JT'S FILM REVIEWS - 'Nope'

Writer and director Jordan Peele tackled the many layers of systemic racism with his first horror film “Get Out” in 2017. He then tackled psychological horror and classism with “Us” in 2019. Now he’s tackling sci-fi horror and our obsession with attention and fame seeking spectacle with “Nope”, starring Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer, Steven Yeun, Michael Wincott, and Brandon Perea.

The movie is about Otis “OJ” (Kaluuya) and Emerald  “Em” (Palmer) Haywood, a brother and sister that operate the Haywood Hollywood horse ranch. After their father Otis Sr. dies when mysterious debris falls from the sky, OJ is trying to keep things afloat at the ranch while Em is trying to seek fame and fortune in Hollywood. Soon, they start to experience other mysterious situations such as fluctuating electricity and the horses going wild.

After OJ catches a glimpse of a UFO, Em convinces him that they need to try and capture it on film in order to reveal it to the world and get their fame and fortune. While Em just wants fame, OJ can use the money to keep from having to sell his ranch to Ricky “Jupe” Park (Yuen), a man who owns a nearby carnival. What follows is a film that redefines the alien invasion movie in fun and exciting ways.

Keke Palmer, Daniel Kaluuya, and Steven Yeun star in Jordan Peele's 'Nope'.

It may seem like I revealed a lot in my description of the movie, but the truth is that I’ve barely scratched the surface. This does present a problem in that I can’t really say too much more without giving away the film’s twists and turns. What I can say is that the movie explores our obsession with trying to seek attention and quick fortunes.

After all, think about what we do when we see something strange and even potentially dangerous. We don’t call the authorities right away or try to run away. Instead, we get out our phones hoping to capture whatever it is so that we can then post it on social media for that instant attention and gratification.

Another thing I can mention is that the performances are fantastic. Kaluuya gives another great performance as the weary OJ, a man who wants to keep his father’s legacy alive despite the trials and tribulations that come with the job of operating the ranch. At first, you don’t really like Em, but that’s by design with Palmer’s spectacular performance. You begin to relate more to the character when we learn more about her story and why she acts the way she does.

I absolutely loved “Get Out” and “Us” and now I can add this to the list as a fantastic horror film from a modern day Master of Horror. You can see Peele’s influences here such as “The Twilight Zone”, “Close Encounters of the Third Kind”, “Jurassic Park”, and “Signs” but once again Peele takes his inspirations and crafts something original out of the proceedings. The movie is without a doubt Peele’s most ambitious film technologically but he never loses an inch of his unique style as a director.

In short, say "Yes" to "Nope"!

RETRO REVIEW - 'Thief' (1981)

"Thief" is the feature film directorial debut of Michael Mann.

It is an extremely rare thing for a feature-film director to come out of the gate almost fully formed. However, with 1981’s “Thief”, director Michael Mann did just that as you can instantly recognize that this is a film from the director of later film classics such as “Manhunter” and “Heat”. The unique score (this one by Tangerine Dream), the stunning and gritty cinematography (shot by Donald Thorin), and recognizable scenes where we learn more about our anti-hero protagonist are all there for audiences to devour.

The movie opens with Frank (James Caan), an expert thief, in the middle of a job. While we see in great detail how he is breaking into a vault, we also meet Frank’s getaway driver who is monitoring police frequencies and his partner Barry (James Belushi) who has the alarm system. Soon, he has found the diamonds that he is looking for and they all get away without a trace.

The next day, though, they learn that the guy who is supposed to move the merchandise has been killed. The men with the person behind the killing, Leo (Robert Prosky), accidentally took the money due to Frank and his associates. Soon, Leo returns the money but it also comes with a proposition for Frank to do two or three jobs for him.

Frank usually wants to work alone, but the money may give him the life he wants, particularly with his love interest Jessie (Tuesday Weld) and old mentor and father figure Okla (Willie Nelson). That means that the movie quickly turns into a “one last job” film that is expertly told by Mann. There are many details about the upcoming heist that are interesting, but we soon find that we’re more focused on Frank and his story.

Tuesday Weld and James Caan during the famous diner scene in 1981's "Thief".

