Scream 3 Appreciation, Please Give Me a Chance to Explain My Love for It

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Imagine for a minute: growing up with an undeniable love for a movie that is panned everywhere on the Internet. I lived it and it sucks. I have loved Scream 3 since the night I saw it, though my appreciation for it has evolved through the years from a twisty, engaging horror flick to a thriller that has a lot to offer analytically. Scream 3 was always the black sheep of the series according the Screamers; I understood that people disliked it. What I didn't understand was why. The severity of the hate reached its apex with the release of Scream 4. The complaints were so hostile to go as far as comparing Scream 3 to Hitler. Yes, that's right, Hitler. This article isn't written for me to try to persuade you to prefer Scream 3 to the original or even the first sequel, but rather for a passionate movie buff to write a love letter to his my favorite movie. Hopefully a few horror fans can understand and respect why I love such a detested genre film.

In Scream 3, the amount of fun you have watching this picture is shaped by what your expectations are. If you sit down, waiting for the series' most violent deaths scenes, excessive blood make-up, and another straightforward slasher picture, then you will leave with crushed spirits. However, if you start the film with an open mind, you could find new interpretations for a horror sequel. I see Scream 3 as an exploration of the back dealings Hollywood. Hollywood is the theme of Scream 3; everywhere you look there's homages to the greats of the industry (Alfred Hitchcock, Carrie Fisher, The Godfather, Aliens, ect.) and how actors and crew cope with stressful production strains, and the incidences that are kept hidden from the public. Not only that, but it creates a huge, detailed plot that never moves too quickly to lose the audience, but fast enough to fit it all in in two hours and have a nice pace. Something that separates Scream 3 for me is that it never owns one specific genre. This is where the "Hollywood" factor comes into play. The obvious horror and thriller genes can never be lost in a Scream film, but Scream 3 also juggles drama, comedy, action, romance, and film-noir, as well.

The first film in the series found success on the terror it inflicted to the audience; Scream wanted your stomach to sink through your ass in fear. Scream 2's magic was scratched off by suspense. In drawn out scenes, Mr. Craven proved no one can build the anticipation of fear like he's able to. Scream 3's factor is creep. The fear Scream 3 decides to hit the audience with almost feels like a slimy insect is crawling around in your body. Scream 3 is different, but in ways that aren't the reasons given by fans of the first two trying to tear down any kind of reputation the film tries creating for itself. Each film does take on a moderately of a different tone; though Scream 3 may have a slightly different accent, it's speaking the same language as the first two entries. It has the light moments of comedy separate the eerie scenes of Hollywood falsities and Sidney Prescott's past. The movie already feels haunted, instead of gradually becoming scary as the film unfolds. A ghost is inside Scream 3.

The technical aspects of Scream 3 upped their game for the final chapter. The sets are massive, detailed, and arranged with sinister aura. The mansion used as the setting for most of Act 3 may be the most impressive set the series has ever shot in. The film score adds to the mystery and creepiness Scream 3 has going for it. The emotional punch of the score is driven with the sensitive nature of what Scream 3 is about, Sidney Prescott's family. The film score mixes vocals of a male and a female artists, creating a brother/sister type mood. The sound mixing and editing is well attuned and the explosion is well made with special effects.The film editing has tight cuts and making the film's action fast, bouncing off each focus point within each scene.

Craven's directing is another powerful asset to Scream 3. He isn't given as much opportunity as he had in Scream 2 to build suspense, but here Craven builds a film about adults with dramatic emotion higher than the clouds one moment, then supplying laughs the next. The directing is very smooth, never feeling choppy. Craven allows us to feel Sidney's mental pain, the pain of Gale and Dewey's relationship, and most of all the pain of the past. Don't get me wrong, Scream 3 isn't a downer, it has its laughs. But the laughs come fast and leave your mind faster. Scream 3 has the most heart of the three films; it's the most connected to the way we feel; whether it be fear, love, or sorrow, Craven brings it to Scream 3.

