~ Most of the other kills are also brilliantly cool and highly gory
~ Neve Campbell – still the love of my life (though her character is writing shitty books now).
~ Hayden Panettiere – my goodness, that’s one hot bitch!
~ Fuck you “Saw” franchise, here comes the Stab-A-Thon!!
~ Lots of brilliant dialogue lines and superfunny one-liners, f.e. “Fuck Bruce Willis.” / “I’m not an app.” / “Your lemon squares taste like ass.” / “Wait, you’re not supposed to kill me! I’m gay… if that helps?” / “If you want to be in the hospital, I’d be happy to put you there… in the morgue!” / “What did you do with Marnie?” – “She’s on the cutting room floor.”
~ It’s beautifully filmed and the settings all look gorgeous.
Things I hated about it:
~ The ending. The BAD ending. The SUPER FUCKIN’ BAD ending. Nothing about it was fun, nothing about it was believable, nothing about it was good. Yeah, I understand that they wanted to something REALLY unpredictable – but it just doesn’t work when you have 2 actors who are completely lame as villains, an incredibly vapid motive and a totally dense and horribly written/paced script.
~ It’s never really tense, thrilling or suspenseful, thanx to a mediocre direction and that piece of crap of a script.
~ The knife-in-the-forehead scene is one of the stupidest and most superfluous kills in history.
~ David Arquette is still annoying as he ever was, and Courtney Cox’ performance is again quite disappointing. Not as much as in “Scream 3″ but still quite disappointing.
~ The soundtrack is lame.
If there will ever be a fifth part, I’d suggest to…
- …kill off 1 or 2 or all 3 main characters because that’s what I’d call unexpected.
- …dismiss Wes Craven and pension him.
- …replace script writers Williamson and Kruger with someone from Europe, f.e. Alexandre Bustillo, Pascal Laugier or Sergio G. Sánchez.
- …skip the fun and make it darker.
- …use more suspense and less gore.
Well Scream 4 is absolutely fantastic! If you are a fan of the first 3 Scream films check it out. You will love it. Thats all I gotta say. I didnt like Scream 3 but I loved Scream 4!
As a kid who grew up watching slasher flicks from the tender age of 4 years old, I was brought up with the classics, Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween, Friday 13th, and so on and so on.
Wes Craven movies were embedded in my brain (Hell, I wanted to marry Freddy Krueger when I was 6).
Thanks to my dad and much to the disdain of my mother, I was a slasher flick junkie.
So naturally in 1996, at the preteen age of 11, Scream was one of my all time favorite movies.
It was new and fresh, the idea of the would-be victims knowing the “rules” to horror movies as well as I did brought a new spin to the horror genre. It upped the ante, so to speak. Same thing applied with Scream 2 and 3, although typically sequels are never quite as good as the original, the Scream franchise has always had writer Kevin Williamson and director Wes Craven pulling the strings behind the scenes. This, in my opinion, kept the movies good, and of course 10 years from the release of Scream 3, the puppet masters of Scream have done it again, bringing us Scream 4.
It’s 2011, and the horror genre is flooded with “torture porn” movies like Saw, Hostel, Devil’s Rejects, etc, etc. We have lost touch with true “slasher” films that created the basis of the genre we all know and love. Scream 4 has rekindled the true spirit of a stab-happy serial killer chasing big titted teen girls around cutting them short of their youth (all puns intended).
The role of Sidney Prescott, played by none other than Neve Campbell, the heroin and pesky protagonist to the infamous Ghostface Killer, was brilliant in the fourth installment to the Scream saga. Courteney Cox and David Arquette also have returned to their roles as Gale Weathers-Riley and Dewey Riley now married and still annoying as ever. Don’t take that the wrong way, thats the way their characters have always been written. Character development does not disappoint.
I will not give any details to plot as I know some of you horror fans are looking forward to seeing the twists and turns that Williamson and Craven have in store for you, but I will say this; I didn’t see a lot of it coming, especially in the first 15 minutes (the opener was AWESOME!). Unpredictable and suspenseful is the way they’ve kept it (thank you Horror Gods). There are even some fresh kills in this one with killer effects, no CGI, just good old fashioned blood and guts (again, thank you Horror Gods!!). I can honestly say some of the kill scenes had me groaning, cheering and even cringing in my seat. There were even some genuine laugh out loud moments as well from the smaller roles played by some famous faces. The new characters in the movie were excellently played by some new-comers to horror and of course, as in all classic slasher flicks, the eye candy factor was there for the boys.
