Scream
It seems that at some point over the last few years Scream has developed a reputation as a straight-up comedy. Sure, it's got a genuine sense of humor and I could see how a generation weaned on Family Guy would mistake references for comedy, but it's still a damn solid horror movie. Just because a movie is smart enough to know how to use humor doesn't make it a comedy.
Scream was released a couple of days before my birthday in 1996, and as a horror junkie who goes to the movies on his birthday every year I was very glad to have a new Wes Craven movie during a season typically reserved for broad family comedies and award-bait dramas. I went to see it with fairly low expectations due mainly to the fact that Craven's previous feature was the aimless and unscary/unfunny horror/comedy Vampire In Brooklyn. It turned out to be one of my very best birthday movies.
As you may recall, Scream opens with Drew Barrymore popping some Jiffy Pop and receiving a strange phone call, leading to a harrowing 13 minute sequence that is absolutely terrifying. The ads and posters for the movie touted Barrymore as the star, and the sequence ended on a true shock that leads you into the body of the movie off-balance. It's a bravura sequence that shows you right off the bat that even though it has a sense of humor this movie means business when it comes to scaring the crap out of you.
Another great thing about Scream is that on top of it being a genuinely scary horror movie and a successfully funny tweaking of genre conventions (it's funny without being jokey, by the way, an important distinction) it's also a whodunit, and a clever one at that. The reveal is surprising (at least it was for me) and even better than that, it holds up to scrutiny on subsequent viewings. The movie doesn't cheat by having the killer revealed to be somebody we don't even know (fuck you, Friday the 13th) and there are clues and beats throughout that support the reveal.
The sequels are much broader and lean more toward comedy. Scream 2, released less than a year later, is surprisingly good and has quite a few surprises up it's sleeves. Scream 3 is an overlong episode of Scooby Doo, much too jokey and self-aware to ever be scary and in my opinion is the weakest entry in the series. Scream 4 isn't much better than 3, but it tries and I believe it has a few moments that work though they're few and far between. It's rumored that Craven and co. are working on turning it into a weekly TV series. I can't imagine that working, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't curious to check it out.
Dilution of the brand notwithstanding, Scream holds up. Scary, funny, filled with memorable moments, quotable dialogue, and a likable cast all turning in solid performances. The killer is fond of asking his/her prey if they like scary movies. If more scary movies were like Scream, the answer would always be yes.
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