New Nightmare Is Wes Craven’s Meta Masterpiece
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For those who don’t know, Patton’s life and career were changed forever by that film’s homosexual subtext and some of the circumstances of the movie’s release. There was a debate at the time over whether the film’s not-so-subtle themes were an inside attempt to mock Patton (a gay man), but the entire experience further complicated Patton’s already complicated efforts to make it in Hollywood as a gay actor during the societal stigma of the AIDS crisis. As brilliantly detailed in the documentary Scream, Queen! My Nightmare On Elm Street, Patton long struggled with embracing his role in Nightmare on Elm Street 2 which had simultaneously become this source of pride and joy as well as this part of his life that had caused him to confront the horrors of the film industry as well as deal with some in the franchise’s “fan” community who mocked him, sent him hateful messages, and generally suggested he and his movie didn’t really belong in the series.
Though New Nightmare was written and released before Patton’s story had fully played out (Craven has even said he wrote a version of the New Nightmare idea as his original idea for Nightmare on Elm Street 3‘s script), the concept of struggling with how to accept being part of a franchise that invites success and pain into your life is a horror that certainly isn’t limited to Elm Street.
The real-life stories of actors like Kelly Marie Tran remind us that even dream roles can sometimes turn into nightmares if a franchise’s fans decide to set their sights on you. When viewed through that context, it’s easy to see why Heather Lagenkamp’s New Nightmare character isn’t jumping at the chance to play Nancy again. Things worked out better for Lagenkamp in real-life, but too many people have had to struggle with living as both themselves and their characters due to the reactions to the films they were in.
That’s what makes New Nightmare such a brilliant bit of meta filmmaking. For as great as Scream is, its “metaness” is often delivered with its tongue in its cheek and in a way that wants to make the audience think it’s smarter than the movie itself is actually being. Sidney talks about running up the stairs instead of out of the front door and then does just that. Randy mentions the killer getting up for one last scare before the killer gets up for one last scare. The movie often acknowledges the absurdity of the typical slasher playbook then runs a page from it. We’re meant to buy into the idea that acknowledging a cliché is roughly equal to subverting it. While that approach can be fun, there are times when you can’t help but wish the movie would use its awareness of what usually happens to do something truly different.
New Nightmare is not immune to those winking at the screen moments, but Craven’s script benefits from experience and perspective that Kevin Williamson’s Scream screenplay doesn’t always utilize. New Nightmare condemns and celebrates the horror genre while blasting franchise culture even as many of those involved with the film both on and off-screen celebrate their return to that franchise and desire to “get it right.” All the while, it manages to tell a distinctly “Nightmare on Elm Street” story that feels at home with the rest of the series, even as it plays with the foundational components we were led to believe made those movies work. New Nightmare uses meta storytelling as a way to be more reflective than referential.
It would have been possible to tell the fictional part of New Nightmare‘s story with fake people and a fake franchise, but by invoking the Nightmare name, the movie establishes a strong emotional connection that makes it easier to process and appreciate its boldest ideas. It forced us to examine the unique role of the Nightmare franchise on our world while telling a story where that franchise (and its slasher star) are both a literal and metaphorical demon.
David Arquette Says Scream Director Wes Craven Encouraged Him to Date Courteney Cox: ‘He Had a Real Impact’
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“He gave me a real man-to-man talk and that had an impact on the course of my life,” the actor tells PEOPLE
David Arquette Says Scream Director Wes Craven Encouraged Him to Date Courteney Cox: ‘He Had a Real Impact’
David Arquette and Courteney Cox’s Scream characters Dewey Riley and Gale Weathers fell in love onscreen under the direction of Wes Craven. And as Arquette, 50, tells it, the late director also played a role in the actor entering a relationship with Cox off-screen, too.
“Wes had a real impact,” Arquette tells PEOPLE in this week’s issue. “[He was] like, ‘David, you know she likes you and you should really get your stuff together.’ He gave me a real man-to-man talk and that had an impact on the course of my life.”
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David Arquette, Wes Craven, Courteney Cox Scream 3 - 1999 Credit: Dimension Films/Kobal/Shutterstock
SCREAM, from left: Courteney Cox, David Arquette, 1996, Credit: Dimension Films/Everett
Arquette and Cox tied the knot in June 1999, more than two years after the first Scream movie hit theaters. They welcomed daughter Coco in June 2004 and in October 2010, six months ahead of the third Scream sequel’s debut, announced their separation. Arquette and Cox finalized their divorce in 2013, while their onscreen relationship experienced challenges, too.
