In this research paper, I am going to analyze several critical sources that all deal with the movie Scream, directed by Wes Craven. This paper will show why Scream was a huge success and why it was totally different from any older slasher-movie. Even though this movie is scary and horrific, it is also a parody on older slasher-movies, it is extremely self-referential, and its characters are extremely knowledgeable about the horror-genre, which makes this movie funny and ironic and lets the audience experience a completely new kind of slasher-film. In the following, I will now summarize the critical articles that deal with Scream, after which I will discuss the relationships between these articles.
The first source I analyzed was a chapter about the movie Scream in John Kenneth Muir’s book Wes Craven – The Art of Horror. Muir starts this chapter with a quote from the Los Angeles Times, saying that Scream risks going way over the top, deliberately generating considerable laughter in the process, and that it ends up as terrific entertainment that also explores the relationship between movies and their audiences (from Kevin Thomas in The Los Angeles Times). Muir states that Scream is undeniably a horror masterpiece and that Craven achieved something extraordinary in a genre that is known neither for its intelligence nor for its wit. He thinks that Scream is exceptional because it is so intelligent, so witty, and most importantly scary. In Muir’s opinion, Scream is the ultimate tale of America’s VCR generation, which is extremely cynical and knows everything about the latest technologies (cell-phones, pagers, etc.). But it is also very referential, because the characters refer to movies or shows all the time, e.g. when two cheerleaders make up the theory that Sidney is the Woodsboro murderer – based on psychological arguments from “The Ricky Lake Show.” Muir thinks that because of the intense exposure to television and movies,
today’s teens are not only callous and cynical, they are also unbelievably smart as part of a defence mechanism to understand the modern world with all its technology.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Analysis of Critical Sources
2.1. John Kenneth Muir: Wes Craven – The Art of Horror
2.2. Dr. Harvey O’Brien: Movie Review
2.3. Kim Newman: Sight and Sound Review
2.4. Philipp Wallutat: Online Critique
3. Comparative Synthesis
3.1. Parody and Genre Perception
3.2. Interaction with Television and Media
3.3. Evaluating Horror and Innovation
4. Conclusion
Research Objectives and Themes
This paper aims to synthesize various critical perspectives on Wes Craven's film "Scream" to explain its commercial success and its pivotal role in transforming the slasher genre. It investigates how the film utilizes self-referentiality, irony, and parody to distinguish itself from traditional horror movies.
- Analysis of academic and journalistic critiques regarding "Scream".
- The role of self-referential humor and postmodern genre deconstruction.
- The relationship between movie characters and media consumption (TV/VCR).
- The debate over whether "Scream" functions more effectively as a comedy or a horror film.
- The evolution of the slasher genre from the 1980s to the 1990s.
Excerpt from the Book
The first source I analyzed was a chapter about the movie Scream in John Kenneth Muir’s book Wes Craven – The Art of Horror.
Muir starts this chapter with a quote from the Los Angeles Times, saying that Scream risks going way over the top, deliberately generating considerable laughter in the process, and that it ends up as terrific entertainment that also explores the relationship between movies and their audiences (from Kevin Thomas in The Los Angeles Times). Muir states that Scream is undeniably a horror masterpiece and that Craven achieved something extraordinary in a genre that is known neither for its intelligence nor for its wit. He thinks that Scream is exceptional because it is so intelligent, so witty, and most importantly scary. In Muir’s opinion, Scream is the ultimate tale of America’s VCR generation, which is extremely cynical and knows everything about the latest technologies (cell-phones, pagers, etc.). But it is also very referential, because the characters refer to movies or shows all the time, e.g. when two cheerleaders make up the theory that Sidney is the Woodsboro murderer – based on psychological arguments from “The Ricky Lake Show.”
Muir thinks that because of the intense exposure to television and movies, today’s teens are not only callous and cynical, they are also unbelievably smart as part of a defence mechanism to understand the modern world with all its technology.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: The introduction outlines the objective to analyze critical reception of "Scream" to explain its success as a self-referential, ironic slasher film.
2. Analysis of Critical Sources: This section provides individual summaries of four major critiques, covering views from John Kenneth Muir, Dr. Harvey O'Brien, Kim Newman, and Philipp Wallutat.
3. Comparative Synthesis: This part compares and contrasts the critics' arguments regarding the film’s status as a parody, its use of media references, and its effectiveness as a horror movie.
4. Conclusion: The conclusion confirms that the integration of humor and horror was the key to the film's success, establishing "Scream" as a prototype for modern, self-aware horror films.
Keywords
Scream, Wes Craven, Slasher-movie, Horror, Parody, Post-modernism, Film criticism, Self-referential, Genre-deconstruction, Kevin Williamson, Media consumption, Cinema, Television, Audience participation, Film history.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this research paper?
The paper examines how Wes Craven's "Scream" broke traditional slasher movie conventions through the use of irony, self-referentiality, and parody, and how these elements contributed to its overall success.
Which critical sources are analyzed in the document?
The author analyzes critiques by John Kenneth Muir, Dr. Harvey O’Brien, Kim Newman, and Philipp Wallutat.
What is the main research question or goal?
The goal is to provide a synthesized overview of various critical opinions to determine why "Scream" was a huge success and how it differed from previous slasher-movie iterations.
Which scientific method is applied?
The paper utilizes a comparative literature review and content synthesis method to contrast positive and negative critical perspectives on the film.
What topics are covered in the main body of the text?
The body covers the summary of critical articles, the role of media/television in the narrative, the debate over the film's genre identity (comedy vs. horror), and the effectiveness of its self-aware narrative.
Which keywords define this work?
Key terms include "Scream," "Wes Craven," "Slasher-movie," "Parody," "Post-modernism," and "Self-referentiality."
How do the critics differ regarding the film’s parody elements?
Critics like Newman and Muir view the parody as innovative and depth-adding, whereas Wallutat and O'Brien argue that the excessive parody makes the film absurd and diminishes its power as a horror movie.
What is the significance of the characters' relationship with television in the film?
Muir argues that the characters live in an "endless circle of television," reflecting a generation defined by media consumption, while other critics debate whether this makes the film clever or merely inane.
- Quote paper
- Florian Schumacher (Author), 2004, Researched synthesis of critical sources about the movie 'Scream', Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/113197
