It’s been 15 years since Wes Craven’s post-modern slasher flick arrived on our screens, breathing fresh life into the horror genre with a razor-sharp sense of self-awareness and cut-throat dialogue. The first film launched a much loved franchise that delighted audiences throughout the late 90s, delivering a trilogy laden with laughs and scares in equal measures. This spring, Craven and screenwriter Kevin Williamson regrouped to bring us a long-awaited fourth instalment in the franchise, throwing series regulars Sidney, Dewey and Gail into the path of the infamous Ghostface killer once again.
The time seems ripe for the series to finally make its way to Blu-Ray, and first impressions are good. The first film, now an impressive 15 years old, was undoubtedly looking a little frayed around the edges. A less then thrilling DVD transfer gave us only slight improvements on the grainy days of VHS, while extras were thin on the ground. Not a great tribute to a film that reinvented the slasher genre and stemmed a post-modern branch on the blood strewn horror tree.
Thankfully, the original Scream shines with its fancy high definition facelift. The visuals are crisp and clean, with previously gloomy scenes granted new depths and richness. The audio improvements are also welcome, making the renowned sharp tongued dialogue and wit even more engaging, particularly during those infamous cellphone exchanges.
But while the first film dazzles in its fancy Blu-Ray clobber, any improvement on the latter films only marginally impresses. Things undoubtedly look better, but there’s little enrichment from the original DVD releases. What we’re ultimately left with is something that only just about scrapes about a standard upscale, but the films look great nonetheless. Thankfully, the gleaning audio polishing once again impresses with the sequels, adding extra sparkle to the trademark dialogue.
The set is seasoned with an impressive batch of extras, with interesting commentaries from Craven and crew available on all three instalments. The usual slew of featurettes, deleted scenes, outtakes and trailers can be found in abundance, while the menus have all been standardizes for a slick, polished finish.
Any fan of the franchise will no doubt lap this up, but anyone deliberating over whether to update their already serviceable DVD boxset might feel short changed. Still, there’s a lot to like here, and for fans not familiar to the original films in the franchise, there’s no better introduction than this good looking, extras filled set.
Overall Verdict: While it mightn’t be the best demonstration of Blu-Ray, this high-definition update boasts all the right improvements, particularly with the original. A healthy batch of extras and some top drawer commentaries make this an essential for the die-hard fan and a serious consideration for any newcomers to the series.
Special Features:
Commentaries
Deleted Scenes
Outtakes
Behind-Scenes Montage
Music Videos
Theatrical Trailers
Q&A with Cast and Crew
Behind the Scenes
Featurettes
Reviewer: David Steele