Screams remake


I actually liked it, and thought it got better toward the end. I appreciated that the FBI procedure seemed authentic and that there wasn't a lot of flamboyant stupidity, as happens in some thrillers. It seemed so faithful to what might be reality, I even wondered if a former law enforcement person might have written the script.

I think it was a good story, and everyone was good in it, and it was well done. However, I thought the story was so worthy that it could possibly have benefited by being done as a regular movie with a more high-profile cast or at least better production values. For instance, I felt the cinematography was rather Fuji-color rather than Kodak. I prefer to err on the Kodak side ... it seems brighter, and more professional to me. I'm making analogies here, but you may follow what I'm saying about the visuals. The script might have had a few more ironies and made a little more sense and Suzanne's hair certainly didn't look like an heiress's, or, that is, a hotel magnate's. And it has been a really long time since I have seen backdrops such as seemed to have been used here. "Detroit" was painted behind the motel, I think, and at the very end, even "New York" I think it was? was zoomed in on through the window. I don't think they actually needed to use Detroit, although there were a few authentic scenes, it seemed, such as when the officers were driving. I would love to see what would have been done with this, though, with the right production values and actresses who could really have nailed Suzanne and Rebecca. Lauren Holly and Ms. DeFer did a very good job each, please don't misunderstand me. But with everything else right, I think those roles could have cemented the reputation of many a Hollywood star.

A little gem, though, in my opinion ... time will tell how perfect. I really did like Miss Holly in this, and Miss deFer ... not being a tv buff, I don't know her, though I did recognize Joe Lando from something. There were actually many familiar faces, I thought, including the bad guys and the FBI people. So maybe it will become a classic. But I also wouldn't be surprised if someone finds this one in the rubble someday and dusts it off and polishes it up to true brilliance. Maybe there should be a different device for locating Suzanne, but otherwise I felt the story was pretty solid. Not a thriller, exactly, but a colorful romp.

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