[Editorial] The Evolution of Gale Weathers
As one of only three characters to survive all four Scream movies so far, Gale Weathers (Courtney Cox) is worthy of analysis for that feat alone. However, as almost a secondary ‘Final Girl’, Gale’s evolution throughout the series is much different from that of Sidney’s.
While Sidney’s journey is about making peace with her past, Gale’s is a more personal one. Through the trauma she endures, Gale truly discovers the type of person she wants to be, and it is at odds with who she is when she first appears.
Her evolution is also not one where she must learn to face danger and fight. Her ability to do that is evident from the final act of Scream. When she and Dewey discover Neil Prescott’s car, she races back to the house with him with the full knowledge that she could be running head first into the murderer. Even when she recovers from the van crash, after discovering the mutilated body of her cameraman, Gale does not go for help. She arms herself and enters the house to find Billy and Stu gloating about their crimes. Even though she fails to strike the final blow, Gale shoots Billy, without hesitation. In all aspects of her life, Gale Weathers knows she needs to act with confidence and self-assurance.
When we are first introduced to her in Scream, she immediately makes a statement. Not only by way of her neon green clothes, but because she has a tumultuous relationship with Sidney – one which will continue well into Scream 2 – due to a book she has written which questions the version of events surrounding Maureen Prescott’s death. Gale is cutthroat and single minded. She only cares about getting the story, no matter what the cost to those around her. Throughout most of the first movie, all that matters to her is to be the first one to get the scoop. She is completely unapologetic when confronted by Sidney:
Gale: Your mother's murder was last year's hottest court case. Someone was gonna write a book about it.
Sidney : Right, and it had to be you, with all your lies and bullshit theories.
Gale: What is your problem? You got what you wanted. Cotton Weary's in jail, they're gonna’ gas him. A book is not gonna change that.
Gale’s initial motivation for wanting to clear Cotton Weary is murky. She has written a bestselling book, not only about Maureen’s murder, but also on the sensational idea that Cotton is completely innocent, despite Sidney’s eyewitness testimony. However, in Scream 2, Gale’s desire to have Cotton and Sidney meet face to face is a selfish one. She is desperate to surprise Sidney with the confrontation and capture the whole thing on camera - another ‘shock jock’ tactic designed to purely boost her profile and gain attention. When her cameraman calls her out on her behaviour, she responds that she’s “not here to be loved”. However, it is precisely love that plays a part in her change - the love of small town Deputy, Dewey.
A flirtation between the two has soured in the second film, not least in part to her unflattering portrayal of Dewey in her follow-up book chronicling the events of Scream. Her attempts to smooth things over between the two initially fail. The two bicker on and off but find themselves falling back into each other’s arms by the time the film reaches its climax. Once again, Gale finds herself in the middle of the final confrontation between Sidney and her would-be killers, and acts accordingly, once again using a gun to take down one of the murderers. Fearing Dewey has been killed, she prepares to report on the night’s events to camera, but upon seeing he has survived, shuns the spotlight to be with him. At that moment, Gale has truly grown. With a choice between the fame and acclaim she constantly seeks and the man she loves, she chooses love.
Gale’s attempt to make changes for Dewey don’t stop as Scream 2 ends - indeed, in the third instalment of the franchise, once the pair reunite, it is revealed they attempted a relationship that did not work. This time, after the death of Cotton Weary in the opening scene, Gale is pulled back into Sidney’s world instead of placing herself in it, when Detective Kincaid speaks to her about the previous murders. Not content to let that be her only involvement, however, she takes it upon herself to fly to Hollywood, the location of filming for Stab 3. This time, however, there is little mention of Gale’s involvement here being one of fame-seeking, or a research opportunity to write another book. Gale feels useful in this situation - she has helped take down two of the previous killers, and she is capable of defending herself and others. She has survived so far. Gale is as linked to the events thus far as much as Sidney.
