Category Archives: 90’s Horror

1996 Films, 90's Horror, Horror, Slasher, Top 250 Films, Top 40 Horror Films

Scream-1996

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Scream-1996

Director Wes Craven

Starring  Neve Campbell

Top 250 Films #161

Top 40 Horror Films #25

Scott’s Review #710

Reviewed January 5, 2018

Grade: A-

Wes Craven’s 1996 film Scream is a film that greatly helped bring the horror genre back into relevance after a long drought in the late 1980s and early 1990s, when horror films suffered from both oversaturation and clichéd messes.

Thanks to Scream, creativity and plot twists and turns returned to the forefront of good horror films, and a clever film was born.

Fast-forward to 2018, and the film does suffer a bit from a dated 1990s look, but it is still great fun to watch and a treat for all classic horror buffs, with references to classic greats galore.

The film is sectioned off nicely and gets underway quickly (in the best sequence of the film) as Casey Becker (Drew Barrymore) receives a flirtatious phone call from a man asking her to name her favorite horror film while making popcorn.

The friendly game quickly turns vicious as the caller threatens to kill her boyfriend should she answer a question incorrectly.

In a clever twist (think 1960s Psycho!) Casey and her boyfriend meet deadly fates as the opening credits roll.

Given Barrymore’s huge star in 1996, this twist was all the more shocking and attention-grabbing.

The remainder of the film centers around Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell), a popular California high school student, as she is pursued by an attacker known only as “Ghostface”, who dons a creepy costume and terrorizes victims via phone calls.

The small town, led by police officer Dewey Riley (David Arquette) and bitchy newswoman Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox), is determined to unmask the killer and understand their motivations.

Sidney’s boyfriend, Billy (Skeet Ulrich), and other friends are along for the ride as a possible connected sub-plot involving Sidney’s deceased mother is introduced.

A romance between Dewey and Gale is also broached.

Scream is an enormous treat for fans of the horror genre, with numerous references (and film clips!) to classics such as 1978’s Halloween throughout.

Other references to Friday the 13th, Prom Night, and A Nightmare on Elm Street appear during the film.

Writer Kevin Williamson, a horror enthusiast, must have had a ball writing the screenplay that would become Scream.

In 1996, the mega-success of the film not only jump-started the entire genre but also introduced younger fans of Scream to classics from their parents’ generation, sparking their interest in the films.

Classic horror films are not only referenced during the film but also explained, mostly by the supporting character of Jamie, the nerdy kid who works at the video store and adores horror films.

A sequence in which he explains several “rules” of the horror genre is superlative, creative, and just great fun. He tells the teenagers at a party that anyone who drinks, has sex, or says “I will be right back” is doomed to suffer a violent fate.

This clever writing makes Scream enormous fun to watch.

The climax of Scream is quite surprising in itself, and the “great reveal” of the murderer (s) is also intelligent writing and quite the surprise.

Several red herrings are produced along the way, casting suspicion on other characters who may or may not be the killers.

A small gripe of the writing is the motivations of the murderers- when the explanation is given for their killing spree, the reasoning is a bit convoluted and hard to fathom, but this is horror. Suspension of disbelief is always a necessity.

Scream is best remembered for giving the horror genre a good, hard kick in the seat of the pants and shaking up the elements a bit while preserving the core ideals of a good slasher film (suspense, a whodunit, and good, solid kills).

Scream (1996) was followed by several sequels, some of which achieved greater success than others.

In 2018, the film may not be quite as fresh as it once was, but it is still a solid watch and memorable for relaunching a genre.

1997 Films, 90's Horror, Horror, Slasher

I Know What You Did Last Summer-1997

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I Know What You Did Last Summer 1997

Director Jim Gillespie

Starring Jennifer Love Hewitt, Ryan Phillippe, Sarah Michelle Gellar

Scott’s Review #1,182

Reviewed September 29, 2021

Grade: B+

Capitalizing on the wild success of the mid-1990s horror resurgence led by Wes Craven’s Scream (1996), I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997) was a popular low-budget popcorn hit.

The year 1997 was like 1979 or 1980 when the slasher craze (part Deux) was still fresh and intriguing.

The film is fun with superior direction and a dark ambiance that works quite well for the genre.

A slew of other imitators would follow this release, including the tepid I Still Know What You Did Last Summer in 1998, but the first one is formulaic entertainment done well.

It wisely cast youthful stars of the day, chomping at the bit to be the killer’s next victim.

One hot July 4th night in the small coastal town of Southport, North Carolina, a group of four teenagers runs over a fisherman and dumps his body in the water, vowing never to speak of the incident again.

Some members of the group feel little remorse, while others are racked with guilt.

The four principals are Julie (Jennifer Love Hewitt), Barry (Ryan Phillippe), Helen (Sarah Michelle Gellar), and Ray (Freddie Prinze Jr.).

Predictably, one year later, Julie receives a frightening letter, and the group reconvenes. They fret and worry that they have been seen or, worse, that they will be exposed. The letter states, ‘I Know What You Did Last Summer.’

Someone begins to follow them, especially Julie, clad in a fisherman’s gear and wielding a meat hook.

In a way, he is a combination of other horror villains like Jason, Freddy, and Michael Myers, but we know neither his identity nor his motivation.

Does he want money or blood?

One of the groups incorrectly pursues who they think is the killer and is unceremoniously run down and terrorized. The bloodletting only continues as other townspeople become involved in the events, some amid a local Independence Day parade.

There are some obvious inclusions to the story to make sure audiences are aware they are watching a slasher flick and a teen-targeted genre flick.

This is no wonder since the screenwriter, Kevin Williamson, was best known for teen-themed writing for television’s Dawson’s Creek.

I Know What You Did Last Summer borrows from so many 1980’s slasher-flicks like Terror Train (1980), Prom Night (1980), and My Bloody Valentine (1981) that it’s a given that Williamson and director Jim Gillespie spent weekends shacked up with popcorn and sodas while watching these films for reference material.

The killer is masked. This is to make damned sure we know that we are watching a whodunit and that at the finale the killer will be exposed- think the big reveal in every Scooby-Doo episode.

Could the killer be one of the teens themselves?

Julie is immediately the ‘final girl’ simply because she feels the most guilt and is the most pursued, perhaps for that very reason.

Other necessities like the asshole jock (Phillippe), the mean girl (Bridgette Wilson), and the red herring are added on like clockwork.

We know that Julie will be the one to survive.

Still, the premise is quite compelling and immediately hooked me. I also knew that I was being manipulated, but I did not care. I couldn’t wait to find out who the killer was.

The final sequence, which ensures a sequel, is delicious and an obvious ode to Brian De Palma’s films.

A year later, in 1998, Julie is in college in Boston. As she enters the shower, she notices the words “I still know” written in the steam on the shower door.

Moments later, a dark figure crashes through it as Julie screams!

I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997) is straight-up, by-the-numbers mainstream horror, but the familiarity doesn’t detract from the enjoyment. You know what is right around the bend, and you can’t wait to get there.