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From Amazon.co.uk
Without a refresher viewing, the details of Scream, the 1996 collaboration between horror-meister director Wes Craven and writer Kevin Williamson (who also famously chronicled the ways of wayward teens without so much bloodshed as creator of the TV sensation Dawson's Creek) might be a little hazy. But even through the fog of memory, it's a pretty sure thing that texting, Facebook, live video streams on smart phones, and references to the Saw movie franchise were not major narrative devices. Even so, there is a common thread that yanks this inventive resurrection of the series back to life and ties it quite cleverly to the first, second, and third Scream installments. Summed up, that reach is captured in the word meta, which is pretty much what makes Scream 4 such a hoot as it scampers along on such a high plane of conceptual ingenuity. That several characters use the word in describing the action they're participating in makes the entirety of circular plot points, referential dialogue, and general level of self-reflexive action all the more exuberant. There are a few causes for honest screams in the action, even though the obvious raison d'être for Craven and Williamson's reteaming is to make audiences yelp with delight that trumps genuine fear pretty much every time.
Original cast members Courteney Cox, David Arquette, and Neve Campbell have all returned for the reunion, which also introduces (and largely kills off) a new set of young but very familiar faces recruited for the festivities. The sizable ensemble cast includes Anna Paquin, Kristen Bell, Alison Brie, Hayden Panettiere, Marley Shelton, Rory Culkin, Adam Brody, Mary McDonnell, and Heather Graham, among many others who make up visitors or inhabitants of the imaginary town of Woodsboro, USA, scene of the meta-movie carnage that began 15 years ago. The excuse for this round of action is the return of original surviving victim Sidney Prescott (Campbell), who is making a hometown stop on her book tour. As the heroic survivor of the various incarnations of Ghostface, the knife-wielding killer in Scream's first trilogy, Sidney has become a celebrity and purposefully shrugged off the victim label, but still lives on as a folk hero. Turns out she's especially popular with Woodsboro's high-school population and the many horror film buffs who constantly analyze their every activity in relation to the behaviors of movie characters and the rights and wrongs of what to do when there's a killer on the loose. It therefore surprises no one that Ghostface has returned to haunt Sidney, including retired reporter Gale Weathers (Cox), her now-husband Sheriff Dewey Riley (Arquette), and the assortment of teenage dopes who saturate the entire venture with theatrical gouts of gooey, black blood. The movie-within-a-movie franchise Stab is also a major player in Scream 4. Its sequel count is now up to seven as we discover in the briskly crafted and very funny opening scenes. In fact, Scream 4 is constructed with smarter precision than any of its predecessors and would require a lot of brain power for someone who feels up to the task of trying to figure out who Ghostface is this time and why the killing has started again. But taking the story seriously pretty much defeats the purpose of the absurdly entertaining formal achievement that Craven and Williamson have created. All the stabbing and screaming and intricate (il)logic of horror movie conventions are simply part of the mysterious amusement of a concept that will not die, now delightfully retooled for a new generation. --Ted Fry
Product Description
In Scream 4, Sidney Prescott, now the author of a self-help book, returns home to Woodsboro on the last stop of her book tour. There she reconnects with Sheriff Dewey and Gale, who are now married, as well as her cousin Jill (played by Emma Roberts) and her Aunt Kate (Mary McDonnell). Unfortunately Sidney’s appearance also brings about the return of Ghost Face, putting Sidney, Gale, and Dewey, along with Jill, her friends, and the whole town of Woodsboro in danger.
The newest installment in the acclaimed franchise that ushered in a new wave of horror in the 1990s is written by series creator Kevin Williamson and directed by suspense master and director of the first trilogy, Wes Craven. The film stars Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Emma Roberts, Hayden Panettiere, Rory Culkin, Anthony Anderson, Adam Brody, Mary McDonnell, Marley Shelton, Nico Tortorella, Marielle Jaffe, Kristen Bell, Anna Paquin, Lucy Hale, Shanae Grimes, Aimee Teegarden and Brittany Robertson.
The newest installment in the acclaimed franchise that ushered in a new wave of horror in the 1990s is written by series creator Kevin Williamson and directed by suspense master and director of the first trilogy, Wes Craven. The film stars Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Emma Roberts, Hayden Panettiere, Rory Culkin, Anthony Anderson, Adam Brody, Mary McDonnell, Marley Shelton, Nico Tortorella, Marielle Jaffe, Kristen Bell, Anna Paquin, Lucy Hale, Shanae Grimes, Aimee Teegarden and Brittany Robertson.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
11 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:Blu-ray
After 11 years the Scream series makes a return. It boasts "New Decade - New Rules" but I've just watched this movie and other than a handful of new teens for Ghostface to terrorise, there's not a great deal of "new" to be found here.
