Fear Street Part One: 1994 Review
Fear Street Part 1: 1994 is a riot of a horror movie. It is a homage to RL Stine's works (slightly more intense in comparison to those in his Goosebumps output) but not an adaptation of any of them the three films by Leigh Janiak follow the supernatural story of a small town for three centuries. Part 1 is based upon the year 1994 (hello Portishead, Radiohead, Nine Inch Nails on the soundtrack) and it comes as no surprise that it's an unforgiving ode to the stalk-and-slash period of horror films – a compilation of slashings, terrifying masks as well as awed policemen and terrified teenagers. It also evokes the thrills of shopping at video stores, it is also filled with cheap frights, it also has a sexy artwork that always implied more than the movie was actually delivered. Fear Street actually makes good on its promises.
The most obvious element for this film is Scream and the flawlessly choreographed opening sequence features Maya Hawke in the Drew Barrymore character, who is given more than she anticipated when she picks up to the phone and stays up in the mall late. However, what makes Fear Street smartly departs from the Wes Craven classic is that there's no self-reference, there are no genre-savvy children who explain on the principles of horror. There are no old-fashioned scare films on television, there are no police officers named the Detective Cronenberg as well as Captain Romero. Instead Janiak and co-writer Phil Graziadei's screenplay weaves its old-fashioned yarn in a in a straight and honest manner and is a lot more enjoyable for that.
The result is full-on horror funthat's with a satisfyingly bloody (but not disgusting)
It's a Stephen Kingian little town named Shadyside (aka Shittyside aka Killer Capital USA). It's the home of Deena (Kiana Madeira) who is generally unhappy living in deadbeatsville, and is experiencing a deeper depression due to the fact that her ex-boyfriend, Sam (Olivia Scott Welch) has relocated to the much better-off Sunnyvale. The tensions in the town are heightened during a memorial service to remember the mall worker who was killed A tragic accident results in Deena and Sam uncomfortable together. But reconciliation isn't on their plans as it becomes evident that the urban legend surrounding Shadyside's macabre reputation — which is primarily an occult curse that was cast by the witch Sarah Fier at the time of 1666 may have some truth to it. Thus, Deena and Sam, together with the Scooby Doo gang of Deena's friends, band together to cleanse the town of its supernatural curse.
It's full of fun in the horror genre and a pleasingly bloody (but not disgusting) with a touch of imagination and verve. The classic horror scenarios, such as babysitting woodlands and a hospital, as well as a high school -All are played out as a killer with a skull, mad axeman, and Gothic Enchantress ("Normal bitches do not bleed in black blood") create a the stakes in a merry hell. However, what Fear Street Part 1: 1994 is perfect is when played by a cast that is mostly undiscovered The central teens in the film are very enjoyable. Kianac and Welch make an attractive couple, and the film wears its bizarre couple characters lightly on its blood-stained sleeves. The central two are surrounded by Flores Jr. is winning as Deena's younger brother Josh who happens to be an expert in the field of supernatural and serial killers, which means he can keep the story in motion. Julia Rehwald is great fun playing Kate as an overachiever who has a the sideline of drug dealing Fred Hechinger provides excellent comic relief as the boyfriend of Kate Simon. Teenagers like to enjoy cheeseburgers, listen The Pixies (it is '94) and get naked. What is the reason you shouldn't root for them?
Alongside the Pixies, Fear Street is also a delight to watch for things from the 90s that you might have missed such as AOL chat rooms pages, chat rooms, Sophie B Hawkins (Dayum I'd like to be your love). At the end, the running around begins to become a bit monotonous and, considering that there are two episodes left to go do not expect a narrative conclusion. However, Janiak's direction is sharp and full of wit (it's the color palette is a riot of colors) and delivering a story with real unexpected twists. As the death count rises it's difficult to predict who will make it to the credits at the end which is in a genre that's often filled with a sense of shaky predictableness, is no small achievement.
