Scream 4 (2011) - Craven & Williams serve an irresistable slasher treat

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The cool  poster for Wes Craven's Scream 4

Eleven years have passed since the events of Scream 3 (2000), and Sidney Prescott has found a new life for herself and written a book about her bloody experiences. But as she returns to Woodsboro on her book tour, a new series of gruesome murders begins by the hands of two new Ghostfaced killers.

A good 10 years of cooling off was apparently just what the Scream franchise needed since the vapid last film. Horror maestro Wes Craven (A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)) is back here, directing a Kevin Williams (Scream (1996)) script. And Scream 4 is easily the series' next best entry, only bested by the original Scream.
This reboot is rife with raw energy, kills, humor and new stars (SPOILER that all die.) It looks great, shot by Peter Deming (Drag Me to Hell (2009)), lighted in a more rough design than the earlier films that suits this new update of the Scream universe.
The fresh, exciting stars, many of whom suffer gruesome, inventive deaths, include: Emma Roberts (We're the Millers (2013)), Marielle Jaffe (Locked Away (2010)), Hayden Panettiere (Nashville (2012-16)), Erik Knudsen (Beastly (2011)), Nico Tortorella (Odd Thomas (2013)), Anthony Anderson (Bound (2013)), Mary McDonnell (Donnie Darko (2011)) and Rory Culkin (You Can Count On Me (2000)). Neve Campbell (The Company (2003)), David Arquette (Eight Legged Freaks (2002)) and Courtney Cox (Cougar Town (2009-15)) are all back, and Kristen Bell (Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)) and Anna Paquin (The Piano (1993)) appear in cameos in an entertaining opening scene.
The only minus about Scream 4 SPOILER is that the murderer feels the need to over-explain the fatalities in the end.
But Scream 4 is still a brilliant slasher and a deserved return to form for Craven, who hasn't directed since, - and might have quietly retired with Scream 4?

Related posts:
 
Wes Craven: 2011 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2011 in films - according to Film Excess
A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) or, Don't Fall Asleep!

Watch the trailer for the film here

Cost: 40 mil. $
Box office: 97.1 mil. $
= Minor flop
[Scream 4 opened #2 to 19.3 mil. $ in North America, where it grossed 38.1 mil. $ (39 % of the total gross). It made an additional 4.1 mil. $ from video sales in the US. Its performance is by many considered disappointing, although producer Harvey Weinstein has said that he was happy with the gross of the film, (which has accrued more profits via streaming and thru other channels.) But a 5th and 6th film, talked about prior to the release of Scream 4, have not materialized. - Instead, we're getting a Scream TV-series!]

What do you think of Scream 4?

54 (1998) or, Disco, Baby, Yeah!

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+ Best Music Movie of the Year + Best New York Movie of the Year + Best Period Movie of the Year

Glamorous poster for Mark Christopher's 54

QUICK REVIEW:

We are at New York's Studio 54 disco, and the 80s are right around the corner: A young dreamer from Jersey arrives and is lucky enough to get a job there; sex, drugs, some fame and lots of disco follow.

54 is an excellent guilty pleasure full of lovely young people: Ryan Phillippe (Flags of Our Fathers (2006)) is criminally hot here, and so is Salma Hayek (30 Rock (2009-13)). Neve Campbell (Scream 4 (2011)) does well, and Mike Myers (Wayne's World (1992)) is phenomenal here in his first dramatic movie role as the cynical, superficial impresario of the seemingly never-ending party.
The development of the story is pretty imperceptible, sometimes nearing banality, elegantly avoiding real crises.
54's original 93 min. cut appears as a celebration of Studio 54, disco and good parties. I ate it raw.
However, the film was envisioned quite differently by its writer-director Mark Christopher (Pizza (2005)), who was forced by Miramax to re-shoot and cut out several parts of his original vision, downgrading gay and sex scenes. A 105 min. director's cut, which includes 30 min. of footage that is not in the original cut, has since been released to acclaim. - I really want to see this version as well!
If you want to read more about how a bad test screening and the infamous Weinstein brothers took apart Christopher's original version, you can do so here.

 

Related post:

 

1998 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess  

Watch the infectious trailer for the film here

Cost: 13 mil. $
Box office: 16.7 mil. $ (US only)
= Big flop, with some uncertainty
[54 made a paltry 99k £ in the UK, which is the only foreign result I've been able to find. - It was a big flop. Had Miramax left it alone, it might have succeeded as a more risqué film, similar to Boogie Nights (1997). - We will never know now.]

What do you think of 54, original and director's cut, depending on what you've seen?

The Company (2003) - Campbell, Turner and Altman's fine ballet picture

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+ Best Dance Movie of the Year + Best Mega-flop of the Year

Ballet dancers in motion on the poster for Robert Altman's The Company

QUICK REVIEW:

We follow life in the Joffrey Ballet of Chicago for a season, in which ambitious ballets are produced, and the dancer Ryan develops within the company.

The Company is in no way an epoch-making movie: Despite several plot summaries' attempts to drive out a conflict from the film, it really isn't there. - Nothing 'happens.' And perhaps for this reason, the film seems very realistic. The script is by Barbara Turner (Pollock (2000)), with story contribution by star Neve Campbell (Scream (1996)).
The particular dedication of ballet dancers and their seeming shallowness are caught spot-on in the film. Campbell and a pretty sheepish James Franco (This Is the End (2013)) compete in over-shining each other, and Malcolm McDowell (If.... (1968)) is outstanding as the eminent ballet's artistic director Mr. A.
The Company is directed by great American director Robert Altman (Gosford Park (2001)). It contains several wonderful dance pieces and is a lovely film, which may infuriate the excessively plot-focused audience member.

 

Related posts:

 

Robert Altman: 2003 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II] 

2003 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]

Young James Franco and Neve Campbell in Robert Altman's The Company

Neve Campbell, who actually used to be a ballet dancer, practiced 8 hours a day for 4 months to get in shape for Robert Altman's The Company

Watch the trailer here

Cost: 15 mil. $
Box office: 6.4 mil. $
= Mega-flop
[The Company only made 2.2 mil. $ (35 % of the total gross) in the US. Abroad, the film was a relatively big hit in Italy (1.1 mil. EUR), but didn't fare well in many other countries. The movie was a labor of love for Campbell.]

What do you think of The Company?
Other wonderful ballet movies? (Besides already reviewed Black Swan)