How many times can a snake swallow its own tail? The makers of the “Scream” franchise are hoping the number is four, because 11 years after the previous installment, here comes a new sequel.
The first “Scream” picture, written by Kevin Williamson and directed by Wes Craven, was a pretty darn funny movie that sent up the rules of the slasher pic but also fulfilled them. The joke was that all the teen characters knew the cliches by heart, but were doomed to repeat them anyway.
“Scream 4” returns to Woodsboro, site of the old killings. It’s old home week: not only do Craven and Williamson return to their jobs, but so do actors Neve Campbell as the “celebrity victim” coming home, and David Arquette and Courteney Cox as the small-town lawman and a reporter.
I don’t need to tell you that Ghostface, that bemasked fan of kitchen knives, is back on the prowl. And it can’t be just a coincidence that his first target is back in town.
Campbell, Arquette and Cox seem to be taking all this in good humor. They understand that the main stuff will be handed to younger actors; in this case, that means Emma Roberts, as Campbell’s cousin, Hayden Panettierre (“Heroes”) as her saucy best friend, and Rory Culkin and Erik Knudson as film geeks, among others.
Before we get to all that, the movie offers a series of false starts, which not only spoof the customary scene in horror movies where teenage girls alone in houses gets telephone calls from mad killers, but also spoof the previous spoofing of such scenes in the other “Scream” movies. That’s the snake swallowing its tail, right there.
It must be said that the blend of comedy and stabbing is proportioned just about right, and the eventual working-out of the plot has some validity to it.
The killer, once unmasked, has a great speech about how all this plays out in culture: Craven and Williamson are not stupid, and they actually think about these things.
There’s still something undigested about the comedy-violence mix, as we are meant to laugh at these self-conscious characters, but also, I guess, care about whether they live or die.
But that may be an old-fashioned idea at this point; the audience accepts that game, is ready for it, and the only thing that’s really on the agenda in “Scream 4” is keeping us guessing until the knife finally drops.
“Scream 4” (2½ stars)
After a decade’s hiatus, somebody is strapping on the Ghostface mask and grabbing the kitchen knives again. This is another skillful blend of comedy and stabbing, made so by the return of the original filmmaking crew and cast (led by Neve Campbell and Courteney Cox).
Rated: R for violence, language, subject matter.
Showing: Alderwood Mall. Cinebarre, Everett Stadium, Galaxy Monroe, Marysville, Stanwood, Meridian, Metro, Thornton Place, Woodinville, Cascade Mall, Oak Harbor.
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