Ahead of VH1’s reboot of ‘Scream’, let’s take a minute to remember the man who started it all. Wes Craven, 76, died in 2015 after years of combatting brain cancer. His debut feature was the influential ‘Last House on the Left’ (1972), which marked the beginning of a longtime collaboration with editor Sean S. Cunningham. The BBFC (British Board of Film Classification) was so shocked by the film’s content that it denied Craven a certificate for cinema release.
Pre-dating ‘Scream’ by twelve years, Craven’s legendary ‘Nightmare on Elm Street’ (1984) signalled a change in his approach to storytelling. Set in the fictional town of Springwood, Ohio, the film follows the deaths of several teenagers who are stalked and killed in their dreams (and subsequently killed in reality) by child murderer Freddy Krueger. ‘Meta’ is the key word here, as Craven draws many parallels between moviegoing, filmmaking and dreams. Grossing over $25 million at the US box office, the picture was met with unusually strong reviews. It spawned various sequels, remakes and even its own TV series. In 1994, Craven released ‘Wes Craven’s New Nightmare’, which deepened his self-referential approach. In this movie, Freddy Krueger is portrayed as a fictional character who ends up stalking and murdering the film crew and actors involved in his cinematic adventures. This approach was taken even further in ‘Scream’ (1996), a picture in which both the protagonists and the killer are well aware of the horror genre’s conventions. ‘Scream’ opens with a classic scene featuring the sadistic Ghostface (Roger L. Jackson, voice) asking high school student Casey Becker (Drew Barrymore) the fatal question: ‘what’s your favourite horror film?’ Becker is then savagely killed. Throughout the narrative (and its sequels), we discover more about the central character, Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell), who bears a special connection to the killer and his past. Wes Craven was a truly innovative and dedicated filmmaker. He managed to pioneer a whole genre unto himself (that’s not even an exaggeration) and is sorely missed. The Old Man and the Gun - dir. David Lowery: an unexpectedly gentle, thrilling and stylish caper with stunning performances by Redford, Affleck and Spacek. I especially enjoyed the film's attention to detail with Super 16 cinematography, controlled editing and its calm, cool pace. What a joy.
The Other Side of the Wind - dir. Orson Welles: it took more than 40 years for this film to be completed, with footage pieced together using Welles' notes and storyboards. The result is sharp, entertaining and trashy. If Citizen Kane had been made in the 70s, this would have been the result. One of the Master's best and most eclectic works. Blackkklansman - dir. Spike Lee: the film is so funny, charming and goofy that it wins you over in the end. Many scenes are fictional in nature and deviate from the protagonist's real-life story. Strong performances by character actors such as Adam Driver propel the film. Mission: Impossible - Fallout - dir. Christopher McQuarrie: having rewatched it, I would now say this is the strongest instalment in the franchise. The reason for this? It's the first M:I film to become self-aware, taking into account Hunt/Cruise's penchant for dangerous stunts, as well as his advancing age. What we get is a more personal story about the protagonist's 'killer' job, his allies and his life. Halloween - dir. David Gordon Green: this is an unexpected entry in my list. I realise it's also a questionable one. After all, David Gordon Green's sequel cum soft reboot is the latest in a string of largely uninteresting and dull movies. This particular movie, however, is perhaps the only one as good as the original. In a similar fashion to M:I Fallout, it's the first entry in the franchise to take its protagonist seriously. |