Write a commentIt was freezing that night.
Oswego, as many of you know, has weather about as consistent as a toddler's patience. Only a few days prior, it was in the 40s. Considering my luck, or lack thereof, it made perfect sense that the night I had to stand outside to see a movie, it would dip well below freezing.
I wasn't alone. I was there with my brother, sister, and friend, Ben. All of them were complaining about the temperature. The cold didn't bother me. I was too excited.
It was December 11th, 1997. The line we were in was for the midnight screening of "Scream 2". The first "Scream" was a cultural phenomenon. "Scream 2" was released just shy of a year from the first. Despite the fact we arrived early to get in line, there were 25-30 people ahead of us.
Around 11:40 P.M., the theater opened their doors. By then, maybe another 40-50 people were behind us. Our group bought our tickets, hit the concession stand and walked into the auditorium. They were showing it in the main theater. For those of you who are unfamiliar, Oswego Cinema 7 used to be a single screen theater decades ago. When the idea of a multiplex became popular, the decision was made to carve out four more auditoriums. The main auditorium is as close to seeing the theater as it was before the remodel. The artwork on the walls makes you feel like a part of history.
Our group found our seats a few rows from the front and dead center. From left to right, it was my brother, my sister, myself, and Ben. There was a pretty decent crowd. Aside from all of us who waited outside, others came in after. That pre-show crowd murmur adds to the excitement. These were the people that cared about the movie. Most people wouldn't go out of their way to see a movie at midnight unless they were huge fans.
Just around midnight, the lights dimmed and the trailers started. The following weekend, the latest James Bond movie "Tomorrow Never Dies" was coming out along with a little movie called "Titanic". Then something happened that I hope I never forget. Another trailer came up. This one for a Kevin Costner film. Seemed post-apocalyptic. Will Patton is yelling at people about how the United States doesn't exist. Hey, this might be pretty good.
There are teaser trailers and then there are full trailers. The "Tomorrow Never Dies" trailer, for instance, 2 minutes and 29 seconds. Even that is a little long. I just looked it up. The trailer for "The Postman" is 3 minutes and 48 seconds. Some guy in the back of the theater started laughing loudly. "The trailer is as long as the movie!" The theater erupted. This guy was clearly having a great time.
After "The Postman", the Dimension logo appeared on the screen, followed by a scene outside a movie theater where there is a line of people standing. Two college students (Pinkett Smith, Epps) are speaking to one another about seeing a horror movie called "Stab". They walk into the theater and it is chaos. Everyone dressed in GhostFace costumes with plastic knives.
Well, that's settled. I'm going to die tonight.
"Scream 2" takes place a year after the events of the first. Sidney (Campbell) and Randy (Kennedy) attend Windsor College. After the murders at the "Stab" premiere, Gale (Cox) follows the story while Dewey (Arquette) arrives to look after Sidney. Sidney has a new group of friends, a new boyfriend (O'Connell) and, of course, a new stalker in a GhostFace mask. It's a simple enough set-up, but what we get is a script that might have more twists than the original.
The cast is phenomenal. Campbell, Cox, Arquette and Kennedy all slip back into their roles comfortably. Each of their characters have grown since the previous film and are also dealing with being survivors. There's trauma, but it isn't handled like most modern horror films where the trauma the characters go through is at the forefront of the plot. Instead, we're seeing three-dimensional characters learning to cope. Sidney is trying to move past everything and start a new life. She wants desperately to be able to trust her new boyfriend, but when people start dying around her again, it's difficult for her to trust.
Many of the crew from the original "Scream" return for this one, save for cinematographer Mark Irwin. Replacing him is Peter Deming. Deming, along with director Craven and editor Patrick Lussier, craft some of the best suspense sequences of the genre. Much has been said over the years specifically about the scene where GhostFace is in pursuit of Gale and there's nothing I can say that hasn't already been said. What I can say is even though I've seen "Scream 2" more times that I can count, the sequence still thrills.
And that's really the trade-off here. Some of the criticisms about this film is that it is a bit overlong and self-indulgent. While I can agree to a degree with some of this, with the original being such a success, don't these people deserve a victory lap? Going strictly by the dates, "Scream" was released 12/20/96. "Scream 2" was released 12/12/97. It is unheard of that a film would be made so quickly. The turnaround on its own would be impressive, but the fact that "Scream 2" is within striking distance of the original (and many say that it is better) is nothing short of brilliant.
------------------------SPOILER ALERT---------------------------
I suppose it was inevitable that one of the original cast members had to die. Randy was the person I identified with the most. He was a nerd, knew a lot about movies, never got the girl. When he was killed about halfway through the movie, I was devastated. In a scene shortly after his death, Sidney is told about Randy's demise and she says, "It should have been me." I recall that, through tears, I said, "She's right."
