Scream 2 Review
by Seth Bookey (sethbook AT panix DOT com)February 13th, 1998
Scream 2 (1997)
Seen on 20 December 1997 with Lynne and Sandy at the Great Neck Squire for $24 for their birthdays.
Sequels, especially to successful horror movies, are renowned for their failure to retain the spirit and character of the original. But, director Wes Craven and writer Kevin Williamson have teamed up again and created not only a sequel that stands up on its own, but another effective horror movie.
It's a year after the murders in *Scream*, and a movie, "Stab", is capitalizing on the sensationalism. This puts the spotlight on Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) again, and it puts her in danger again, as murders mirroring the incidents from the year before start happening around the campus. Also back from the original are Jamie Kennedy as the geeky Randy Meeks, David Arquette as the bumbling deputy Dewey Riley, Courteney Cox as the ambitious TV reporter (and "Stab" author) Gale Weathers, and Liev Schreiber as the innocent victim and possible killer Cotton Weary.
There are also a lot of newcomers, and a lot of dead people by the end of the movie.
There is also a lot of parodying from other horror movies, and from *Scream* itself. Having seen *Scream* is a plus, but I think *Scream 2* succeeds on its own. But, if you saw the first movie, seeing Tori Spelling recreating the opening of Scream in the opening of "Stab," it's a lot more fun--more than just how funny it is seeing Tori Spelling in *anything.*
Unlike most horror movies, *Scream 2* actually shows the intelligence of its creators in the dialogue and the cinematography. Added but not necessary are discussions of sequels that were better than the originals, the film within a film, Gale being hounded by grade-B local reporter Debbie Salt (Laurie Metcalf), and the terror for Sidney as she is surrounded by masked figures while rehearsing in a Greek tragedy. There is also a wonderful scene where the killer has called his next victim on a cellular phone while in the middle of a campus quad.
I don't want to give too much away, so I'll just finish by saying that the movie plays with the cliches without succumbing to them, and that the cast really does a great job in this surprisingly literate film. It's always wonderful to watch a movie of the genre created by people who love it.
The only thing I didn't like about the movie was its title. I would've liked any of the alternate working titles: *Scream Again*, *Scream Louder*, or *Scream: The Sequel*. Then there's my idea: *Keep Screaming*. Apparently, there is a Scream 3 in the works. Let's hope it lives up to its two predecessors.
Also starring Sarah Michelle Gellar, Elise Neal, Jerry O'Connell, Jada Pinkett, Omar Epps, Rebecca Gayheart, and Malcolm McDowell as the film professor. Cinematography by Peter Deming.
----------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright (c) 1997, 1998 Seth J. Bookey, New York, NY 10021
More movie reviews by Seth Bookey, with graphics, can be found at http://www.geocities.com/Athens/2679/kino.html
Originally posted in the rec.arts.movies.reviews newsgroup. Copyright belongs to original author unless otherwise stated. We take no responsibilities nor do we endorse the contents of this review.
