May 27, 2016

When it comes to analyzing the horror “slasher” cycle that came in the late ’90s, the undisputed champ has to be Wes Craven’s genre defining 1996 classic SCREAM. Amazing, when you think that Craven managed to redefine 3 different decades of horror with a single film. But in the wake of SCREAM came, of course, the imitators. The only one that came close to the success and popularity of the SCREAM franchise was the Kevin Williamson scripted 1997 cult flick I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER. I recently went back and revisited the first two films in that franchise, and with a remake currently in production, it got me thinking about the two lead baddies from these respective ’90s horror franchises.

SCREAM is unique in the sense that the killer in each entry is embodied as “Ghostface,” and the identity of Ghostface is different every time. Sometimes it’s more than one person! It’s not like any of the ’80s horror franchises where Freddy Krueger became a household name, but then every sequel, someone else took the mantle of “Freddy” and it wasn’t really him. (Although they did get close to going in that direction with Part 2.) I always hold the original killer(s) from the first SCREAM to be the best of the bunch.

(SPOILER) In the cliched way that the killer could sometimes appear to be in two places at once, SCREAM did what I considered at the time to be a stroke of pure brilliance. Ghostface could be in two spots, chasing Sidney and then suddenly in front of her because he is two different people. The fact that it turned out to be two kids that our heroine went to high school with, one of which was her boyfriend (!), only made it all the more disturbing. Billy’s motivation was a broken family. Stu’s was peer pressure. Have any of the M.O.’s for the sequel really come close to being as believable and simple as this one?

That’s why Billy & Stu are technically my personal favorite Ghostface(s). But still, how would they fare up against I KNOW’s Fisherman?

The Fishmerman was a horror icon in the making. At least by the 2nd film, he was meant to be unstoppable and really darned difficult to kill. Much like Jason Voorhees, he always conveniently seemed to be in the right place at the right time. But before that, he was merely a vengeful man out on a long stretch of highway, in the process of dispatching of his depressed son-in-law. It was the kids that dumped old Ben Willis in the ocean and left him for dead that unleashed this murderous bastard. Although, you have to wonder, when they reveal Ben by the end of the first movie, that’s a dude that looks like he’s seen some shit in his life, and probably is responsible for some hardcore shit too. Ben Willis has traditional horror killer written all over him, especially with the real hook hand in Part 2 where he’s fully embraced the legend of the Fisherman.

It’s not so much that I’m asking who you think would win in a fight – I’m more curious which of the two do you guys think more properly deserves the crown of horror icon? If the Fisherman is the 90’s version of Jason, seemingly human at first, but unstoppable and eventually a zombie by his 3rd outing, is Ghostface the Freddy? Ever changing, ever evolving, using wit & dialogue to outsmart and manipulate his victims? Is unfair that he changes identities behind the mask every time we meet him again? What do you think?