17th or so viewing:

Unrated cut:

I have nothing more to add onto the review for the film itself but I will give my opinion on the unrated cut of the film. I’ve been trying to get my hands on the unrated directors cut for years, even scouring eBay every day for about 6 months in hopes that someone would sell a copy. No one ever did. I also even tried to buy copies from Craigslist type sites in Germany and Sweden (where the cut was released on DVD) but was never able to. Although finally, after all these years, I was looking through amazon and stumbled upon a brand new German release of the unrated cut released by paramount. It was literally only released two weeks ago and I don’t think anybody really knows about it, so if you’re reading this review and are looking for it you can get it for about £12. But onto my actual review for the cut. In my honest opinion, the cuts weren’t honestly that substantial. The only differences in the opening are a longer shot of Steve’s intestines, which is a bit more gruesome in this version, which I really liked, and a slower track towards Casey’s dead body, which I didn’t find particularly more or less effective one way or the other. The next is Tatum’s death, which only really includes a few more frames of her crushed head, which I wouldn’t have noticed if I didn’t know already know it was longer. It’s not like you see her head get crushed more or anything, it just lingers slightly longer on her head after it gets crushed. Kenny’s extended throat slit was great though, but I still don’t understand why it was cut, it’s by far one of the tamest deaths in the film, but I wish it was kept in. Lastly, it includes extra shots of Billy and Stu stabbing each other, as well as a shot of the bloody floor as Stu bleeds out. I personally don’t think the stabbing would have made too much of a difference, at least in impact, but it would have been nice to see it in. However the shot of the blood on the floor is one I would have really liked to see stay in. I actually felt like that shot showed a lot in terms of how messed up Billy and Stu were, seeing Sidney’s dad tied up and Stu literally bleeding out because of their twisted plan. It’s a little silly but I liked it.

Solid 5 out of 5 stars

Previous viewing review:

I watched this in cinemas again for the 25th anniversary today and it was a wonderful experience. It was the new 4K restoration and it is the best Scream has ever looked. It was absolutely stunning. There was a lot more added blue colour correction but it fit the film quite nicely. I also think the speakers on one side of the cinema were broken because it did that thing when you only have one ear phone in where it doesn’t let you hear some of the sounds. Like a lot of the sound queues in the opening scene were gone and the song ‘Whisper to a Scream’ in the end credits was completely fucked, like it only played the backup vocals and the actual music. They also played the trailer for the new film before it started, and I have to admit that I’m kind of disappointed. It just didn’t look or feel like Scream to me. The vibes just weren’t there, and it was pretty spoilery too. I’m still really excited for the film and I know it’ll be good, the trailer just kind of underwhelmed me. But then again, almost every trailer I’ve seen has underwhelmed me.

Solid 5 out of 5 stars 

Previous viewing review:

I watched this at the drive in and I fucking loved it! It looked fucking fantastic and the colours were so rich. Experiencing the music and everything in the car with great speakers was such an incredible experience. It actually started off playing normal music over the film on the radio, so they had to start it over again without. We also got pizza, popcorn and a drink included in the price which was cool. It’s also funny because they were showing The Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake (or should I say, were meant to), but they stuck on Texas Chainsaw 3D by accident, and when they realised 15 minutes into the movie, they turned it off. However, then they stuck on the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and then when they got 30 minutes into that, they realised it was wrong again and turned it off. At this point Scream was over and I left so I don’t know what they done after that, but it was literally a whole hour after the film was meant to start, they should have just left the original on because I think everyone would have preferred that.

Previous viewing review:

A masterpiece.

I’ve always loved this movie. I first wanted to watch it when I was 11, don’t ask me why. So I asked my parents if I could watch it on my 12th birthday, they were cool with it and I watched it and I loved it. It’s the movie that got me into horror. Immediately after that, I bought the trilogy box set in Tesco and I watched the sequel that Saturday and the following two each Saturday after. I’ve seen it so many times since. The last time I seen it was in cinema and it was an absolute dream come true, everyone wore masks. I seen the second and third in cinema after that too but they never showed the fourth one which was annoying. It’s actually funny because I remember I was maybe 13 and my cinema was showing a Scream triple bill and obviously I was dying to go. At the time Scream was my favourite film ever (only now second to Halloween) and I was so excited to go. But, all the films are 18s in the UK and the cinema wouldn’t let me in. I remember getting my Dad to email the cinema and ask if they’d let in a 16 year old (I looked old for my age) with his parents but they said no. I was really upset (and is one of the reasons I have such a deep hatred for the BBFC) but I just marathoned all 4 movies at home that night instead. I also bought it on VHS and have watched it on that once. I also have it on iTunes as well as two different DVD releases and the standard blu-ray. On top of that I have the licensed Scream 4 costume, some cheap masks, a Scream 2 snow globe I picked up at comic con, the original Scream 2 UK cinema quad poster, the holographic Scream 3 soundtrack on CD, two of the reaction Ghostface figures (one opened, one unopened), Scream 4 German steelbook and the funko pop. 