This is epitomized in the now famous diner scene between Frank and Jessie where we learn where Frank comes from and why he lives the life of a thief. We also learn who Jessie is and why she would ever want to be with a thief. The scene could also be viewed as a prototype for the even more famous diner scene between Al Pacino and Robert De Niro in “Heat” several years later.

The scene in “Heat” works due to the expert dialogue by Mann and the powerhouse performances by Pacino and De Niro. The same can be said here about Caan and Weld. They easily make you believe in these characters and it is also refreshing to see that this would not be a story where Frank kept what he does from Jessie. While Caan gives one of his best performances in this scene, Weld should also not be ignored as she has the more challenging role of convincing us that Jessie would want to be with a guy like Frank.

Of course, the movie centers around Caan’s character and this movie is a true highlight of why Caan was such an appealing leading man. Yes, Caan can easily play the tough-as-nails aspect of the character, but what lies beneath the tough exterior that Caan easily taps into is Frank’s vulnerability. Frank is someone who simply wants to escape his life and feels like he is behind due to his previous stint in prison that took over a decade of his life away from him.

Due to Caan’s performance, you want Frank to succeed and get the life that has always been denied to him. Unfortunately, he has to contend with Prosky’s Leo and Prosky delivers a sly yet very vile crime lord. Prosky is good at sucking Frank and the audience into his web at first with a sort of fatherly charm, but there is always a sinister touch lying just below the surface.

Leo is the opposite of Frank’s father figure and mentor, Okla, played to surprising effect by legendary singer Willie Nelson. We only get to see Okla for a couple of scenes and Nelson is so good that you wish there was more with the character. Nelson may not have been a professional actor, but you wouldn’t have been able to tell if this is the only thing that you have ever seen him in.

The only real criticism that I can bring up here is not even my own criticism. The ending has been noted for its ambiguity and its seemingly anticlimactic conclusion. However, I’ll go ahead and say that, in my opinion, it’s really the only ending that I think makes the film work. By the time credits roll, the movie sticks with you and you might have a lot of thoughts, but one thought that I think you’ll have is that you have just seen one of the best thrillers ever made.

REVISITING 'TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES' (1987) 35 YEARS LATER

The Original 1987 Logo for "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles"

In 1984, two comic book artists named Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird released their independent comic book titled “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles”. Originally, the comic was only supposed to be a one issue story stemming from a fun brainstorming session between Eastman and Laird. The first issue’s initial run of 300,000 copies sold out quickly and the young artists realized that they were on to something that could be much bigger than they had initially imagined.

The comic book continued beyond issue one and it became a huge indie hit. Soon after the comic’s success, a toy company named Playmates Toys was looking for a potential action figure line. They chose the Turtles, but they needed to know if kids would actually want the toys as the comic book’s audience was fair but small overall. In the ‘80, the biggest way to appeal to American children was to develop an animated series featuring elements that would be turned into toys.

Soon, a show developed by David Wise and Patti Howeth and led by production company Murakami-Wolf-Swenson (later Fred Wolf Films) premiered and aired from December 14-18, 1987. This five episode first season proved to be insanely popular and soon more episodes were ordered for the series and the toy line from Playmates began soon after. The phenomenon known as “Turtlemania” had officially begun.

The show ended up running for 10 seasons from 1987 to 1996 for a total of 193 episodes. It spawned a major franchise that would include more comics, toys, products of all kinds, and live-action films. In the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, you couldn’t escape the Turtles as they were everywhere.

Later, after the series had ended, more television series would come around that would reinvent the concept. That would include a series in 2003, another CGI animated series in 2012, and yet another series called “Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” in 2018. Each series has had their own set of followers and success, but for some reason the ‘87 series is still fondly remembered by most fans of the franchise across the board.

The Turtles often found themselves facing off with Shredder, Krang, and the dreaded Technodrome.

Part of this can undoubtedly be attributed to the fact that it is the first series in the franchise and was the one that started it all, so to speak. Still, its popularity has continued to thrive for so long that new products related specifically to the ‘87 series continue to be produced to this day. Just recently, a new video game called “Shredder’s Revenge” was released that takes its visual cues and story directly from the Fred Wolf produced series.

