Scream 2(1997).It has been two years since the tragic events at Woodsboro. Sidney Prescott and Randy Meeks are trying to get on with their lives, and are currently both students at Windsor College. Cotton Weary is out of prison, and is trying to cash in on his unfortunate incarceration. Gale Weathers has written a bestseller, "The Woodsboro Murders," which has been turned into the film, "Stab," starring Tori Spelling as Sidney. As the film's play date approaches, the cycle of death begins anew. Dewey Riley immediately flies out of Woodsboro to try to protect Sidney, his "surrogate sister." But in this sequel to the 1996 horror film, the number of suspects only goes down as the body count slowly goes up! Written byPhil Fernando... Synopsis Scream 2(1997)
Movie Title: Scream 2(1997)
Run Time: 120 min
Rating: 6.0 / 10
Genres: Horror |Mystery
Release Date: 12 December 1997 (USA)
Director: Wes Craven
Writer: Kevin Williamson (characters),Kevin Williamson... and other credits
Actor: Neve Campbell,Courteney Cox,David Arquette
I'm just not buying into the bad rating for this film, in 1996 Wes Craven's Scream reinvigorated an ailing genre and got fans back into the horror groove. The love for that film, I feel, tends to skew opinions of the second instalment in what became the Scream trilogy, Scream 2 seams perfectly from its starting point to up the daring ante, and plonk tongue even further into its cheek.
Sidney Prescott has moved on from the horrendous murders in Woodsboro and is in college getting on with her life, but the peace and hope for a bright future is quickly shattered because the Scream killer is back for more carnage.....
The films opening perfectly sets out the tone for the entire picture, we see a cinema full of fake knife wielding youths dressed as the Scream killer, the film they are watching is Stab, the story of the Woodsboro murders. It's a wry commentary moment from Wes Craven, but in truth it's just one of many he makes in the film, the in joke about sequels never gets tired, and the boo jump scare moments are all there to enjoy. Red Herrings come and go, and all the great characters who survived the first film are back again. Dewey & Gale get fleshed out a bit more, and one time caged innocent {and chief suspect} Cotton Weary is now a major character just begging us to find out if he's hero or villain.
This is a sharply scripted piece of work, it knows its aims and delivers what it sets out to do, it benefits from a brilliant sound mix to emphasise the mayhem, and Craven is something of a master in racking up the tension. Laugh and be scared is the order of the day, so sit back and enjoy a film that to me proves that not all sequels suck. Oh the ending does not disappoint at all I have to say.
Scream 2 is a very worthy and enjoyable companion piece to the first film, very much so. 8/10