Now both stars, as well as original Scream actress Neve Campbell, will reprise their roles for the upcoming fifth entry, titled Scream
“I was just really excited to play a character that was really, I guess, bitchy and over the top and yet grounded in some ways,” Cox, 57, says of bold reporter Gale. “Because Monica’s so sweet.”
RELATED VIDEO: Drew Barrymore Reunites with Scream Costars Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Neve Campbell On Her Show
Arquette remembers being excited to first meet Cox. “I was a fan of hers,” he admits, adding of the rest of the cast, “everybody was really nice, so it was a great time.”
The former wrestler originally read for the part of Billy Loomis but felt better suited for Dewey, who eventually became sheriff of Westboro, Calif.
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“I was like, I think I’d be better for Dewey. And I brought that up to Wes and he was like, ‘Whoa, that’s very interesting,’” Arquette recalls. “And thank goodness he had an open mind about it. I love still playing this guy and fans still love him.”
Arquette went on to marry producer Christina McLarty in 2015 and the pair have two kids together. He feels “very blessed” to be starring in another Scream movie over 25 years after the first one’s debut. “It just sort of tracks my whole life,” Arquette says of the franchise.
David Arquette (“Dewey Riley”), left, and Courteney Cox (“Gale Weathers”) star in Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group’s “Scream.” Credit: Paramount
Sentimentality aside, Cox promises the new installment will deliver both laughs and scares. “I love the fact that it’s had so much humor in it and so scary at the same time,” the Friends alum says. “When you scream, it is infectious, just like laughter. So when you watch one of these fell, you’re just petrified.”
Scream, also starring Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega and Jack Quaid, hits theaters Friday.
Scream 5: David Arquette on ‘feeling’ late director Wes Craven’s presence
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David Arquette has opened up about remembering late Scream director Wes Craven on the set of the fifth film.
The 50-year-old reprised his role as Dewey Riley in the slasher, alongside beloved co-stars Neve Campbell and Courteney Cox as Sidney Prescott and Gale Weathers respectively.
This marked the first movie that Craven was not at the helm of, following his death in 2015 – with Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett stepping in to direct and Kevin Williamson, who wrote the previous films, serving as executive producer.
Speaking to Metro.co.uk ahead of the release, David revealed they made sure to honour their former colleague during shooting.
‘There was a lot talking about Wes,’ he said. ‘The directors were inspired to make films because of Wes. They wrote a beautiful letter and [we] had a great conversation with them.
‘They put us at ease. But he was on our mind quite a bit, you felt him around.
David Arquette reprised his role as Dewey Riley (Picture: Paramount)
Wes Craven helmed the first four Scream films in the franchise (Picture: Rex)
‘We all wanted to make something that he would be proud of.’
Marley Shelton, who returned to the fold as Judy Hicks, agreed: ‘There was such effort and focus on doing right by what Wes had set in motion.
‘Our filmmakers took great care and are passionate fans of Wes Craven’s filmmaking and of the horror genre, and the Scream genre – Yes, I think scream is its own genre.
‘They did an amazing job at paying homage in this film while bringing, of course, their own point of view and talent.
Wes Craven, pictured with Courteney Cox and Neve Campbell died in 2015 (Picture: Getty)
‘Everybody thought about Wes a lot and we hope we made him proud.’
The latest film in the franchise, simply titled Scream, has been released to rave reviews, with Metro.co.uk giving it 4.5 stars.
Some critics described it as the best instalment since the original 1996 flick, whipping fans into a frenzy.
Discussing the success of the ‘requel’ – a term which will become clear to viewers – Neve shared her belief that Craven would be ‘proud’.
‘To hear that people think we’ve lived up to what he would want, that’s great,’ she told LadBible. ‘I think he would be proud as well, to be honest.
‘I think these guys have done an amazing job.’
Scream is in cinemas now.
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‘THEY’ Is The Ultimate Forgotten Wes Craven Presents Horror Movie
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‘THEY’ Is The Ultimate Forgotten Wes Craven Presents Horror Movie
It’s time to revisit the strangest of the Wes Craven Presents projects.
When it comes to Western horror cinema, there might not be a name with more weight than Wes Craven’s. The once school teacher has had a hand in crafting more important franchises of fright than maybe anyone else. But it’s not just about numbers my friends. As most fans are well aware, Wes Craven has had a bonafide classic in at least four consecutive decades.
In fact, Craven became such an influential name in horror post-Scream that the industry began using it as a marketing moniker as early as the late 1990s. Wes Craven Presents was soon preceding horror films like Wishmaster, Dracula 2000, Don’t Look Down and one little 2002 psychological horror attempt by the name of They.
