Scream

Devil's Advocates #30

by Steven West

Wes Craven's Scream (1996) emerged at the point where the early eighties American slasher cycle had effectively morphed into the post-Fatal Attraction trend for Hollywood thrillers that incorporated key slasher movie tropes. Scream emerged as a spiritual successor to Wes Craven's unpopular but critically praised previous film New Nightmare (1994), which evolved from his frustration at having lost creative control over his most popular creation, Freddy Krueger, and rebirthed the character in a postmodern context. Scream appropriates many of the concepts, conceits, and in-jokes inherent in New Nightmare, albeit in a much more commercial context that did not alienate teenage audiences who were not around to see the movies that were being referenced. This Devil's Advocate offers a full exploration of Scream, including its structure, its many reference points (such as the prominent use of Halloween as a kind of sacred text), its marketing ("the new thriller from Wes Craven" - not a
horror film), and legacy for horror cinema in the new millennium.

Genres: Nonfiction

130 pages, Paperback

Published March 19, 2019

Reviews

[Horror DNA · Rating 4 out of 5]

Split into six neatly sized and digestible sections, this pocket-sized book offers insights galore into Wes Craven’s self-referential masterpiece and is a highly enjoyable read for discerning horror fans.
Steven West opens by covering the genesis of the all-important script and how the picture was a slow burning, sustained success garnering an unexpectedly positive response from critics. He also touches on Scream’s capacity to both revitalize the genre and simultaneously critique the countless inferior imitators of the slasher greats.

You can read Rebecca's full review at Horror DNA by clicking here.