Cow Manure

Rating: 2/10 (13 November 2000)

Scream(1996) proved to be the major undoing of the Hollywood Horror film and Scream 2(1997) continues the trend of overrated and overbearing horror features in the USA. This proves that most filmmakers in American today are clueless when it comes to making great horror films. Scream 2(1997) begins on a good note but degenerates into a 2 hour repeat of the first film. The opening scene in the movie theatre is a good homage to Lamberto Bava'a Demons(1985). The acting overall is as lousy as the first film. The movies of Dario Argento and Mario Bava may have had their share of flaws, but overall they almost always delievered something magnificent.

The first two Scream movies would have been wise to spent less time having the murderers behaving like failed stand up comics and more time making them into scary figures. Neve Campbell gives the only decent performance of the feature. Its a pity that she has to again run from her attacker until she is put in a corner. The success of Kevin Williamson as a Horror Screenwriter must be a sign of the times. I do not believe that he would have the same success in the late 1960's to mid 1980's because people had higher standards for horror films then.

Wes Craven has shown with his involvement in the Scream trilogy that he's a has been filmmaker. At least movie makers like Dario Argento, George A. Romero, and David Cronenberg have not sold themselves out. Scream 2(1997) plays its homage to the college theme slasher flicks of the early to mid 1980's. It also rips off great Italian Giallos such as Torso(1973), Deep Red(1975), and Tenebre(1982). If Tenebre's final fifteen minutes were breathtaking then the final fifteen minutes of Scream 2(1997) were horendous.