Eleven years after the release of Scream 3, producers were ready to try again. Though the difference is this time, they didn’t have too many schedules to work around. Everyone from Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox, and David Arquette, not to mention director Wes Craven, had nothing else going on and were ready to play in the Scream sandbox again. Though Craven did have some some standards. If he was coming back, Kevin Williamson had to return to write it and the script had to be as good as the first film. So Williamson waited until a break in The Vampire Diaries TV show to churn out a script full of things Scream fans come to see. Yet, the fans didn’t show up. Once Scream 4 was finally released in April of 2011, even with the inclusion of Heroes’ Hayden Panetierre and the returning cast, the film landed with a thud. Is it warranted? Join Garrett, Matt, and Adam as they review the last film of the series that Garrett has seen. Be sure to return next week as they review Scream (2022), a film of which only Matt has seen. Remember, all this is a lead up to a review of the just released Scream 7!

With Scream 2 in the foreground after certifying the series as a franchise, it would seem that everyone associated with the horror films had better things to do than come back for its (at the time) swan song. Specifically, star Neve Campbell and director Wes Craven. Campbell was working on Party of Five and a film called Drowning Mona. And Craven wanted to wade his way through the horror ghetto to do the Meryl Streep starring Music of the Heart. Writer Kevin Williamson submitted outlines, but he was also busy not only directing his first feature Teaching Mrs Tingle, but he was also doing a failed TV show called Wasteland. Enter writer Ehren Kruger, who the Weinsteins hired to flesh out Williamson’s concepts. Though Kruger allegedly threw out these concepts and did a script that Craven was rewriting each day on the set. So once again we have a movie built on chaos. Does it rise above like before? Join Garrett, Matt, and Adam as they review Courtney Cox’s hai…I mean, inclusion in this film, as well as a killer reveal Adam has no idea how to feel about. Does that warrant a good review?? Come back in the ensuing weeks as we lead up to a review of this year’s Scream 7!

As much as the first Scream lovingly poked the bear that was the 80s slasher genre, they played right into the same sensibilities those franchises did, as a sequel came out less than a year after the original was released to surprise success. It took a couple weeks to catch on. But once 1996’s Scream gathered the best word of mouth since Pulp Fiction from a couple years before, it sure didn’t take long for a sequel to get greenlit. Original writer Kevin Williamson, now the new hot writer on the block, was able to churn out a script, with original director Wes Craven back in the director’s chair. But, in a story that will oft get repeated through this entire film series, problems started taking hold of the production. Not the least of which was something called the internet getting a hold of the shooting script and leaking who the original killers were supposed to be. With rapid rewrites and ever changing schedules, were Craven and company able to release a film amongst a crowded end of 1997 (which included a little film called Titanic) that proved to be at least watchable? Join Garrett, Matt, and Adam as they dissect Scream 2 and try to answer that question. As well as a whole host of others, including the question of whether Adam had actually seen this damn movie or not before this viewing.

After a break from the genre, The Three Men and a Retrospective Podcast has finally returned to horror! With a new Scream film hitting theaters this month, the co-hosts embark on reviewing the entire groundbreaking film series. Every franchise has to begin somewhere, and some believe that the 1996 original is the best of the entire series. But is it? Join Garrett, Matt, and Adam as they begin their quest of answering that question. Listen to Adam and Garrett discuss how they initially saw the film that redefined the horror genre. They also talk about how Wes Craven essentially took the job that would help him change horror with Ghost Face in the 90s the same way Freddy did the same in the 80s. Finally, how do they all feel about the film today? Start screaming podcast listeners, and prepare for your ears to take in the Scream Retrospective series!

Nooo, we didn’t forget. around this time last year, we reviewed 1987’s Arnold Schwarzenegger starring film The Running Man. We knew there was a remake coming down the block, but we put it off for reasons we get into on the podcast. When director Edgar Wright was asked a question on Twitter about what movie he wanted to remake, he did not hesitate in answering The Running Man. Producer Simon Kinberg (the X-Men franchise) saw the tweet and got this production going. Wright, with original author Stephen King’s approval, wrote up a script with his longtime collaborator Michael Bacall, and cast actor of the moment Glen Powell (Top Gun Maverick) in the Ah-nold role. Was the wait worth it? Join Garrett, Matt, and Adam as they review their very first Edgar Wright film. Did he do the book justice? Is this up to Edgar Wright’s standards? Is King’s presence felt? They answer all these, and so much more, in this special release! Come back next week when the boys start up their look at the Scream franchise.