I often joke about annoying movies – oh god, it could be worse…It could be Scream 4. Alas, time goes by. I am old. This IS Scream 4. But despite having some loose explaining to do, it’s as whip-smart as ever with a ten-year-later twist. Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) is back. It’s the anniversary of her horrible history/ massacre/memories. She’s now a famous novelist with a book outlining her ghostly tale. A new generation (Emma Roberts, Anna Paquin and Kristen Bell) are woven into the silly plot though their crisis still involves potential enemies, sexy girls with cleavage, and ringing telephones. Except now there are cell phones, Blackberries, texting in class, twitter, Facebook stalkers, You Tube and any other modern day annoyances to spice up Scream 4. But you can’t knock it until you’ve seen it because oddly it always works. The beauty of the Scream series is that unlike the naïve characters in say, Halloween, these kids have seen other scary movies so they rant about killings like its a hobby. The movie manages to spoof itself, turn on itself, and offer some very provocative and smart dialog including the catch-all phrase ”What’s your favorite scary movie?” David Arquette returns in his role, older, wiser, as the Town Sheriff and married to (ironincally) real life wife Courtney Cox as the dominant newscaster. Like the past films she knows how to crack the case of the mystery man behind the mask. Her nemesis is my favorite girl in this hilarious and bloody romp: Rebecca Walters (Alison Brie) as the annoying wanna-be newscaster. The ultimate slasher movie still reigns. The question is will this new generation of braces-wearing teens with the same fear of is-there-a-ghost-in-my-bedroom-closet like it as much as we did/do? Three tiaras (for what it is.)