So, why does this show continue to stick with fans well into their adulthood when so many other series from the era eventually fell to the wayside? Well, I have a few thoughts on this and one of those has to do with how meta the show is. I noticed this recently when I was revisiting the series.

Other Saturday morning cartoon shows of the era had their fair share of cheesiness, but they still tried to be more straightforward than what “TMNT” did. Instead, this series embraced how absurd it was and even broke the fourth wall from time to time to not only let us know that they were in on the joke, but also to let the parents know as well. I remember that of all the shows I watched as a kid, my dad found it easier to watch this show with me than he did others. I now know that they let him in on the fun as much as they did myself.

I think it is also for this very reason that the show has stuck with us into our adulthood. Make no mistake about it, this show was made to sell toys and when I rewatch it, I definitely notice all of the characters and things that ended up as toys in my bedroom as well. Yet, the show is still a lot of fun to watch thanks to all of these colorful characters.

First, there are the Turtles themselves. The fearless leader is Leonardo, the wild card is Raphael, the tech expert is Donatello, and the partier is Michaelangelo. They are led by their wise and fearless master, the rat known as Splinter. Together, they are in a never ending battle against the forces of evil, mostly personified by their mortal enemies Shredder and Krang.

The popularity of the original series eventually led to crossovers with other series.

The biggest ally of the Turtles is April O’Neil, a reporter from Channel 6 who often joins them on their adventures in addition to protecting their privacy from the outside world above their Sewer Lair. To be honest, she’s mostly used as the stereotypical damsel in distress that the Turtles have to save, but I’ll be honest, I always thought she was a pretty strong character at heart. April is headstrong, independent, and never afraid to go out there to get the story for her job or to fight alongside her friends.

Then there are the primary villains I’ve already mentioned, Shredder and Krang. Shredder is the human mortal enemy of Splinter and the Turtles who leads the Foot Clan and Krang is an interdimensional brain from Dimension X that wants to conquer Earth. The unique thing about these two characters, though, is that while they may want to take over Earth, they are more like an old married couple that constantly bicker and this adds to the humor of the show that helped make it so popular.

In shows such as “G.I. Joe”, “Thundercats”, and even “Transformers”, you had variations on warrior characters and villains that pretty much just wanted to take over the world. In “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles”, you have a wide array of colorful cast members that you can just have fun with. There are the Punk Frogs from Florida, the hot rodding Neutrino teens from Dimension X, the Rat King in the sewers, Baxter “The Fly” Stockman, and many more characters in addition to our primary heroes and villains.

Animation wise, the show is admittedly rough. Again, let’s just acknowledge that the show was a giant toy commercial more than anything else. Yet, unlike other shows, this one seems to have aged better than others. Now, this is where I should admit that I’m probably looking at it through rose colored glasses a bit, but I actually found myself enjoying all of the little flaws as it feels like it adds more to the overall charm of the series.

Now, the last three seasons is where things got a little weird. To be honest, it was extremely rare for a Saturday morning cartoon to last as long as this show did. By the time season eight arrived, there was plenty of new content to take kids away from this show and the popularity had already started to wane pretty extensively.

The "Red Sky" seasons (8-10) marked the beginning of the end for the original series.

Shows like “Batman: The Animated Series” and “Gargoyles” were reinventing what animated shows looked like in the ‘90s. As a result of this, the series tried to mature with its audience a little bit. They used the same techniques as “Batman” by drawing on black paper, giving the show a much darker look and a noticeably red sky. In fact, the fans often refer to these seasons as the “Red Sky” seasons.

Shredder and Krang are eventually replaced by an alien warlord named Lord Dregg. This villain is a more stereotypical antagonist that didn’t have the same appeal as the often bickering Shredder and Krang. I’ll be honest, when I did catch some of these episodes back in the day (I was already out of the show by this point for the most part), I found Dregg to be utterly boring and there was also a weird storyline about the Turtles and their mutations being out of control.

The truth is that the show did outstay its welcome. That means that it never got a truly good series finale by the time season 10 wrapped up in ‘96. The characters in this show, however, did have multidimensional crossovers with both the ‘03 and 2012 series, showing that these versions of the characters still existed and were continuing their fight against the forces of evil.