As a fan of the first two films (the third was pretty awful) it was good to see the return of Sidney, Gale and Dewey (Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox and David Arquette, respectively) but their already over the top characters were taken to the extreme in this one and it felt like they were actually making fun of their previous roles (much like the Stab movies are mimicking the film that they're in) which cheapened the earlier films for me. Ghostface in this one is almost a caricature - I know he's always been clumsy but in this one he is just laughable (he was more like the one in the Scary Movie series). There's a couple of cameos (as usual with the series) but the one that startled me the most was from Mary McDonnell who seemed to not even be bothered to act (especially as she plays Laura Roslin in Battlestar Galactica so brilliantly). In fact the acting from the whole cast felt very half-hearted, which is disappointing after such a long wait (it was greenlit in 2008).
The story is ok, nothing great, certainly not new and original as advertised. It is a fairly enjoyable film but was way too predictable in every scene, it did feel just like a not so well made remake of the original really (they pretty much say this during the film too). If it wasn't such a big name I think this would have been a straight to DVD/Blu Ray movie but with the backing of the high profile cast and crew this has unfortunately gone the way of so many other horror franchises before it (Friday the 13th, Halloween, Nightmare on Elm Street) where the numbers increase and the quality decreases.
If you're a fan of the series it's worth a rent but don't be expecting anything special. I'll also add that there are no special features whatsoever other than a trailer on the Blu Ray, which is very disappointing coming from New Line who usually know how to pack them full.
MOVIE - 2.5/5
PICTURE - 5/5
SOUND 4/5 (was a little quiet)
SPECIAL FEATURES - 0/5
OVERALL - 2.5/5
As a fan of the first two films (the third was pretty awful) it was good to see the return of Sidney, Gale and Dewey (Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox and David Arquette, respectively) but their already over the top characters were taken to the extreme in this one and it felt like they were actually making fun of their previous roles (much like the Stab movies are mimicking the film that they're in) which cheapened the earlier films for me. Ghostface in this one is almost a caricature - I know he's always been clumsy but in this one he is just laughable (he was more like the one in the Scary Movie series). There's a couple of cameos (as usual with the series) but the one that startled me the most was from Mary McDonnell who seemed to not even be bothered to act (especially as she plays Laura Roslin in Battlestar Galactica so brilliantly). In fact the acting from the whole cast felt very half-hearted, which is disappointing after such a long wait (it was greenlit in 2008).
The story is ok, nothing great, certainly not new and original as advertised. It is a fairly enjoyable film but was way too predictable in every scene, it did feel just like a not so well made remake of the original really (they pretty much say this during the film too). If it wasn't such a big name I think this would have been a straight to DVD/Blu Ray movie but with the backing of the high profile cast and crew this has unfortunately gone the way of so many other horror franchises before it (Friday the 13th, Halloween, Nightmare on Elm Street) where the numbers increase and the quality decreases.
If you're a fan of the series it's worth a rent but don't be expecting anything special. I'll also add that there are no special features whatsoever other than a trailer on the Blu Ray, which is very disappointing coming from New Line who usually know how to pack them full.
MOVIE - 2.5/5
PICTURE - 5/5
SOUND 4/5 (was a little quiet)
SPECIAL FEATURES - 0/5
OVERALL - 2.5/5
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By JLRaven
Format:DVD
I always enjoyed the first, the second wasn't terrible and the sequel at least tidied up the final loose ideas. I wasn't excited about the remake nor angry so without any feeling to the film I looked forward to seeing how my opinion would change once I had watched Scream 4.
I have to admit I was disappointed, quite the shame as I felt the beginning was clever; different and fresh. Past that though a lot of oomph is lost.
It's the familiar story... Sidney has come out of hiding, now an accomplished author with her biography of what happened, to Woodsboro where Dewey and Gail have returned. With the old faces there are some new ones to the mix including the beautiful Marley Shelton and Emma Roberts as Jill, Sidney's niece. And of course old reliable ghostface is back, killing people off with Sidney part of the puzzle.
It could have been good, the potential was there. But from the start nothing feels quite right. Even the stalwarts of old, Neve Campbell.. David Arquette.. seem strangely uncomfortable in the role. The banter between Gail and Dewey that use to be good fun, it seems stalled.
What I do like is the effects, always reliable and bloody and the score is just as tense and creepy. And although I run hot and cold with her, I love Hayden Panettiere in this who embraces the character fully.
Beyond this though... Scream 4 makes basic mistakes the main one being that if you claim to change the rules, then do so. The gimmick of everything being online does become weary and really it's nothing that hasn't been done recently and to better effect.
