 The more I watch 'Scream 2', the more I tend to consider it the chapter of the franchise I hold closest to my heart. This movie is the first sequel to a film that, while being a legitimate slasher horror, is also a parody of the whole genre. 'Scream 2' does a good job of carrying through that parody and, again, while still a solid slasher, brings in a solid bunch of stereotypes about sequels, which, in turn, makes this chapter dip in quality a little, but that dip is also, oddly, part of the film's charm.
Since the events of the first film, a movie called 'Stab' has been released based on them. Attending a sneak preview of the film are a couple of college seniors - Maureen (Jada Pinkett Smith) and Phil (Omar Epps), who double up on the first film's intro with Drew Barrymore's famous face. Remembering that this is a sequel-parody about sequels, moments like this are what make the movie fun. It doesn't stop there, either. There are many sequel tropes throughout the film, along with little "two" nods, like the two Ghostfaces at the urinals in the accompanying photo. Following a tragic incident at the aforementioned 'Stab' screening, another media circus once again descends upon Sidney Prescott's (Neve Campbell) school, this time Windsor College in Ohio, far from California, where the original film was set, which may be a Wes Craven nod to the town of 'Springwood, CA' being retconned to 'Springwood, OH' in 'Freddy's Dead. But I digress. Among these reporters are the not-so-likeable Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox), making her return, and newcomer Debbie Salt (Laurie Metcalf), who seemingly aspires to be another reporter as tenacious as Gale. Meanwhile, Sidney lives her college life close to her new best friend, Hallie (Elise Neal), now using Caller ID to screen incoming calls (relatively new tech in 1997). Sidney also has a new boyfriend named Derek (Jerry O'Connell), and still hangs out with movie master Randy Meeks (Jamie Kennedy). Interrupting an otherwise happy existence, however, are the theatre incident, taking place at a screening of a movie about something she went through, and the release of the still heavily suspected Cotton Weary (Liev Schreiber), who has been deemed "innocent" of Sidney's mother's murder. Officer Dewey (David Arquette) also returns, trying to pin down who Ghostface is this time while protecting Sidney and her friends, aided by Randy's movie knowledge and Gale's tenacity. Specific rules for the situation are established again, now including a higher body count and more elaborate kills. And while the third rule is never really revealed, one could assume it's "never assume the killer is dead," thanks to this particular teaser. The rules are always a fun addition to each film, as they lend themselves to the film's parody, which gives viewers something to look for. While the "copycat" aspect of the Ghostface killer is a constant throughout these films, what I truly appreciate here more than the rest is that the film, like many sequels, actually goes complete copycat, right down to the murder victims' names. Adding to that cheesy sequel charm is some fairly brutal acting from a few tertiary characters, and a fair share of stupid decisions when, if done by Sidney, she'll be fine. However, if done by anyone else, they're screwed, reinforcing Sidney's "Final Girl" status. With all the stereotypes, one may classify this as a guilty pleasure, but to me, this chapter did the best job of being self-aware. That self-awareness makes this a thoroughly fun watch for me. Things like some of the 'Stab' movie casting, which includes Tori Spelling as Sidney (predicted by Sid in the first film), Heather Graham as Cassie Becker (originally Drew Barrymore) and Luke Wilson as Billy Loomis, show that even a master of horror like Wes Craven isn't taking this entirely seriously, and can poke fun at some of what his craft has become. Call me crazy, but I enjoy this chapter just as much as I did the first one, even if it is more on the guilty pleasure side of things. 4/5
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