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[TV Review] “Scream” Season Finale: ‘Revelations’

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Scream

Scream began the night (well, began the week, really) on a bit of a downer. Wes Craven is a man that will be sorely missed in the horror community, and while he may not have had a huge part in the creation of the show (though that is debatable), it’s certainly a sad way to go into the episode. MTV did a nice little tribute to the writer/directer before the episode began as well. As for tonight’s season finale of Scream, I feel like it’s going to be a pretty divisive episode, but I actually liked it!

I fully accept the fact that any trust/respect I have built up with all of you over the recent weeks may very well be destroyed by my positive review of this episode. The reveal that Piper was the killer was an obvious one, I know. Scream has tried way too hard the past few weeks to convince us that anyone else but Piper would be the killer. The whole bit with Kieran saying Emma texted him to come to Brooke’s house was very Scream 4 (with Trevor and Jill), so that was never going to play out. Add to the fact that Piper and Emma’s newfound friendship was being forced down our throats (something I mentioned two episodes ago), and it just comes across as predictable rather than surprising (it’s also basically a replica of Scream 3’s ending, but with the killer’s gender reversed). All of those negative aspects and I still found it entertaining, ridiculous and fun.

There was no way the killer reveal was going to be satisfying. I’ve been reading comments and Tweets over the past 10 weeks on theories on who the killer is and everyone was guessed at some point (though when I checked on Twitter after the reveal last night, a surprising number of people seemed to be shocked). When you drag something like that over the course of 10 weeks as opposed to two hours, it’s bound to be underwhelming.

More successful in its reveal was that Audrey was (maybe?) Piper’s accomplice. After all, someone had to be behind the mask when Piper and Will were attached back in Episode 6. It would be beneficial for Scream to actually have Audrey be a villain, rather than a fake-out, in Season 2, but we’ll just have to wait until next year to see.

Wes Craven

Audrey (Bex Taylor-Klaus), looking all mysterious burning letters and shit.

The reason this episode worked for me is because all of the unnecessary subplots were absent. This was an episode devoted entirely to the killer’s endgame, and there were some pretty fun sequences. Brooke’s entire chase scene, for example, was incredibly suspenseful (though I have no idea why she thought hiding in the fridge would be a good idea) and I liked her being smart enough to lock Branson out of the house. I legitimately thought we were going to lose Ms. Maddox tonight. Carlson Young has been my favorite part of this show and I’m glad we’ll get to see more of her next season.

Speaking of surviving the episode, there wasn’t really much of a body count for a season finale of a slasher series, was there? Only Sheriff Hudson (who, admittedly, had a pretty cool death)and Piper died. For being a serial killer, she wasn’t that skilled at killing. I wouldn’t have hated if more people had died, but I guess they have to have some semblance of a cast in season two.

I realize it sounds like I’m complaining about this episode a lot, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Scream has become a show that I laugh-watch. I enjoy watching it only so I can laugh at how incredibly dumb it is. Take from that what you will, but that is the lens I choose to view Scream through.

That is it for the first season of Scream, everyone! It has been a rocky road, and overall the show isn’t everything we had hoped for. For those who were expecting a suspenseful slasher with some dark humor, you were disappointed. I don’t think fans of the film series wanted a melodramatic teen soap opera, but that is what we got. Taken on it’s own terms, I think the series has been a (slightly) moderate success. Ideally, the people behind the show will take the break to review what worked and what didn’t over the course of the season and give us an improved second season next year. They have enough to work with (and plenty of characters still left alive) to do something interesting.

Random Notes

  • Just an FYI, I docked the episode a half a skull solely for the fact that Jake made it out of the season alive.
  • Brooke and Audrey got a chance to bond tonight, and it was highly entertaining. More character pairings like this next season, please.
  • Every time Piper used the word “sis” in her villain monologue, it just reminded me of this cringe-worthy one-liner from Texas Chainsaw 3D.
  • “It’s gonna be gut-wrenching!” -I have to admit, I laughed when Hudson’s guts spilled out when I remembered the killer told Emma this.
  • “She’s literally dumb as toast!” – Brooke, on that girl Jake was trying to bed.
  • The guy who got his throat slashed is named Grayson, in case you cared. Not sure why Piper killed him.
  • I’m still not completely won over by Noah. I know a lot of you like him, but he’s been more grating to me than entertaining. “Maybe someone just spilled their wine. Their thick, viscous red wine” was such a dumb line.
  • “I didn’t feel much like talking after you accused me of murder.” -Kieran, stahp.
  • “I’m still breathing you creep!” -Brooke, when Jake tried to give her mouth-to-mouth to cure her coldness.
  • “Are you calling to gloat?” “Not at all, you finally got a win.” -Touché Piper. Emma has really been one step behind you this entire season.
  • “It’s 2015 Emma. Sexist, much?” -Piper, after her big reveal. As the Scream Twitter account reiterated: Tatum called it, even though the film series has had not one, but two female killers.
  • “I’d like to savor the moment a little bit before I slice you open, ‘k?” -All of Piper’s lines during the climax were so over-the-top. I could not stop laughing.
  • “You psychotic bitch!” -Emma, after Piper stabbed her mom.
  • “Bitch talks too much.” -Audrey, after shooting Piper.
  • By the way, here is a graph reflecting all of the episode reviews of MTV’s Scream. My average score is 3.2/5, which I’ll round down to a 3/5. I think that’s pretty fair.

Scream Reviews

A journalist for Bloody Disgusting since 2015, Trace writes film reviews and editorials, as well as co-hosts Bloody Disgusting's Horror Queers podcast, which looks at horror films through a queer lens. He has since become dedicated to amplifying queer voices in the horror community, while also injecting his own personal flair into film discourse. Trace lives in Austin, TX with his husband and their two dogs. Find him on Twitter @TracedThurman

Books

‘In Search of Darkness’ Book Review: A Must-Have for ’80s Horror Fans

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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.

You can order your copy now.

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