Bruce Dickinson really loves to yell “Scream for me” when on stage, and since Eddie is a horror staple, it’s practically kismet that it fits as the title for a movie review.

I’ll make this review pretty simple- if you like horror movies, go see Scre4m. If you don’t, then skip it.

What, you’re still reading? OK, I’ll go into more details. The Scream movies have always been very clever with references to other horror films, and Scre4m carries on in fine form. You’ll see some nice discussions of the structure of horror films and who dies first, which is akin to sci-fi fans talking about redshirts and whether Han or Greedo shot first. If you’re into the genre it’s interesting,but if you’re not, you’ll likely be lost.

Scre4m follows the familiar formula of setting up a bunch of potential villans, then kills them off one by one. The final act has the typical scene where they explain exactly why they were murderous and how they did it, and you have the expected false ending. It’s predictable, but enjoyable.

I’ve thought for some time that Wes Craven is the heir apparent to George Romero as a horror director.  Instead of going strictly for shock and gross out scenes, he explores the reasons why society is interested in seeing an innocent person get killed in a gruesome manner.  Scre4m has some interesting themes about the nature and worth of fame, and in between murders you have something about which to think. The opening effectively lampoons the horror genre, and Anna Paquin has a nice cameo.

The cast is full of pretty people, and the eye candy is nice, except there is no gratuitous nudity, so that’s a minor disappointment. Though I can’t really expect Hayden Panettiere to get naked on screen I suppose. She needs to have a few flops before she needs nudity to rescue her career.

If you need a rating to conclude a review, I’ll grade this movie on the length of Iron Maiden songs.  On a scale of Massacre to Rime of the Ancient Mariner, Scre4m is a solid Seventh Son of a Seventh Son.