
Archives for : Scream
“Groundhog Day” meets “Scream” in this surprisingly funny, mystery thriller.
Sorority girl, Tree Gelbman (Jessica Rothe) wakes up hungover on her birthday in a stranger’s (Isreal Broussard) bed. She discovers she stayed the night with nerdy classmate, Carter, and rudely exits his dorm room. Thus begins her rampage of being a narcissistic mean girl to everyone who crosses her path. As we get a peek into a day in the life of Tree, we learn she ignores her father’s call, she’s sleeping with her married professor, and constantly belittles others. I know, hard to believe someone wants to kill her. As the night draws near, Tree heads to a party and is quickly stabbed to death by someone in a disturbing baby mask–oddly enough, that is the school’s mascot. She then wakes up, and is forced to keep reliving her birthday with each day ending in her being murdered in some gruesome way. As Tree grows weaker with each consecutive loop, she must unmask her murderer and stop them from finishing her off for good.
Writer Scott Lobell does a great job with this clever script, as he adds a lot of humor and makes the film self-aware to the fact that this is a cheesy horror. The self-awareness allows for the movie to go beyond cliché lines and really have fun with a decently, thought out mystery. At this point I’ve described more of a comedy, but director Christopher Landon achieves a handful of scares that will have audiences jumping in their chairs.
The film’s story is solid, but the key ingredient here is the engaging breakout performance by Jessica Rothe. She nails the strong bitchy exterior that actually allows us to not feel guilty when we laugh at her numerous deaths, yet still gains sympathy towards her hopeful victory. Rachel Matthews, who plays an even more awful sorority sister, might provide the most laugh out moments with her over the top bitchy lines.
Whatever “Happy Death Day” lacks in the horror, it makes up for it in its entertainment. Reminiscent of the “Scream” era, it provides the same kind of “whodunit” feel that keeps you guessing till the very end.
I can’t say that this film should be at the top of your must-see list, but if you are looking for a few scares and fun time during this Halloween season, then “Happy Death Day” is the perfect choice.
Rating: 3.75/5
“Happy Death Day” opens in theaters October 13.
For those of you who prefer to make Halloween a “scary movie night,” deciding on what to watch can be a difficult. However, I have narrowed down a few choices that are equally entertaining.
Some of the best horror flicks include a fierce heroine that you don’t want to piss off. Here are the top five bad ass “scream queens.”
5. Anna Peterson (Maika Monroe) – The Guest
Fights the Beautiful Beast
Though this film is fairly new, The Guest is an inevitable cult classic and it features a quite memorable Anna Peterson, the teenage daughter that seems to be the only one in her family that has suspicions about their recent house guest, David. Once she discovers the unsettling truth about David, she admirably overlooks his blazing baby-blues and irresistible charm so that she may take matters into her own hands and protect her family.
4. Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) – Halloween
Selfless Fighter
Laurie Strode is considered by many to be the first true horror heroine. She is a regular “girl next door” who fights off her psychotic murderous brother, Michael Myers, time and time again. Although she struggles with her own war against Michael, helping children in danger is her first priority before her own safety.
3. Julie James (Jennifer Love Hewitt) – I Know What You Did Last Summer
Haunted by Regrets
Julie and her friends thought keeping the secret of their deadly hit-and-run would prevent damage to any of the teens’ future plans. Little did they know the man they “thought” they killed was already a wanted for murder. Julie deals with the regrets of not calling the cops in the first place, which has led her to be stalked by a killer seeking revenge. She stands out as the heroine who could have prevented this terror. And of course, we can’t forget this classic line… “WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR, HUH? WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOOOOORRRR?”
2. Nancy Thompson (Heather Langenkamp) – A Nightmare On Elm Street
Sleepless in Battle
Nancy battled it out with Wes Craven’s monster masterpiece, Freddy Krueger, a burnt serial killer who uses a glove armed with razors to kill his victims in their dreams. Being the only one of her friends that was able to stay awake, Nancy drove Freddy into a realm where he could be defeated.
1. Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) – Scream
Wrestles the Ghostfaces of her Past
In the course of four films, Sidney is terrorized by various killers who claim the Ghostface mask. Each time these murderers make his or her way into Sidney’s life, it’s a guilty reminder of what started this crime wave to begin with. Having your mother’s infidelity be the reason why your own boyfriend turned into a psychotic killer is a traumatic experience all in itself. But, Sidney is forced to relieve this horror through copycat killers and a cheesy, mimicking, Hollywood slasher with infinite sequels. Suffice it to say, there’s no escaping this never ending nightmare. And sadly, repeatedly getting betrayed by the people you trust most and continuously making it out alive earns this heroine our top spot!