Reviews
[TV Review] ‘Scream’ Episode 1.09: “The Dance”
Tonight’s episode of Scream was directed by Ti West, although you probably wouldn’t know that just from watching the episode. I’m a huge Ti West fan, so it was a little disappointing to not see him put much of a stamp on the episode. That being said, it was a decent episode of Scream with enough forward momentum to merit a watch. Although for an episode called “The Dance,” there weren’t many scenes shot at the titular social event (it didn’t even start until the 28-minute mark of this 39-minute episode).
Emma is pretty much back to normal this week. After giving us a dark Emma last week, she seems much less traumatized by the fact that her boyfriend was vertically sliced down the middle in front of her. And without any therapy! Good for you, Emma. Seriously though, it was a little odd to see plucky Emma back so soon after everything that she endured last week, but I digress.
“The Dance” borrowed a lot from I Know What You Did Last Summer. Not that I’m complaining, as I’m a huge fan of that film, but the similarities went just a bit beyond homage and started trickling into pastiche. The visit to Brandon James’ mother was pretty much a replica of the scene where Jennifer Love Hewitt and Sarah Michelle Gellar visit Anne Heche. Piper even showed her a yearbook to point out who visited her just like they did! I halfway expected Cassie to say her visitor’s name was Billy Blue.
The episode actually opens with a “One Year Ago” flashback we see the killer break into the Hall of Records and steal the Brandon James mask and look through some files (which is actually reminiscent of the moment in Scream 3 where Dewey recounts how the police files on Sidney had been ransacked), before we see Sheriff Hudson interrogating Mr. Branson.
I kind of love the fact that Mr. Branson was acting so suspicious during his interrogation. It doesn’t make any sense, but it’s so incredibly over-the-top and soapy that you sort of have to buy into its ridiculousness. Equally ridiculous is the lack of the law enforcement’s ability to, you know, enforce the law. First, they let Emma go into the interrogation room to talk to Branson (there is no way this is legal in any way), then Sheriff Hudson finds the house that all of the calls from Branson’s burner phone for coming home and just walks inside. No warrant. No permission. He just walks in. Scream asks for a lot of suspension of disbelief from its audience, and I’m not fully there yet, but it’s hilariously entertaining.
The dance itself, once we finally get there, does deliver plot twists in spades. Noah and Audrey show Emma Rachel’s raw footage showing Kieran at a Bar with Nina. Piper shows up to tell Emma that it was Kieran who visited Cassie and told her he was Brandon’s son, not Seth. A video of a bloodied Sheriff Hudson tied to a tree is projected on the projection screen for all of the dance attendees to see. Finally, Branson is shown to have escaped jail, leaving behind the body of one of the cops on duty.
That is a lot to happen in the final 10 minutes of the episode, and it sets up what could be a pretty bonkers finale. The reveal that Kieran was actually the one to visit Cassie James was clever, though I hope he doesn’t end up being the killer because he’s had the least screen time out of all the characters. As of now, I really don’t think Mr. Branson or Kieran are the killers. Too many fingers were pointed at them this week so if either of them were the killer it would be a little anticlimactic. My money is either on Jake or Piper. Hell, maybe Scream will pull the rug out from under us and have Brooke be the killer!
There are plenty of questions left for the finale to answer: Will Sheriff Hudson die? Will we find out who the killer is? Will it be a satisfying reveal? Will Maggie ever make her sausage and kale thing again??? I have to know! See you all in a week!
Random Notes
- I’ll just reiterate here that I realize I make fun of Scream a lot. It’s not because I don’t like it. I do like it and find it very entertaining, but it is so, so dumb. The scale I use for scores is 2.5 skulls for entertainment value and 2.5 skulls for quality. The total score is a combination of those two factors (for example, this episode gets 1 skull for quality, and 2 skulls for entertainment)
- Brooke’s having a party in the finale. That can’t bode well for her.
- Bella Thorne’s return to Scream was a big news item at Comic Con few weeks ago. Her presence in this episode felt a bit underwhelming, no?
- Piper reminded me a lot of Debbie Salt/Mrs. Loomis rather than Gale Weathers during the press conference with Sheriff Hudson. Could that be intentional/a clue for fans of the films?
- Noah acknowledges the “Branson” being “Bran’s Son” theory, thereby cementing the fact that Mr. Branson is NOT the killer. Good for you Scream! I’m glad you subverted my expectations with that one!
- “Bicurious and The Virgin are on it!” “And the crime world trembled.” -I have to admit, I laughed at that one.
- Maggie is ordering pizza for dinner, but it’s not her sausage/kale thing. What does this mean????
- It’s been a few years since I’ve seen Pulp Fiction, so I went back and re-watched the dance scene. You’d think they would have just cloned the scene shot by shot to pay tribute to Pulp Fiction, but it’s just Emma and Kieran busting out random moves (out of order, I might add) from the dance. It seems like a missed opportunity for Ti West, but I guess they couldn’t devote two full minutes of screen time to two characters dancing.
