SCREAM 7 (4K): Sydney's Back for More

SCREAM 7 (Blu-ray)

2026 / 114 min

Paramount

Review by Josey, the Sudden Cat🙀

I actually stopped paying attention to the Scream franchise a long time ago, more or less checking out after the third film. In the interim, a lot has changed. Director Wes Craven has since passed on, while original screenwriter Kevin Williamson became far less involved. And of course, lots of different actors & characters have donned the Ghostface mask to assume the slashing duties.

But the biggest change? After checking out Scream 7, it’s painfully clear that it has become the very type of franchise those first few films cleverly poked fun at. Gone is the self-awareness, sly satire and much of the humor. A few allusions to past classics pop up here and there, but they feel shoehorned into the script, and aside from some of its characters and a truckload of Ghostfaces, this plays like just another slasher film…

…or maybe a greatest hits album. Williamson is back to write and direct, while Sydney (Neve Campbell) returns after sitting out of Scream VI, this time with a snarky teenage daughter to be put in peril. Then there’s Courtney Cox as Gale Weathers, who doesn’t serve much of a purpose other than continuity. Additionally, plenty of familiar faces we thought were dead are squeezed into the plot, mostly in glorified cameos (so don’t get too excited over Matthew Lillard’s return). Most of the younger new characters seem calculated to appeal to a new generation of Scream fans, while Joel McHale is wasted as a police chief and Sydney’s husband.

Sydney shares her cat pix.

Then it’s business as usual…Ghostface’s creepy phone calls, lengthy stalking sequences and lots of gory violence. It’s all competently executed, but aside from an amusing death-by-beertap scene, never particularly memorable because we’ve seen it all before. Even the prerequisite twist revealing Ghostface’s identity is underwhelming, partially because we know a twist is coming, but also because there’s no trope more boring than yet-another slasher who feels compelled to explain while they’re slashing.

On the plus side, Scream 7 doesn’t really require the viewer to be familiar with previous installments (except maybe the first one). The film may have forgotten most of what initially made Scream unique among slasher franchises, but at least the story won’t be lost on newcomers (who might actually appreciate this one more than longtime fans). Additionally, it’s been given a pretty solid 4K transfer, with excellent picture and sound.

EXTRA KIBBLES

4K, BLU-RAY & DIGITAL COPIES

FEATURETTES - Scar Tissue: The Making of Scream 7 features interviews and clips; Building Tension is about the film’s production design; Dance of Death covers the film’s stuntwork.

MUSIC VIDEO - “Twisting the Knife,” by Ice Nine Kills.

DELETED SCENES

Revisiting FRIDAY THE 13TH, PART 2 in 4K...with a Couple of Nagging Questions

FRIDAY THE 13TH, PART 2 45th Anniversary Edition (4K UHD)

1981 / 86 min

Paramount

Review by Josey, the Sudden Cat🙀

Being totally transparent here, this guy’s never been a huge fan of the Friday the 13th franchise, though a couple of the early ones certainly impacted my teenage years. Simply plotted and loaded with jump scares, gore and pre-marital sex, catching one of these with a gaggle of friends was a great social activity. They also made great date movies, especially first date movies. Nothing prompted a gal to grip your hand like a relentless killer stalking camp counselors. 

Even back then, I had no illusions over the actual quality of these movies. Good? Hardly. None other than the original’s director, Sean Cunningham, acknowledged he was just ripping off Halloween. Fun? On the big screen in a packed theater, surrounded by the right people…absolutely. And it didn’t really matter which one you were watching because the plots were interchangeable. Roger Ebert once said his negative review of Friday the 13th Part 2 could apply to any other film in the franchise, and he wasn’t entirely wrong. Of course, he wrote that before anyone made the creative decision to launch Jason into space.

Big fans of ‘80s slasher horror might argue differently...that each film is a distinct and important chapter in the continuing adventures of Jason Voorhees (or his mom, or whoever assumed the stabbing duties for Part V). And actually, Part 2 is generally held in really high regard among a lot of Friday the 13th fans, mainly because it’s the first one where Jason does the killing. Other than that, it’s business as usual, with even fewer plot twists than the original (though admittedly, it's a bit more skillfully directed). 

"Fine...I won't stay where I'm not wanted."

This 4K UHD release is for the die hards who can differentiate Amy Steel from Adrienne King. But despite being touted as the 45th Anniversary edition, this is the exact same disc that was part of the Paramount Scares Volume 2 boxed set from 2024, right down to the bonus features and cover art. So while it’s technically not a “new” release, at least it’s now available separately and fans should be more than pleased with upgraded image quality. The 5.1 Dolby TrueHD audio track, while still really good, is the same as the original Blu-ray.

Revisiting this film 45 years after getting a bruised forearm from my date squeezing it too hard, I do have a couple of nagging questions that perhaps only superfans could answer. Friday the 13th Part 2 opens with Jason killing Alice (Adrienne King), the only survivor from the first film, in her own home. How exactly does he figure out where she lives? And if he’s been dwelling in the woods around Crystal Lake since he was a child, how the hell does he get to that house years later, do his dirty work, then head back to Crystal Lake in time to kill more counselors? Did he drive?

