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What Scream did so exceptionally well was a number of things First, it was a top notch thriller, with well drawn characters, good plot twists and clever references to other movies. It was also what you’d call a “self-aware” movie, firmly establishing its own rules, breaking them and setting the stage for every other slasher flick to follow in its wake. So director Wes Craven and writer Kevin Williamson, both reeling in the success of the first Scream and “I Know What You Did Last Summer” re-teamed and wasted no time in getting a sequel to Scream on the go. It would be a tough job; matching the brilliance of the first film, while also staying true to its roots, and also breaking new ground in the process. And did they achieve that? Gladly, yes.
Scream 2 is just as self aware of itself as it’s predecessor. In an insane opening scene, set in a movie theatre, the entire audience is dressed in the black cloaks and masks worn by the killer from the first film. Gail Weathers, the determined reporter who survived the attacks in Woodsboro, has written a book about the ordeal, which is then handed over to Hollywood and made into a movie called “Stab”. It’s cheesy and mediocre at best and its own opening scene is a recreation of the killings of Casey Becker and her boyfriend, the victims from the start of Scream. So, at this point, you’re at the movies (or watching at home) viewing characters go to the movies, to watch a movie about incidents that happened the year before. To them, the incidents were real, but now as a movie, it just seems like another horror flick. But the reality for these characters is about to become it’s own horror movie, as amidst the chaos and craziness of Stab’s premiere, a young college couple are brutally murdered in the theatre, and no one does a thing because they think it’s just a publicity stunt for the movies. Talk about art imitating life, imitating art. And it’s the perfect cover for a new killer, wearing the same mask and black cloak, to become a copycat, and the murders start all over again.
From that outlandish and over the top opening scene, we’re whisked away to the fancy grounds of Windsor College, where Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) our surviving girl from the first film, is trying to live a normal life. She’s also joined by fellow Scream-survivor Randy, as well as new boyfriend Derek, new bff Halle, and Derek’s friend Mikey. It doesn’t take long for the news of the Stab movie premier murders to reach the college grounds, as the murdered couple were students there. And this also brings Gail Weathers back on the scene in full force reporting the carnage and promoting her book-into-a-movie phenomenon which was the setting for the murders. Then out of the woods, Duey shows up, still limping from the injury he sustained in Woodsboro. The whole gang is reunited, and how perfect that is for the new killer(s) to start carving up new victims and send Sidney running for her life.
As the original scream was aware of its place as a movie about scary movies, Scream 2 tackles the enigma of the Sequel. In a discussion in Randy’s film class, the students are discussing the murders and claim the new killer is trying to make his own real life sequel. “Stab 2? Who would want to do that?” Randy asks “Sequels suck!”. This sparks a debate amongst the passionate film students of course, who then go into a full on argument over the movies sequels that surpassed their originals. It’s a fun scene to watch, especially for any movie buff. And Randy is the quintessential movie buff, who also steps in like he did in Scream to clearly lay out the rules of the sequel.
Rule #1 – The body count is always higher.
Rule #2 - The death scenes are always much more elaborate. More blood more gore.
So in essence, the first movie set the rules. Scream 2 sets out to bend the rules, and just as Randy predicted, more people are killed and in much more elaborate ways. The suspects also go through the roof, with all eyes on Sidney’s new boyfriend. But then… just to mix things up even more, Cotton Weary shows up on the scene.
WARNING – SPOILER ALERT - For those of you not familiar with the Scream storyline, Sidney’s mother was murdered two years before the events in this film. The man arrested for her murder was Cotton, who she was also having an affair with. Sidney identified Cotton leaving their home the night her mother was murdered, so he was charged and sent to jail, awaiting the death sentence. But then, Sidney’s boyfriend and his pal (who were the killers from the first Scream) confess they were the ones who murdered Sidney’s mother, and framed Cotton. Once the events of the first murders are over and Sidney survives, Cotton is released, and gets straight to work on trying to position himself as a celebrity with a story to tell. As he arrives on the grounds of Windsor College, he makes his motivations known to Sidney, which is to get an exclusive TV interview with her. When she’s say no, he gets aggravated and shows he still has a dark side, regardless of being an innocent man.
One by one, most of the films characters are picked off by the killer(s). Ghostface’s trademark phone calls with the raspy voice are back, as well as jumping out of closets and disappearing into the shadows. Sidney escapes death more than once, and tries to keep her sanity while she is pursued, and those around her are being murdered.
What made Scream 2 stand out for me as a movie in my teens is just how well it captured the excitement of the franchise at its peak. The first sequel came out quickly after the original, which in some cases can result in a bad film, but even with its rushed production, this is a smashing sequel. It doesn’t top the original of course, but it gets pretty bloody close. It’s also lots of fun. I was blown away by its opening scene, with hundreds of movie goers sitting in a theatre wearing the hottest scary mask in the world. Shortly after seeing this film, I went and bought my own Scream mask. And I was totally a little jerk with it. I used to scare my younger sister constantly, usually waiting till she walked home from school (as I would get home just a minute before her) put on the mask and be waiting at the front door for her. She hated it, and I probably traumatised her. I know I scared the crap out of one her good friends, and eighteen years later, she still recalls the time I scared her with my Scream mask. She hasn’t forgotten it. Sorry (you know who you are). But you’ve got to admit it was pretty funny.
Scream 2 also showed me how good movies could be, when made with a sense of excitement, passion and skill. After the first film came out, we teens of the 90’s were overwhelmed with slasher flicks, and many of them just couldn’t live up to their own hype. Scream 2 was captivating; making me jump, making me think and making me laugh. And for a slasher flick, that’s a pretty good achievement. Over the years two more sequels came out, but this second instalment is still the best of the bunch.
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