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The Movie:
Horror just isn't my thing, and I'm not sure if it ever will be. The "Scream" series in general I've found moderately entertaining, but flawed. Other than that, the majority of the other efforts("I Know What You Did Last Summer", etc) have falled mostly flat. Although "Scream 3" isn't a bad offering, the most entertaining moment in the film for me really didn't have anything to do with the actual film itself - during one of the early sequences, Jay and Silent Bob(Kevin Smith&Jason Mewes) from director Kevin Smith's films pop up for a quick gag.
The film takes place in Hollywood, where the film "Stab 3" is being filmed; the actors in the film are being killed in the same order they are being killed in the screenplay. In the meantime, the majority of the first half of the film is devoted to returning characters Deputy Dewey and Gale Weathers(David Arquette and Courtney Cox-Arquette). Less time is devoted, suprisingly, to Neve Campbell's Sydney character.
I was rather suprised at how long the film took to really get started. It feels different than the first two films, and that seems to be mainly from the loss of writer Kevin Williamson, who decided not to be a part of this final film - instead, the writing duties here are from newcomer Ehren Kruger, who also wrote both "Arlington Road" and "Reindeer Games". Some of the Hollywood/horror ideas and jokes that are in this film are moderately entertaining, but I was rather dissapointed by the performances from the cast, who doesn't seem that invested this time around. Arquette (well, it's "the Arquettes" now, I suppose) are pretty good, but everyone else is so-so. I was happy though, to see the great Patrick Warburton(who was great supporting in many "Seinfeld" episodes) even in a small role.
This film oddly, takes itself pretty seriously, which ends up making for a rather slow outing at points. Still, director Wes Craven is able to make the most with what he has. My opinion on this film is that it remains an ok flick, but this should certainly be the last film in the "Scream" series. See if you can spot the misprint on the back of the DVD case, as well.(nice job, Disney!)
The DVD
VIDEO: Although this is certainly watchable, this is not the best effort that Disney/Miramax is probably capable of. This is the first of the trilogy that has been given an anamorphic transfer, and there are some problems. Sharpness is fine, and the majority of the film looks sharp and detailed. Colors are fine as well, looking bold and well-saturated, with no problems visible. Flesh tones are accurate, as well.
The picture does run into some problems, though. The picture looks ok for the most part, but there are some sequences where pixelation is noticable, but not hugely distracting. Lines sometimes look jagged and the picture takes on an "edgy" quality that makes for a less-than-perfect viewing experience. The print used though, is in fine condition with only a few minor marks on occasion. Disney's effort to make "Scream 3" anamorphic is appreciated, but the final product turns out to be flawed.
SOUND: Although the sound on "Scream 3" occasionally opens up and becomes more agressive, the majority of it remains a pretty conventional presentation. Surround use becomes agressive during the action sequences, and a few other instances where there are some neat effects. For a great deal of the film though, surround use is subtle or silent. The score and rock songs are pretty well presented with a nice, solid presence. There's not a whole lot of bass involved, but it comes into play on occasion, again, during the more agressive sequences. Dialogue is clear and easily understood, as well - and for the majority, this is pretty much a dialogue-driven thriller.
MENUS:: I was suprised to see that the menus for "Scream 3" take a twist from the usual menus that the studio offers in that there's something beyond using the cover art for the main menus; although the animation used for the main menu is not terribly fascinating, it's a nice touch.
EXTRAS::
Commentary: This is a commentary from director Wes Craven, producer Marianne Maddalena and editor Patrick Lussier. I was a little weary of taking a listen to this track since I was not impressed with Craven's commentary for "Music Of The Heart", but this turns out to be a more energetic offering from the director. He's still not the most intense commentator, but he seems to have more to say about this film, and it helps that he's joined by other speakers.
What I liked about this commentary is that it gives the viewer a good idea of where the discussions during production lead the film as the speakers chat about such issues as where the story was going to go(and alternate ideas about scenes that were not used) as well as where the film was shot. Script issues are a big point of the commentary though, especially in a film like this where script issues are pretty much kept secret and developed soon before the film starts.
There's talk about the actors in the film, but thankfully, the talk stays with stories about the actors from the set instead of the usual commentary, "their performance here is soooo good" that we hear in many tracks. There are some pauses in the commentary, but for the most part, I really enjoyed listening to the speakers share their stories about the production of "Scream 3". The participants thankfully are able to recall quite a lot of interesting stories and details from the set rather than simply stating what's on-screen. If you've heart Craven's commentary for "Music Of The Heart", this is definitely a more entertaining commentary. As for Lussier, he is now working on his first directorial effort, "Dracula 2000", produced by Craven and starring Colleen Fitzpatrick, otherwise known as musician Vitamin C.
Outtakes: An occasionally amusing and somewhat lengthy reel of outtakes where the cast seems to be playing "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" - the majority of these outtakes offer the cast forgetting their lines or giggling about their scenes.
Deleted Scenes: Like the outtakes, these deleted scenes are in watchable condition, but they look pretty hazy and slightly harsh(definitely rough versions). Anyways, these deleted scenes have optional commentary from the same 3 folks who were on the commentary track from the film itself. There's about 13 minutes of deleted scenes, as well as, on its own, an alternate ending(which also has commentary).
Behind-the-Scenes: A short little featurette that has bits from all 3 films in the series and sort of shows where it was then and where it's gone. This runs about 6 minutes or so.
Theatrical Trailer: The theatrical trailer - full-frame and in Dolby 2.0
International Trailer: Again, full-frame and in 2.0
TV Ads: 14 TV ads - total of about 5 and a half minutes.
Also: Soundtrack trailer, Creed Music Video, Cast/Crew bios.
Final Thoughts: Fans of the film will find something to enjoy with Buena Vista's supplemental features as well as lower 29.99 price tag for a Collector's Edition(Miramax's CEs are usually 39.99). The picture quality for this release is flawed, but not hugely. Sound quality is definitely fine, though.
Purchase:Scream 1: A Screenplay, Scream Trilogy: DVD Special Box Set, "Scream 3" Poster@allposters.com
Film Grade
The Film C+
DVD Grades
Video 88/B = (352/400 possible points)
Audio: 87/B = (348/400 possible points)
Extras: 88/B = (264/300 possible points)
Menus: 85/B = (170/200 possible points)
Value: 83/B = (249/300 possible points)
TOTAL POINTS:1383/1600
DVD GRADE:B/86%
FILM GRADE: C+
DVD GRADE: B
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