At the end of the day, you don’t see the popularity of too many Saturday morning cartoons carrying over into future generations nor do you rarely see the original generation of fans stick with said shows. For some reason, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles seem destined to stick around for a long time and their popularity doesn’t seem to be going away anytime soon.

If you’re ever looking for a retro distraction from your childhood or you just want to see what a prime example of a Saturday morning cartoon looked like from yesteryear, then order yourself a pizza and sit down with some bodacious ninja fighting friends! Cowabunga!

HOW 'SCREAM' REVIVED AN ENTIRE GENRE - A Look Back at the 'Scream' Film Series

By the time the ‘90s started, let’s get one thing clear. The horror genre was experiencing diminishing returns at the box office. In short, plenty of people thought that the genre was pretty much dead.

Now, that’s not to say that there were not horror films during this period. Universal Pictures had acquired the rights to the “Child’s Play” series and released “Child’s Play 2” and “Child’s Play 3” in ‘90 and ‘91, respectively. New Line, meanwhile, had released “Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare” in ‘91 and after receiving the rights to the Jason Voorhees character, they released “Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday” in ‘93. There was also some original content at the time including the horror comedy “Tremors” in ‘90 and the stellar gothic horror film “Candyman” in ‘92.

It wasn’t that there was a lack of content, it was that the films weren’t necessarily lighting up the box office at this point and the cheaper horror films went almost exclusively to the direct-to-video market. Both “Tremors” and “Candyman”, as good as they were for example, only made enough money to warrant sequels that went mostly direct-to-video and were largely ignored. Yes, the genre, for lack of a better comparison, was on life support by the time 1996 arrived.

Kevin Williamson, the creator of "Scream".

While the genre was going through its dry spell, a young writer named Kevin Williamson had found inspiration from a few things for his new screenplay. One was that he saw a special report about the Gainesville Ripper in Florida. After that, he was housesitting for a friend and when he went into the living area, he noticed a window was open and didn't know if that was normal. Williamson then called up a friend to stay on the phone with him while he grabbed a kitchen knife and inspected the house.

The friend proceeded to make fun of him and act like Jason Voorhees was in the house. They soon got into a debate about Michael Myers and Jason Voorhees and that became the inspiration for a film that was not only a horror film but was also about dissecting the genre as well.

Williamson wrote a short screenplay about a woman receiving a telephone call and being taunted by the killer before she is finally killed. Williamson put the script away while he was still developing “Teaching Mrs. Tingle” but after that film entered development hell, he picked up the story again and expanded upon the idea. The killer would be obsessed with horror films and would be using the rules of horror films to take out his or her victims.

Wes Craven, the original director of the franchise.

The script was titled “Scary Movie”. In order to maybe foster a little more interest, he wrote a five page treatment for both a “Scary Movie 2” and a “Scary Movie 3” to show that the story had franchise potential. When he shopped it around, a bidding war did commence involving major studios such as Paramount Pictures and Universal Pictures.

However, it was producer Cathy Konrad with Dimension Films that sought the film out as she thought that the movie was a good fit for their company. Dimension ultimately paid Williamson $400,000 for the script and gave him a contract for the two sequels and an option on a fourth unrelated film. Williamson later said that he also went with Dimension because he figured that they would not request as many changes to the script as other studios when it came to the violent content.

After securing the script, Dimension then set out to find the right director for the part. Wes Craven was actually an early contender for the job but he was working on a remake of “The Haunting” at the time. Other directors, including horror veterans George A. Romero and Sam Raimi, were considered, but according to Williamson, none of these directors understood the project and wanted to make more of a comedy out of the material.

Eventually, Craven’s development on “The Haunting” stalled and he became available. Craven was also lured to the film due to the fact that the studio had already cast Drew Barrymore and he was interested in working with the actress.

When it came to casting, Barrymore was originally hired to play Sidney Prescott. However, due to some unnamed commitments at the time, Barrymore had to drop out of that role and she took the lesser role of Casey Becker as a result. Craven found this to be a fine solution as killing off a veteran actress right at the beginning of the movie might unsettle the audience and make them feel as though no one was safe.

Neve Campbell as Sidney Prescott in "Scream".

