Franchise Review- Scream

   Twenty years ago, horror honcho Wes Craven brought the slasher movie back from the dead- a largely dormant subgenre that had been sequeled into oblivion by the likes of Jason, Michael Myers and yes, Craven's own Freddy Krueger. "Scream" separated itself because it was 'cool' and self-aware enough for savvy '90s teens. Craven's young protagonists were armed with a pop culture knowledge that the previous generation didn't possess. But Neve Campbell and company hung around the party for too long, until "Scream" and "Stab" became indistinguishable from one another. It's Halloween, so join me as I recap all the highs and lows of this sensational slasher saga. It'll be a scream.

"We need you to make another movie with Adam Sandler".

"Scream"(1996)
We may have Drew Barrymore to thank for getting this whole thing started. The 20 year old former wild child was the biggest name on the poster, and the sight of her getting slaughtered in the pulse-pounding first twelve minutes definitely got people talking. After that clever "Psycho" inspired opening, a fresh-faced Neve Campbell and Courtney Cox of "Friends" fame are introduced as the real main characters. David Arquette's Dewey gets to stick around to protect our Final Girls from Ghostface. The Fonz is knifed to death in a pretty clear indicator that no one was safe. I'll never forget that time with Rose McGowan and the garage door. Skeet Ulrich's evil Johnny Depp impersonation and the manic Mathew Lillard caused a lot of carnage, and I doubt any of my readers need a spoiler alert.

   "Scream" ruined George Clooney and Michelle Pfeiffer's "One Fine Day", en route to collecting $103 million at the domestic box office. Freddy and Jason never saw numbers like that on their best day. Screenwriter Kevin Williamson's black comedy/whodunit hybrid succeeded at a level few could have imagined, reigniting the gore cycle just as 1978's oft-referenced "Halloween" had done nearly twenty years before. It's hard to believe there was ever a time when viscous killing sprees weren't in vogue. We were definitely in for more Woodsboro Murders.

Courtney Cox was never hotter.

"Scream 2"(1997)
An ecstatic Miramax swiftly signed off on a sequel that arrived in theaters exactly one year later. Fun fact- "Scream" was so popular in '97, that "Titanic" and James Bond didn't want to drop on the same weekend. Memorable kills are a series trademark, and here the victims include Jada Pinkett-Smith, Omar Epps and Sarah Michelle Gellar, who was similarly slain in "Scream" clone "I Know What You Did Last Summer", released just two months earlier. Jamie Kennedy and Jerry O'Connell are also killed. I had no complaints about that. Roseanne's sister and the creepy Timothy Olyphant were behind this second round of slicing and dicing. Despite it's hasty production, "Scream 2" is honestly on par with the original, even if the novelty is gone. How do you stop an enterprise that has every high schooler in the world hooked? The answer is, you don't. A "Scream" trilogy? Yes, please.

"Scream 3"(2000)
Wes Craven and his regulars return for one last run-in with Ghostface, but series author Kevin Williamson does not(an increased workload kept his involvement down to a minimum). Further complications arose from Columbine, and concerns that killing young people might not be much fun anymore. Liev Schreiber and the blonde chick from "Melrose Place" did their best to put you back in the mood for more mayhem. So, you thought Noel from "Felicity" was a nice guy? Jenny McCarthy and Patrick "Puddy" Warburton would beg to differ. Carrie Fisher wrote her humorous cameo as the in-jokes continue(she slept with George Lucas). Randy videotaped some new rules for us. Neve Campbell's battle-hardened survivor is easy to root for, but this is where "Scream" starts to become what it set out to satirize.

   Audiences had enough goodwill to give "3" almost as much money as the first two, and this should have been the concluding chapter in the saga of Sidney Prescott. It has be noted that "The Sixth Sense" and "The Blair Witch Project" both raised the bar in the summer of '99. Gale Weathers' hair was distracting, and "Scream" was yesterday's news. We weren't craving any more of Craven. This is Hollywood we're talking about, though, and more importantly the horror genre. If we give it a break and let nostalgia kick in, they'll come back for more, right? Not necessarily.

