RCScream¹²³⁴: 201002

About Me

Name: Ryan
IMDb Aliases: RCSPs3, Scream_Saga101; SidneyPrescott2000; smg101, ScreamGellarCruzNine

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/RCScream1234

Courteney Cox and Sarah Michelle Gellar

Favorite TV Shows
Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Ringer, Angel, Friends, Cougar Town, The Good Wife, The Young and the Restless, Veronica Mars, Sex and the City, Dirt, Guiding Light , Bones, Charmed, Gilmore Girls, and 30 Rock

Favorite Movies
Scream 3, Scream Scream 4, Scream 2, Veronika Decides to Die, The Hours, Aliens, Psycho, The Return, The Air I Breathe, Cruel Intentions, Suburban Girl, Black Swan, Sex and the City , Sex and the City 2, Nine, Moulin Rouge!, Halloween, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, Breaking Dawn Part 1, The Silence of the Lambs, NightScream, Alien: Resurrection, Halloween H20, I Know What You Did Last Summer, Derailed, The Interpreter, Erin Brockovich, Nothing but the Truth, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Inception, Chicago, American Beauty, Titanic, The Dark Knight, Fargo, Revolutionary Road, The Reader, A Fish Called Wanda, Pretty Woman, Who's Afraid of Virigina Woolf?, Rebecca, The Wizard of Oz, Sound of Music, Volver, The Upside of Anger, Pleasantville, Mean Girls, Changeling, Closer, Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Kill Bill Vol. 1 + 2, November, Halloween II, A Nightmare on Elm Street, A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors , Carrie, Duplicity, Final Destination, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1, Twilight, Eclipse, New Moon, Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, Dreamgirls, The Family Stone, Red Eye, Flightplan, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Departed, Doubt, The Family Stone, Inglourious Basterds, Adaptation, Juno, The Kids Are All Right, Little Children, Michael Clayton, Grease, Se7en, Precious, Rabbit Hole, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Crash, and Up in the Air

***Indicates the loves of my entertainment life

My Ranking of the Scream Saga
Scream 3***
Scream***
Scream 4***
Scream 2***

My Ranking of the Buffy Seasons
Season 6***
Season 2***
Season 3
Season 5
Season 4
Season 1
Season 7

My Ranking of the Angel Seasons
Season 3
Season 4
Season 2
Season 1
Season 5

My Big Four Film Performances
Neve Campbell, Scream 3
Nicole Kidman, The Hours
Sarah Michelle Gellar, Veronika Decides to Die
Natalie Portman

Why Scream 3 Is The Best Of The Scream Saga:
. The complete second half of the film is literally flawless (post-Sidney comes out of hiding). The first 25 minutes are also pretty flawless, too, but not in the same park as the second half's brilliance. The only time it makes any mistakes is the 20 minute gap between Sarah Darling and Jennifer's house explosion <- it's not bad ...it's like 65% great, 35% flawed.
. The three intertwined storylines (Sidney's metal heath, Maureen Prescott's past, and Stab 3) makes for a very strong driven narrative.
. Has the strongest message of all four films (even though Scream 4's is very strong.) The message of the movie -> the first two asked the question are movies responsible for people killing? Most blame Hollywood for influencing the youth of America to be violent murders. The movies themselves don't, but the drama behind the scenes is enough to start a murdering bloodbath. Scream 3 shows us Sidney Prescott, a woman has lived through two killing sprees and has her life intertwined in this Hollywood drama. She, also, is in a bad mental state as a result. Yet, she is able to put the darkness aside from her past and move on with her life. You kill because you chose to...the movies, the people behind the movies, don't matter...it's your journey....you're decision.
. The role of Sidney was handled the best. Her scenes were crucial to her character development; there was no scene that felt like they edited in as a "filler" to get to the finale like the previous films.
. Scream 3 was the most emotional of the four.
. It was more brave than the first two and the fourth by having a male opening victim, let alone a recurring character who was the hero of the previous film.
. Neve Campbell's performance was flawless. The best acting I've ever seen.
. It was the funniest of the four without using the "spoof" to be funny.
. I think it’s the scariest of the four. Very thrilling, as much as terror (Blood doesn't matter...this is Scream not Saw).
. It was without a doubt the most surprising.
. I like the "adult society" plot it has compared to the first two and fourth who were about high school world and college life.
. It was the most plot heavy of the four, and I like plot; twists.
. The best climax/finale of the series. Brutal.
. Best production values: film editing, art direction, sound mixing, sound editing, visual effects, and the score! Scream 2 had slightly better cinematography and costume design.
. Contains the best supporting character in the entire series (excluding the trio in the earlier films), yes I'm talking to you Jennifer.
. The whole deja vu to Woodsboro and Sidney on the Stab 3 set was creepy and very effective. It goes back to the original and pulls out the unseen.
. Finds the equilibrium that 1, 2, and 4 couldn't find. It was terrifying, but you thoroughly enjoyed it.
.The killer had the best and most motivation to want Sidney dead out of the seven killers.
. The character development with the main three was a perfect epilogue. Wrapped up the story with loose ends being cut off while incorporating a little bit of "let the viewer decide." The new cast was different from the first sequel and the third sequel; in Scream 2 and Scream 4 the characters were so sketched out to be likeable with quirky personalities, it made them unlikeable. In Scream 3 they weren’t designed to be likeable; the audience was allowed to like new characters in Scream 3 on their own.
. The fact that it was original. This is more-so pointing to Scream 2, than the original even though in some ways the original was vastly similar to Halloween. Scream 4 was making fun of remakes so, I'm not sure if I can fault it for homaging the first three in every scene. The clever plot with the Stab 3 cast being offed as they are in the script; life imitating art.

