^^^ Best part of the film! ***Some spoilers follow***
Scream 1: Mould-breaking and trendsetting – a successful marriage of comedy and horror. Highly recommend! REVIEW
Scream 2: Rushed production & large-scale changes due to an internet leak leads to basically a parody of the original (which Scary Movie does far more effectively). Don’t recommend. REVIEW
On to Scream 3!
Cast/Crew: Directed by Wes Craven, written by Ehren Kruger (not Kevin Williamson – it was discarded, which is a worrying sign.) Neve Campbell, David Arquette and Courteney Cox Arquette (they’re married now) reprise their roles. The film comes a little over 2 years since Scream 2.
Plot: The film kicks off with the plot setup: Cotton Weary (hero of Scream 2) is now a successful talk show host, an unseen villain kills him off scream. He is used to get to Sydney (who works at a rape crisis call centre), Courtney Cox (now a TV anchorwoman) comes running and we’re off to the races!
Thoughts on the film:
• Cotton’s girlfriend is being stalked, whilst Creed (“What If”) plays in her apartment. Hilarious! (What If! What If! What If I!)
• The killer’s new toy is a voice modulator, which can 100% replicate anyone’s voice. What’s this killing lark? Sell that to FOX & the Simpsons and make millions!
• We get the fun setting of film set “Stab 3”, which has a reconstruction of the Scream 1 party house, complete with movie-cast versions of ‘real life’ Scream characters. Always great for a laugh. The film treats this house with great reverence; that it’s a big deal being in that set again.
• Being a horror/comedy is a delicate balancing act, but it’s all down to the writing and characters – sadly the story is cheap and the characters aren’t particularly charming, so it’s a bit blah.
• Brilliant quick cameo with Jay and Silent Bob; kayfabe characters meeting a shoot person outside a kayfabe set! *BWAAAAAAAA* Carrie Fisher has one too. There’s a Scream parody in the Jay & Silent Bob movie, embedded below.
• Some fun meta where Big-breasted Jenny McCarthy complains about being written as a one-scene big-breasted bimbo that gets knocked off in one scene, and does. She hides from the killer amongst racks of ghostface costumes, which is a cool visual. Also a great opportunity taken for her to grab fake weapons (eg a fake knife).
• The movie goes way overboard into full blown parody by having scared Duey repeat his big jump scream 3 times. He does have some funny lines.
• Gail and Dewey are solving the case. Isn’t it weird an anchorwoman and a film-consultant (retired cop) are on the case, and not the police? Is that a threat? Wait. Was that a threat?!
• They retcon the history of Scream saying it wasn’t the Scream 1 killers that killed Maureen Prescott. Boo! Heel heat.
• MY BOY! Randy (Jamie Kennedy) gives us Scary Movie 101: a cameo via pre-recorded footage, telling us the trilogy rules: The killer is near invincible, main characters can die, and the past will come back to haunt you. Sadly this film doesn’t have the balls to kill of a main character 🙁
• Syd’s having audio & visual hallucinations, and the killer’s also playing MIIIIIIND GAMES!
• Did you know? The personal security guard, Steven Stone (played by Patrick Warburton) had Stone Cold Steve Austin considered for the role.
• There’s some less subtle references to previous films, like Sydney’s necklace from her Scream 2 boyfriend, being in a soundproof room with the killer, and the highschool bathroom.
• The final act is set in Stab 3’s director’s mansion, full of film & horror movie props. I loved how two people head off saying “I’ll be right back”!
• The token black guy plays has the rational, sarcastic “I’m in a movie” logic PoV, which is fun, was sad to see him stabbed – the killer specifically went after him. Damn him!
• In the end, Syd becomes empowered and turns the tables on the killer, which felt a bit flat. There’s even a “show of respect” curtain call handshake between Syd and the killer. What?!
Overall: I enjoyed pockets of the film – there’s some good ideas in there, but overall it feels cheap, an average horror film – particularly retconning the past and the killer in general. Not recommended. Just watch the clip embedded above!