Scream 2 (1997)

Starring - Neve Campbell; David Arquette; Courtney Cox; Liev Schreiber & Sarah Michelle Gellar Director - Wes Craven MPAA - Rated R for language and strong bloody violence. Somebody is taking their love of sequels too far; although it isn't Wes Craven. If ever a horror movie deserved a sequel, it was Scream. The original was, in this reviewer's humble opinion, the best horror film of all time. While scream 2 might not be number 2 on the list, it is certainly top 5. Scream 2 picks up a couple of years after the first movie left off. Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) has gone off to university as has one of the few survivors of the first blood bath, film trivia buff Randy Meeks (Jamie Kennedy) who steals most of the scenes he is in, as he did in the first film. Enough time has elapsed so that journalist Gale Weathers (Courtney Cox) has written a book about the original murders, and it has been made into its own slasher flick "Stab". The release of Stab has obviously given someone a few ideas. The murders begin again. It seems our friend in the black cloak and ghoulish white mask has been lurking around again and toting a very sharp knife that is just perfect for carving up coeds at Sidney's university. Also returning from the first film is David Arquette playing Deputy Dewey Riley. Joining the cast for this go round are Buffy The Vampire Slayer's Sarah Michelle Gellar as a sorority sister and Slider's Jerry O'Connell as Sidney's new boyfriend. It is hard to compare the sequel to the original. Scream 2 has the same great dialogue as the first film and continues the great parody of slasher films and pop culture. The only problem is it is not as new any more. When Scream came out no one had ever seen a slasher film so well made before, so it had the extra advantage of never having been tried. With scream 2, the solid writing and plot twists are expected, so in small way it takes a little bit of the fun out of it. Scream 2 is definitely the best horror films you will see this year; although Screenwriter Kevin Williamson's other horror film of 1997, I Know What You Did Last Summer, is close second. A word to the wise though, this is not a film for younger children or the easily upset. This is a very violent and bloody film. Those that saw the first film will know what to expect. Word to the wise #2 -- Those that haven't seen the first film should go out and rent it before seeing Scream 2. Unlike the slasher films of yore this movie has a plot and that plot is heavily dependent upon the fact that the audience has to be real familiar with the events of the first movie. Trust me, if you haven't seen the first film, not only will you miss out on most of the inside jokes in the film you will be completely lost before you get halfway through this movie. It is great to see TV stars Courtney Cox, Neve Campbell, Sarah Michelle Gellar and Jerry O'Connell move to the big screen. It proves that TV stars really can carry a big screen effort; although, they owe a lot of thanks to Kevin Williamson's screenplay and the direction of Wes Craven. I guess if you put all the right people together on a project you can't help making a good movie. Too bad Hollywood doesn't come to that conclusion more often. 8/10 - One of the best horror films you will see this year. Reviewed December 12, 1997 by Joe Chamberlain