Scream 2 (1997) Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox, Liev Schreiber, David Arquette, Jamie Kennedy, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Jada Pinkett, Jerry O'Connell, Luarie Metcalf, Tim Olyphant. Directed by Wes Craven *** stars (out of *****)
Review by Ed Johnson-Ott, NUVO Newsweekly For more reviews, go to www.nuvo-online.com and click on "film."
"I wrote "Scream" to draw attention to itself," said Kevin Williamson in a interview earlier this fall. "I sat down and said "All right Kevin, stop being an artist, you're unemployed and starving, be a businessman". I looked around to see what was missing, what wasn't happening in the film market, and decided to take a shot at scary movies. I thought if people saw the script they might think I had a voice for something else. Then it sold. Who could have dreamed all of this would happen?"
Williamson's basic concept was a great one; a slasher movie populated with slasher movie fans who knew all the rules of the genre. No one would mistake "Scream" for great art, but the cagey mixture of comedy and horror, packed to the hilt with pop culture references, was wildly entertaining, and the film blew the roof off of theaters last December.
"Scream 2" was created quickly, both to capitalize on the success of the original and to insure the availability of Williamson, director Wes Craven ("A Nightmare On Elm Street") and those actors whose characters survived the original film. Like the "Star Trek" movies, "Scream 2" operates on the assumption that audiences have seen the original and remember who's who. For those who came in late, here's a quick refresher course.
On the anniversary eve of her mother's murder, Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) is horrified to learn that two of her classmates were brutally killed. In short order, she receives a call from the killer, a movie freak who taunts her with questions about slasher films. Sidney barely survives an assault from the maniac in a ghost mask, then finds herself in the center of a media circus. Tabloid reporter Gale Weathers (Courtney Cox) relentlessly pursues Sidney and her friends, enlisting the aide of Deputy Dwight "Dewey" Reilly (David Arquette) in her attempts to get the story. Sidney hates Weathers for cashing in on her personal tragedy with a book that questioned her mother's morals and challenged Sidney's identification of Cotton Weary (Liev Schreiber) as the man who killed her mom. After a night of incredible violence, Sidney learns that Weathers was right.
Jump to a year later, as Sidney attends college and tries to put the horror behind her. "Scream 2" begins a few blocks from the school, at a sneak preview for "Stab," the film based on Gale Weather's book about the murders. The unusually generous promoters pass out Ghostface masks, cowls and plastic knives to the excited young audience, who have a ball hooting at the cheesy horror film (when the "Stab" heroine receives the initial call from the killer and panics, an audience member shouts "Bitch, hang up and Star 69 his ass!") until a real killing happens right in the theater. For Sidney, Dewey (now a security guard at the college,) fellow survivor Randy (Jamie Kennedy) and Gale Weathers, the nightmare has started again.
Williamson and Craven knew exactly what made "Scream" click, and they get the same elements cooking here. Sidney is a drama major and Randy is a film student, creating a natural context for the requisite movie references and in-jokes. "Stab," the film within a film, offers more opportunities for pop culture riffing. Luckily, Williamson was smart enough not to overdo the humor. There's lots of laughs in "Scream 2," but not so many as to undermine the fear factor. In fact, the attacks are actually a bit more intense here than in the original, thanks to some innovative set pieces. The ingenious opening in a darkened theater, with dozens of audience members dressed as Ghostface, delivers just the right blend of horror and giggles. An outdoor scene, with the four survivors standing together in an large open area as the killer taunts them by cell phone, generates real tension. The highlight of the film comes as Sidney rehearses a play, surrounded by a robed, masked Greek chorus. Scored by Danny Elfman, the sequence becomes more and more surreal as Sidney tries in vain to suppress her fear amidst the swirling masked figures. Craven's camera work in the segment is exceptional, reminiscent of the best classic horror films.
Despite many strong moments, "Scream 2" is slightly less satisfying than the original. There are simply too many characters (when the identity of a key character is revealed, my first thought was "now which one was he? ") and the climax of the film is convoluted and awkward. Still, winning performances (particularly from Arquette and Cox, who create sparks together,) some exceptional set pieces, and the sheer ingeniousness of the concept keep the franchise afloat. "Scream 2" may be little more than cinematic fast-food, but the stuff is still pretty tasty.
copyright 1997, Ed Johnson-Ott
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