I am not going to say that this movie will impress all, as some horror fans disliked the Scream movies, and I can totally appreciate that, but for this “Scream Queen”, I got all nostalgic and genuinely enjoyed the Scream 4 experience.
Stabby Stab Stab!
xo,
Koma White
I went in with my expectations on the ground and I don’t think I was alone. After that slew of “Scary Movies” and their even dumber knockoffs, I figured the Scream franchise would forever be a bad joke. I have to admit, I was pleasantly surprised. I appreciated the humor but even more so I was glad to see the seriousness of the film. How easy could it have been to have turned it into a parody of itself like the Freddy sequels?
The original Scream film was good because the humor and corniness was counter balanced by a healthy dose of good, genuine fear. It’s that little blend that saved this movie’s skin. It manages to be BOTH funny and scary without becoming completely ridiculous.
I felt the plot a bit contrived. In this era of horror movies, Wes Craven has little to work with other than a handful of torture porn and some remakes so the idea of introducing the internet into the mix shouldn’t come as a shock to anyone. Still, I felt the new ideas and “rules” were not developed to their full potential as they could have been. They were mentioned but that was about it. The new spins on old ideas were only mentioned. They never really played out. Had this happened, the movie would have been every bit as classic as the original.
I really enjoyed watching Scream 4 because it was exactly as I wanted it to be
it does repeat the murder-style of the first two and surprises with the unexpected identity of the killer,but without lacking of creativity and new ideas
the acting wasn’t bad and there were also many humorous moments which made the movie complete
the only thing that I disliked is that SCRE4M wasn’t so realistic as the first three and although I think it’s a great film,it failed to be overpass the original and the 1st sequel,even though all horror fans would want that
enjoyable movie.
great beginning, great ending, slightly drags in the middle but is a great effort.
so many hot women too!!
glad craven hasn’t lost his mojo yet.
Its good, its fun but its not scary, I enjoyed it on the same level as Scream 2. I hope that they do make another film. I’m curious to see where it could all go.
awesome
Even though I found it bit too much like Scream 1 & 2, it was a really enjoyable movie. The humor was great, had a good cast and good cast, and the kills top any other Scream. Not to sound sick, but this had the most nastiest kills in the Scream series and that’s what I like the most. I also like how they kept all the movie references, which I liked, that Scream 3, the worst in the series, was lacking.
I thoroughly enjoyed Scre4m. In my opinion, the reason why it didn’t do too well at the box office was the 10 year hiatus. People have moved passed the slasher and gore genre and are swaying more towards the paranormal or “unseen killer” movie.
It’s nice to see the central characters 10 years on. Gail’s now a bit of a hasbeen, Dewey is sheriff of Woodsborough and Sydney now an author on a return trip to plug her life story. New Cast, new killers blah blah. By all means nothing you haven’t seen before. Still as sharp as ever keeping within modern day pop culture. Ghost face has also developed quite the potty mouth which was quite amusing yet equally menacing.
Major Spoiler!!!
Scre4m has a few flaws but nothing to spoil the overall feel of the film. Lacks a little tension and has a few pacing issues. New cast do a good job bar a few, common sense would tell you to bump off the lamest actors first. The Killer (who I guessed half way through) was awesome on reveal although their motive pretty lame. I also wanted Sydney to die as her character is soo fucking irritating and it would have made a better ending.
I loved this movie.It wasn’t very scary but it had a good storyline. I didn’t like the ending and Emma Robert’s chracter.
Right now this is my favorite movie. I waited 11 years for another Scream to come out. Scream 4 easly lived up to the original 3 and I think its pretty neat the way they brought another movie to the franchise 11 years later. The story was amazing. Kept me guessing who the killer was the whole movie. I never guessed right either. I enjoyed the up to date topics and lingo that was used and put into this film. I also enjoyed the reference to classic but also brand new movies that only came out during the making of this movie. All in all they did good by bringing it back, did not hurt the franchise at all!
Well like most Scream fans, I’ve been waiting for this for a long time now. I finally got around to seeing Scream 4 and I loved it! I think its the best one since the first, I like how Wes Craven just stuck to what he knows how to do best, it was a simple movie, but very effective at the same time. I was worried that Wes would fuck this up after seeing My Soul to Take and to be honest hasn’t made anything good recently after the Scream trilogy. But thank God he returned to form, great gore with a little humor thrown in as well. And I never would have suspected one of the killers, Ghostface definitely came back in style, hope Scream 5 comes soon!GO SEE IT IF YOU HAVEN’T!