I was acting like I knew the guy, that he was a friend of mine since childhood. While this is undoubtedly a little nutso on my part, it is kind of a testimony to the strength of the writing. Williamson crafted such a character that over the course of a movie and a half, I was fully invested. Almost thirty years later, I can see that Randy is a bit obnoxious but not all characters should be entirely likeable, even the protagonists.
One thing I avoided in the last review was who ended up being behind all the murders as well as who died. This time, I feel it's necessary to discuss. We find out that Mickey (Olyphant) and Billy's mother (Metcalf) are the killers. Mickey wants fame, wants a trial. Billy's mother just wants revenge. While Billy and Stu from the original were unhinged, by the rules of the sequel laid out earlier in the film, this one has to be more over the top. This is the movie that made me pay attention to Olyphant. He went on to do many things later in his career and he's so magnetic as Mickey. When he begins to monologue about his motivations and his manipulation of Sidney to distrust her boyfriend, he's having so much fun that it's infectious. While his character is crazy, you can't help but laugh at his delivery and the manic energy.
Same goes with Laurie Metcalf. She is swinging for the fences in these final scenes. The final 20 or so minutes are so entertaining and well done, it's easy to forgive some of the flaws. I do understand the criticism that Mickey and Debbie Salt/Mrs. Loomis weren't given enough screen time leading up to their reveal for the audience to really be given a chance to guess them. That makes sense. Even with their ridiculous schedule, the film had to go through rewrites because the script was leaked. Originally, Derek (Sidney's boyfriend) and Hallie (Sidney's roommate) were the killers and they had teamed up with Mrs. Loomis. Towards the end of the original script, Cotton (Schrieber) arrives and fights Sidney because he wants fame and, if Sidney survives, it'll take the focus off of him.
It could have worked. Maybe. I think what we have is still pretty good. I don't know if I would completely buy Cotton turning into a killer after having just gotten cleared of being one. The way the ending plays in the actual film, Craven makes you think that Cotton could turn, but I think deep down, we all knew he wouldn't. Schrieber is such a talented performer that he could have likely been convincing, but Cotton saving the day is a better conclusion, in my opinion.
----------------------------END SPOILERS---------------------
As with the original, I ended up seeing "Scream 2" with all my friends and family. I recall scoffing at all the people seeing "Titanic" and thinking "Scream 2" would end up making more money. I guess it's a good thing I don't gamble.
The impact "Scream 2" has had on my life is overwhelming. I was finishing my freshman year of high school when "Scream 2" came out on VHS. While I was studying for my finals, I had it on in the background. When I ended up taking my finals, I was able to remember back to what part of the movie was playing when I was reading that specific chapter. Somehow, I had incorporated this film into my life to the extent that it became something I would do to help study. The first set of finals I took, I didn't know the film that well. During subsequent years, I only got to know the film better so it made it easier for me to reference the film in order to remember what I was studying. I don't understand it, but I never really asked too many questions about it either.
"Scream 2" is an important film to the genre and one of the best sequels, of any genre, ever made. I don't believe that it is better than the original, but it is just as good. A truly amazing feat.
Years later, I was taking a creative fiction class. I met this guy named Mike. We had similar interests and became fast friends. Our conversations were wide-ranging and in depth. One day, we got talking about "The Postman". I told him I'd never seen it but told him the story about seeing "Scream 2" and the guy making the joke about the trailer. Mike's jaw dropped and he started to laugh.
"What are you laughing at," I asked.
"That was me. Midnight screening?"
I said, "Yes."
Mike laughed exactly like he did that night. I laughed with him.
"Should I track down 'The Postman' and watch it," I asked.
Mike laughed. "Are you kidding me? No. It's awful."
The thing about film is that you never know what connections you'll make with people. You could enter into an intense debate with someone you barely know about how you feel about something.
Or you could find out that someone you just met made fun of an overlong trailer to an overlong post-apocalyptic Kevin Costner movie years before you ever officially met. The possibilities are endless.
Side note: I should have listened to Mike. "The Postman" is horrendous.
Scream 2 (1997)
Directed by Wes Craven
Cast: Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Jamie Kennedy, Jerry O'Connell, Timothy Olyphant, Laurie Metcalf, Elise Neal, Liev Schreiber, Jada Pinkett Smith, Omar Epps, Duane Martin, Lewis Arquette, Rebecca Gayheart, Portia De Rossi, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Heather Graham, Joshua Jackson, Marisol Nichols, Tori Spelling, Luke Wilson, David Warner, Roger Jackson
Runtime: 120 minutes
MPAA Rating: R (for language and strong bloody violence)
Rating (out of ****): ****
"Scream 2" is streaming on Paramount + with a subscription and is available to rent or buy on all major platforms. There is a recent 4K Blu-Ray of it that looks fantastic.
