Scream 4

I wrote in one of my first posts aaaaaaaaaaages ago that I was really looking forward to this film, as I loved Scream and Scream 2, and enjoyed Scream 3 enough to justify owning it, but when the reviews came out and Scream 4 was deemed something of a failure I became lukewarm to the idea, and have put off watching it until recently. I went in with fairly low expectations, which is probably the best approach to take if you want to enjoy this film.

A Nightmare on Elm Street

I can only imagine Hallowe'en parties in 1984, but I'm guessing quite a lot of people were dressed up in a battered fedora, red and green striped sweater, poorly applied 'burned' make-up and a glove with cardboard blades glued on, for if anything has endured from Wes Craven's multiple-sequel spawner, it's Robert Englund's nightmare-stalker Freddy Krueger.

Scream 4

With the recent release of the trailer for Scream 4, I wish to express my excitement about this forthcoming film. I feel that, in the ten years since the release of Scream 3, the horror genre has progressed significantly, with the introduction of the torture-porn sub-genre in the likes of the thankfully now finishing Saw franchise and the nauseating Hostel films (I still can't watch the bit with the eye in the first one) as well as the near constant onslaught of remakes, prequels and 'reimaginings' of existing films, be they masterpieces or less so.

I greatly enjoy the existing Scream trilogy, and look forward to rewatching them in anticipation of the new release (I can't watch a new film without watching all those that prelude to it, making any new Bond films almost annoying). I appreciated the mix of genuine horror with the parodies and homages to more classis pictures, although the third film did seem to deteriorate away from horror a little, with the cameos from Kevin Smith, Jason Mewes and Carrie Fisher, although being well done, being irrelevant to the film.

I am glad to see from the trailer that Wes Craven (thankfully still helming the franchise) has managed to reteam the three leads of Courtney Cox, David Arquette and Neve Campbell, alongside, in true horror tradition, an admirable collection of actors more renowned for their appearances than their thespian abilities (Kristen Bell, Hayden Panettiere, Emma Roberts), who should all be credited for hopefully getting the joke of their casting.

All in all, I am looking forward to seeing the film, and hope it lives up to the dizzy heights of it's predecessors, roll on April 2011.