Since Michael Myers managed a similar feat in Halloween, I’d like to know who thought teaching these psychos how to drive was a good idea.

EXTRA KIBBLES

FEATURETTES - Inside “Crystal Lake Memories” (the book's author discusses putting it together); Friday's Legacy: Horror Conventions; Lost Tales from Camp Blood Part II is a horror short inspired by the franchise (others are available on other F13 titles); Jason Forever is a Q&A featuring four guys who’ve previously played Jason Voorhees.

FRIGHTMARE Gets Tromatized

FRIGHTMARE (Blu-ray)

1981 / 86 min

Troma Entertainment

Review by Josey, the Sudden Cat🙀

1981’s Frightmare (onscreen title, The Horror Star) is a slasher film with a pretty cool premise, that of a legendary horror actor coming back from the dead to slaughter a batch young people. But while watchable and competently made on a low budget, there ain’t much in the way of panache.

Conrad Ragzoff (Ferdy Mayne) is a legendary (and arrogant) horror movie icon whose best days are behind him, resorting to appearing in a commercial. He’s also a murderer, having killed his director and agent for disrespecting him. Then after Conrad himself unexpectedly dies, a group of drama students steal his body and bring him to a big old house to party.

However, Conrad has a party planned of his own. He explodes from his coffin to commence offing these kids one by one. Sometimes the kills are creative and bloody, other times kind of unremarkable. Some of the cast is interesting, though. Bearing more than a passing resemblance to Christopher Lee, Mayne is wonderfully hammy, while former Hogan’s Heroes beauty Nina Talbot enjoys a few scene stealing moments. Then there’s pre-Re-Animator Jeffrey Combs in an early role, acting circles around his less gifted co-stars before losing his head.

Conrad Ragzoff: Motivational Speaker

But Frightmare is somewhat undone by a meandering pace and a story that seldom rises above perfunctory. Too bad, really, because the concept itself had the potential to put a wild spin on the old slasher formula. As is, however, the movie isn’t completely without merit. 

No stranger to home video, Frightmare has been released on Blu-ray before, but this time Troma Entertainment is doing the honors. The overall picture and sound are pretty decent, while the bonus features are a combination of those from Vinegar Syndrome’s 2015 Blu-ray and Troma’s own DVD release from 2005. The Troma-produced supplements have little or nothing to do with the movie itself, mostly just a bunch of self-promotion, some featuring the world’s oldest 12-year-old, Troma co-founder Lloyd Kaufman.

EXTRA KIBBLES

FEATURETTES - Man with a Camera is an audio interview with director of photography Joel King (and the best of the bonus features); A Gory Lesson From the Set of Meat for Satan’s Ice Box has Lloyd Kaufman discussing his participation in another low budget splatter flick (and has nothing to do with Frightmare); Troma in Times Square also has nothing to do with Frightmare; Perhaps you can  tell me why Radiation March is included here.

3 AUDIO COMMENTARIES - 1) By writer-director Norman Thaddeus Vane; 2) By David Del Valle and David DeCoteau; 3) By members of a podcast called The Hysteria Continues. All three are listed as separate bonus features.

INTRODUCTION - By Lloyd Kaufman and Debbie Rechon, which mostly consists of the former trying to be funny.

MUSIC VIDEO - “Innards!” is a musical tribute to, you guessed it, Troma and Lloyd Kaufman.

ARTWORK GALLERY

TRAILER

THE BLADE CUTS DEEPER: Almost an Homage

THE BLADE CUTS DEEPER (Blu-ray)

2024 / 84 min

Leomark Studios

Available at www.MovieZyng.com

Review by Josey, the Sudden Cat🙀

Well, at least director/co-writer Gene Dolders did some of his homework…

In The Blade Cuts Deeper, John Abbott (John Tueart) is the sleazy creator and host of “Light, Camera, Kill,” a sensationalistic TV show that exploits tragedy by flippantly reenacting real life murders. However, his latest episode, depicting a serial killer’s handiwork, pisses off the wrong guy, who commences killing off everyone associated with that episode. In true giallo fashion, the killer isn’t revealed until the end, but the viewer ain’t gonna need a slide rule to immediately know who’s doing the carving.

As an intended giallo homage, there are some other similarities, primarily its aesthetic. There's a mysterious black-gloved killer, extended stalking sequences that are emblematic of the genre, and of course, plenty of death by cutlery, including a jaw-dropping scene where one victim is repeatedly - and convincingly - stabbed in the face. On occasion, the film manages to generate some genuine tension . 

When someone brings donuts to the staff meeting.

However, there’s typically more to giallo than pure murder and mayhem. They’re generally structured like a mystery, even those that are more style over substance. Most of this film consists of Abbott being a dick while the killer picks off everyone around him. Storywise, this is just a slasher film filled with characters whose entire narrative purpose is to die.

That doesn’t mean The Blade Cuts Deeper isn’t enjoyable. Dolders is no Argento or Bava, but considering what appears to be a low budget, this is a pretty good looking film. Additionally, the death scenes are mostly well-executed and extraordinarily brutal. As slasher movies go, trust me, you’ve seen far worse. But while it sometimes resembles giallo, the spirit just ain't there. Maybe Dolders should've actually finished his homework.

