Halloween Marathon: Scream 3 (2000)

Moving right along! Very unusual this time to not have other horror movies in between yet but I just haven’t been able to fit any in yet. I did actually have one but it felt slightly insensitive to post up a review as its a somewhat disaster movie and with deadly hurricanes in the news, I just couldn’t. It will be posted probably a week or so later. Regardless, Scream 3 is here! This is the point where we have no idea where the Scream franchise can go so we’re both intrigued and worried but trying hard to stay positive. The second one was enjoyable but still started feeling a little wash, rinse and repeat. I’m hoping this one will feel at least at par with the second. Fingers crossed!

Let’s check it out! 🙂

Scream 3 (2000)

Director: Wes Craven

Cast: Neve Campbell, David Arquette, Courtney Cox, Patrick Dempsey, Scott Foley, Emily Mortimer, Jenny McCarthy, Deon Richmond

While Sidney and her friends visit the Hollywood set of Stab 3, the third film based on the Woodsboro murders, a new Ghostface begins to terrorize them once again.- IMDB

Oh IMDB, why do you do this to me? First of all, Sidney and her friends do not start off visiting Hollywood set of Stab 3, murders based on the Woodsboro murders is what is causing it while Sidney hides away before getting pulled back into the equation, while Dewey and Gale are still not together and reunited again. That might the simple way of setting the stage for how this write-up will go.

Scream 3 is probably the most lackluster of the three. What seems like the end of a trilogy really wasn’t as we know now because Scream 4 came out over ten years later. But, we’re not here to talk about Scream 4 just yet. That will happen a little later this week. Scream 3 is lackluster because it pulls a lot of movie troupes. It is predictable and formulaic and just lacks the atmosphere and jumpscares that the previous two had. There is still some deliberately entertaining dialogue and it is always fun to watch David Arquette’s Dewey have his silly little conversations with Courtney Cox’s Gale Weathers. Those are almost always the most tension breaking moments and I love the franchise for how it does still keep the witty aspect of it.

To say that Scream 3 is not atmospheric is inaccurate though. There were some rather creepy scenes with Neve Campbell’s Sidney and the dream sequences of her mom coming back. There is a strong character built with Sidney. She can still mess around with Ghostface regardless of who is behind the mask. Scream 3 still manages to keep the audience guessing on who to suspect. There are some very obvious ones. However, the sequence of kills or what will happen next or even who the killer is starts becoming wildly apparent as to who is being cast in the wrong on purpose. Some parts of overly deliberate and that takes out some of the fun.

Scream 3 does have a few familiar faces. I think the success comes there for the most part. Neve Campbell, David Arquette and Courtney Cox makes up a lot of the faults with their recurring roles. Surprisingly, Patrick Dempsey also has a role as the detective. There are definitely familiar faces and voice like Emily Mortimer, Scott Foley and Patrick Warburton. Even the setting of using a Hollywood set and using the formula of a movie being made based on real events and being morphed as the sequels continue is a good one. However, the downfall comes with a lot of the cast here who delivers somewhat awkward roles.

Overall, there isn’t really much to say. Scream 3 isn’t a horror movie but it is forgettable. As I write up the review, I struggle to remember a lot of the scenes. It is full of predictable turnouts and cliches. Its returning cast members give the story continuity and keeps some of the fun in the equation but there isn’t really much here to warrant a repeat viewing even if it isn’t particularly a horrible horror flick. In the end, it has merit but just never latches onto to anything original.

Have you seen Scream 3?

Check back later this week for the review of Scream 4 to wrap up the franchise! 🙂

Freedom Writers (2007)

Freedom Writers is a movie I bought a few years ago out of the blue and it is one of the best finds I’ve ever had.  It goes perfect for a day where I need extra motivation to finish up some leftover work on Sunday.

Director: Richard Lagreveneuse

Cast: Hilary Swank, Imelda Staunton, Patrick Dempsey, April Hernandez, Mario, Scott Glenn, Jaclyn Ngan, Kristin Herrera, Jason Finn

A while back, I had written a post about 5 Movies That Influenced Me The Most (you can read it HERE) and this one is one of them. Based on a true story and book, Freedom Writers’ Diaries, of the voluntary integration of the school system and how one teacher , Erin Gruwell (Hilary Swank) chose to not leave her class to chance.  She took the time to use non-traditional teaching methods and gave them a chance to learn to express themselves through their own words and in turn learn that they can defeat their destiny and escape from gang violence from race prejudices and misconceptions of protecting their own.  She taught them that they can achieve more and inspire change in their lives if they wished to.  She showed them through past Holocaust issues how Hitler was compared to the current day gang and how racial issues was more than they could see.

I love this movie.  Its not only a true story but it touches my heart every time.  I like the concept of someone being courageous enough to inspire change and overcome personal obstacles and the norms because they learn that its doing the right thing.  I always get a bit misty watching this because its full of just pure awesome moments that tugs at our heartstrings.  It works just so much better because its the reality.  I know that it can happen if one can take matters into their own hands.

They craft this movie to look at also different backgrounds and their characters and the family values that they lead.  They also use parallels between the two that Erin Gruwell eventually employs of showing how no matter Hispanic or Asian, they both listen to the same music, have had the same incidents happen to them, but they also wear similar styles and act the same way.  I think that was pretty neat.  The young actors they use were brilliant.  They really owned their roles, reflecting the conflicts they had and the lives they  lived.  The fears they had to conquer deep inside and the will to change.

Hilary Swank definitely gets a perfect on this role.  She captured the interpretation of Erin Gruwell very well.  She was convincing to the max.  In the beginning when she finally realized the intense situation that she was in for the voluntary integration was more than she had expected and her character showed doubt.  When she hit the turning point of how these kids didn’t really understand the big picture, she showed anger but determination afterwards to let them see the light at the end of the tunnel and how their actions were not as worthy as they had thought it to be.  And in the end, she gave up a lot of her own personal life and challenged authorities to stick with these kids who needed her.

 

Touching, inspiring, uplifting are the words I’d describe it.  I know its the words on the DVD cover but this movie really is amazing and awesome! I’d recommend it for sure.  I tugged on my heart strings and moved me 🙂 I really don’t know how to describe it but its really an incredible movie and an amazing story.  So amazing that I went and bought the book right after the first time I saw the movie back in 2009 or 2010. Check out the movie if you haven’t already! Thats essentially what I’m saying!

If you have already, tell me what you thought about it.

I haven’t met a lot of people who have seen this, so it would be nice to not have people giving me weird faces or replies…