This should have been the bang to reignite the series and yet it feels more a whimper.
Then Emma Roberts, I've seen her in other roles and she is accomplished for a young age but not this. Without giving anything away she's bland, petulant and annoying. Any time she was on screen, I kept hoping ghostface would appear.
It isn't awful, there is a difference, and while the final act is less slasher and more die hard-ish, there are some moments but very little and sparse as a predecessor to the Scream series it fails against the others. I know Craven can do better and I hope he will prove me right but not in Scream 4 which will leave fans cheated and let down.
A bitter disappointment. 3/10.
I have to admit I was disappointed, quite the shame as I felt the beginning was clever; different and fresh. Past that though a lot of oomph is lost.
It's the familiar story... Sidney has come out of hiding, now an accomplished author with her biography of what happened, to Woodsboro where Dewey and Gail have returned. With the old faces there are some new ones to the mix including the beautiful Marley Shelton and Emma Roberts as Jill, Sidney's niece. And of course old reliable ghostface is back, killing people off with Sidney part of the puzzle.
It could have been good, the potential was there. But from the start nothing feels quite right. Even the stalwarts of old, Neve Campbell.. David Arquette.. seem strangely uncomfortable in the role. The banter between Gail and Dewey that use to be good fun, it seems stalled.
What I do like is the effects, always reliable and bloody and the score is just as tense and creepy. And although I run hot and cold with her, I love Hayden Panettiere in this who embraces the character fully.
Beyond this though... Scream 4 makes basic mistakes the main one being that if you claim to change the rules, then do so. The gimmick of everything being online does become weary and really it's nothing that hasn't been done recently and to better effect.
This should have been the bang to reignite the series and yet it feels more a whimper.
Then Emma Roberts, I've seen her in other roles and she is accomplished for a young age but not this. Without giving anything away she's bland, petulant and annoying. Any time she was on screen, I kept hoping ghostface would appear.
It isn't awful, there is a difference, and while the final act is less slasher and more die hard-ish, there are some moments but very little and sparse as a predecessor to the Scream series it fails against the others. I know Craven can do better and I hope he will prove me right but not in Scream 4 which will leave fans cheated and let down.
A bitter disappointment. 3/10.
By Ross Slade
Format:DVD
I love the Scream films and have been a huge fan for years. As the trilogy went on they declined in excitement, fear and gore. This film rebooted the whole thing. It contains a lot of gore, great twists such as the modern day camera and a remake. All in all this film was great to see at the cinema and is excellent to have at home in your collection.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
Same Old Thing.
The first two Scream films were really good, and even the third wasn't bad, but it's got to the point now where you might as well save your money and just watch one of the others... Read more
Published 1 month ago by P. A. Boyce
5.0 out of 5 stars
I'm Back
I really enjoyed the scream movies and just as usual Sidney and the cast did the usual and set the movie into motion, plenty of laughs and suspense with a bit of that and this, Yes... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Robyn B. Mcgorm
3.0 out of 5 stars
quite good.
scream 4, was not a bad film but not as good as they other three scream films made.
if you are a scream fan this 4th scream film is still worth buying.
if you are a scream fan this 4th scream film is still worth buying.
Published 2 months ago by Lee Murphy
4.0 out of 5 stars
Scream 4. Good or Bad? Read on...
I saw this film when it was released in the cinema back in April 2011. I knew it couldn't be better than Scream's 1 or 2 but was hoping it would be better than 3. Read more
Published 3 months ago by D. Climo
5.0 out of 5 stars
Scream 4
I love the Scream films and was happy that a fourth was being released. It didnt disappoint, it was scary and very jumpy and everything a Scream film should be.
Published 3 months ago by M. Flynn
5.0 out of 5 stars
brilliant service
5 stars to this company all though item came a day after the del date given i was still shocked to see it as for the time of yr e. Read more
Published 5 months ago by inky
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great price and great film.
Great price for this final Scream film. My son wanted this to complete his collection and he said it was a great film.
Published 6 months ago by Mr. Scott Sweeney
3.0 out of 5 stars
Scream if you want to go Post Modern
When `Scream' was released it was a shot in the arm for the increasingly stale horror genre as it added a layer of post modernism to traditional horror scares. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Sam
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good!
Shipping was very precise. I received the package on time. The DVD and Blu-ray are extremely well made. Nothing to complain! Read more
Published 9 months ago by Alt
5.0 out of 5 stars
An amazing movie!
When i first heard of this i was SO happy. I have been obsessed by the Scream trilogy for years. I think this movie has come about at the right time and have to say was on the edge... Read more
Published 9 months ago by Fiaz
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