4 Globes

The Hollywood Theater is a cozy little part of Dormont. Right across the way from Moonlit Burgers, which has one of the greatest burgers in Pittsburgh, the Hollywood Theater is a single screen, locally run theater that has the utmost enthusiasm for film as an art form. I paid for my ticket and medium Coke, and it cost me a grand total of $10.70. Everyone that works there seems like they genuinely want to be there. In the auditorium, there was even a live organist playing The Teddy Bears’ Picnic. The Hollywood Theater is a celebration of everything that makes movies fun to watch.

One could also argue that the “Scream” franchise is a celebration of movies, too (namely, the horror genre). The original 1995 film directed by Wes Craven revolutionized the horror genre and became an instant classic. It’s difficult to overstate the sheer importance of “Scream,” and I would consider “Scream” (2022) to be a worthy sequel and reboot of the franchise.

What makes “Scream” movies fun to watch is the fact that it is a self-aware whodunnit. It’s a great premise for a horror movie, and “Scream” (2022) is absolutely no different. There’s meta commentary of reboots and sequels, not just of horror, but movies as a whole. The film takes on toxic fandom culture and the idea that “the fans always know best,” and that is something I really liked about the movie. It’s really easy to be way too on-the-nose like “The Matrix: Resurrections” earlier this year, but “Scream” tackles it pretty well. That’s always been “Scream”’s bread and butter. This movie has a lot of strengths, and even if you’ve only seen the first one, I’d still say that “Scream” (2022) is worth your time. It’s fun, well-written and has a lot to say about the state of the industry.

My biggest gripe with my experience seeing “Scream” (2022) is not a gripe with the film itself at all: Movie talkers and texters. My balcony seat in my showing of “Scream” was ripe with them. I know we’ve all been there – You get finished with a long week of classes, work, or whatever and just want to sit and immerse yourself in someone else’s perfectly crafted world for two hours. It’s a simple desire, right?

Why anyone would spend their money to go see a movie only to talk and text the whole time is completely beyond my understanding. It’s one thing if you’re in a room with your friends and have a funny observation to make, that doesn’t bother me. But what does bother me is people that feel some sort of primal urge to take blurry Snapchats of the theater screen and send them off into cyberspace. Are you even enjoying the movie? Are you even watching it?

Going to the movies was something that I sorely missed during quarantine and the COVID-19 lockdowns. Even during the Summer of 2020, I found myself going to the socially-distanced drive-in theater near my house all the time, just to have a slice of the theater experience. The movies I was seeing weren’t even new, I just wanted to experience one of my favorite things about life again.

If you’re looking for a good movie to see and have already seen “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” you can do much worse than “Scream” (2022). If you’re a big horror movie fan like me, it’s a must-see. Just hope that your theater is a little more quiet and respectful than the one I was in.