Two things in Scream 3 make it the great experience it is for me, the first being the screenplay. I've seen movies where the plot can get so confusing and muddling it's not even worth watching. Scream 3 could've suffered from that, thankfully it doesn't. There are three main story lines in Scream 3 (the Stab 3 murders, Sidney's mental health, and Maureen Prescott's past) all working toward the same goal that pays off in the climax. The interconnecting plot is makes a vast story. Everything is placed in Scream 3 for a reason, everything we're told clicks like a seatbelt when the story arc is revealed. It all makes sense in a satisfying way. It's a epic plot, featuring realized characters, story points, and themes. The dialogue isn't as quite "serious" as the first film, nor as quirky as the second; but Scream 3 has a lot of overtly funny one-liners also some deep psychological feelings put into words. In the end, nothing beats strong characters for me. I recognize all the central characters understanding their motivations, personal demons, and pain.

The second thing that makes Scream 3 "my" movie is Neve Campbell as Sidney Prescott. The "final girl" cliche of horror films was finally broken with Scream 3, being wholly original and complex, rooted in humanity. Sidney is often regarded in terms of the genre as the best horror movie heroine. There's nothing in the original film for Sidney to outshine Laurie Strode from Halloween, her character begins to deepen in the second film, but not like it does in the third. Sidney's development in Scream 3 is what makes the character stand out amongst the crowd like she does. She is "the" final girl in my opinion. I've already voiced my thoughts on Campbell's performance in an earlier article (http://feelthefilms.wordpress.com/2013/06/03/the-scream-trilogy-the-ac ting/), she's sublime. One of the strongest performances in any horror movie. Campbell made this her movie, handling the darkness of Sidney's paranoia and unresolved issues of her mother with class and maturity. Sidney's at her strongest physically and her weakest emotionally, which gives Campbell a lot to work with. One look in Campbell's performance is worth one thousands of Sidney's thoughts.

I've always believed Scream 3 makes up the best cast ensemble. Even Campbell aside, the film features some stand out acting that you wouldn't find in other horror films. Though Gale's character peaked in Scream 2, Courteney Cox-Arquette rocks in the third chapter taking on more responsibility in a more prominent Gale. Scream 3 is Cox's most subtle work and holds new secrets you uncover in each viewing. David Arquette's best Dewey is found in the third chapter as well. The supporting character that everyone talks about is Parker Posey as Jennifer Jolie. She's hilarious and never shies away from making a moment belong to her. Whenever she does eventually die, it may the most impacting victim death since Randy. Patrick Dempsey is the other actor that makes every moment count, he creates a fully formed character with Kincaid. Dempsey knew him and knew how to explain him to us. Posey and Dempsey do what supporting characters were made for: to be completely inhabited in the skin of a non-major character as well as be charmed and understood by the audience.. Scott Foley has his great moments in the finale, making the most sympathetic killer in the series. Jenny McCarthy, who often receives abysmal reviews for her work here, I think is hilarious. I also find Emily Mortimer to have a lot going on under Angelina's skin.

In Act 1, Scream 3's first huge risk is the opening victim, not only being a past survivor, but a male, in Cotton. I'm pleased with Cotton being the first kill; I cared about Cotton and Christine more than the other opening victim-couples. The Sidney scenes are written, directed, and acted with despair and style. The scariest scene in the series, for me, is Sidney's dream. Not only does Maureen pass through you like a literal ghost, but it also is brilliantly thought up with the strong metaphor of Sidney's life: her mother's confusing and scarring death lead to the ghost face murders. Sidney's initial phone call stands as one of the highlight phone calls; the chilling phone calls was something that was missing from Scream 2. Scream 3 takes the ideas from Scream 1 and turns them on its head over the phone.

