SCREAM (1996)

There's a mysterious killer gettin' crunk up in here, slashing up the students of Woodsboro High School. After the first few victims are killed, it appears that the main target is Neve Campbell, who's mother was herself raped and murdered just a year earlier. The students take the killings light-heartedly enough and when school is cancelled they decide to throw a bitchin' party. Everybody shows up: a ton of students, the police, a news crew and even the murderer!  Eek!

Watching SCREAM again for the first time in nearly a decade, I enjoyed the nostalgia of it (I saw it opening weekend in a crowded theater), but it's honestly not the greatest Slasher ever. The script is fun, the characters likeable and the pace quick, but the violence is lightweight, zero tits, very little blood and why outside help (state police, FBI) isn't called in is a complete mystery. What you have to remember though is in 1996 mainstream horror was an absolute wasteland. The biggest horror releases in the months leading up to SCREAM were FROM DUSK TILL DAWN (yawn), THE ISLAND OF DR. MOREAU (double yawn), THE FRIGHTENERS (awesome movie, but not really horror), THINNER (mmmmm...Kari Wuhrer), HELLRAISER: BLOODLINE (well, I liked it) and THE CRAFT (I've popped multiple boners to Fairuza Balk as a Goth, but it's not really horror either). The only Slasher I can even think of from 1996 is THE DENTIST! So add to that Slasher vacuum some popular teenage actors and a smart, cliche conscious script written in a "whodoneit" style and you've got yourself a hit.

SCREAM is dated, but a good intro film into the Slasher genre. Recommended for a good time.

Part 2 - Scream 2 (1997)
Part 3 - Scream 3 (2000)
Part 4 - Scream 4 (2011)
Part 5 - Scream (2022)
Part 6 - Scream VI (2023)

AMERICAN PIE (1999)

"Suck me, beautiful!"

The main story is about four high school senior boys, who after various failed attempts at getting laid, make a pact that they're all gonna lose their virginity before graduation.   Now, that same exact story could be used in a rape-based horror movie, but luckily for us AMERICAN PIE isn't a horror movie, but instead probably the greatest high school sex comedy of the 1990's ever.

After the pact, the story splits into each boys attempts at getting laid, but at the same time the stories all overlap so it has a very natural, forward-moving feel to it. The main character, Jim, has the hots for the worlds hottest exchange student, Nadia. Kevin has a serious girlfriend, but she's all into love and "the perfect moment". Oz is a jock that decides to tap the untouched resource of the jazz choir. And Finch pays a female friend to spread wild rumors around the school about how he has a huge cock and once beat up a popular jock, Steve Stifler. Stifler gets his revenge though by putting some turbo laxative in Finch's coffee.  I still quote the "I can't hooooold it." line sometimes when I gotta take a power shit.

I love this movie. I was lucky enough to see it opening weekend in a large sold out theater and never in my life before or since have I heard an audience laugh so loud as they did at the scene where Jim did the striptease for Nadia. Honestly, I was laughing so hard I thought I was going to pass out from lack of oxygen. But that's not the only funny scene, the entire movie is just one awesome scene and classic line after another. Maybe it has to do with growing up in the 80's/90's, but to me AMERICAN PIE is classic and even after countless views I still love watching it. The characters are all realistic and likeable, the females are attractive, Shannon Elizabeth's topless scene is legendary, the script is smart and filled to overflowing with quotable lines, great soundtrack, the acting is great, the pace is fast. I like everything about this movie.

If you haven't already seen it and you have a good sense of humor, then I can't recommend it enough. I wish I could live inside this movie.  Maybe a weird, messed-up alternate reality with this film crossed over with HEREDITARY. Like live in Jim's place, but have the Paimon spirit from HEREDITARY haunting me.

Part 2 - American Pie 2 (2001)
Part 3 - American Wedding (2003)
Part 4 - American Reunion (2012)