Scream appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 2.35:1 on this 4K UHD Disc. The Dolby Vision image was largely positive.
Sharpness tended to be good. Some shots were a little soft, but overall the image boasted fairly positive clarity and definition.
No issues with jagged edges or moiré effects materialized, and I saw no edge haloes or print flaws. The film came with a nice layer of grain, though I did suspect a bit of noise reduction in some interiors, as a few of those could feel a little softer and less grainy than I’d anticipate. Still, if the transfer feared any noise reduction, it remained modest.
Scream went with a pretty natural palette, and the colors looked appealing. They showed good vivacity, and the disc’s HDR added some punch to them.
Blacks felt deep and dense, while shadows appeared smooth and clear. HDR brought extra impact to whites and contrast. This image fell just a smidgen short of “B+” territory, as it looked darned good most of the time.
I also felt pleased with the film’s DTS-HD MA 5.1 audio, for which the soundfield seemed broad and engaging. The movie presented nicely delineated stereo music and also created a good sense of environment. The scenes displayed a solid feeling of environment and added a reasonable number of small touches to make them more believable.
The surrounds mainly bolstered those elements, though they came to life more eagerly during louder sequences. Various scare scenes came across as pretty bold and engaging, as these used all five channels well and created a vivid and vibrant sense of atmosphere.
Audio quality seemed fine. Speech always appeared natural and distinctive, and I noticed no issues connected to edginess or intelligibility. Music was warm and rich and showed good range. Both score and songs were lively and bright.
Effects also sounded clean and accurate. No distortion occurred, and they presented nice dynamics. Bass response seemed tight and firm. All in all, this was a fine soundtrack that opened up the action well.
How does this 4K UHD compare to the original Blu-ray? Both came with the same DTS-HD MA 5.1 audio.
As for the 4K’s Dolby Vision image, it brought notable improvements over the lackluster Blu-ray. The 4K looked better defined, clearer and more natural than the processed Blu-ray. This became an obvious step up in a quality.
When we shift to extras, we launch with an audio commentary from director Wes Craven and screenwriter Kevin Williamson. Both sit together for this running, screen-specific look at story/character subjects, influences and inspirations, cast and performances, sets and locations, issues with the MPAA, camerawork and costumes, toying with horror conventions, and a few other areas.
Though it occasionally sags a little, this usually delivers an informative look at the film. Craven and Williamson cover a nice variety of subjects and do so with insight and wit. I especially like the material about ratings concerns and changes from the original script. All of this adds up to a solid commentary.
A Production Featurette goes for six minutes, 12 seconds and offers notes from Craven, Williamson, and actors David Arquette, Courteney Cox, Rose McGowan, Drew Barrymore, Matthew Lillard, Skeet Ulrich, and Neve Campbell. We get some basics about the movie’s plot as well as cast/performance issues. Other than a few quick shots from the set, this one’s essentially a long trailer; it includes very little substance.
Two pieces appear under Behind the Scenes: “On the Scream Set” (3:25) and “Drew Barrymore” (2:53). In these, we find no remarks from the participants; instead, we simply see footage from the shoot. They’re too brief to be meaningful, but they still give us decent glimpses of the set.
Another two clips pop up within Q&A With Cast and Crew: “What’s Your Favorite Scary Movie?” (2:44) and “Why Are People So Fascinated By Horror Films?” (2:31).
The first involves Craven, Campbell, Cox, McGowan, Williamson, 2nd 2nd AD Dan Arredondo, boom operator Sean Rush, producer Cathy Konrad, co-executive producer Stuart Besser, costume supervisor Gary Saldutti, on-the-set dresser Josh Elliott, executive producer Marianne Maddalena, 1st AD/associate producer Nick Mastandrea, unit publicist, Claire Raskind, assistant location manager Thomas Harrigan, and actors Jamie Kennedy and W. Earl Brown.
In the second, we hear from Craven, Lillard, Maddalena, Kennedy, Campbell, Williamson and actor Linda Blair. We get various opinions on the questions presented; the results are mildly interesting but that’s about it.
New to the 2021 release, A Bloody Legacy runs seven minutes, 29 seconds and features Cox, Arquette, Campbell, Williamson, Scream (2022) directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, executive producer Chad Villella and actors Melissa Barrera, Mikey Madison, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Jack Quaid, Mason Gooding and Dylan Minnette
“Legacy” tells us a little about the 1996 flick as well as aspects of the 2022 remake. This acts mostly as an appreciation of the 1996 movie as well as publicity for the 2022 version, so don’t expect a lot of substance.
Note that the 4K drops trailers and TV spots found on the Blu-ray.
Arguably the most influential horror movie of the 1990s, Scream still entertains 25 years after its release. Even with all those imitators along the way, it remains fun and clever. The 4K UHD offers good visuals and audio along with supplements highlighted by an informative commentary. This easily turns into the most satisfying version of Scream ever to hit the market.
To rate this film visit the DVD review of SCREAM