Scream 4 presents perhaps the most rounded, yet unhappy version of Gale, married to Dewey and seemingly settled in Woodsboro. But she is jealous of Dewey’s bubbly deputy and struggling with writers’ block. A spree of new Ghostface murders ignites in her something important. Gale knows her role whenever the murders begin, and she plays her part well. She enjoys feeling useful and important, perhaps in a way that even her writing career fails to do. In the final film, Gale is indeed looking for inspiration, but she is also looking for part of herself that she feels is missing. The part of her that knows her involvement, the role she has played since Scream, is far more impactful and meaningful than anything else she has done or produced.
Gale Weathers transforms herself from vindictive shrew to caring wife and friend, who has no issue putting her life on the line for those she loves. Throughout everything she still retains her no-bullshit attitude, and in finding her new purpose during the franchise, she never loses her true self.
When people think of horror films, slashers are often the first thing that comes to mind. The sub-genres also spawned a wealth of horror icons: Freddy, Jason, Michael, Chucky - characters so recognisable we’re on first name terms with them. In many ways the slasher distills the genre down to some of its fundamental parts - fear, violence and murder.
Throughout September we were looking at slasher films, and therefore we decided to cover a slasher film that could be considered as an underrated gem in the horror genre. And the perfect film for this was Franck Khalfoun’s 2012 remake of MANIAC.
In the late seventies and early eighties, one man was considered the curator of all things gore in America. During the lovingly named splatter decade, Tom Savini worked on masterpieces of blood and viscera like Dawn of the Dead (1978), a film which gained the attention of hopeful director William Lustig, a man only known for making pornography before his step into horror.
Looking for some different slasher film recommendations? Then look no fruther as Ariel Powers-Schaub has 13 non-typical slasher horror films for you to watch.
Even though they are not to my personal liking, there is no denying that slasher films have been an important basis for the horror genre, and helped to build the foundations for other sub-genres throughout the years.
But some of the most terrifying horrors are those that take place entirely under the skin, where the mind is the location of the fear. Psychological horror has the power to unsettle by calling into question the basis of the self - one's own brain.
On Saturday, 17th June 2023, I sat down with two friends to watch The Human Centipede (First Sequence) (2009) and The Human Centipede 2 (Full Sequence) (2012). I was nervous to be grossed out (I can’t really handle the idea of eating shit) but excited to cross these two films off my list.
Many of the most effective horror films involve blurring the lines between waking life and a nightmare. When women in horror are emotionally and psychologically manipulated – whether by other people or more malicious supernatural forces – viewers are pulled into their inner worlds, often left with a chilling unease and the question of where reality ends and the horror begins.
Body horror is one of the fundamental pillars of the horror genre and crops up in some form or another in a huge variety of works. There's straightforward gore - the inherent horror of seeing the body mutilated, and also more nuanced fears.
In the sweaty summer of 1989, emerging like a monochrome migraine from the encroaching shadow of Japan’s economic crash, Shin’ya Tsukamoto’s Tetsuo: The Iron Man shocked and disgusted the (very few) audiences originally in attendance.
Whether it's the havoc wreaked on the human body during pregnancy, emotional turmoil producing tiny murderous humans or simply a body turning on its owner, body horror films tend to be shocking. But while they're full of grotesque imagery, they're also full of thoughtful premises and commentary, especially when it comes to women, trauma, and power.
The human body is a thing of wonder and amazement–the way it heals itself, regenerates certain parts and can withstand pain and suffering to extreme extents. But the human body can also be a thing of disgust and revulsion–with repugnant distortions, oozing fluids and rotting viscera.
This June we’ve been looking at originals and their remakes—and whilst we don’t always agree with horror film remakes, some of them often bring a fresh perspective to the source material. For this episode, we are looking at the remake of one of the most controversial exploitation films, The Last House on the Left (2009).
The year was 1968 and a young man named George A. Romero had shot his first film, a horror movie that would change the world of cinema and not just horror cinema, at that. Night of the Living Dead (1968), would go on to become one of the most important and famous horror films of all time as it tackled not only survival horror but also very taboo and shocking topics like cannibalism and matricide.
In the end I decided to indulge myself by picking eight of my favourite shorts, and choosing features to pair with them that would work well as a double bill. The pairs might be similar in tone, subject or style; some of the shorts are clearly influenced by their paired movie, while others predate the features.