In celebration of Wes Craven’s endlessly enduring career, I’ve decided to drudge up They, a film no one really seems too keen on remembering. That’s in part due to the fact that it’s not a great film, no matter which way you slice it. But it is an interesting film, with a fairly unique premise. And, while Wes Craven likely had little to nothing to do with this lost 2002 horror moment, I can’t help but celebrate the early aughts of it all. I also have a bias affinity for early 2000s cerebral horror (see Dead End).
They Shoot Horror Pictures, Don’t They?
Long before sleep paralysis horror was trendy, director Robert Harmon and writer Brendan Hood would explore night terrors and sleep horror, with middling effectiveness. Their film They concerns psychology student Laura Regan, a troubled young woman who experienced night terrors as a child involving an alternate dimension of terrifying shadowy monsters. When her childhood friends start turning up dead or missing, it becomes clear this wasn’t all in her head.
Lead actor Julia Lund (Dead Silence) is one of the few extraordinary qualities of They. Her expressions heighten a generally by-the-numbers supernatural thriller towards moments of genuine A grade horror storytelling. Less memorable cast members include Ethan Embry (Grace and Frankie) and Marc Blucas (Buffy the Vampire Slayer).
They saw its release on Thanksgiving weekend 2002 to not much more than a hiccup. The reviews were in the tanks, and the movie failed to recoup its modest $17 million budget. A mega box-office and critical bomb, They was lost to the sands of time a little bit faster than I think it generally deserved. My twelve-year-old self wasn’t alone in my lukewarm enjoyment. The BBC said “none of it is likely to make this into the year’s best horror movie, but as far as scaring the pants off you for an hour and a half, They will do that. And more.” And I can’t disagree. There really are a few genuine scares scattered throughout this little lost title.
One of the reasons They is often dismissed is its overused application of the ‘stay-in-light-or-die’ trope we’ve since way too many times since its release. Just a few months later, Darkness Falls would apply the same device to even less impact. And, of course, Lights Out would revisit the trope to even less success fifteen years down the line. But, I don’t think it’s fair to begrudge They for the sins of its kin. I can’t personally think of many stories to utilize this tactic before They, possibly endowing the chiller as a bonafide trailblazer. But I won’t test my limits with this one.
With Scream hitting cinemas this weekend, there couldn’t be a better time to revisit the strangest and most cerebral of the late 90 Wes Craven Presents features. It’s on Tubi for free viewing pleasure, so what are you waiting for?
Check out the They trailer right here:
Kevin Williamson On ‘Scream’s Fresh Blood, Wes Craven & Possible ‘Dawson’s Creek’ Reboot : Hero Nation Podcast
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“When Wes (Craven) passed, I already said goodbye to it,” says original Scream franchise scribe Kevin Williamson today on Deadline’s Hero Nation podcast.
However, when the Dimension Films IP was snapped up by Spyglass Media, conversations began to bubble up of a revival. Williamson had a meeting with Spyglass Boss Gary Barber, however, the project was set into motion when screenwriter James Vanderbilt gave the Scream architect a phone call. In short, the new blood on the project wanted Williamson involved, the scribe taking an EP credit on the Paramount co-production opening today.
You can listen to our conversation with Williamson below:
Interesting to note that Williamson originally pitched a Scream 5 and 6, however, those elements didn’t really get inserted into the new edition; one intriguing character in the “re-quel” being Melissa Barrera’s Sam Carpenter who is a force to be reckoned with in the slasher series moving forward.
Neve Campbell and Courteney Cox in ‘Scream’ Paramount/Spyglass
“It’s very hard to walk away, but I can do it,” says Williamson about leaving the creative reigns of his projects like Dawson’s Creek, Vampire Diaries, and Scream to others, however, after working extensively in television, he savors the opportunity to work with writers, kick ideas around, and watch them take a life of their own. His trust here with Scream filmmakers Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett stems from the duo being uber-fans of the franchise.
In regards to a Dawson’s Creek reboot, especially in the age of streamer HBO Max, Williamson says he hears about one “every other year.”
Nonetheless, “I would love to shepherd it” says Williamson with a new generation of scribes.
Scream is off to a great start this weekend, grabbing $3.5M in Thursday night previews, the third best Thursday for a horror movie in the pandemic after Halloween Kills and A Quiet Place Part II which each grossed $4.8M. The outlook over the MLK 4-day holiday is in the $20M range.