This Franchise Has Had Itss Ups And Downs But This Movie Really Made It Fresh Aqain. The Oriqinal Was The First Horror Movie Ive Ever Seen. Mind You Im Only 17 But iKno My Horror Films. Scream 4 Was An Overall Great Movie, Im Sooo Glad Neve Campbell Came Back For It. If They Do Decide To Make Another, iHope Itss The Last. Letss Not Get Too Outta Control Ghost Facee .
No need saying…… Ghostface is back!
The Scream series brings all the classic Dumb Blonde getting murdered to intense chase scenes, and Clever Lines! I feel like i’m home again, back to the classic Slasher films. Thank You Wes Craven! You had me guessing!!!
It’s weird, because i usually don’t give out this score much, but not “a” Perfect 10, but a 10! Mind as well.. (9.5)
This movie was fantastic, it was definietlty worth the wait and it was also great to see Sidney, Gale, and Dewey again along with some new characters. It wasn’t that scary but it still had suspense and alot more blood than the first three films. The ending was a shocker !
Wait… so they want me to believe Emma Roberts bcomes a jacked 6’1 man when she puts on a costume. No thanks.
I had fun with this film, I’ll always like the Scream films
I had fun watching Scream 4. It definitely brought back a sense of 90′s slasher feel to it really well. From the cheesy script to the god-awful acting, it just felt so 90′s. The kills were also pretty insane. One in particular was definitely a holy shit moment and completely caught me off guard. It was pretty badass. The gore was great too. intestines spill out, a knife to the head, the body count is pretty high. All In All, Scream 4 managed to bring back a warm 90′s slasher feel and the kills were inventive and unique.
Scream 4 is a nice addition to the series! Kevin Williamson has written a great script that is about as fun as the original Scream was back in 1996. The original cast is amazing, as usual, and the new cast is interesting. Of the new cast, Jill Roberts (Emma Roberts) and Kirby Reed (Hayden Panettiere) are the standouts.
Teenie bopper crap.
Just got the DVD last night (for some reason FYE gave out their pre- orders 4 days early). I really wish some of those deleted scenes were kept in the movie, although I did like the opening that was in the film better than the alternate. The fountain scene REALLY should have been in the movie. Overall I found this to be a solid entry in the franchise, definitely one of the better sequels. Here’s hoping for a fifth!
Scream 4 marks the return of the famolus franchise, this time many years removed from the last entry. One of trhe many things going on in this film, is an exploration of horror tropes, reboot tropes and even countless references to “meta”. The Scream franchise really seems to have not only embraced, but taken over our newer, social media obsessed society.
The general plot is that after 7 entries in the Stab movie franchise, Sydney Prescot has finally decided to stop being a victim. She has written a book about her ordeal and has seemingly come home to conquer her fears. That is until the discovery of two horribly slashed teens are found and it becomes clear that there is a new Ghostface.
While not entirely scary, Scream 4 is still a solid, action packed, tension filled romp that is everything that we loved about the original Scream. If anything, I almost wish that this had been the only sequel to Scream, done this many years later, as it would have been the perfect continuation.
Still, the characters on-screen were entertaining, there were plenty of swerves and the identity of the bad guy was not what I expected. I must also admit that I was impressed with Hayden Panettiere’s performance as the best friend of Sydney’s niece. She was entertaining and looked pretty good.
Overall, this was just a great sequel, a fun movie and one I can see myself watching again. I recommend it for a purchase and almost hope they find a way to bring the series back, but only if they can find an equally creative way to continue things.
Scream 4, the movie 11 years in the making. The movie is a good tribute to the original and makes a solid addition to the series. (Its light years ahead of Scream 3). Neve Campbell did fairly well in this although her screen time is cut down. Same goes for Dewey, and Gale. The trio is only on screen about half the time, which is understandable when introducing a new cast. But now for the critique. Acting: About as good as you can expect from modern day horror films. Hayden did really well and Emma Roberts held her own. However i felt that The Arquettes as in both of them seemed to struggle at times to rekindle the craft they had 11 years ago. The Kills: Best of the Series. They uped the gore were really well done. However for the negative parts. The opening scene i think was the worst of the series. I was expecting more elaborate mind blowing opening like we seen back in 1996. Not even Close. To avoid spoilers i will just say that the end leaves a little to be desired but is also far beyond the “Hey, im the long lost brother you never new you had” from scream 3. Overall definitely worth a look. 9/10
I LOVED THIS MOVIE ! Perfect Tribute To The Original
This movie breaks any theory about a film series getting worse with each sequel. It meets demands, doesn’t exceed them, but meets them.
