Review Detail

First off, this is my go-to in my Scream 4 rewatches. I have seen this version just as many times as the theatrical release. It's just a smoother experience and plays out better than what was released theatrically. It feels like the Ehren Krueger influence on the script is tamped down and a lot of the Wes Craven rewrites fit better with what was in the original production.

The meta film-within-film-within-film in the open is brought way down (perhaps a little too much, as I don't know if I fully understand the dialogue about how Stab 7 starts with the Stab 6 open, as that's cut out here). However, once we are with our real opening scene, I feel this is a much better mix of the originally shot open and the reshoots. It's much more effective for me and a lot less clunky than the released version.

Just wonderful to see Sidney back and even utilizing some trailer shots that were removed for no reason whatsoever. Seeing Dewey be a leader in several deleted scenes bring his character more to the forefront and he's much less the goofy guy who's out of his element. Here, he has more control and has a guiding hand in the investigation and protection of Sidney. Gale is also stronger, trimming down a little bit of her dressing down of Hicks making Gale's arc more about her feeling relevant TO HERSELF and not to others. Also having Gale's trailer line "Go ahead if you have the guts!" should have never been removed.

Hicks, Rebecca, and Kate all benefit in this edit. Hicks is less the red herring, Rebecca is less over-the-top, and Kate feels slightly more like a character (there's only so much you can do here).

The new cast is all elevated in the new cut with some deleted moments back in the film, audio from the PPV cut, and some very smart trims to the Kirby after-party which removes humor that doesn't work, without cutting out what does. The reveal of the killer is much more effective here and doesn't devolve into camp by going to far. It's effective and brutal.

The fake-out ending works really well here, HOWEVER, I do feel that it takes too long to get back to the hospital ending. I love the idea that the credits would start with a cliffhanger, but the scene should have continued after the mid-credits instead of a full post-credits finale. That way we have a bit of the fake-out but it doesn't go too far in the execution.

All told, this is an excellent edit of Scream 4 and it's my third favorite in the franchise (I have yet to have seen 5), being just a tiny sliver under Scream 1&2. Excellent work!