Julian RuncanScream: Postmodernity Doesn't Fix Everything
April 21st 2010 18:59
Scream might be a classic, but it's an overrated one. It may have caused the resurgence of the teen slasher film, I Still Know What You Did Last Summer is nothing to brag about. It tries to be an intelligent film, but if you take away all of the charm provided by the postmodern elements, there isn't much of substance left.
My problem with Scream isn't how self-referential it is, but the extent which everything else was glossed over to shove references down our throats. On the one hand it's different to see characters point out the flaws that most horror movies make, but this shouldn't come at the expense of a satisfying plot. Yes, the way they went against standard conventions was refreshing, but it still didn't make me give a damn about most of the characters.
One thing that keeps people coming back to slasher classics like Halloween and Nightmare on Elm Street are the rich mythologies around the villains. People watch these movies to see more of Freddy, Michael, and Jason, and the ghost-face killer doesn't really compare. In the absence of a big baddy to carry the narrative, we're forced to try and relate to a bunch of annoying teenagers.
In a genre that isn't typically associated with originality, Scream manages to put something different out there. It's debatable how much of it really works, and although it certainly isn't a cinema masterpiece, it's much more interesting than the kind of crap that passed as a horror film in the nineties.
6.5/10
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Comment by Journeywoman
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But yes, it would all be very dated in 2010. Probably best that I don't revisit it again... best to keep the memories alive!