The film introduces some new theories which works out. It’s not as scary as the first, but it’s very fun and entertaining. It does get a little intense, and a little unpredictable.
Well done so far, Wes.
About ten years ago, it seemed as if Wes Craven’s “Scream” franchise had come to an end. He struck genre gold with the first film in this on-going series, which was the first film to properly satirize the slasher genre by allowing the in-movie characters to be aware of the horror movies that we have seen. References to “Halloween”, “Friday the 13th”, and even “A Nightmare on Elm Street” would pop up just about anywhere. Then came the first sequel, which was actually pretty good. Both were written by Kevin Williamson; who I have, at one point, referred to as a “well-read” and “self-educated” man. It is because of my admiration of him that it was such a shame when he didn’t return for the next installment, which was to be, at the time, the concluding chapter. And you know what; I was not satisfied. If that had truly been the end, I would have been pissed off. But no; Craven seems to have realized that he disappointed several of his fans with that film by leaving out a few members of his team, but now he has made “Scream 4″; and the family is back together yet again. They have never been better.
In all honesty, after “Scream 3″, this film is pretty much a miracle; and in comparison, I’d even go so far as to call it a masterpiece. Of course, when speaking of it as a film in general, it is not, in fact, a masterpiece (that title goes to the first film, thank you very much), but it’s still some of the most fun you’ll have with a 2011 horror film. Every year, a large number of horror movies are released (many of them American-made), and too many of them are disappointing and unsatisfactory. “Scream 4″ gives you exactly what you want and what you need out of a genre-satirization. It owes a lot to the flick that started it all, but it pays a certain, intelligent number of homages to the first “Scream”, and I couldn’t help but be overjoyed by this. It shows that Craven is proud of this franchise even though it’s had its ups and downs. He has always been skilled at making these films, and he always will be. Really, it’s impressive that he can make the God-awful “My Soul to Take” the year before, and make a good film such as this one in the next. Some might not be pleased by the film’s treatment of the common clichés and “standards” that are present in the spoofed genre, but if you are appreciative of this kind of material, then try to think of it as a newer, slicker, gorier, and equally as fun reboot-esque version of “Scream”. This way, you’ll have a good time.
It is the fifteenth anniversary of the Woodsboro Murders. Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) is returning to that very town – which was her home town from the first film – for the first time in several long years. She has published her first novel, and is hoping to start life anew. She reunites with the policeman-turned-Sheriff Dewey (David Arquette), as well as his now-wife Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox). However, while the characters – all who have survived through three films and are intent on surviving yet another – are busy catching up, new characters are being introduced, and along with them, new problems are added into the equation.
But wait! Before I get to that, shouldn’t I introduce you all to these new faces? I think that would be quite appropriate on this occasion. Sidney’s cousin Jill (Emma Roberts) is finally brought into the picture, living life as an American teenager. Her circle of friends includes Olivia, Kirby (Hayden Panettiere), and ex-boyfriend Trevor (Nico Tortorella). Every one of them, including Jill, is receiving harassing phone calls from that lovable psycho-serial-killer who we like to call Ghostface; and it can only add to the problem that Sidney is in town, and such things unintentionally trigger bad memories. Aside from Jill’s friends, there are other various students in the High School – that they attend – who are worth mentioning. I think I’ll start, and end, by telling you about Charlie (Rory Culkin) and Robbie (Erik Knudsen), two movie geeks who run the school “Cinema Club” side-by-side. Both are quite essential to the plot, as they are hosting an event known as “Stab-a-thon”. This of course refers to those in-movie-movies about the events that occurred in the first “Scream”, although apparently the countless amount of sequels were allowed to keep on coming when Sidney requested the filmmaking teams behind them search for material that wasn’t based on her fractured, broken life.