That did mean that they would have to find the right actress to play the role, though, and Craven became interested in Neve Campbell due to her role on “Party of Five”. He thought that she not only captured the “girl next door” look perfectly but that she would also be able to handle the film’s more physically demanding scenes. Campbell was a little hesitant to take a role in another horror film after having just done “The Craft”, but the character of Sidney impressed her and this would mark the first time that she would be cast as the lead character in a movie.

David Arquette as Deputy Dewey in "Scream".

David Arquette was approached in order to play the role of Billy Loomis. However, after his audition, he requested that he read for the part of Deputy Dewey Riley. Originally, the casting department was reluctant as Dewey was a “hunkier” guy in the original script. Thankfully, they did let him read for the part and Craven liked his softer approach to the role so it was changed accordingly. For the role of Dewey’s superior, Sheriff Burke, Craven cast Joseph Whipp, an actor who played a deputy in “A Nightmare on Elm Street” for the director.

Matthew Lillard as Stu Macher in "Scream".

Matthew Lillard was actually accompanying his girlfriend at the time in order for her to audition for another film. While she was auditioning, he met with some of the casting people for “Scream” as they were auditioning in the same building. That was when they asked him to read for Billy Loomis, but he got a callback later saying that while they didn’t want him for Billy, they did want him for the part of Billy’s accomplice, Stu Macher.

Skeet Ulrich as Billy Loomis in "Scream".

Skeet Ulrich came in and auditioned for Billy Loomis and Craven insisted later on that his resemblance to Johnny Depp, an actor Craven had cast in “A Nightmare on Elm Street”, was coincidental. However, others involved with the production did admit that they took this resemblance into account when hiring Ulrich for the role.

Courteney Cox as Gale Weathers in "Scream".

As for Gale Weathers, Courteney Cox actually lobbied hard for the role when she first heard about it. She wanted a good “bitch” role as a contrast to her “good girl” image from “Friends”, the show she was on at the time. In fact, the casting department was reluctant for that very reason to even let her read, but Cox eventually won them over and secured the role.

Jamie Kennedy as Randy Meeks in "Scream".

The role of Randy Meeks came down to two actors: Jamie Kennedy and Breckin Meyer. At first, the studios wanted Meyer because he was a little more well known in the industry at the time, but Craven fought for and got Kennedy for the role. Kennedy himself later said that both Jason Lee and Seth Green were also considered for the role.

Roger L. Jackson, the voice of Ghostface in "Scream".

Finally, there was the voice of Ghostface, the identity that the killers take on to hide their identity. Roger L. Jackson was hired to provide the voice, but only as a placeholder until another more established actor could be cast for the part. At the end of the day, though, Craven enjoyed Jackson’s voice so much that they kept it for the final film.

The production was not without its problems. At first, the studio was not too happy with how Craven was directing the movie and they hated the Ghostface mask as they didn’t find it to be scary enough. When viewing the dailies, the studio considered cutting Craven but after he showed them a rough print of the film’s opening, they were satisfied that he was the right man for the job.

Originally, the producers wanted to use the Santa Rosa High School for the scenes set at Woodsboro High School. The school board immediately rejected them, though, after they read the script and considered it to be too violent. The students and other residents tried to convince the board that the film’s production would be good for the local economy, but the board would not budge and they ended up using the Sonoma Community Center southeast of Santa Rosa instead.

The board’s denial had thrown a jam in the film’s production schedule. This upset Craven and the studio greatly. This is why the movie’s credits state at the end, “No Thanks Whatsoever to the Santa Rosa City School District Governing Board”.

Not only did they lose money, but they gave the horror genre one hell of an easter egg.

Finally, at the last minute, Dimension decided to change the title of the movie from “Scary Movie” to “Scream”. The studio thought that the new title better expressed what the movie was about. At first, both Williamson and Craven thought that the new title was terrible, but upon further reflection during the commentary on the film’s DVD release, both felt that the change was actually a positive one for the movie.

Despite the production woes, the filming was finally completed and there was a test screening for the movie. It was such a positive screening that Dimension immediately signed Craven to direct the next two films should the first one be a hit. Thankfully, it was much more than that.

Theatrical Release Poster for "Scream".

