Scream: Don’t Answer the Phone
A killer movie with a realistic tone.
Horror movie fans are in for a treat. Especially, those of us that are massive fans of Ghostface. The Scream franchise is my personal favorite of the entire horror genre. And although there are plenty of killers to pick from, Ghostface ushered in a new feeling of horror. When it was released into theaters, I couldn't purchase my movie ticket fast enough.
If asked, some would suggest that the ’90s brought about the death of the horror genre. That is until Scream was released in 1996. This isn’t entirely true. The horror genre was very much alive. It was just a bit tired. Scream was the “perfect storm” that the genre needed to head into the new millennium.
I was fourteen when Scream was released. I had to sneak into the theater to watch it. When I left the theater, I was shaken to the core. I hadn’t seen anything like it. I had been watching horror movies for as long as I could remember (thanks to an awesome babysitter), so I was pretty current on my horror movie intake.
The first horror movie I ever saw was The Shining. The Childs Play movies totally messed me up. And, of course, I thought Michael Myers may be lurking around every corner. But what made Scream so different, was that it felt more real. It was a horror movie that could actually happen. A guy, in a mask, killing people with a knife.
To make things scarier, one of the weapons used was a cell phone. In 1996, cell phones were not as commonly used by teens as they are today. In the teenage world, they weren’t available enough to be fully utilized. Since they were not yet a common household item, it made for a perfect ingredient in this horror movie gem.
In addition to cell phones, caller ID was something that was fairly new to the public. After the release of Scream, caller ID sales went up. The movie did something that almost hadn’t ever been done before. At least, been done in a long time. It brought a level of reality to the movie. It made the killer someone that you actually know. To quote the film, “Everybody’s a suspect!”
We were no longer dealing with a killer that haunts our dreams. A killer that can’t be killed. A killer doll. No, we were dealing with a flesh and blood killer. One that could very well be living next door to us, and that’s part of the true genius of Scream. I remember going home terrified after seeing it the first time.
When Scream 5 hits theaters, 26 years will have passed since the release of the first film. Of course, there are people that think it’s a bit overkill. Odds are, they were not there, or don’t remember, the impact the first film had. Instead of holding onto past killers, Jason, Freddy, and Michael, my generation was given a new killer to fear…Ghostface.
To those who think Ghostface needs to be put to rest, let me put it in a little perspective. With Freddy, ten films were made in 10 years. With Jason, nine films were released in a span of 13 years. And with Michael Myers, eight films were brought to the public over a 24 year period.
Now, I know you may be thinking, “But wait, what about Jigsaw?” I’m not mentioning Jigsaw because he came after Ghostface. And although Jigsaw is an obvious addition to the list of iconic killers in the horror genre, his addition to this conversation isn’t entirely relevant.
Now, the point I’m trying to make in mentioning Freddy, Jason, and Michaels's movie release history is that even though we are on the fifth installment of the Scream franchise, Ghostface hasn’t nearly worn out his welcome like the others had. In today's world, we get bored easily. With instant gratification at our fingertips (literally), we want the next best thing, all the time.
We have to remember though, Scream still has it’s main characters intact. Five films later we still have our core three, Sidney Prescott, Gale Weathers, and Dewey Riley. That’s pretty incredible. That being said, I think we may lose one of our favorites in this new addition to the iconic franchise. With Gale being my absolute favorite, I hope it isn’t her.
As the years have gone by, many horror movies have been released. The genre is still very much alive. For those of us that remember the mid-90’s, we were a bit tired of killer dolls and dream killers. Ghostface brought to the table a tangible, red-hot fear. And honestly, isn’t that the point? To go into a horror movie and leave completely shaken?
Scream did that in spades. Scream made sure we knew that we weren’t safe. That walking out of the theater didn’t mean it was over. It made sure that every time our phone rang, our hearts began to race. That every noise heard coming from outside was not to be investigated by asking, “Hello. Is someone there?” To never tell someone “I’ll be right back” because you won’t be back.
If it’s been a while since you’ve watched the iconic film, I suggest you shut off all the lights, lock the doors, and relive the magic that is Scream. Just remember, if your phone rings, maybe don’t answer it.
