88/100

Damn. This is a sad night.

Wes Craven was a profoundly influential filmmaker to me during my childhood. I remember witnessing A Nightmare on Elm Street (still my favorite of his) late at night on HBO or something of the sort and I was scared shitless. However, I also was enthralled by its playfulness and its confidence as a dreamy horror fable. Soon after, I hunted down a copy of Scream, and again, I was simultaneously scared shitless and astounded by its inventiveness and clever takes on the Slasher genre that he helped elevate.

Even now, I continue to be mesmerized and frightened by the use of horror and comedy within Scream. Each trope of the particular genres are warped and subverted as they're mashed into an insane whole. In particular, the final Mansion sequence works because of its blend of actual horror cliches and uniquely crafted riffs, sliding into their own hilarious tangents as each character is interweaving within the large and ominous house.

It's a brilliant sequence in a brilliant film, and Wes Craven was the right choice to bring this mischievous screenplay to life. I had many sleepless nights because of Craven's hazy works within horror cinema, and I will never forget his influence in my life as a fan of the movies.

Rest in peace Wes, and thanks for the screams.