RELEASED IN 2011, Wes Craven's "Scream 4" chronicles events 10 years after the previous film (from 2000) when author Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) returns home to Woodsboro wherein she reacquaints with Sheriff Dewey (David Arquette) and Gale (Courteney Cox), who are now married, as well as her cousin Jill (Emma Roberts) and her Aunt Kate (Mary McDonnell). Unfortunately, Sidney's presence also marks the return of the Ghostface killer, who has a healthy assortment of new young victims from which to choose (e.g. Hayden Panettiere & Marielle Jaffe). Marley Shelton plays the new deputy who stirs Gale's jealousy while Erik Knudsen & Rory Culkin play two slasher film geeks. Nico Tortorella is on hand as a likely suspect.While "Scream" (1996) tends to be deemed a standout slasher flick, I was never a big fan, despite some positives, like Rose McGowan, the numerous references to horror flick lore and the whodunit factor. Why not a fan? Because it tried to walk the balance beam between serious slasher and amusing parody, which created an odd vibe. It prevented me from buying what was going on as reality. The camp and contrivances kept screaming "This is all a joke," like Henry Winkler's weird principal. As such, I never found the movie scary despite some shocking elements and buckets of gore.Another negative for me was the host of unlikable, obnoxious or annoying characters: When most of the main characters are repugnant, it's impossible to care about them. Let 'em all get slashed to death for all I cared, lol. Then there's the ridiculously over-the-top last act, which was so contrived, cartoony and drenched in fake blood I just rolled my eyes in disbelief. All this was compounded by the clumsy and weak killer, which I suppose made sense once you eventually discovered the identity of Ghostface.As soon as I started viewing "Scream 4" I had more positive feelings toward the original because now the main characters and the fictional town of Woodsboro seemed so familiar and I was swiftly able to enter into their world, amusingly surreal though it may be. While this third sequel shares some of the original's problematic parts, like the overdone bloody climax, it fixed some of the negatives and is just all-around more palatable and entertaining, particularly the witty first act and the inventive climax, inventive as far as who the killer(s) is and their motivations.Unfortunately, cutie Panettiere looks almost anorexic (Note to women: Please quit starving yourself, most men DON'T like the too-thin-no-curves look). But I suppose this is made up for by Anna Paquin, Kristen Bell and Aimee Teegarden, brief though their appearances may be (Paquin is stunning).The film runs 111 minutes and was shot mostly in Michigan (too many places to note), but also Healdsburg, California. WRITER: Kevin Williamson.GRADE: B-

This is much better then most horror sequels. This film has moments that "Scream" fans will get a huge kick out of. The story does go a little too crazy however at the end. It does perform as an excellent chapter in the "Scream Series". If you have never seen a "Scream" film that is okay. This film works on its own and you do not have too know anything of the previous films.In this film On the fifteenth anniversary of the original Woodsboro murders, high school students Jenny Randall and Marnie Cooper are attacked and brutally murdered by a new Ghostface.The following day, Sidney Prescott returns to Woodsboro to promote her new book, Out of Darkness, with her publicist Rebecca Walters. After evidence is found in Sidney's rental car, Sidney becomes a suspect in the murders and must stay in town until the murders are solved. Sidney's teenage cousin Jill, who is dealing with the betrayal of her ex-boyfriend, Trevor Sheldon, gets a threatening phone call from Ghostface. She and her friends Olivia Morris and Kirby Reed, are questioned about their calls by Dewey Riley, who is now the sheriff of the town, while one of his deputies, Judy Hicks, assists him in the case. Meanwhile, Dewey's wife, Gale Weathers- Riley, is struggling with writer's block. She gives up the writing and decides to investigate the murder instead. This film was so good I ended up buying it. Now if your looking for something knew in this film then you will be so disappointed. If you want to see a film that will scare you then RENT THIS. I hope one day we will get a "Scream 5"

The strange thing about Scream 4 is that, viewed completely out of context, the movie isn't an abomination. However, this film brings absolutely nothing to the table in terms of originality.For a basic plot summary...oh, why even bother for this movie. If you've seen any of the first three Scream efforts, this one is no different. Hot chicks die, police are inept, dialogue is cripplingly bad, and Ghostface runs amok.Here's the trouble with Scream 4: The original Scream (in 1996) succeeded for two reasons. First, it resurrected the slasher genre that had died in the 1980s, and did so with a very respectable, legitimately spooky effort. Second, the original used the tongue-in-cheek style of humor to parody horror movies while making one. That combination produced a riveting cinema experience, which of course was ruined by two pathetic sequels that seemed to milk the franchise dry.So, director Wes Craven tries to resurrect the franchise by going back to the approach of the '96 original. The trouble, of course, is that a parody of a parody is, well, nothing at all. What worked at first doesn't translate into today, no matter how many supposed "surprises" or plot "twists" are thrown in.On a side note, the film even screws up the casting. If Hayden Panattiere is cast as a female lead, she better be "featured", if you know what I mean. I'm not even talking about nudity here, but rather just a little eye candy. Instead, there's none of it; just another area where the overall experience fails.What it comes down to, then, is that Scream 4 is not compelling in any area of its film making, whether it be plot, characters, or "scare tactics". Look elsewhere for your Halloween entertainment this year.

How can a film be good when it has got so many clichés? Well, Scream 4 is good because of the action scenes and the many turns we see in the plot. Believe me, don't think everything is over until it is really over, meaning the credits popping up the screen.The countless clichés do not spoil the movie. It is the other way around. The dejá vu - another French term used here to disguise the word "cliché" - give Scream 4 a hilarious taste. So, that it. Scream 4 is horror, action and comedy at the same time. It is not to be taken so seriously but you should not merely think this is just another American horror production. Worth watching.