- “Kieran was leaving a bar with Nina. Then Nina got dead.” -Audrey was really the voice of reason for this entire episode. Go Audrey!
- “You’re a lot smarter than you look.” -Random slutty girl to Jake. Oh girl, you are dumb.
- Tom Maden’s acting actually wasn’t terrible tonight, but don’t think I’ve forgotten to post a GIF of one of his bad face acting moments:
Books
‘In Search of Darkness’ Book Review: A Must-Have for ’80s Horror Fans
In 2019, the documentary of 80s horror In Search of Darkness became an instant hit with horror fans. Now, a beautiful coffee table style companion book is available and is a must-own for all fans of one of horror’s greatest eras. The book is a walk down the horror aisle of the best mom and pop video store in the heyday of VHS, featuring full color photos, poster art, insightful essays and more. More than just a nostalgic throwback, In Search of Darkness is the kind of book I wish I’d had back in my years as a burgeoning horror fan but is also satisfying for the film fanatic I have become in the years since.
The format is beautifully and simply laid out, with at least a dozen (usually more) movies from each year of the decade presented in order of release accompanied by informative and insightful essays by the authors Heather Wixson and Patrick Bromley. Both authors have been mainstays of film journalism, specializing in horror, for many years. Wixson began her career in 2007 with Dread Central and has spent the past ten years as the Managing Editor of Daily Dead, from which she recently retired to focus on books and other projects. She has devoted the past several years to interviewing and writing books about the Make-up and Special Effects wizards that have brought so much to film over the years, specifically the horror genre.
Bromley is a film journalist and critic whose work can be found all over the place including right here on Bloody Disgusting. He recently provided the commentary for the Vinegar Syndrome release of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 and is known as something of a Tobe Hooper expert. He is also the founder and editor of F this Movie!, an eclectic film website, and host of its accompanying podcast. So, to be clear, the authors know their stuff.
Wixson and Bromley divide writing duties roughly in half and though each has a distinctive voice, their writing styles dovetail beautifully into a cohesive whole. Each author plays to their strengths. Being familiar with both their work I didn’t even have to look at the bylines to know that Heather covered Christine and Terror in the Aisles and Patrick took on The Funhouse and Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers. Wixson’s passion for make-up effects is clear and comes through in many of her contributions. In general, Wixson takes on the “big” titles, the movies that defined the decade the most, and Bromley covers what the more cynical among us might call schlock, but he would likely call pure cinematic bliss. There are exceptions and surprises, of course, as there should be (Patrick covers The Shining for example). Each essay dives into the history behind the film, the major players involved, the reception, and legacy with often surprising aspects drawn from interviews with the filmmakers from various sources and insights from the authors.
For all their in-depth explorations of each film, in general the authors keep their critics’ hats safely stowed, keeping in mind that every entry on the book has its fans. In fact, they may well have sold me on finally hitting play on some of the schlockier offerings of the decade like Evilspeak, Nightbeast, and Blood Diner. Hell, I may even give The Beast Within a spin for shits and giggles. The point is that this book is a celebration through and through. The authors are honest about the critical receptions of the films, which were often unkind, and sometimes let their own opinions shine through, but recognize how beloved even the schlockiest films can become given time and availability. And that is an ongoing theme of In Search of Darkness. What may have been dismissed in its day often becomes revered as the years pass. Variations on the phrase “the years have been kind to…” referring to various maligned projects like The Thing, Halloween III: Season of the Witch, The Blob and many, many others, can be found throughout the book for good reason.
Each chapter of the book also includes a rundown of the top horror movies at the box office for the year as well as the top movies of all genres for context. The final page for each year highlights some of the major news and pop culture events including the top songs, albums, and television shows. There is a large central section that pays tribute to the talent involved with the greatest horror films of the 80s including directors, actors, effects artists, and more. This section includes brief biographies of John Carpenter, Wes Craven, Stephen King, Tom Savini, Barbara Crampton, Robert Englund, and many others presented in a dynamic and engaging fashion.
One of the beauties of the book is that it covers so much ground. Sure, you’ll find Friday the 13th, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Hellraiser, and the Halloween sequels in it, but you’ll also find deeper cuts like The Changeling, The Being, and Tetsuo: The Iron Man. I was happy to find the same love given to Frank Henenlotter and Larry Cohen as to George A. Romero and David Cronenberg. In other words, In Search of Darkness is extraordinarily eclectic, highlighting the diversity that truly defined what is often viewed as a homogenous decade. The authors make the case that the 80s was horror’s greatest decade, and with what they lay out throughout this book, it’s tough to argue against that. I even came across a film or two I hadn’t even heard of before, which has become increasingly rare as the years go by.
At just shy of $85, the cover price may give some horror hounds pause, but believe me, it’s worth every penny. This is a beautiful volume that every fan of 80s horror will want on their shelf or prominently displayed on their coffee table. Filled with favorite titles, hundreds of full color photos, insightful and informative writing, this is simply a must own.
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