Scream 4K Ultra HD Review

THE MOVIE — 4¼/5

There were probably many reasons why Scream shouldn’t have been a success. You have a couple TV stars (Courtney Cox on “Friends”, Neve Campbell on “Party of Five”), a star not yet on the rebound (Drew Barrymore), a slew semi-unknowns (David Arquette, Skeet Ulrich, Matthew Lillard, Jamie Kennedy and Rose McGowan), a new writer and a director who was in need of a hit after the turkey known as Vampire in Brooklyn. Add in a December release date for a horror film and all the ingredients were there for a classic bomb, the kind of film you pass by the shelves at Blockbuster and vaguely remember it being in theaters. What we got instead was a horror film that redefined the genre, two sequels (with a third on the way) and a cast who is better known even if they mostly have not gone on to bigger and better things.

The story you already know: A serial killer known as “Ghostface” is offing people from the quaint little town of Woodsboro where a year earlier the mother of our main character, Sidney Prescott (CAMPBELL), was murdered and her killer (LIEV SCHREIBER) was sent to prison based off of Sidney’s testimony. Who is the killer? What does he (or she) want? What’s the motive? What are the rules to make it out alive of a horror movie?

That last bit is why Scream is a classic even if it’s only been 15 25 years. Screenwriter Kevin Williamson took the horror genre and all of its clichés and turned it on its head bringing us a new era which some have tried to emulate but few succeeded. Ironically enough, Williamson would go on to sell another horror screen in the form of I Know What You Did Last Summer which also had an interesting cast but with a ho-hum, been there plot, the kind Scream was mocking.

Now, while this is a horror classic, I’ve always had a couple issues mainly with the convenient comings and goings of the killer. Spoiler territory here but even with two killers, how he manages to plan almost to the slightest detail to get and out of tight spaces in mere seconds before the intended victim turns around is a bit much, also it makes no sense as to why in one scene “Ghostface” is seen inside a convenience store seemingly following Sidney and best friend Tatum (ROSE MCGOWAN). I know Wes Craven chalks it up to being in Sidney’s head or something along those lines but it makes no sense. Another issue – and this is really minor – but in another bout of convenience all the parents are seemingly gone; it’s something that always struck me as odd.

All that being said, Scream is one hell of a horror flick and one that deserves its place with the likes of Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday the 13th because years later it still works so well even with the typical mid ‘90s technology. Neve Campbell has been resistant to keep going with the franchise and although she’s not nearly on the same level as Jamie Lee Curtis, she plays up the part of Sidney so well with both vulnerability and strength which only grew with each subsequent sequel.

SPECIAL FEATURES – 3/5

This release comes with a glossy slip cover and inside is a redemption code for the Digital Copy.

Audio Commentary by Director Wes Craven and Writer Kevin Williamson that is informative providing background on the screenplay and tid-buts on the production.

A Bloody Legacy: Scream 25 Years Later (7:29) is a new retrospective featurette that includes interviews with David Arquette, Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox and others (looking like recorded on set on the new Scream film).

Production Featurette (6:12) is really basic and fairly boring, not offering a whole lot.

Behind the Scenes are two short featurettes: On the Scream Set (3:25) and Drew Barrymore (2:53).

Q&A (5:15) with the cast and crew which is just a few sound bites from interviews.

VIDEO – 4¼/5, AUDIO – 4¼/5

Scream comes to 4K Ultra HD courtesy of Paramount where it’s presented in the original 2.39 widescreen aspect ratio and a 2160p high-definition transfer. Honestly I looked hard at this one and didn’t think it was incredibly looking in 4K. Yes, the detail is nicely defined and colors appear to be well balanced, but I didn’t feel it was an incredible looking picture. That being said, comparing with the original 2011 Blu-ray release, it is at least a serviceable upgrade.

The 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track meanwhile is quite good if not par for the course compared with other catalog Blu-ray releases. You get a solid range from the blood-curdling screams (of course) to Marco Beltrami’s fantastic and now instantly identifiable score which makes use of every channel. Dialogue levels were also very good being clear and easy to understand throughout.

OVERALL — 4/5

Overall, I can’t say it enough that the original Scream is right up there with Halloween and Friday the 13th with an amazing cast ensemble and a production that overcame the odds and made an iconic movie.