Friday

Scream 4 News

I'm a huge Scream Series fan, so I'm going to be posting about news of the upcoming installment. Hopefully it doesn't suck @$$.

What we do know?

Kevin Williamson finished the first draft
He spent 6 months on the opening scene
Almost a year on the actual script itself
Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, and David Arquette will be returning
Wes Craven Will be directing
There will be Scream 5 & 6

The Big question is: Will Sidney, Gale, and Dewey die?

My Answer: No. If anyone dies it'll be Dewey. He's almost died three times before and he's probably the least popular out of the three. Sidney has to carry the story and Courteney Cox is the most iconic out of the three. People who are new to the trilogy will be like "Hey the chick from Friends is in this" and Cougars may support her too withe her new show Cougar Town. But then again I don't think any of the three will die.

Thursday

Oscars: Who Should Win? Who Will Win?

Oscar night is possibly my favorite night of the year. It's basically what my life revolves around. I see films to determine my own nominations and wins and follow buzz from the beginning of the year to the end of it.

Who Should Win? Who Will Win?

My choices will only be chosen from the actual nominees, I can't add films and performances. And I will have my runner ups in parentheses)

Best Picture

Who Will Win: Inglourious Basterds (The Hurt Locker / Avatar)

Who Should Win: Up in the Air (Precious)

Biggest Snubs: Nine, It's Complicated, (500) Days of Summer

Best Leading Actor

Who Will Win: Jeff Bridges (George Clooney & Colin Firth)

Who Should Win: Colin Firth

Biggest Snubs: Robert Downey Jr. (Sherlock Homes), Daniel Day-Lewis (Nine), & Michael Stulhberg (A Serious Man)

Best Leading Actress

Who Will Win? Sandra Bullock (Meryl Streep...maybe a tie?)

Who Should Win? Meryl Streep (Sidibe)

Biggest Snubs: Marion Cotillard (Nine), Penelope Cruz (Los abrozos rotos), and Melanie Laurent (Inglourious Basterds)

Best Supporting Actress

Who Will Win? Mo'Nique (Penelope Cruz / Vera Farmiga)

Who Should Win? Penelope Cruz (Mo'Nique, Vera Farmiga)

Biggest Snubs: Marion Cotillard (Public Enemies)

Best Supporting Actor

Who Will Win? Christoph Waltz (Christopher Plummer)

Who Should Win? Christoph Waltz (Woody Harrelson)

Biggest Snubs: Alec Baldwin (It's Complicated)

Tuesday

November (2005)

I'm a big Courteney Cox fan, so of course, I saw her film "November" when it was first released. I didn't care for it then. I thought it was a very misguided and confusing film. I rewatched it a day ago. I have to say.....I was wrong.

It's a pretty genious film that plays with you mind. It has many options to the way it ends. You, as the audience) can choose what the film is supposed to mean and what really happens in end, and makes you question what reality is. A very strong performance from Courteney Cox too (unbiased opinion). The technical side is basically flawless which is another pro.

Overall, I think this is a near-perfect film that got dismissed too quick by audiences and critics. I feel like since I started this blog all I've seen are good-to-great films, because of all the high scores. I really don't usually give out this high of ratings and not nearly this many 10/10s.

Nominations:
Best Picture***
Best Director
Best Actress in a Leading Role: Courteney Cox***
Best Original Screenplay
Best Cinematography
Best Art Direction
Best Original Score
Best Editing

***I'm unsure if It's my win or not at this point. I have to think about it,

Rating: 10/10

Trailer: http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi1100874009/

Sunday

Watched A Bunch of Films this Weekend

So yeah, I watched a ton of films this weekend.....