"OMG, the theater's empty!"

"Scream 4"(2011)
The "Scream" team reassembled(including Williamson) following an eleven-year absence for a vain attempt to appeal to a fresh crop of teens that couldn't even walk or talk in 1996. Their parents were much more likely to be pumped for this belated sequel that prevents me from naming "Scream" the one horror series to exercise some restraint. Craven gets too cute with his movie-within-a movie-within-a movie opening that calls out all the torture porn peddlers, specifically the "Saw" franchise. Emma Roberts and Hayden Panettiere get plenty of screen-time, because nobody under age 20 knows who Neve Campbell is(sorry, Neve). I'd be remiss if I didn't give Roger L. Jackson's spooky voice a nod of approval after four films. Wes Craven's final film(he died in 2015) is a plate of stale leftovers found in the back of the fridge. The majority of moviegoers only took a peek under the aluminum foil before heading for the trash.

   "Scream 4" bombed in the U.S., but foreign grosses and home video helped turn a tiny profit. Nevertheless, I'm choosing to end this on a positive note. "Scream" brought a sophistication to scary movies(as well as inspiring "Scary Movie") that is still absent from much of today's horror offerings, and it's main players should be proud of that. I've only just become aware of the MTV TV series of the same name. We'll stop our channel-surfing when we come across a "Scream" marathon even though basic cable cuts out the excessive bloodshed and we already know who the killers are. We'll wonder out loud what David Arquette has been up to and ask why "Wild Things" didn't make Neve Campbell a megastar. I won't be a bit surprised if Ghostface comes back to stab some more kids that haven't even been born yet. Most of them will have it coming. Now, what's your favorite scary movie?

The Year in Review- 2015

   It was the year Keaton crushed the Catholic Church and a bearded Leo walked the earth. Tarantino went West, Disney brought back Star Wars and Bale figured out you were about to go broke. Brie Larson couldn't leave her room, Hanks rescued a Commie, and Pixar got inside your head. Here are the ten best films in order for 2015.

1. "Spotlight"(2015)
Organized religion is dying. That's called progress, and we have the dogged determination of a group of Boston Globe reporters for exposing the insidious underbelly of the Catholic Church with their Pulitzer Prize-winning work in 2002. Michael Keaton, Mark Ruffalo and Rachel McAdams are all riveting as they discover that a staggering amount of priests have been accused of child molestation. A decades-long cover-up amounts to a massive worldwide scandal that should leave you thinking twice about Sunday school. "Spotlight" is an important movie, a tribute to good journalism that more than earns it's comparisons to "All the President's Men". Director Tom McCarthy didn't just make 2015's Best Picture, he made one of the hundred best films I've ever seen.

2. "The Revenant"(2015)
Leonardo DiCaprio had to wrestle a grizzly bear and trek 200 miles in the freezing cold to claim that elusive Best Actor Oscar(he had four previous nominations). The survival story of 1820s big-game hunter Hugh Glass is simply extraordinary(even with obvious embellishments), and was certainly overdue for this gorgeous big-screen treatment. Tom Hardy is terrific as the scary frontiersman that leaves him for dead, and may have deserved to triumph in an extremely tight Supporting Actor race even more. Now let's talk about Alejandro Inarritu. Thanks in no small part to Emmanuel Lubezki's stunning cinematography, the Mexican master may be the best director on the planet, and he has the back-to-back Oscars to prove it.