As Act 2 begins, the film experiences a significant low with the fax machine/explosion/rolling down the hill/street scene. It strays into being "too" Hollywood, for me. For those ten minutes, I incessantly ask myself "What were they thinking?" But from that point on, Scream 3 doesn't just fly, it soars. Sidney revamps the film as she comes out of hiding, reaffirming the adult atmosphere and emotional tone, most present in Randy's rule video. Gale and Jennifer forming an alliance as an investigating team is one hell of an entertaining scene. Highly regarded as the highlight of the film is the show-stopping Stab 3 set-deja vu sequence. This is the only point all three story lines of the film meet one another until the finale; it's expertly self-aware and chillingly produced scene. Campbell's acting is devastating in scene that follows Sidney's chase. Milton's office scene is one of the hidden gems of the series with smooth, deft direction from Craven. Possibly the greatest non-attack/killer scene in the series is found with Sidney and Kincaid discussing trilogies, darkness, and Maureen Prescott. That scene fires on all cylinders, I could watch it over and over and experience a different emotional reaction.

The scenes that precede the climax are wonderful in Act 3, it's almost nonstop attack on the victims until Sidney arrives. The setting is introduced (which I love) and promptly gets down to the twists Craven has up his sleeve beginning with polarizing voice changer. It's a symbol of how fake Hollywood is in the way it hooks the public into mindless distraction; the voice change works as a powerful plot device within the series. The shot of Gale walking down the basement steps always makes my stomach tremble with fear. The four vs. one scene is a action-packed and is a risky idea that pays off. Jennifer's death, as I already mentioned, is my favorite in the series because of the intelligence in the plotting and the clever blocking. The best phone call in the series is found right before the finale begins: Sidney's call at the police station. The killer plays with Sidney's mind, he commands her into a terrifying state, and risks the stability of her emotional and mental state. It's everything I could want in a Scream phone call. Campbell's finest acting in her career in this scene, and the bravery portrayed at the conclusion of the call is something new to us fans from the character. We've always seen Sidney cornered by the killer. The killer makes Sidney come to him, after she's spent the entire film hiding.

The excitement in final twenty minutes of Scream 3 will never leave me. I still get the same thrill I got the first time I experienced the film ten years ago. The plot twists continue to reveal themselves with Sidney's second gun. The section with Sidney attempting to save Gale and Dewey is a stirring introduction to the finale, excellently choreographed. But the real magic of the trilogy's concluding film lies in the screening room and the epilogue. Maureen's spirit being so prevalent in the screening room is justice of her murder itself, prompting all the events that have followed in the series. Roman being revealed as Sidney's brother is such a classic twist, and a great final bow to Halloween. Milton's murder is one of my favorites and invites a throwback to Neil being tied up in Scream. Roman's plan on pinning the murders on Sidney is so intelligent and sick; revenge in its finest form. Murder is never acceptable, but I understand and empathize with Roman and what triggered him to seek revenge on Sidney and Maureen. The final fight is some of the most brutal sequences captured in the series. With Scream + Scream 2 I never thought Sidney was going to lose her fight; however, in the "final fight" she's put in the position of life and death. The fight scene is soaked cruelty, savage, and ruthlessness, ending in Roman shooing Sidney that should shock any fan.

The last of the three twists is the bullet proof vests. The editing is fabulous as Sidney hides from us and Roman scatters the room looking for her. The time has come in the series when the killer has become smarter than the rest and the heroine is just as wise, it's evident in the final moments. Notice how Sidney stabs Roman, whereas she shoots the other killers to secure her safety. It's more personal, and to add to that, Sidney sits with her brother as he dies. In these final moments between the two, there's a sizable amount of psychological underplay. Sidney feels close to him, she may even love him, she sympathizes with him, and maybe even apologizes for her mother's mistakes. My favorite shot of the series is the breathtaking hand-holding. The Roman and Dewey shootout is a nice way of concluding that pattern used in the series.

