For each issue of Movie Mayhem, George Proctor (12) and Ariella Garrell (11) will choose two movies pertaining to the season to compare. For this issue, they decided to pick a couple of classic scary movies to fit with the spooky atmosphere of October.
George’s pick: “Scream 1”
For my choice of a horror flick, I went with the original “Scream 1” from 1996. The movie, starring Neve Campbell, Skeet Ulrich, Matthew Lillard and Courtney Cox is a truly captivating experience with its intense horror, a mystery that keeps you on the edge of your seat, and hint of comedy that presents a unique twist to most other scary movies. The slasher classic follows a town being struck by a killer outfitted in the infamous Ghostface costume. This killer sets his sights on Sydney, a high schooler whose mother was tragically murdered a year before. Wes Craven’s directing truly puts the viewer in the mindset of Sydney as she is ruthlessly hunted.
While the movie’s satirical take on the horror genre does certainly have moments that will have the viewer laughing, it does not allow that to deter its nightmare-inducing aspects of gore, violence and deep suspense. Its beautiful mix of different elements distinctly sets it apart from other horror movies and makes it a clearly timeless movie to come back to each Halloween season.
Ariella’s pick: “Friday the 13th”
For my choice of movie, I went with the cult classic “Friday the 13th.” This fan favorite, released in 1980, follows a group of camp counselors at the infamous Camp Crystal Lake. While at camp, the counselors lead by Alice (Adrienne King) and Bill (Harry Crosby) rush to re-open the nicknamed Camp Blood by the locals. Throughout the movies, an unknown rampant murderer kills each counselor one by one, leaving only Alice to survive. In the resolution, the unknown killer is revealed in a shocking twist.
The use of special effects in “Friday the 13th,” while not as advanced as today, makes for a very exciting and scary film. This fear factor, created by ominous visuals, is increased even more when paired with the movies famous music which builds suspense during the major murder scenes. The movie’s plot and jump scares may be obvious or predictable for a modern audience. However, the movie, first premiering in 1980, makes it the original teen slasher film, which has been replicated even today, giving it the title of a Halloween classic.
Between “Scream” and “Friday the 13th,” which movie do you think is the better sinister flick?