3. "The Hateful Eight"(2015)
Quentin Tarantino's eighth feature(he counts "Kill Bill" as one) packs another colorful rogues gallery into a cold secluded cabin for a violent three-hour Western version of "Reservoir Dogs"(complete with an Oscar-winning Ennio Morricone score!). QT's love for this genre is well-known to his legions of die-hard fans, and "Eight" is every bit as great as "Django Unchained", even if the box office says otherwise. Kurt Russell and his handlebar head up an astounding ensemble that includes Bruce Dern, Walton Goggins, Michael Madsen and Channing Tatum. Jennifer Jason Leigh's feisty fugitive needs to be singled out for special praise, and last but certainly not least, there's Sam Jackson. No actor has ever(or will ever) deliver Tarantino's dynamite dialogue with more guttural gusto.

4. "Star Wars: The Force Awakens"(2015)
In case you didn't know, Disney bought "Star Wars" in 2012. I know I'm not the only one that quietly craved Episode VII, but it wasn't George Lucas that finally gave us the LONG-awaited sequel to "Return of the Jedi". Director J.J. Abrams(and Kathleen Kennedy) awakened the most colossal film franchise in the known universe, and the result was the highest-grossing movie of all time. Harrison Ford's return as Han Solo had older fans orgasmic, while newcomers Daisy Ridley, John Boyega and the diabolical Adam Driver ensured that the Force was strong in the younger generation. Sure, Abrams borrows his story beats from 1977. You don't mess with perfection. "Star Wars" is still the premier source of cinematic escapism, and all pretenders need to bow before the First Order. Now bring on Episode VIII.

5. "The Big Short"(2015)
The '08 financial crisis is handled in a more fast-paced, humorous and entertaining fashion than it had any right to, courtesy of writer-director Adam McKay("Anchorman"). You see, Reagan deregulated the banks, which started using complex language to confuse normal folks into believing they could afford bigger, better cars, homes etc. Margot Robbie explains some of this in a bubble bath. Christian Bale is the acting standout here, mighty impressive considering the faces of Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling and Brad Pitt also adorn the DVD cover. Keep a close eye on your cash, and tell anyone who will listen that there's nothing 'boring' about this irreverent economics class.

6. "Room"(2015)
Brie Larson broke out from the pack of promising under-thirty actresses with her affecting turn as a kidnapped woman in this unconventional indie drama based on an acclaimed 2010 novel. Lenny Abrahamson's film is really about the durability of the human spirit under extreme duress and the unbreakable bond between mother and son. Brie was rightly rewarded with the Best Actress Oscar, and her young costar Jacob Tremblay's sensitive, moving performance should have been formally recognized. I didn't want to leave that room. You won't either.

7. "Bridge of Spies"(2015)
Steven Spielberg and his favorite leading man Tom Hanks team-up for the fourth time, and the Academy Awards predictably took notice. These two highly decorated history buffs enlightened us about James B. Donovan, a Brooklyn lawyer turned CIA hostage negotiator at the height of the Cold War in the early 1960s. Stage vet Mark Rylance stepped into the big leagues as a sympathetic Soviet spy, pulling off a Best Supporting Actor Oscar upset in the process. "Spies" is nourishing entertainment for those of us whose diet consists of more than just superhero movies.

8. "Inside Out"(2015)
I've said it before, I'll say it again- the Pixar crew are geniuses. They've made this world a better place for children of all ages. I was filled with joy as I met Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear and Disgust- all of the emotions that live inside the mind of a little girl as she deals with the anxiety of moving with her family from Minnesota to San Francisco. This clever set-up proves that Disney has the best creative minds in the business as well as some of the most technically skilled at their disposal. "Out" walked out with the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature and a $356 million domestic box office haul. The talented voice actors include Amy Poehler, Phyllis Smith, Lewis Black, Bill Hader, Mindy Kaling and Richard Kind.

9. "Straight Outta Compton"(2015)
We're at a point in pop history where the birth of hip-hop as a mainstream cultural force has achieved an equal amount of interest and esteem as Elvis and the Beatles used to get. The N.W.A.(Niggaz Wit Attitudes, for the uninitiated) shook up the music scene at the tail end of the 1980s, and made those hair bands seem lame before anyone had heard of Nirvana. Director F. Gary Gray was ideally suited to chronicle their expletive-laden exploits, that would ultimately result in key figures like Dr. Dre and Ice Cube finding fame and fortune that went way beyond their inner-city origins. "Compton" is a crackling biopic, with or without the chronic.

