My History With the Film:
Scream 2 came out rather quickly after the first film. I remember being blown away by the trailer because I never imagined they could get a sequel out so fast. I was still active in the online horror community and for the most part the reception was pretty negative, which made me approach the film with extreme caution. But once it hit VHS I rented it and enjoyed it.
I’ve never been a huge fan of the ending of this film, but I’ve come to accept it and it gets a yearly watch along with the
rest of the franchise from me.
What The Film Is About (Non-Spoiler):
Two years after the first string of murders, new murders start occurring around Sidney and those she loves.
What I Liked About It:
-The college campus setting is fantastic. It still feels small and contained like Woodsboro, but also diverse enough for some interesting settings.
-The running meta commentary continues and is arguably better than the first film. At times it feels like scenes were created just for conversations to occur, but it all served the film and outlined the rules of sequels and what typically is expected.
-The film opens with another solid opening scene, and while its nowhere near as effective and memorable as the first film, the bathroom scene has always been burned into my brain as well as the crowd’s reaction in the theater.
-The filmmakers realized Randy’s popularity from the first film and chose to give him more scenes to work with. He comes off as one of the better characters in Scream 2.
-Three of my 90’s crushes appeared in this film: Sarah Michelle Gellar, Heather Graham, and Rebecca Gayheart.
-The film class scene.
What I Didn’t Like About It:
-I absolutely adore Timothy Olyphant’s acting and Deadwood/Justified are two of my favorite TV shows, but his performance in this film is not his finest hour. I’ve never been able to tell if he was just so new to acting he hadn’t developed yet, or if his performance of Mickey is just how he chose to play him. The scene at the theater is pretty cringe worthy at times.
-Jerry O’Connell is very uneven in this film. His character is crucial to the story and yet you have a hard time rooting for or against him.
–(SPOILER ALERT) Randy’s death was enjoyable, but unnecessary and ultimately hurt the franchise.
Additional Notes:
-Was followed by Scream 3 in 2000 and Scream 4 in 2011. A television series set outside of the world of the film began in 2015.
-Robert Rodriguez directed the scenes in “Stab” the movie inside the movie.
-The film began filming just six months after the release of Scream and was released less than a year after Scream.
-Joshua Jackson was cast in Dawson’s Creek (created by Kevin Williamson) just a year following his role in Scream 2.
–Music by Hans Zimmer from the film Broken Arrow was used as placeholder music for Dewey, but the audience reacted so well to it that it was left in.
Rating:
I’m a fan of Scream 2, but I still prefer the first film. Scream 2 is a four out of five and a must own.
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