What is there to say about Scream 4 that hasn’t been said about the previous films – it’s a schlock horror that relies on jump-out-of-closet scares and exploits the slasher genre to it’s fullest. But there’s a reason there hasn’t been a Scream film in so long, and 4 proves that 10 fold.
- Scream 4 Blu-ray
Directors: Wes Craven
Cast: Neve Campbell, David Arquette and Courteney Cox
Running time: 108 minutes
Age restriction: 16 LV
Genre: Horror, slasher
Sidney Prescott returns to her home town and with that, the murder patterns from the previous killings begins to reoccur in a copycat fashion.
Yes, it’s that basic, and it isn’t trying to be any more. Directed by Scream creator and horror legend Wes Craven, I would have expected something more than this – the concept is worn-through like an old burlap sack, the villain appears more comical than scary and in true Scooby-doo fashion, the reveal is expected and disappointing.
Perhaps the biggest irritation of Scream 4 is how self-referential it is, trying to stick out from the pack by using the first movie as a “formula” and unabashedly copying it. it’s this constant allusion to the “reboot” that prevents the audience from getting into it because its phony and it doesn’t try to be believable. The age of this style of horror is over, Wes Craven may live in the past but the rest of the world has moved on – we’re used to horrors with unexpected punchlines, heart pounding thrills, and at the very least, marginally compelling storylines. Scream 4 is irredeamable in its mediocre execition.
Horrors are often used as a subliminal conmentary on our society, this doesn’t candycoat it, Craven wants to know that all teens want to be famous and we’ll anything for it. Sadly it all shows that washed up directors will do anything for a buck.
Audio/Video Quality
As far as HD transfers go, Scream 4 is definitely in the higher eschelons of quality with a rich colour scope that really brings textural details to life. You won’t find many artifacts in the release, in fact the lack of noise almost makes it appear to be a little too sterile. It’s nice to see that effort has been put into a good representation of both night and day scenes, the results of which show an warm vibrance and deep, acurate contrasts.
The Audio I found to be a little more lacking. It wasn’t that it wasn’t used well but it just didn’t excite me at all. I’m used to sound being an integral part of horror but this just didn’t do it for me, often appearing muddled and lacking in creativity. The audio track is not impossible to listen to and the channels work well to make a pleasant sound environment.
Bonus features
When it comes to films like this, the need for many bonus features is more a question of whether you’re going watch them or not. so what Scream 4 gives is little to work with other than the expected, which coincidentally is what the nature of the film is too. Additionally, none of it is in HD.
Full list of features:
Audio Commentary
The Making of Scream 4
Deleted/extended scenes
Bloopers
The bottom line
Scream 4 is just a shadow of its former glory (is that gory?), the character in the film hark on about making a reboot that is better than the original and while they think they may have achieved, in truth it’s just a bad joke. One of the tennets behind the art of creating horror is that the film is scary and without that element, it just becomes a waste of time – Scream 4 is a waste of time. Is it unwatchable? No, but there’s nothing to walk away with other than disappointment. What’s your favourite scary movie? The only list Scream 4 makes is the shit list.
Overall score (not an average)
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