"Scream 4" was surprisingly good. I have always enjoyed the Scream films, because as I explained to my friend who has yet to see them, they are classics of our generation. The first scream film came out when I was 8 years old, and had my parents been responsible (as defined by the MPAA and supposedly backed by society as a whole), my life would have probably been a lot less terrifying, but it would have also been very empty. The scream films have always caused me to be cautious of who I trust, check the caller ID before answering my phone, and check the bathroom stall next to the one you enter before going in. They also defined for me what it means to be surprised by the ending of a film, which is something so many films today lack. "Scream 4", however, did not disappointed. I had no idea who the killer(s) were going into the last murder sequence, and when I found it, I can honestly say I did not see that one coming. The more important fact, however, is that Wes Craven was also able to make so many bold statements with the film. "Scream 4" is surprisingly funny in a meta-filmic sort of way. The characters essentially make fun of themselves throughout the entire movie, while still mirroring the sad patterns in our own realities. The film was bold, it was suspenseful, it was fantastic.
"Limitless"...just as a good the second time around. To me, if you watch a movie a second time and find details that you missed the first time because you were so involved in the plot, it's a good film. Once a film stops revealing secrets to the viewer, it has lived its life, and a surprisingly small number of films are even good for a second round with me.
I should point out that the main appeal in seeing "Hanna" came from a dear friend of mine who loved the film more than she loves most. When I came back from spring break singing praises for "Limitless", she came back shouting that "Hannah" was one of the best films ever made. Since this girl rarely likes a movie enough to suggest it once, lead alone a dozen times, I figured it was worth a watch, unfortunately I was not as impressed as my dear friend. Although I can understand why she liked the film on a personal level, the story was not what I hoped it would be. The plot was recycle from previous stories, and while told in a very independent way, it was not original. Throughout the entire film I kept hoping that something would surprise me, instead it gave me food for thought, but then quickly dropped recipe to move onto something else. I often found myself deep in thought about something briefly touched on in the film, instead of paying full attention to the story. It should be noted that this is still an impressive accomplishment, and to me makes the film worthy of a viewing by all, but it does not make up for the poor story and aged plot twists, which essentially makes it unworthy, in my mind, of the praise it was given by my dear friend.
One things that I can say about this experience is that it was not as painful as I anticipated, especially not when it is compared to the day that I watched "Taxi Driver", "Raging Bull", "The Aviator", and "The Departed" all in one day. After the three films at the Palace, I was a little edgy and hosting delirious thoughts of being a spy while I drove home, but I was not left incapable of full sentences for the next couple of days like I was after the Scorsese marathon. I will say that watching the films reminded me how much I truly love cinema, and the fact that on a bad day, watching a movie can make me (or anyone) smile and forget their worries, which to me was worth the three dollars and couple of pounds I surely put on from popcorn and soda intake.
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