The production of Scream 4 in Michigan is leaving an indelible mark on the region’s cinematic history. Beyond the economic and tourism boosts brought by the presence of stars and film crews, it has enriched the cultural and social fabric of the state.

For example, imagine attending a workshop led by none other than Wes Craven, with the theme “The History of Horror After Psycho,” at the University of Michigan. Some lucky students got this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to hear the master of suspense discuss the evolution of the genre, his latest film My Soul to Take, and, of course, Scream 4.

Scream 4: A Reflection on Horror Culture

In his discussion, Craven highlighted the meta-nature of Scream 4:

“Scream 4 is very much about analyzing the culture of violence and film. It’s been basically 10 years since a Scream, so that part of it—the meta part, that standing off and looking at the culture, sort of analyzing it—that’s the subtext of Scream 4, among other things.”

In a genre dominated in recent years by “torture porn” films like Saw, Craven expressed his belief that audiences are ready for something fresh:

“I feel like the audience is bored, like they’ve had enough of it. Like, ‘Is that all you’ve got?’ In fact, that’s one of the things I guard myself against, is never trying to emulate. The few times that I’ve tried to do this have been quite disastrous [laughs]. I personally don’t like the ‘torture porn’ stuff. I watched Saw 1 and, okay, that was kind of interesting, but it’s just not my cup of tea.”

A Fresh Take on Sequels

Craven acknowledged the irony of making Scream 4 while simultaneously critiquing the state of endless sequels and remakes:

“We’re all sick of sequels, and what is the new genre of cinema and horror going to be? Of course, the plot is wrapping itself around what it will hopefully be, in the vision of Kevin [Williamson]. It takes that on head-on; it’s all about that. Where do films go from here in the genre? What will make them different and not just more sequels or remakes?”

Craven also emphasized the unique nature of the Scream franchise:

“Scream 4 is unique. I can’t think of another film that tracks three central characters over a span of 16 years now, with the same actors. You’re literally watching someone go from high school age to full adulthood, with Neve Campbell, for instance.”

Murder, Reinvented

Craven shared a glimpse into his creative process, describing how he approaches murder scenes in his films:

“I had a scene where somebody was going to be killed, and it was described as, well, an incident; he’s pinned to a seat, he’s in a car. That’s it? That’s what happens to a character I’ve been watching for 45 minutes? So I just really ask myself, all the time, ‘Have I seen this before? If not, what would be really fascinating and different? Would it grip me? Make me scream, or laugh, or something like that?‘”

Final Thoughts

With Craven and Williamson’s commitment to innovation and the exploration of genre conventions, Scream 4 promises to be not only a continuation of the beloved series but a reinvention of what horror sequels can be.

Read the full transcription of the course here.