“Scream” was initially released on December 20, 1996, and generated over $87 million during its initial run. The movie was so successful that Dimension rereleased the film on April 11, 1996, where it took the domestic total to $103 million. Ultimately, the movie made over $173 million worldwide and was released to mostly positive reviews from critics who not only enjoyed the scares but also the film’s meta commentary on the horror genre.

More importantly, though, “Scream” got the horror genre off of life support at the box office. Soon, clones of the film started to emerge to varying degrees of success. Examples of “Scream” clones included “I Know What You Did Last Summer”, “Urban Legend”, “Halloween H20: Twenty Years Later”, and “The Faculty”, all films containing young and hip actors facing off against some mysterious and/or masked menace.

Of course, the success of the movie also meant that it would get that series that Williamson enticed studios with when he originally pitched the movie. “Scream 2” was rushed into production almost right after the success of the first movie. It was rushed so fast, in fact, that it ended up coming out on December 12, 1997, just shy of a year after the first film’s release.

In “Scream 2”, Sidney Prescott is now attending college when a new copycat emerges in order to create a “sequel” to the original film. The film was written by Kevin Williamson but several aspects of the script had to be rewritten when plot devices, including the identity of the killers, was leaked on the internet. This was not helped by the film’s rushed six month production schedule and Craven himself had to make up some of the scenes while he was shooting them.

Theatrical Release Poster for "Scream 2".

The good news is that when the film was released on December 12, 1996, the movie was well received by both fans and critics, some of them even stating that the sequel was an improvement over the original. The movie went on to make $172 million and, like the original, was rereleased into theaters following its massive success.

This all but assured that there would be a third film to round out this trilogy. After all, both Williamson and Craven were already signed to make the movie. However, Dimension decided to let the filmmakers take a breather rather than rush a third film into production, especially after the challenges that the rushed production of “Scream 2” had caused.

Sadly, a tragic real world event would impact the production of the film. In April 1999, two students killed 12 students and a teacher during the Columbine High School massacre. The event caused many to scrutinize the role the media may have played in the event. This meant that everything from video games to movies was put under a microscope.

Production on “Scream 3” was supposed to begin not long after the shooting and there were serious thoughts to postponing the production. Dimension ultimately decided to move on, but they did demand changes to the story throughout production. In fact, another issue with the production was a lack of involvement from Williamson.

After the success of the first two films, Williamson became a majorly in demand writer. One such project that he was finally able to work on was the oft delayed “Teaching Mrs. Tingle”, a project that also gave him an opportunity to direct. Instead of being able to write a full script, Williamson instead wrote a 30 page treatment that set the action back in Woodsboro where filmmakers in the movie would be making the next entry in the “Stab” series, the film franchise within the “Scream” universe.

This time, Sidney is a crisis counselor in "Scream 3".

When Williamson couldn’t write the full script, they hired Ehren Kruger to step in and pen the script. Kruger proceeded to drop most of Williamson’s notes and moved the action from Woodsboro to Hollywood. The producers also asked Kruger to step away from the violence and lean more into the satirical humor than before.

In fact, at one point, Dimension even suggested doing away with pretty much all the violence and blood in the series. This was vetoed by Craven who stepped in and told the studio that they were making a “Scream” movie and that meant that certain things such as violence were required and if the studio didn’t want to do that, then they should just not make the movie. The studio relented on the blood and violence but still asked that it be somewhat toned down in addition to providing more humor.

Another problem with the film’s production was availability. After the success of the first two films, the primary cast started to become popular and started to have other commitments. Campbell was the biggest problem for the film. Her commitments to other projects meant that they only had access to her for 20 days of filming.

The result of this is that Sidney’s role in the movie is greatly reduced where she doesn’t really show up in Hollywood until halfway through the film. This is why Sidney is mostly hidden away at a remote location working as a crisis counselor.

With all the clashing over the content of the film and trying to avoid controversy, the production was a bit chaotic. The script was ever changing to the point where Kruger admitted that Craven was pretty much an uncredited writer, sometimes writing whole scenes on the day of shooting. The ending of the movie changed constantly and multiple scenes were shot and reshot as the script continued to change.