The film itself is a literal masterpiece. The script is probably the best thing about it. It’s so clever and meta. There’s so many twists and turns and you’re constantly left on your toes wondering what the fuck is actually happening. It’s also got such a masterful blend of humour and horror. You’ll be chuckling one moment and on the edge of your seat the next. Now the film has so effect on me in terms of scares or suspense but it still hold my attention even after all these viewings, it’s just perfect. The deaths are also fantastically creative and wonderful. Tatum’s has always been my personal favourite (and Emma Roberts’) just due to its creativity and brutality but they’re all great. The opening scene with Drew Barrymore is literally the best most iconic thing in cinema ever. Every time Drew picks up that phone I just get such a massive grin on my face and the greatest desire to keep watching. The opening itself makes a thrilling short film and the way it subverts viewers expectations by killing off the biggest star first is honestly just genius. I was actually only recently alerted to the fact that I’ve never seen the uncut version of the film. I always thought America was the only place it was cut but apparently every DVD with the exception of Scandinavia and some German ones are the same cut. So naturally I freaked out and looked for a copy online, well they were all expensive as fuck but I’m still on the lookout. 

The characters are also fantastic and some of the best in horror history. Sidney Prescott is a phenomenal final girl. Not only does she fight back and kill the killer but she also breaks typical genre rules by not being a Virgin. She really is the best final girl since Laurie Strode and Neve Campbell does an absolutely terrific job. Although, I think Courtney Cox is on par, if not better. The character of Gale is literally just so perfect. She funny, sassy, strong and badass. Her quips and her selfish but lovably bitchy personality makes her one of the most memorable characters in horror. I’m also a big fan of Tatum, pretty much for the same reasons as Gale. I just love bitchy but likeable female characters. I also really like Jamie Kennedy as Randy. I can really see myself in his character (something my dad loves to joke about) and Kennedy’s performance during ‘the rules’ scene is so iconic. Matthew Lillard also does a great job as Stu. His way over the top performance is not just weirdly hilarious but a pretty good indicator to pointing to him being the killer. Skeet Ulrich is also pretty good as Billy but sometimes his delivery is a bit off. Although, this may be intentional due to Billy lying most of the time. 

Ghostface is also the perfect villain. He’s mysterious but definitely human, and that mask. The costume in general is probably one of the most iconic, if not the most iconic, horror movie mask of all time. Every Halloween it’s in every single Halloween shop and absolutely everyone could tell you that he’s ‘Scream’. I actually dressed up as Ghostface one Halloween and I can tell you that the mask is the most sweaty fucking thing ever. And the idea of having the villain being a persona meant that sequels wouldn’t have to resurrect the villain with stupid excuses. The reveal of Billy and Stu was also really clever. Nowadays having 2 killers isn’t really that big of a twist but back in the 80s every slasher film really only had one killer and the way Scream subverted those expectations with Billy and Stu was genius. When I had first seen the film I was already aware that Matthew Lillard was the killer because my dad would tell me that Shaggy was the killer but I’m pretty sure I didn’t know about Billy. I honestly think the murder mystery element of the films is one of the best parts of the franchise because trying to solve the puzzle is so much fun. Although, I also noticed this time around that even if Sidney and Gale died, Billy and Stu would have been caught anyway. Stu’s DNA was all over the phone and the voice changer and Gale’s camera would have caught everything anyway, 

The film also moves along at a really good pace. Despite having a long runtime, especially for a horror film, everything feels so tight and compacted that it’s always interesting. All of the references to horror films are so fun to see from a fans perspective too. Obviously when I had first seen this, the only horror film I had seen was I Know What You Did Last Summer so I didn’t get any of the references, but as I grew as a horror fan they meant way more to me. They literally mention all of my favourite horror films and make subtle digs to them and it really is just so fun to see as a genre fan. I also noticed on this rewatch that the T-shirt Tatum wears to school on the second day (the football crop top) has the same design as Johnny Depp’s in A Nightmare On Elm Street. All of the many references to Jamie Lee Curtis (my favourite actress ever) were also incredible. The fact that she basically kills Stu and the Mother’s Boy poster and the conversation about all of her movies and her ‘lungs’. I just appreciate them so much. 

Overall, Scream is a horror masterpiece that never fails to entertain no matter how much you watch it, thanks to its clever writing and fantastic characters.

Solid 5 out of 5 stars