Gritos

A ressurreição de Halloween - O Regresso do Mal ganhou uma fortuna, por isso vamos tentar ressuscitar Gritos também. A desvantagem desta série é o facto de poder fazer de qualquer pessoa um assassino, sem qualquer motivo sofisticado. E que é assim um simples esconderijo, com referências supostamente fixes a outros filmes de terror e jogos sofisticados com clichés de género. Quer dizer, o primeiro filme de 1996 funcionou de forma inovadora a este respeito. Mas ressuscitado após 26 anos sem qualquer progresso imaginativo, só pode agradar com uma quantidade decente de assassinatos e o regresso nostálgico do trio de estrelas originais. Não espere sustos funcionais, e não fique surpreendido se os personagens continuarem a funcionar relativamente bem depois de terem sido apunhalados no estômago com uma grande faca. Este tipo de parvoíces foi entregue com uma cara séria nos filmes anteriores? (19/03/2023)

The good-ol’ Scream just like we remember and love it. The new team hasn’t fundamentally changed the functional formula that Scream has been following for decades, just updated it for 2022 and fleshed it out in an remarkable way. The first one poked fun at simple slashers, the second made fun of sequels, the third mocked the last parts of trilogies, and the fourth one was a commentary on the changes that had since taken place in the horror genre. As a de facto reboot, it poked fun at reboots and remakes, added some gore, and brushed up against the once-dominant found footage trend. But another ten years have passed and the fad now is requels/legacy sequels and elevated horror. So it's clear what the fifth Scream had to be and is about. It's a requel, commenting on its requeliness, and it's also a bit of elevated horror, since one of its central themes is the toxic fandom surrounding the Scream film franchise Stab. And I think it's all done really cleverly, entertainingly and in some parts quite boldly. The scene where one of the potential victims walks halfway through a house, filmed to include perhaps ten potential (and unfulfilled) clichéd jump-scares, is hysterical and accurately illustrates the playfulness with which Gillett and Bettinelli-Olphin approached the new Scream. The only small problem I have is with some of the acting, especially the main new character Sam and the family relationship issues attached to her, which I didn't care for. But still, the first good horror flick of 2022. (14/01/2022)

Ghostface is wreaking havoc again in Woodsboro, and the local kids cannot keep up with him. Not only veterans but also a young heroine with a dark secret have returned to the town. Is it possible that people are dying because of it? The new Scream comes with a new creative team and plenty of fresh ideas. Ironically, it's a bit lacking in the horror aspect, and the new characters aren't very engaging, but it makes up for it with a clever script that bends horror clichés in a very interesting way, plays with the genre, and this time even with the viewers and fans themselves. Very clever and very entertaining, probably the best thing we've seen in this franchise since the first one. (13/01/2022)

Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett are a proven duo (Southbound and Ready or Not were no fluke) and the return of the famous slasher franchise is a great success. Those with knowledge of previous episodes have an advantage, I've forgotten most of it, but thankfully it didn't detract from the viewing experience. New youngsters are introduced and old friends return, Ghostface is in great shape (the high bodycount is a plus) and he definitely knows how to use a knife, he makes his victims uncomfortable and in all different ways and angles, so definitely a nice show. The nice thing about Scream is that it's one of the few slasher films that follows absolutely all the rules of the genre, even shapes and plays with them. The detective-like hunt for the killer, where absolutely everyone is a suspect and nobody can tell with certainty who Ghostface is until the finale works very well here. The various allusions and winks to other horror films and the the occasional wisecrack are nice, and the explanation of why Scream is a Legacy-seqquel and not a sequel or prequel was downright brilliant and very apt. It's not a horror film to be scared at, although the suspense works, but as entertainment it's almost impossible to fault. Story 3/5, Action 4/5, Humor 3/5, Violence 4/5, Fun 4/5 Music 4/5, Visuals 4/5, Atmosphere 4/5, Suspense 4/5, Emotion 3/5, Actors 3/5. 8/10. (22/03/2022)

All the participating creators obviously love Kevin Williamson and Wes Craven, so they pay them a hundred and one tributes, dig to the very bottom of the homage and really present a new Scream in all its glory. But the whole time you can tell that it's not exactly right, just like it wasn't right in 2000 when a different screenwriter came for the third installment and the lightness started disappearing immediately. Thanks for the return of all the legends, thanks for the fact that the meta flip of everything is still here, but maybe less would be more. The discussion about the direction of the genre, the point, and the fandom takes up almost half of the running time and undermines the series itself too much. Despite one fitting jump scare and a few nicely tuned moves, I am ultimately disappointed with the lack of tension, freshness, and overall novelty that even the underrated fourth one was bursting with. Additionally, the series resorts to steps it didn't have a reason to take before, and when discussing all possible identities of the killer at the end, it suddenly didn't matter anymore because any potential surprises had already been revealed. I don't welcome the planned sequel, it's terribly early as far as keeping healthy boundaries is concerned. (10/02/2022)