Shutter Island
Wow, with the mixed reviews I went from having very high expectations to average expectations. What I found was a piece of fantasy/thriller masterpiece. The cast is great--especially Leonardo DiCaprio who gives the best performance of his career. The film's technical side is flawless, as is the writing and directing. I don't know who it's going to hold up on re-watches but it certainly left an impression. I know I've only seen three films of 2010 but my line-ups shaping up good (I have two 10/10s already VDTD)
Rating: 10/10

Babel
I did not want to sit through this film at all, but once I started watching it, it wasn't half bad. It wasn't great and certainly overrated, though. Great performances all-around especially from Blanchett & Pitt
Rating: 7/10

Valentine's Day
Fun, rom-com to see with your honey on Valentine's Day. Nothing More.
Rating: 7/10

American Beauty
This is a rewatch for me guys, and I think I liked it the most this time around. It's the best film of the '90s. Period. Spacey is my all-time win & Bening was robbed of an Oscar to that b*tch Hillary Swank. It's in my top 10 favorite films of all-time.
Rating: 10/10

Tuesday

Nothing but the Truth

It's a pretty amazing film.

From the violent start of the film the film grabs you, and doesn't let you go. The acting is spectacular. The two breathtaking beauties, Vera Farmiga and Kate Beckinsale, are the two main characters and they are nothing short of masterful. Some of the scenes are just so well-acted that you are actually breath taken. It's very realistically played out. How those two didn't get Oscar nominations is above me.

The story asks powerful questions about integrity. Integrity is not complex in any matter of the question. You either live with integrity (and have principles) or you don't (and be a coward). The film tells the story of a bold woman who chose to live with integrity.

The ending (the last 9 mins) may take thing too far and you get angry at the characters (I wanted to slap Matt Dillion in the face), but in ways it helps the story be stronger, just as it does for it's main character.

Ex-film critic, Rob Laurie, builds this epic arc of a story and handles it in such a beautiful way that pins you in your seat. Most of the mainstream audience probably has not even heard of this film, but I suggest to you: PICK UP A COPY ASAP.

Nominations
Best Picture
Best Director
Best Original Screenplay
Best Ensemble
Best Actress: Kate Beckinsale
Best Supporting Actress: Vera Farmiga (Ties with Penelope Cruz for Vicky Cristina Barcelona)
Best Editing
Best Cinematography

Rating: 10/10

Trailer: http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi2476737305/

Sunday

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

It's visually the best film I've ever seen. Wow, it was just eye candy. The acting was terrific too. Not just Affleck, but Pitt [kiss]

It's his best performance. Every time he was onscreen, he was so intense and powerful. He commanded each moment with "fear overpowering the weak". I mean, I don't have the words to describe how much I liked him. Affleck was fantastic as well. I also admired the supporting performances from the James/Ford boys (Rockwell, Renner, ect).

Andrew Dominik had complete control over the material and knew exactly how to build up the tension and to show glimpses of beauty in the story (the opening monologue [iloveu]

) and used the material best to him ability.

I only had two small problems with it. 1) It was a little too long; 2) There were two or three scenes from the 1hr mark to the 1:40 mark, that involved two characters sitting in a dark room talking softly that were very well, boring.

Nominations
Best Picture
Best Director
Best Adapted Screenplay
Best Ensemble
Best Supporting Actor: Brad Pitt
Best Supporting Actor: Casey Affleck
Best Cinematography
Best Art Direction
Best Editing
Best Costume Design
Best Original Score

Rating: 9.5/10

When Will I Be Loved (2004)

Not completely awful, but not worth the 4 stars Ebert gave it. I am becoming more strict when I rate a film too.

The first 40 mins of this was absolute crap. I was thinking to myself "How could Ebert have given this 4 stars?" But the second 40 mins [iloveu]

The greatness started with the meeting of Neve and the Italian guy. From then on I couldn't get enough of it. It kind of reminded me of her other film, Wild Things (how she turns the table on everyone). But man, she was phenomenal in the second half. She made the film do a complete 180.

I also very much admired the art direction. The classical music playing in the background really bothered me though.

Nominations
Best Actress in a Leading Role: Neve Campbell
Best Art Direction

Rating: 6.5/10

Trailer: http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi721223961/

Panic (2000)

After, going to my local video store, and being informed they didn't have it, I watched it on Megavideo. I liked it a lot, especially the second act. I don't know how anyone could consider Neve Campbell lead though. And she may just have double wins for 2000.

I was a little underwhelmed by Donald Sutherland. After the way he was described , I expected a Javier Bardem in No Country for Old Men. He was still very, very good, though. William H. Macy [clap]

He was fantastic. Better than Sutherland, IMO. But Neve was just [iloveu]

She stole every scene she was in. If I wasn't such I Scream fanboy, this would be my favorite performance of hers'.

The writing was first rate and my big problem with the film was, there were moments where the moments were misguided.

Nominations
Best Picture
Best Ensemble
Best Actor in a Leading Role: William H. Macy
Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Donald Sutherland
Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Neve Campbell
Best Original Screenplay

Rating: 8.5/10

Trailer: http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi2677735705/