Episode 23 - The Scream Franchise - Afterthoughts

Do you like scary movies??????

As a horror fan, could there be much more of a mouth-watering catch phrase for a flick to have thrown at you? If so, there are not many to choose from that can compete. When Scream hit theaters, the horror genre was in a lull that it historically had not been through very often. Throughout the history of film, horror while not critically praised, filled theater seats and remained successful over the years. When Wes Craven gave viewers this film they were starving for something well done and original, and that hunger was fed. Did Scream save horror for the fans? I will leave that up to time (or you) to decide.

What I find compelling about this franchise is the direct relationship it holds with the world of horror fandom. It is one of the most successful horror franchises in recent memory, yet it really does not have that many true horror elements in it. If you take out the obsessions of the original killers with cinema, it really is much more of a thriller. I do not think this is a bad thing in the slightest. Actually, I think it was great because it brought in viewers who would have not went to a traditional slasher film. I have no quarrels with a lack of gore, sex, B-talent, or any of the tropes we know within that world of films. No matter how lowbrow or how seminal the work is does not matter to me, just as long as it is entertaining. Scream is definitely just that, entertaining.

But I do wonder why it is so widely accepted by so many different types of viewers. A person who loves Fulci films can share a fan filled conversation with someone who typically watches J-Lo moves because they both enjoy the Scream films. I feel as if that is a rare (and awesome) occurrence with movies. Why would someone who loves intense gore, passionate special effects, and superfluous sex enjoy a thriller with limited gore, almost no special effects, and tastefully handled films? I guess at the end of the day people just enjoy something well done. A laundry list of preconceived notions of who the target audience is not needing to be met here. When you make films that you believe in and are excited to make, it falls of the screen and into the viewers lap. So, thank you Scream for ending that awful drought in the nineties. Sadly you could not prevent the CGI and endless remake generation soon to follow, but you cannot save everyone.

Until next time,

Beware of the moon

The Professor