While standing in a (people-less) line at the Glendale Americana last night waiting to get into Scream 4/Scre4m/What's the Scr411m?'s midnight showing, I wondered: What is it about Scream's death scenes that remain so memorable? Will the new ones live up? After seeing the gory caper, I have a definitive answer. Join the discussion if you've seen the movie! Major spoilers ahead.
First of all: I think we can all agree there was at least some merit to Scream 4. (Read S.T. VanAirsdale's review here.) Craven gave us the funny asides, spellbinding caricatures (Trevor!), ridiculous "meta"-horror (which Courteney Cox identifies as such during one awesome moment), and some genuinely terrifying moments. It's worth seeing in a theater, if only because it's going to be much less jarring on DVD. But in terms of magnificent death scenes? I'm a little disappointed.
For me, the most memorable slaying was that of Sidney's publicist (Alison Brie). The parking garage may have been a traditional setup, but the killer's five-story disposal of her body over Dewey's press conference is the series' most shocking moment since Jamie Kennedy's untimely demise in Scream 2. Because the movie spent its first 10 minutes tricking us with serrated Stab openers, we were deprived of Scream's usual longform jumpstart -- and that's a little unforgivable, right? Don't tell me you could tolerate that garage-door bit with Aimee Teegarden without remembering the brilliance of Rose McGowan's death in the first movie.
I was especially let down by adorable AV nerd Erik Knudsen's murder. The horror buff's outdoor stabbing is preceded by minutes of anticipation and a fakeout balcony scene, but his eventual death occurs much too quickly. Most of the deaths occurred too quickly. (Emma Roberts's mother, anyone?) Knudsen's final [paraphrased] words, "I'm gay, if that means anything!" were cute, but the scene needed thrice the devastation. Let's not even talk about the movie's final eighth, which nearly stained the whole film for me. Defibrillators and bedpans are not cinematic treats.
What do you think? Did anything in Scre4m match the terror, anticipation, and cleverness of Drew Barrymore's saga-commencing death? Or even Sarah Michelle Gellar's in the first sequel?