MOVIE REVIEW: SCREAM

 

Twenty-five years after a streak of brutal murders shocked the quiet town of Woodsboro, Calif., a new killer dons the Ghostface mask and begins targeting a group of teenagers to resurrect secrets from the town's deadly past.

Director: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett

Cast: David Arquette, Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega, Jack Quaid, Dylan Minnette, Mason Gooding, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Mikey Madison, Sonia Ben Ammar, Marley Shelton, Skeet Ulrich, Heather Matarazzo, Roger L. Jackson

Release Date: January 14, 2022

Genre: Horror, Mystery, Thriller

Rated R for strong bloody violence, language throughout and some sexual references

Runtime: 1h 54m

Review:

Wes Craven's original Scream was a nice bit of self referential satire on slasher films.  It's the type of film that would have been better served if its subsequent sequels never existed.  It's heavy meta approach wasn't ever all that clever, Craven had done it before with his series send off for Freddy Krueger with New Nightmare.  As the film's have progressed the self reflection and satire has slowly devolved into self parody.  This fifth entry from directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett is unintentionally funny in parts and rarely if ever scary to any tangible degree.  The script riffs on elevated horror here and there while being a prime example of why most of the slasher genre is dead and buried.  They are clearly fans of the genre but they deliver some uninspired, bland and mildly boring bits of what can barely be called horror.  The kills are fairly rudimentary with them choosing brutally over creating any palpable sense of tension.  David Arquette, Neve Campbell and Courteney Cox all return with varying degrees of impact with even certain moments that should register emotionally falling flat.  Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega and Jack Quaid do the heavy lifting for the better part of the film with Quaid being the only who seems to be having a good time.  Barrera is surprisingly flat with her eyebrows leaving the biggest impression on the film.  The who done it at play here sadly isn't all the complex or terribly intriguing as it tries to make a point about toxic fandom.  This fifth entry feels like it should be the last in the series and probably for good reason.

D

Movie Reviews: HAMLET 2

Friday, August 29, 2008
Movie Reviews: HAMLET 2
IN THEATERS




HAMLET 2

In the irreverent comedy, a failed actor-turned-worse-high-school-drama teacher (Steve Coogan) rallies his Tucson, AZ students as he conceives and stages a politically incorrect musical sequel to Shakespeare's Hamlet.

Cast: Steve Coogan, Catherine Keener, David Arquette, Marshall Bell, Melonie Diaz

Director: Andrew Fleming

Opened August 22, 2008

Runtime: 1 hr. 32 min.

Rated R for language including sexual references, brief nudity and some drug content

Genres: Comedy

Review:

Hamlet 2 is an uneven but sometime inspired absurdist comedy that keeps you waiting for it to hit its stride but never does. Director Andrew Fleming does a good job of keeping a brisk pace throughout but that doesn't keep the film from lagging, mainly because of misses on the comedic end. Steve Coogan turns in a fun performance even if he over do it on a few occasions. Coogan give his loser actor a sense of contained lunacy mixed with naivety and aloofness. It's pretty much his show from start to finish and the result is uneven much like the entire movie. Supporting turns from a variety of actors and actress help Hamlet 2 even if they weren't used to their fullest potential. Catherine Keener is superbly venomous as Coogan's on screen wife, she really shows off her comedic timing in delivering some really funny and terribly mean spirited dialogue. Elizabeth Shue has a fun little cameo as herself. She's given up acting, which she was only interested in because she liked making out with her co stars, and works at a sperm bank. Shue has fun with the small amount of screen time she has but, like Keener's character, I wish we saw a lot more her. By the time the film reaches its climax, Hamlet 2 the stage play is a great send up of the cutting edge broadway shows excess and the reaction they cause, it's delivered enough laughs to make the experience worthwhile but the promise of the concept isn't fully realized even if you do leave humming the strangely catchy Rock Me Sexy Jesus.

C+