10. "Creed"(2015)
Writer-director Ryan Cooglar and Michael B. Jordan reunited two years after their film festival favorite "Fruitvale Station" for an unlikely resurrection of one of cinema's most beloved properties. Sylvester Stallone had seemingly given his iconic creation a proper sendoff in 2006's "Rocky Balboa". It turned out that the champ was merely on hiatus, because the bastard son of Apollo needs help following in his father's footsteps. Rocky VII(as it could accurately be called) is a seamless extension of the seminal boxing saga, and Sly is as good as he's ever been in the role that fits him like a glove. The jacked Jordan has 21st Century fight fans firmly in his corner- I have a feeling we'll all be there for "Creed II" in 2018.

Honorable Mentions- "True Story"(2015) Did James Franco kill his family? "Danny Collins"(2015) Al Pacino comes back to life as a geriatric rock star. "Ex Machina"(2013) I want a robot gf. "The Age of Adaline"(2015) I'd marry Blake Lively. "Furious 7"(2015) R.I.P. Paul Walker. "Avengers: Age of Ultron"(2015) This is the age of Marvel. "Mad Max: Fury Road"(2015) Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron in the furious revival of George Miller's road show.

"Jurassic World"(2015) Chris Pratt + dinosaurs= $$$. "Ted 2"(2015) Is Seth McFarlane's sequel funnier than the first? "Ant-Man"(2015) Paul Rudd got small, and then got really big. "Minions"(2015) The "Despicable Me" trio in 1968 NY. "Trainwreck"(2015) Amy Schumer and Judd Apatow generate $110 million in the U.S. "Southpaw"(2015) Jake Gyllenhaal goes for the knockout. "Mission Impossible- Rogue Nation"(2015) Tom Cruise's fifth adventure as IMF hero Ethan Hunt. "Irrational Man"(2015) Joaquin Phoenix kills for Woody Allen. "Rickie and the Flash"(2015) Meryl Streep rocks out. "Burnt"(2015) Bradley Cooper is a psycho chef. "Trumbo"(2015) Bryan Cranston is a Commie. "Truth"(2015) Robert Redford tells it as veteran newsman Dan Rather. "Sicario"(2015) Denis Villeneuve does the war on drugs. "Suffragette"(2015) Women should be allowed to vote. "Sleeping with Other People"(2015) Jason Sudeikis sleeps with Alison Brie.

"Black Mass"(2015) Johnny Depp disappears into the role of Irish mob boss Whitey Bulger. "Steve Jobs"(2015) Michael Fassbender as the Apple computer genius. "The Martian"(2015) Ridley Scott sends Matt Damon to Mars. "The Walk"(2015) Robert Zemeckis puts Joseph Gordon-Levitt on a tightrope. "The Witch"(2015) is played by Anya Taylor-Joy in Robert Eggers' directorial debut. "The Lobster"(2015) Will Colin Farrell turn into one? "Bone Tomahawk'(2015) Kurt Russell vs. cannibals. "Spectre"(2015) The fourth dose of Daniel Craig as 007. "Carol"(2015) is played by Cate Blanchett. "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part II"(2015) The fourth and final outing for Katniss Everdeen. "The Good Dinosaur"(2015) Pixar does good work. "The Danish Girl"(2015) Eddie Redmayne gets a sex change. "Fathers and Daughters"(2015) Russell Crowe and Amanda Seyfried elevate this indie family drama. "Joy"(2015) Jennifer Lawrence brings it every time David O. Russell is directing. "Sisters"(2015) Tina Fey and Amy Poehler party. "Concussion"(2015) NFL players get lots of them. "A Walk in the Woods"(2015) Robert Redford hits the road with Nick Nolte.