A masterwork of horror, and a perfect ode to classic slashers of yore, all crafted by a genius writer as well as the original creator of A Nightmare on Elm Street, Wes Craven. Great cast. Equally great characters. Pitch perfect storytelling. What’s not to love?

Don’t have a whole lot to say about Scream. It’s an awesome film with an awesome sequel. Then there’s Scream 3, which is two hours. Then there’s a pretty decent fourth film. And of course, there’s the new Scream, which is predictable fluff. 

There’s a lot going on in the original film. It’s a stark examination of sociopaths and narcissistic behavior, especially on repeat viewings. And it’s freakier, and perhaps more cynically relevant, with each passing year. A shame that the film represents that growing dilemma in our culture. But that’s what horror films do - they serve as warnings; the carbon monoxide detector screaming in the dark about the silent killer that’s lurking all around you.

Scream has returned to physical media with a new 4K release. Alas, the uncut version of the film is STILL not included with this release. A real missed opportunity there. The scenes aren’t even included as extras. Disappointing. The transfer is a bit soft, with heavy digital noise reduction, but it’s a VAST improvement over the previous Blu-ray. Pick it up if you don’t yet have a copy, or you’re looking to upgrade.