The Geek Address

Wes Craven is skilled in the art of terror. And Scream is his masterwork. Thanks to Scary Movie, it’s difficult to sit through the entire film without smirking. Nevertheless, the film remains one of the most impressive exercises in horror to emerge from the nineties, far more memorable than the slew of fun but largely unintelligent films it inspired. Singlehandedly reinvigorated slasher flicks isn’t the movie’s only achievement; it’s a damn scary film too.

Scream begins with a horrific murder - perhaps one of the most grueling scenes the genre has to offer. At the beginning of the film, the title suddenly appears on screen - accompanied by the harsh sound of a telephone ringing, a scream, knives, a police siren and gunshots. Caught off-guard by the sudden barrage of sound, the audience is uncomfortable from the outset. The sense of dread develops when Casey Becker - the stereotypical, buxom blonde portrayed by Drew Barrymore - answers the phone and is confronted by a sinister voice. Herein lies the beauty of Scream. The murderer is almost ubiquitous: the shrill, jarring sound of a telephone signals his presence before the relentless, wraith-like figure emerges from the night to slaughter his victims. The use of sound, visual composition and point of view shots in the opening sequence is nothing short of masterful. Craven accelerates from mild concern to outright terror within minutes. Adhering to long established conventions, Casey Becker doesn’t hang around for the sequel.

Sidney Prescott - the film’s virtuous heroine who is haunted by the murder of her mother - is the next character to be plagued by the ghost-faced psychopath. Although Neve Campbell puts in a sincere performance, it’s David Arquette that steals the show as Dwight ‘Dewey’ Riley, the hapless deputy left to protect Sidney and her friends. Arquette delivers a brilliantly goofy performance. Nevertheless, it’s the small details that Wes Craven uses to develop his character that stand out. Early in the film when Dewey is sitting at his desk in the police station, we notice a pair of plastic handcuffs, a toy police car, fake gun and box of doughnuts sitting on his desk which subtly help to develop this character. As they’re leaving the station, in a moment of brilliant comic timing, Dewey pleads with his sister, “What did mom tell you? When I wear this badge, you treat me like an officer of the law.” Later in the film, when his hard-boiled superior officer smokes a cigarette, Dewey is eating an ice-cream. Moments like this make him a truly memorable character. 

Scream was one of the first postmodern slasher flicks. Screenwriter Kevin Williamson consciously plays around with the conventions of the genre, making reference to a range of classic horror flicks including Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween and Friday the Thirteenth. Randy’s spiel towards the end of the film is particularly memorable: “There are certain rules that one must abide by in order to survive a horror movie. First, you can never drink or do drugs. Second, you can never have sex. Big no-no. It’s a sin. It’s an extension of number one. And last, you can never, ever, ever under any circumstances say “I’ll be right back,” Cause you won’t be back.”

Best line: Do you like scary movies, Sidney?