As with all the “Scream” movies, there are certain scenes that I enjoy more than others, and sometimes, they are enough to save the film and provide me with a good night’s dose of pure entertainment. In “Scream 4″, some of my favorite scenes include the following: a scene where the Sidney and Gale attend the High School “Cinema Club” – where PLENTY of movie talk, centered on the horror genre, is thrown around with ease, and presumably, with joy. Another scene I really liked was at the end, where the then-revealed killer mutilates himself/herself in order to frame another character at the scene of the crime. I found this scene as darkly amusing and hilarious as it was (probably) intended to be.
The charm of the “Scream” films lies in their ability to manipulate overused material and create satire. Ever since “Scream 2″, this franchise has practically lived on its premise and all that the first film set up; and unfortunately, it didn’t work one time out of three; which is now four. “Scream 4″ is successful because it understands what WE understand – and expect. It’s stylish, well-filmed, smartly directed, and actually pretty damn funny. The scenes of extensive, obsessive movie talk, the sequences of high-intensity, in-house chases, and those little ironic moments where the clichés seem wink at the audience as if to get some mechanical laughs, are all what this franchise is about. I kind of loved what this one had going. And I enjoyed it while it lasts. In fact, I had such a good time, that I might just watch it again, for what it is; entertainment. It’s nothing more, and nothing less. You did well, Craven. You did well.
ugh! tired and lame! i only liked the “modern” twist they gave it to make the movie current. other than that, it was pure rubbish. the first one came at a low point for horror films at the time, which then injected a much-needed kick in the ass to the genre. and then like all things, they kept making sequels that got worse and worse until THAT genre was tired. this movie is just a retread of a dead franchise. i guess if i was 15 i’d love it….otherwise avoid at all costs!
i thought it was ok pretty good
This is the first Scream movie I have seen. Nothing spectacular – seemed a little Scooby Doo-ish. Was waiting for the line “And I would have gotten away with it too if it weren’t for those meddling kids”. Not scary by any means, but I admit it was fun trying to figure out who the killer was before the end. (Which I didn’t)
It’s up there with scream 1 & 2.
Fiveteen years ago, Wes Craven directed the film that changed slasher horror films all together, and it instantly became a classic. In 1997, we found out that sequels can actually work, and Scream 2 worked fantastically well. Unfortunately the threequal proved to be rather weak and ended the Scream series all together, or so we thought.
Having survived three films with barely any scratches. Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) returns to Woodsboro to promote her bestseller book only to find her hometown being terrorised again by the famous Ghostface.
When Scream 4 was announced, horror fans were probably jumping up and down in delight. The fourth film brings back its three main characters. Sidney (Neve Campbell) who we notice is a more tougher character than the previous films. Gale (Courtney Cox) who once again doesn’t disappoint and delivers humorous one liners, even though she looks like she should cut down on the botox. Dewey (David Arquette) who we also see as more of a stronger character, but is still his likeable self. But in this new generation also brings some new fresh faces (Emma Roberts, Hayden Panettiere) who instead of deciding what’s hot and what’s not, have to deal with numerous bloody murders.
The film’s opening has a different take from the previous Scream’s, although it doesn’t come close to the perfection of the first film’s opening. Fortunately, the opening makes itself stand out with plenty of humour and scares with celebrity cameos (Shanae Grimes, Lucy Hale, Anna Paquin, Kristen Bell, ???, ???).
The film has a good balance between the scares and the humour, but we see it falling into self parody, which was the main problem in Scream 3. Apart from a gruesome scene where two characters watch another get brutally savaged from an opposite window, and a suspenseful car parking lot scene, the film is rarely horrifying. Fans will also be pleased that the film has many references to the first film, a noticeable one involves Hayden Panettiere’s horror loving character Kirby in a live or die movie quiz situation.
When comparing the film to other slasher horrors, Scream 4 does a good job showing them how its supposed to be done. But when comparing it to the previous Scream films, well, at least it was a huge improvement on the third installment.
What we can always count on with the Scream films is that they never disappoint in the twists, and we find one which highlights in the third act.
In conclusion, hardcore fans MAY find themselves disappointed, but the film is throughally enjoyable and keeps you entertained throughout with enough gory kills and humour.
