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[TV Review] The “Scream” Halloween Special is a Fun Diversion

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scream halloween special review

MTV’s Scream returns tomorrow night for a two-hour Halloween special, bridging the gap between its second and upcoming third season. It is a standalone story for the most part, but it is bookended by scenes that tie into the main series arc.* Taking cues from films such as And Then There Were None and I Still Know What You Did Last Summer, Scream‘s Halloween special shows the series returning to the playfulness that has helped make some of its better episodes so enjoyable. That being said, a bridge is still a bridge. The episode does feel rather pointless in the long run, but at least it’s fun to watch!

*One of these scenes is spoiled in the trailer, so don’t watch that if you haven’t already.

Set eight months after the events of the season two finale, “Halloween” and “Halloween II” (heretofore referred to as “Halloween”) are two episodes being billed as one TV movie.  Kieran is behind bars and the remaining members of the Lakewood Six are getting back to their normal lives. Brooke is contemplating going to NYU but is hesitant to bring along Stavo. Emma is contemplating not going to college. Audrey has a new girlfriend in the form of Gina (Zena Grey). Noah and Stavo’s graphic novel was a huge success and they are now under pressure to produce a new one for their editor Jeremy (Alex Esola).

That pressure leads Jeremy to give Noah and Stavo an all-expense-paid trip to Shallow Grove Island in order to give Noah some inspiration. The island just so happens to be the location where a young girl named Anna Hobbs murdered her parents and the residents of the Whitan household with a pair of shears. Once her massacre was over she used the shears on herself. Emma, Brooke and Audrey join Noah and Stavo to get away from the media frenzy surrounding Kieran’s trial. Unsurprisingly, people start getting murdered the second they get to the island and a new mystery unfolds.

“Halloween” works as a self-contained story for the most part, but it does feel needless in the grand scheme of things. It’s a harmless bit of filler, but not much else. The benefit of “Halloween” is that it means Scream won’t need to waste any episodes playing catch-up when Season Three premieres (and it can’t really afford to with that six-episode order). “Halloween” spends a decent amount of time letting us know where the characters are emotionally and setting up their journeys for season three. This means that season three can hit the ground running and jump right into the good stuff.

scream halloween special corpse

‘Scream’ ups the gore for Halloween!

“Halloween” almost matches the body count of the entire second season. Yes, you read that correctly. “Halloween” has nearly the same body count as the 12-episode second season (I want to say there are six deaths in this episode and seven in all of the second season). The deaths are pretty brutal, too. Scream amps up the gore beginning with the opening scene (what a scene that is) and it doesn’t disappoint for the remainder of the episode. Unfortunately, it does run into the habit of introducing a new character only to kill them off minutes later, which takes a lot of the suspense out of the proceedings.

Scream is at its worst when it loses its sense of fun, and luckily “Halloween” is a lot of fun. Too often Scream tries too hard to be funny or witty that it becomes a bit of a slog. “Halloween” doesn’t have this problem. The humor comes naturally and makes for one of the more confident episodes the show has ever had. Having survived two separate serial killing sprees, the characters have become desensitized to the violence that surrounds them. They even openly question the frequency at which they are targeted by psychopaths (“I can’t believe that this is happening again,” Emma quips). It’s refreshing to see Scream be playful. If anything, “Halloween” never ceases to entertain and for that fans can be grateful.

It’s not exactly clear why MTV chose to release “Halloween” as a special episode between seasons (it is technically listed as episodes 13 and 14 of season two). Though it is marred by a predictable mystery that doesn’t hold a lot of suspense, it is nice to see these characters again. Plus, the episode is a fun little diversion to satiate fans before the third season premieres next year.

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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