No matter what the complaints have been of Scream 3, no one ever criticizes the way everything is wrapped up in the epilogue. Photographed with beauty and brightness, Wes & co. capture the love between Gale and Dewey and perfectly turn that page to a new beginning, while summing up Sidney's triumph in her now answered questions about her mother and lack of fear. Kincaid's line to Sidney is the perfect message about life that Sidney was hadn't felt in years. Using "movies are life" as a metaphor, Sidney's life has been a horror movie for the past five years. Whenever Sidney asks what kind of movie Kincaid wants to watch, he replies with "You'll have to come and see" which is exactly what life is. None of us know what genre the next sequel to our life will be. It's a mystery.

The trilogy arc of each of the the three leads is completed. Sidney finally knows who her mother was and puts the events of that time in her life to rest. Gale solve the Maureen Prescott mystery she's been working on for years on and retires. Finally, Dewey gets to be the hero he's always wanted to be. The trilogy plot arc is fulfilled as well. Scream told us not to blame the movies for psychopaths killing people. Scream 2 asked who do we blame then? Scream 3 answers not only with saying Hollywood doesn't create them, but the events behind Hollywood could. Meaning, it's not the movie's fault. It's the person's fault. Take responsibility. In a movie, a director controls everything about the picture and in Scream 3 the director was the culprit. The Past is a widespread theme explored in this film, as well; your mistakes will always follow you until you make them right. "The past will come back and bite you in the ass."

A complaint that's often heard about Scream 3 is that Neve Campbell not the lead, which is untrue. She has the most screen time (more than Gale and Dewey, by a good 5 minutes) and the storyline revolves around her. Every scene she's not in, she's at least the topic of discussion. It's all about Sidney, she's the top of the food chain. Another one is that Scream 3 is like an episode of Scooby-Doo. I see the comparisons of solving mysteries, but what's wrong with that? The mystery is what makes Scream 3 as great as it is. The most popular, however is the accusation that Scream 3 is too comedic. Yes, it has its moments of being silly, but there's this thing called comedic relief, look it up. Scream 3 has some dark subject matters, it needs that extra relief. The comedy it takes on works within what it sets out to to be and the tone. For example after Sidney's set chase scene and emotional breakdown with Dewey on the Stab 3 set, there's the little tag with Angelina and Tyson being interrogated. It works. I do agree that if some of the unnecessary comedy was taken out, it'd heighten the film even more, but ask Some Like it Hot and they'll remind you that "Nobody's perfect." No film is perfect. And Courteney Cox's hair is not a legitimate reason to hate Scream 3.

Art is finding the beauty between the flaws. The flaws aren't evident to me unless you put the film under the microscope, but you could do that to any film and find a million and half things wrong with it. The Scream trilogy to me is about movies, each film grew in scale of the movie business. Watching movies (in Scream), having your life in a movie (Scream 2), and being in the movie capital of the world (Scream 3). I may have an incredible overreaction to Scream 3, I have enough thoughts to fill a book on in itself. Scream's strengths are in charm, terror, story, and the horror movie world. Scream 2's strengths are in character development, direction, acting, brilliantly executed individual scenes, and maturity. 1+2 = 3 quite literally here, the strengths of both films create everything wonderful about Scream 3. It's an epic Hollywood exploration with character development that could kill. I know that there re better movies out there. All the symbolism and connections I've made may just be coincidences. But, Scream 3 holds the key to my heart and the controls the match that lights excitement to my soul. It's an adrenaline rush and the reason I found the love for movies in the first place.. It's my favorite movie.

SIDE COMPARISON: The Godfather Part II, though mentioned in Scream 2, is comparable to Scream 3. The main characters in both films enter the darkest phases of their lives; the past of the protagonist's parent takes up a lot of the plot, revealing what about said parent prompted the series' existence; and the protagonist's sibling is revealed as the enemy.

A QUOTE FROM GALE WEATHERS HERSELF: Courteney Cox once said this about Scream 3 "I like this one the best. I liked [Scream] 2, I adored [Scream] 1, but this one has great mix of humor, surprise, and thrill."

Feel the Films: A Blog by R.C.S. -> http://feelthefilms.wordpress.com/