The gap between the fourth and the "fifth" film was filled by the MTV series, but unfortunately, it didn't work. So, after 11 long years, we get another great Scream. The main trio is back - Neve Campbell, David Arquette, Courteney Cox, and Marley Shelton (and a few other casting surprises) from the fourth film. Current topics are requels, legacy sequels and elevated horror. Among the new faces, actresses Jenna Ortega, Melissa Barrera, Mikey Madison (that girl has Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and The Addams Family in her filmography, unreal), and Jasmin Savoy Brown did great. I also enjoyed it a lot thanks to the perfect atmosphere and the accompanying program in Edison. (25/01/2022)

É evidente que Gritos tinha de voltar um dia, mesmo sem Craven, então por que não desta forma. Em geral, este filme é uma sequência decente da série, mesmo que não traga muito de novo e que me tenha deixado um bocado espantado em relação a algumas decisões criativas, e apesar de numa específica eu até me ter dito a mim mesmo que não iria considerar este filme como parte do cânone (e não vou). Apesar disso, é certamente um filme de matança muito divertido, que é agradavelmente "meta". Alguns diálogos vão fazer-vos rir e vão entreter-vos com novas personagens decentes, entre as quais se destaca Jack Quaid. E Kyle Gallner como um "white trash redneck" devia aparecer infinitamente mais vezes! Nas próximas partes, os criadores terão de ir por um caminho bastante maluco, para que não seja sempre o mesmo uma e outra vez, portanto espero pelo menos pelo retorno de Matthew Lillard, a quem o televisor na primeira parte certamente causou apenas cicatrizes ligeiras na cara. (04/02/2022)

Os heróis do filme pedem, num meta-nível qualquer, desculpa por o quinto Gritos ser uma mera reciclagem de esquemas e motivos que já foram completamente usados várias vezes (o que, na verdade, é), porque é isso que os fãs fiéis querem. E é possível que os fãs do género, e os fãs desta série cinematográfica em particular, possam estar realmente satisfeitos. No entanto, um filme que é assim não original, servindo o público praticamente a mesma coisa que os seus antecessores e não tendo necessidade de se diferenciar de forma alguma, é dificilmente salvo pelo facto de os seus criadores estarem conscientes da sua falta de originalidade, para qual, por vezes, de forma engraçada advertem. Da mesma maneira, os heróis do filme podem, infinitamente, discutir com humor sobre as várias regras do gênero de horror e todo o tipo de erros que os personagens destes filmes cometem, mas de que serve se eles próprios não conseguirem evitar estes erros. Até certo ponto, ainda conseguem entreter com aquele jogo de adivinhação de qual personagem é o assassino enquanto as possibilidades diminuem gradualmente, mas de outra forma não conseguem apelar muito a novos (e não particularmente agradáveis) personagens, nem ao regresso de velhos conhecidos, nem aos assassínios sangrentos (mas não originais). (20/02/2022)

(Spoiler alert!) For the fifth time, we hear "What's your favorite scary movie?" on the phone, and right at the beginning you ask yourself the question: Does a film, built on the same genre structure as its four predecessors, even have the potential to surprise and lure audiences into the theater anymore? The fifth Scream, and also the first without the late Wes Craven, has that potential. It should be mentioned beforehand that those who have not seen all the previous episodes cannot appreciate the latest outing of ghostface. The creators managed to artfully incorporate moments referring to the first four films into the story, while playing with genre expectations in a great way (close a door – nothing, close a closet – nothing, close another door – still nothing ... and suddenly you are stabbed), so despite the template-like structure, the latest Scream doesn't feel formulaic and manages to surprise. The identity of the two killers was not so surprising and you basically discover it during the attack in the hospital, which unfortunately convinces us that everyone is deadly. Yes, a couple of the murders really hurt! But the shocking revelation of the killers wasn't so much the point as paying homage to Craven and his legacy. Plus, it was good to see the old trio back together (the Gale-Dewey line really had an "onion" vibe), without which the younger and half-unseasoned cast couldn't have pulled off the film. Last but not least, I was surprised by the return of a character from "the other side". Three and three-quarters stars! PS: "Don't f*ck with the original!" PS2: Anyone who has seen Once Upon a Time in Hollywood will experience déjà vu at the end. (15/01/2022)

It laughs out loud at The Babadook, The Witch, and Hereditary for being pretentious bore and then lets us spend two thirds of the film watching close-ups of uninteresting people dealing with family relationships. It comes across as XXX-parody, because the film comes across as terribly cheap (like there's no money for extras at a high school or hospital) and the actors look like porn actors. And I don't mean that as an insult – they do really look like that. (12/04/2022)

Without hesitation the second best installment in the series. It's tremendously appealing the grace with which the creators of Ready or Not took on this (for me, anyway) legendary franchise. Logically, most of their references are to the best (first) installment and they work with all the characters and themes with the utmost respect while being unafraid to add a considerable amount of new elements. The fifth Scream works on many levels – whether as a mere reflection on endless film series, or again as a very thought-provoking education in what the actual slasher rules are, or as a simple yet extremely entertaining gore spectacle. What I appreciate most is the actual production itself, which feels old-school in the best sense of the word, yet manages to work perfectly in today's ultra-modern age thanks to the imaginative talents of the new filmmakers. In short, it's a beautiful textbook example of how to dust off a now classic 90s work without completely emasculating it. It's retained a huge heart and added some serious balls. A beauty. [80%] (14/01/2022)