In the movies, everyone can hear you ‘Scream’

Above: The fourth film in the "Scream" franchise opens on Friday. (Photo/Paramount Pictures)

When the horror film “Scream” opened in 1996, I was certain that such projects would never be the same.

Written by Kevin Williamson, and directed by the legendary Wes Craven, the film was a hit. And the reason? One was Craven, the guy who had graduated from cheap slasher flicks (1972’s “The Last House on the Left”) to horror films that attracted a far wider popularity (1984’s  “A Nightmare on Elm Street”).

Another was the cast, which included such familiar faces as Courteney Cox, Neve Campbell, David Arquette and Drew Barrymore (in the film’s shocking opening scene).

But even more important, the film succeeded because of what Williamson put on the page. Using the well-known conventions of such films – clichés that the film’s characters were aware of – the film made fun of the genre even as it simulated one.

Over the next 15 years, that original “Scream” was followed by three sequels, an MTV-sponsored television series and, opening on Friday, a fifth feature-film sequel – titled, simply, “Scream.”

It stars several of the characters who survived the other films – notably, those played by Campbell, Cox and Arquette – along with a younger cast of pretty-faced actors.

The film is embargoed, so no critics' reviews are available. This is seldom if ever a good sign. But I just may go back and watch my favorite in the series anyway, which would be “Scream 2.”

As the New York Times’ Janet Maslin wrote, “ ‘Scream 2’ has so much tongue-in-cheek trickery that it virtually escapes the horror genre.”

Too bad so many other film producers never learned that lesson.