Theatrical Release Poster for "Scream 3".

Eventually, though, the film was completed with only the ending being modified during post-production. The movie was finally released on February 4, 2000, and went on to make a respectable $161.8 million. However, the movie was not well received by either critics or fans of the first two films and it seemingly marked the end of the trilogy that Dimension initially signed everyone up for in the first place.

In 2017, after sexual misconduct allegations against Dimension executive Harvey Weinstein started to pop up, this film was reevaluated. The movie contains a scathing commentary on sexual misconduct within Hollywood by the rich and powerful. This has led to the film receiving a slightly better reception for commenting on something that had been a problem long before Weinstein, but the movie is still considered the weakest in the series.

In 2008, The Weinstein Company announced that they were actively developing a “Scream 4” with original writer Kevin Williamson. By 2010, both Williamson and Craven were available to return for the new entry. Not long after, it was announced that Campbell, Arquette, and Cox would all return for the new movie along with a new cast.

“Scream 4” takes place 11 years after the events of “Scream 3” with Sidney returning to Woodsboro to promote a book about her previous experiences. Meanwhile, Dewey is now the sheriff and married to Gale who is still having trouble adjusting to small town life in Woodsboro. Of course, when Sidney arrives, new killings begin and they must figure out the new rules of horror films in order to survive the new threat.

While Williamson did write the original script and is credited as the sole screenwriter, he was not able to stay on throughout the production. As usual, some things did change and Kruger was brought in to do some uncredited rewrites at Craven’s behalf. The biggest change is that this movie was supposed to end in a cliffhanger, setting up a potential “Scream 5”, but this ending was changed and it was reported later that Williamson had been displeased with this change.

Theatrical Release Poster for "Scream 4".

The movie’s production was a smoother affair than previous films and was released on April 15, 2011, to mixed to positive reviews. Unfortunately, the audience didn’t seem to be ready for another film and “Scream 4” ultimately made $97.1 million worldwide, the lowest grossing film in the franchise, making it a box office disappointment.

Due to the lower box office, any future installments in the franchise were put into doubt. In 2015, a “Scream” TV series began that ran for two seasons on MTV before airing a third and final season on VH1. Sadly, something else occurred in 2015.

On August 30, 2015, Wes Craven died from a brain tumor at his home at the age of 76. With the television show and Craven’s death, another film installment was put even further into doubt. Then, after The Weinstein Company went under due to Harvey Weinstein’s crimes in '17, there was even further doubt that we would ever receive another film.

Then, in 2019, Spyglass Media Group acquired the rights to the franchise in order to make a new film in the series. Paramount Pictures would distribute the new film. The next month, Spyglass announced that the new film would be a continuation of the previous films instead of a reboot but that it would feature a new cast and that the original surviving cast members may or may not return. In 2020, though, it was announced that Arquette, Cox, and Campbell would all return for the new movie and Williamson also announced that the title was simply "Scream".

Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, the new directors for the series.

Since Craven had passed away, someone else would have to helm the series for the first time since it began. It was finally announced that Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, known for directing “Ready or Not” in 2019, would film the new movie. They were also instrumental in convincing Campbell to return for the new film as their enthusiastic pitch sold her on the idea that there was more to tell with the story.

In this installment, the new Ghostface is killing people off in Woodsboro in an attempt to create new ideas for a “requel” to the film’s fictional “Stab” series. This is due to the fact that the new killer(s) hate the long stretch of “Stab” sequels that made the series a joke. As a part of the new killer’s plans, though, the “legacy” characters Dewey, Gale, and Sidney have to be involved and they are dragged into the new story.

Theatrical Release Poster for "Scream" (2022).

The movie proved to be a return to form for the series. Critics and fans alike praised the new film when it was released on January 14, 2022, saying it was perhaps the best sequel in the series and up there with the original. The movie was also a return to financial success for the series, ultimately grossing $140 million against a $24 million budget.

Almost immediately after the success of the movie, Paramount Pictures announced a new entry for March 31, 2023. As of this writing, the sixth film is currently being filmed. The new movie will feature the return of Cox as Gale and Hayden Panettiere will return as Kirby Reed from “Scream 4” after having survived her apparent demise in that film. Sadly, though, a new financial agreement could not be made with Campbell to secure her involvement and this will be the first film to not feature Sidney Prescott.