CLOWN IN A CORNFIELD (4K): Not Quite Your Typical Slasher Film

CLOWN IN A CORNFIELD (4K UHD SteelBook)

2024 / 96 min

Shudder/RLJE Films

Review by Josey, the Sudden Cat🙀

There are a few things that set Clown in a Cornfield apart from your typical slasher film… 

First, it’s based on a popular young adult novel of the same name. I haven’t read it, but unless standards for YA fiction have dramatically changed since I taught middle school, I suspect the book isn’t nearly as gory or expletive-ridden as the movie. That ain’t a criticism, either. Clown in a Cornfield boasts some gleefully bloody - and frequently funny - death scenes.

Second, it’s directed and co-written by Eli Craig, the guy responsible for Tucker & Dale vs. Evil, one of the best horror comedies of the past 20 years. In that one, he cleverly turned many genre clichés on their ear without ever descending into dumb parody. Craig returns to similar territory here, which somewhat elevated my expectations. Overall, the result isn’t quite as fresh or funny, but after a shaky, inauspicious first half, the film serves up a few big laughs, some narrative surprises and unexpected social commentary.

I won’t say what that commentary is because it’s directly related to a major plot twist and motive of the main antagonist. But I did appreciate the revelations and very thinly-disguised themes they serve. And as a card-carrying liberal, I’m giddy at the idea of far-right, mouth-breathing boomers taking a break from yelling at clouds and screaming “woke!” over a slasher movie that has the audacity to be perceptive.

"You never shut up, do you?"

But its roots are still firmly planted in the slasher genre, with an plot and aesthetic similar to those of the 80s. Katie Douglas plays Quinn, a semi-rebellious teenager who moves to the small town of Kettle Springs with her father and ends up falling in with the wrong crowd…according to all the adults anyway. One of her new friends, Cole (Carson MacCormac), is the mayor’s son and wrongly blamed for burning down the Baypen corn syrup factory, which was the town’s livelihood. Meanwhile, someone dressed as Frendo, the Baypen clown mascot, starts killing this group of kids one by one. 

For awhile, this is all standard slasher stuff…bloody kills, clueless parents, kids vilified by cops, teachers, parents, etc. And if that’s all you want from a horror movie, it more or less delivers. But it’s the unexpected narrative directions taken later that make the film stand out. Like Tucker & Dale vs. Evil, these flourishes, bolstered by good overall performances, are what give viewers a bit more than just another body count.

Though Clown in a Cornfield is available in both Blu-ray and 4K, fans should definitely choose the latter. Not only are both formats included, it’s packaged in a great looking SteelBook. Other than a commentary track, there aren’t any bonus features. However, it includes a set of magnets featuring Frendo and the tools he uses as weapons. I’m thinking of sticking ‘em on the fridge, though the wife might have something to say about that.

EXTRA KIBBLES

4K & BLU-RAY COPIES

AUDIO COMMENTARY - By director Eli Craig, author Adam Cesare, actors Carson MacCormac & Katie Douglas.

SET OF MAGNETS - Perfect for the fridge!

SCREAMBOAT: Exactly What You Think It Is

SCREAMBOAT (Blu-ray)

2025 / 102 min

From Deskpop Entertainment

Available at www.MovieZyng.com

Review by Josey, the Sudden Cat🙀

We horror fans are a hopeful bunch. 

Of course, we always hope a movie will be scary, but also know not every director is John Carpenter, not every movie is The Exorcist. Sometimes all we can hope is that whoever’s behind the camera is competent enough to keep it in focus. That's how I approached Screamboat, the latest in the recent spate of low-budget, public domain raiding slasher flicks.

I haven’t seen the likes of Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey and its ilk, but based on damn near every review, Walt Disney must be rolling in his grave. Still, I try to review every movie with an open mind, even if it reeks of an opportunistic, budget-conscious cash grab.  

At the very least, Screamboat is competently made. A blood-drenched parody of Disney’s first Mickey Mouse short, Steamboat Willie, this one is set onboard the Staten Island ferry, where Willie (David Howard Thornton) is a monstrous, oversized rodent gleefully slaughtering his way through most of the cast. The film is mostly played for laughs, and actually earns a few here and there. There are also plenty of references to other Disney movies, some clever, some eye-rolling.

Willie reads his reviews.

For the most part though, Screamboat is exactly the movie you think it’s gonna be. Depending on the viewer, that’s either a glowing recommendation or a warning to stay away. The movie exists solely because the original cartoon recently became public domain. With broad caricatures and perfunctory performances by a batch of no-name actors (save for Day of the Dead’s Jarlath Conroy), it’s largely driven by its concept and gory death scenes…some of which are kind of amusing.

At 102 minutes, Screamboat is way too long for what’s basically a one-joke movie. It ain’t great, but as cheap & sleazy cash-grabs go, I can't honestly say it's disappointing. And while Walt definitely wouldn't approve, at least director Steven LaMorte manages a bit more than simply keeping the camera in focus.