Scream 2 (1997)

I would argue that this is the most loaded cast in horror movie history.  Look at this list of actors: Neve Campbell, David Arquette, Courtney Cox, Jamie Kennedy, Jerry O’Connell, Timothy Olyphant, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Liev Schreiber, Laurie Metcalf, Duane Martin, Jada Pinkett, Omar Epps, Rebecca Gayheart, Portia De Rossi, Luke Wilson, Heather Graham, Tori Spelling, and Joshua Jackson.  That is absurd!

I don’t think that you’d be here unless you knew the film pretty well by this point.  Lots of sequel references.  Lots of misleading tactics to make us wonder who the killer is.  Once again, this has a great opening scene with Omar and Jada at the movie theater to see the premiere of Stab, which is a parody of Scream, or basically the story that Gale wrote and got picked up for a film.  Stab plays a role throughout the rest of the franchise so the films can be self-referential, or meta as the cool kids like to say nowadays.

As far as direct horror sequels go, meaning a part 2, this is definitely top 5 all time, and probably top 3.  When you think about sequels, you have Halloween 2, which may or may not count now, Aliens, Saw 2, Devil’s Rejects, Dawn of the Dead, 28 Weeks Later, Ghostbusters 2, and there are a few others I am forgetting.  Child’s Play 2, Sleepaway Camp 2, Friday the 13th 2, Phantasm 2, Hostel 2, and a few others are in the very decent conversation. I think Bride of Frankenstein belongs up there among all-time greats.  Still, that’s not a huge list.

I felt that Liev Schreiber, Jamie Kennedy, Jerry O’Connell, Laurie Metcalf, Jada Pinkett, and Olyphant all shined in this one.  Well, that’s along with the trinity of Neve, Courtney, and David.  I really enjoyed this film.  I remember when I first saw this, I openly questioned if it was a better film than the original.  I don’t think that it is, but it is damn close.

Rating: 7.5 = I love this movie.  It does everything that you want a sequel to do.  I don’t know what more you can ask for.  The final fight and reveal all made some sense.  This worked.  Plus Rebecca Gayheart and Jerry O’Connell are guilty pleasures of mine.

All the pictures used in this blog are for review purposes. They are the property of:

• Dimension Films (presents)
• Konrad Pictures
• Craven-Maddalena Films (in association with) (as Craven/Maddalena Films)
• Miramax (copyright holder) (as Miramax Film Corp.)
• Maven Entertainment (uncredited)

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