Alex Gravyhawk 🦃

On last quick post for #Gravehaunt before it's over for the year. I'm always looking for recommenations for more films to add to the list. If anyone who's been following these threads has any suggestions I'd love to hear them.

This film just amplified all the criticisms I had of the previous installment. And it's so frustrating.

Like there's the whole speech she gives about sparing Bailey, just after she frantically stabs him a dozen times and just before she kills him anyway. She even puts on the Ghostface outfit to do it. And then she abandons the mask at the end, but not before she's clearly tempted to keep it.

My bigger problem with the film is that it's trying to have it both ways with Sam and the legacy of Billy. Sam has both a killer instinct inherited from her father that she uses to survive, but also she's her own person unconnected to the sins of her father. And there's so much mixed messaging.

I think as a slasher the film is on part with the last one, but a bit slow in parts. It's also the longest in the franchise, but I think a bit of fat trimming would have been a benefit.

Well I was right about being too obvious to be a red herring. I had a stray thought about Quinn faking her death but I dismissed in since there was no precedent for it in the series. Fooled me good I guess. # killers is also a twist, it does bring the averageacross the films back up to a full 2

I don't know what to make of Ethan. He's done so little this film and has managed to avoid all danger. He pops up too frequently to be a Mickey analog but only just. And with how much the film is pushing him as a suspect it's almost too obvious to be a red herring.

They talk about a killer's lair in the context of "a normal Stab movie" but that's never been a thing in Scream.

Really curious as to who the Detective's other kid is. They've alluded to someone of tragedy in the past, so could be a connection to the killings. He doesn't feel like a suspect or red herring though.

The ladder bridge scene was solid. I do like that they're making use of NYC as a setting and the different opportunities it brings.

Seriously? We cut to Sam's therapist and the TV is shouting "You're next" and it's over in like 30 seconds.

Don't love the character regression for Gale. I can maybe see Dewey's death being the cause of it, but sleazy cutthroat journalist Gale is not my cup of tea.

Shit they brought back Kirby. I mean I liked Kirby, but I was not expecting another survivor from 4.

Plus you always had that divide between Ghostface and the unmasked killers in thr final act. They feel like different characters. Here with Ghostface actually using a gun it hits different. But still not the same as if Jason or Myers pulled out a gun.

I don't recall Ghostface ever using a gun before. The killers were always unmasked when they started using guns. I'm not sure how I feel about that. In general I feel that slashers using a gun is cheating, but it's not bothered me much since Ghostface is more humanized than a typical slasher.

And judging by the way the killer shouted "who cares about movies!" at the beginning it seems like it's a direct revenge situation rather than more toxic Fandom stuff.

Okay so it looks like the new killer motivation is trying to frame Sam and prove the rumors that she was the killer last time. I'm not sure how I feel about the whole rumor plot point yet (depends a lot on how the film tackles it) but the motivation is solid.

Woof. All the complaints I had at the end of the last thread about the way they treat Sam and her mental health is all front and center now. Really not good. I hope they turn that around.

Wait are they're going to kill the killer in the opening? Okay that's definitely a new direction.

Huh. A couple of firsts there. First time I can recall blood ending up on the Ghostface mask. Also first time the killer has unmasked themselves this early. And they just showed that he knows Tara. This isn't a Stab movie to start things off. Interesting start.

Uh oh. We've got Samara Weaving as a pretty blond in the opening scene. Historically that's a death sentence in these movies.

And a link to the preceding thread one last time.

One last one to ride out #Gravehaunt this year Scream VI (2023). Let's do this.

In general I think the decision to make Sam Billy's daughter was only really a detriment to the film. That said even with that dark cloud hanging over it, the film is solid. I think I still prefer 4, but it's a toss-up between this and the 1st film for the number 2 spot.

It's shitty mental health stigma plus the whole inherit the sins of the father thing. You know some of the worst tropes that god trotted out all the time in the 80s horror films the original was satirizing. It feels like a huge step backward.

I'm not sure about the decision to have Sam overkill Richie with the knife. I get that it's to differentiate her from Sid, but it does so by implying she's different just because of who her dad is. That a man she never met imparted his 'serial killer'-ness to her.

The only nit i want to pick is that if these are super fans, why are they trying to frame someone else. Every killer has attempted it and it has never once worked.

Honestly with the meta aspects of this franchise, toxic fandom is probably one of the best villain motivations the series has used. Billy's mom seeking revenge in 2 is cleaner though.

God damn it, it's Richie. Between Charlie and him they've really been leaning into nice guy lulls everyone into a false sense of security. And they definitely got me both times.

"There are always 2 killers." Again not in Scream 3. I get the feeling that they just want to ignore that one. Which is valid, it's definitely the weakest overall.