Popcorn Perspectives with Danny Minton
Week of January 17, 2022
Scream Rated R for some sexual references, language throughout, and strong bloody violence
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 75%
In Theaters
What is being labeled internally as a “requel,” this fifth chapter in the Scream franchise brings in new teenagers who are all connected to original characters, all being brought in as a new Ghostface killer has started a fresh round of violence. Also coming back are original characters, played by Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox and David Arquette, who aim to put a stop to the new copycat. When Scream came out in 1996, it was a refreshing and fantastic addition to the horror genre which both served as an incredibly fun scare-fest and a primer to understand where horror films are at that moment in time and where they might be headed. With its subsequent sequels started rolling out, the franchise got less and less clever and more and more tedious. With more than 10 years between now and the last film, we’ve had time to forget about how bad things got and we now get to enjoy what we originally loved again, kinda. With the O.G.s back in place and a decent enough group of young bloods, this new addition brings back some of that original cleverness as it tries, with a lot of self-awareness, to thrill. So throughout there are some nice scary moments and some morbid humor to take in. But unfortunately there is more cringe than fun and all the self-awareness is more distracting than I’m sure they intended. I had real problems with the lack of believe-ability, especially for a franchise that tries to point out the problems with horror films and their multitudes of problems, motives, agendas and misfires. By the ending, which I have mixed feelings about, I was more distraught by the filmmakers little errors than the twist, that I couldn’t come close to enjoying the big reveal. So with the poorly executed third act screwing everything up, I can honestly say that I hope we have finally seen Ghostface’s final reincarnation. C+
The Tragedy of Macbeth
Rated R for violence
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 94%
In theaters and on Apple TV+
It seems that every few years we get a new version of Shakespeare’s iconic play Macbeth which follows the story of a man and wife who become king and queen through nefarious actions, followed by the consequences for their evil deeds. With this newest version, we get two of the best actors of our time (Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand) as the Macbeths, but more importantly, we have Joel Coen (No Country for Old Men) as writer and director. This film is as fantastically acted as one can imagine but visually and creatively it is absolutely stunning. Not since 1957’s Throne of Blood by Akira Kurosawa have we seen such a spectacular vision of Shakespeare’s work. I’m in serious doubt that anyone watching won’t be able to appreciate the art on display. But Macbeth isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, and I completely understand that, as I’m in that camp also. If that’s the case for you, you should still watch it for its sheer force and beauty. This really is a terrific work of art and worthy of the hour and forty-five minutes you have to put into it. And if you aren’t a big Shakespeare fan, this will at least give you a glimpse of why so many are. A