Truth be told, though, Campbell’s involvement is not a requirement. The survivors of the previous film were interesting enough on their own and it already felt like Campbell was simply “passing the baton” in the fifth film. I think it’s okay to give both Sidney Prescott and the amazing actress who played her a bit of a break at this point.

At the end of the day, the “Scream” series has been a pretty damn good commentary on horror films while also establishing itself as a bonafide horror series in its own right. Way back in ‘96, the fate of the horror genre was in doubt and then “Scream” blasted into theaters to prove that like the monsters featured within, the horror genre may go dormant from time to time, but you can't really keep a good genre down!

JT'S MOVIE REVIEWS - 'THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER'

Thor is back in action and so is... Mighty Thor? Taika Waititi returns to direct Chris Hemsworth in his fourth solo film as everyone's favorite god of thunder in "Thor: Love and Thunder". I'll go ahead and get this out of the way. I enjoyed "Thor: Ragnarok" more than I did "Love and Thunder", but that's not saying much as "Ragnarok" was a hard act to follow.

The new movie introduces us to Gorr (Christian Bale), a man that loses everything yet still worships his god. However, once his god turns on him, an ancient god killing sword called the Necrosword chooses him and he quickly becomes Gorr the God Butcher. After losing everything, his only goal is to seek revenge and kill all of the gods in the MCU.

Meanwhile, Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) returns but she's not doing so well. She has developed stage four cancer and is dying. When science fails her, the shattered pieces of Mjolnir call for her to come to New Asgard. Once there, the pieces start to come alive and she is deemed worthy enough to become the Mighty Thor!

How about our original Thor, though? Well, at first, he's still briefly with the Guardians of the Galaxy, the team he ended up with at the end of "Avengers: Endgame". Thor is still trying to find himself and he eventually leaves the Guardians only to find himself going after Gorr when he attacks New Asgard and this is where he and Jane reunite alongside King Valkyrie, once again played by Tessa Thompson.

Now, it may seem like I'm giving away the whole store here with my description of the movie, but trust me when I say that this is only the beginning of this particular Thor adventure. Now, before I talk about anything else, here's my criticisms for the movie. First off, as I mentioned before, it's just not as good as "Ragnarok".

A major reason for this is that this film's tone and script just aren't as tight as the previous film. The film goes dark sometimes, heartwarming at other times, and then straight up comedy for the rest of the time. Sometimes the comedy outweighs the drama and sometimes the lightheartedness clashes with the film's darker elements.

Despite the tonal inconsistency, though, this movie is still a lot of fun to watch. The action is still fantastic and the visuals are a feast for the eyes. There is also another killer soundtrack to go along with all the craziness this time out.

The performances are also solid throughout. Hemsworth really started having fun with Thor with "Ragnarok" and he continues to have fun here. The movie leans into his comedic talents, of course, but they also let him have a few good serious moments as well, especially when he's with Jane.

Portman delivers as the Mighty Thor. Jane knows that she's running on borrowed time, so she's having as much fun as she can as Mighty Thor before the end she feels is coming sooner rather than later. One of the film's better moments is when she's trying to figure out just how to be a superhero and one of the things she has trouble with is hilariously trying to come up with a catchphrase. There is also some real drama that Portman effortlessly handles when concerning Jane's illness.

Finally, there is Bale as Gorr the God Butcher. From the moment this movie starts, this villain gets more character development than 75% of the other villains featured in an MCU film, so that's already an improvement. Gorr is a creepy and sadistic villain, to be sure, but he also has a very tragic and real reason for why he is going after the gods. After all, these are gods that actually do prove to be quite vain and silly, as is evidenced by Russell Crowe as Zeus in another memorable performance for the movie.

At the end of the day, the movie is tonally inconsistent and the script could have actually used a little more meat on the bones in order to develop some of the film's subplots. In spite of these problems, though, Waititi set out to create another fun adventure with a character that still has stories to tell. The action, the performances, and the visuals come together to make up for the film's shortcomings and deliver the fun and spectacle that we've come to expect from an MCU film.