RELATED ARTICLES
Films that blend horror with romance always fascinate me; add a niche contemporary setting that I’ve never heard of before and I’m hooked. Cannibal Mukbang was made by Aimee Kuge, a young woman from New York, and I was privileged to spend a little time talking with her over Zoom…
Now it’s time for Soho’s main 2023 event, which is presented over two weekends: a live film festival at the Whirled Cinema in Brixton, London, and an online festival a week later. Both have very rich and varied programmes (with no overlap this year), with something for every horror fan.
In the six years since its release the Nintendo Switch has amassed an extensive catalogue of games, with everything from puzzle platformer games to cute farming sims to, uh, whatever Waifu Uncovered is.
A Quiet Place (2018) opens 89 days after a race of extremely sound-sensitive creatures show up on Earth, perhaps from an exterritorial source. If you make any noise, even the slightest sound, you’re likely to be pounced upon by these extremely strong and staggeringly fast creatures and suffer a brutal death.
Have I told you about Mayhem Film Festival before? It’s a favourite event of mine, so I’ve blurted about it in anticipation to many people I know. The event has just passed, so now is the time to gush its praises to those I don’t know.
Loop Track, Thomas Sainsbury’s directorial debut, has such a sparse description that it’s really difficult to know what you’re stepping into when it starts. It’s about Ian (played by the director), who is taking a trek through the New Zealand bush….
For a movie that doesn’t even mention the word “vampire” once throughout the length of the film, Near Dark (1987) is a unique entry in the vampire film genre.
If you like cults, sacrificial parties, and lesbian undertones then Mona Awad’s Bunny is the book for you. Samantha, a student at a prestigious art university, feels isolated from her cliquey classmates, ‘the bunnies’.
Kicking off on Tuesday 17th October, the 2023 edition considers the cinematic, social and cultural significance of the possessed, supernatural and unclean body onscreen.
I was aware of the COVID-19 pandemic before I knew that’s what it would be called, and before it ever affected me personally. My husband is always on top of world events, and in late 2019, he explained what was happening around the globe.
Metal and horror have many aspects in common. The passionate fanbase for both genres attend festivals and has created strong communities. Horror and Metal fans often sport clothing depicting their favourite bands or films, almost like a uniform.
EXPLORE
Now it’s time for Soho’s main 2023 event, which is presented over two weekends: a live film festival at the Whirled Cinema in Brixton, London, and an online festival a week later. Both have very rich and varied programmes (with no overlap this year), with something for every horror fan.
In the six years since its release the Nintendo Switch has amassed an extensive catalogue of games, with everything from puzzle platformer games to cute farming sims to, uh, whatever Waifu Uncovered is.
A Quiet Place (2018) opens 89 days after a race of extremely sound-sensitive creatures show up on Earth, perhaps from an exterritorial source. If you make any noise, even the slightest sound, you’re likely to be pounced upon by these extremely strong and staggeringly fast creatures and suffer a brutal death.
If you like cults, sacrificial parties, and lesbian undertones then Mona Awad’s Bunny is the book for you. Samantha, a student at a prestigious art university, feels isolated from her cliquey classmates, ‘the bunnies’.
The slasher sub genre has always been huge in the world of horror, but after the ‘70s and ‘80s introduced classic characters like Freddy Krueger, Michael Myers, Leatherface, and Jason, it’s not harsh to say that the ‘90s was slightly lacking in the icon department.
Mother is God in the eyes of a child, and it seems God has abandoned the town of Silent Hill. Silent Hill is not a place you want to visit.
Being able to see into the future or back into the past is a superpower that a lot of us would like to have. And while it may seem cool, in horror movies it usually involves characters being sucked into terrifying situations as they try to save themselves or other people with the information they’ve gleaned in their visions.
Both the original Pet Sematary (1989) and its 2019 remake are stories about the way death and grief can affect people in different ways. And while the films centre on Louis Creed and his increasingly terrible decision-making process, there’s no doubt that the story wouldn’t pack the same punch or make the same sense without his wife, Rachel.
I can sometimes go months without having a panic attack. Unfortunately, this means that when they do happen, they often feel like they come out of nowhere. They can come on so fast and hard it’s like being hit by a bus, my breath escapes my body, and I can’t get it back.