I have been a Scream fan since I saw the original trilogy when I was 9. I’ve always loved each film and when Scre4m was announced, let’s just say I was excited. I counted down the days till the movie was released and saw it on opening night. I wasn’t disappointed. The movie takes us to Woodsboro for the first time since the original. I loved how we get to see how Sydney, Gale and Dewey have moved on with their lives over the past ten years. That was great. The characters of Kirby and Charlie were definitely highlites. The new ghostface is probably the best since the original. 9/10
1. scream excellent
2. scre4m excellent
3. scream2 good
4. scream 3 bad
awesome film, much better than part 3, i loved the films message
A very good sequel!Has some cheesey parts,but was well made.The ending was great!Bring on part 5!
As an avid Scream franchise fan i was really looking forward to this sequel 10 years later & it didn’t disappoint me one bit! The movie franchise may be 10 years old but the story was upto date & the characters all felt fresh after there nit be a Scream film for so long. All i have left to say is that Scream 5 is a must for me! 10/10
I am a big fan of the Scream franchise and after the dissapointment that was Scream 3 this was so refreshing. I absolutely loved it!
Gooey, gory, grotesque, brutal. Scream 4 delivers on the red fluids, but not too much in the acting and/or story department. A decent but ultimately disposable sequel.
I skipped school to see this movie and it was damn worth it; I love this movie!
Definitely way better than Scream 3, but still not as great as parts 1 or 2. I saw this in theaters and had a good time. I love the fake out opening. I kind of had a feeling of who the killer was, but the second killer surprised me especially after the scene that throws you off toward the end.
In the footsteps of first part. Surprise of the year.
Its hard to express to you how much I love the SCREAM movies. They are the only movie where I loves the sequels almost as much as the original. And Scream 4 didn’t disappoint! The movie has the wonder dark mocking comedy feel making constant comments about remakes, this being a reboot of the series. The whole gang is back and I wouldn’t have it any other way, after all it really isn’t a SCREAM movie without Sidney, Dewey, and Gale. Craven and Williamson have also teamed up again and they truly stuck gold with Scream 4′s amazing opening scene. It was hands down the most memorable opening SCREAM scene since the 1st. One new addition to the 4th installment of the series that we really haven’t seen before in a SCREAM movie is the massive amounts of gore and blood used in Scream 4. You can tell Craven had so much fun adding much more gore to this movie putting his personal signature on it. The goriest and most memorable death of SCREAM 4 is Olivia bedroom death. Its also great to see Ghost Face back at it after all these years. And when it comes to who the killer is I think you will be truly shocked, I was. Bottom line if you loved Scream 1,2,3 you will love 4 and want them to make 5 just as much as I do.
Not sure where to even begin so this will be short and sweet. Scream 4 was awful!
Characters had lost any appeal, the acting of the main 3 characters has gotten even weaker.
Scream 3 was bad, but this was really bad, the original is still the most entertaining. Scream 4 tries to go back to the original roots and repeats elements of the first to bridge a serious gap.
They try to mislead you by having some odd characters, but one of the killers stand out like a sore thumb, that being the McCulken kid.
Luckily I watched this on t.v for free, only out of curiosity to find out which direction the plot had gone in, is is not apparent the direction is down the toilet. If they make a Scream 5, I refuse to waste my time watching crap like this.
The Ultimate Movie Review! – http://tss5078.blogspot.com – @tss5078 – Let’s face it, when a film franchise makes it to a fourth film or higher, it usually sucks. What else can they really do with it and what’s left of the story to tell us that we don’t already know? That was my thinking going into Scream 4, but when it comes to Wes Craven, you really never know what you’re going to get. After pumping out three movies in four years, Craven took eleven years off before taking another crack at Scream, thinking why not make what’s old new again, and it works! Scream 4 continues the legacy of the series by combining a classic slasher film with the technology and youth of today, who are still making a mockery of the whole situation. The screenwriting is absolutely genius, as is evident by the opening scene, which actually rivals the scene in the first film. In Scream 4, we see a grown up Sidney Prescott return home to Woodsboro a changed woman. She’s there to promote her new book and catch up with her old friends, Sheriff Dewey and his wife Gail. They’re all having a nice reunion, on what turns out to be the anniversary of the first killings, when all of a sudden things turn ugly again. You know the characters and you know the actors playing them. They’re a little bit older, they’re a little bit wiser, and they’re every bit as energetic and interesting as they were in the first three films. The old school Woodsboro family meets the current Woodsboro family and what you get is something that’s very similar, but oddly different. Scream 4 is witty, clever, and updated. Wes Craven was right, what was old is new again and it reminded me of just how much I loved the original films.