Halloween Movie Month 2 [Scream 3]

Another series you should know I love by now is this one, the Scream franchise. One and four are some of the best horror movies of all time in my estimation. Earlier I reviewed Scream 2 and it was alright as that was the first time I re-watched it. Lets see if the third installment can be just as solid if not better this second time around.

We open Scream 3 with Cotton Weary (Liev Schreiber) stuck in a traffic jam on the highway. He gets a call from Ghostface demanding to know where Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) or he's going to kill his girlfriend. He refuses and Cotton and his girlfriend are killed. This all happens amidst the filming of Stab 3, the third movie in a trilogy in a horror series based on the Ghostface murders. Production is halted due to the closeness of the murders. Gale Weathers (Courtney Cox) is called in my Detective Mark Kincaid (Patrick Dempesy) to help with this investigation and she meets up with Dewy Riley (David Arquette) on the set of Stab 3 working as an adviser for the film. Sidney is now living in seclusion, disconnected from society and the people in her life don't know who she really is. One night as she's taking calls for a women's help line, Ghostface taunts her after pretending, with a voice-changer, that they're Maureen Prescott. It scares Sidney and she heads to Hollywood to be safer with the people she knows. This sets into the events of the rest of the film where there are no rules. Anything can will happen in this final movie of the trilogy, but can Sidney and the rest of the Hollywood survive?

Wes Craven's trilogy ends on a good-ish note as the twist at the end of this was good. I guess I paid more attention this time around again and it paid off. This is as well written as a Craven directed flick an be. Like SAW, this world is ever changing and inter-twining.  Everything in the first two flicks could be brought back in some form in this movie. And if it is, it's done well. The story, too, is great, if you're familiar with the first two well. Otherwise it can be quite confusing, one of the draw-backs of reviewing a film like this. The kills and combat with Ghostface is good as well. I love that Ghostface is an imposing figure, but is never overpowered so to speak. The movie, like the other two are pretty long so keeping my attention, like the first two which are better, was a tough task for this. a lot of the scenes felt unnecessary to me, and some dragged on a bit. Also some of the nuances by the actors, and a lot of the actors they "hired" for Stab 3 in the movie, were just plain annoying to me. The acting, especially by Neve Campbell and David Arquette, is for the most part on point as well. Plus I love the Jay and Silent Bob cameos. Haha.

There's a lot of good and a lot of bad in this for me. The ending of the first trilogy and closure of sorts was definitely a plus. Wes is a great director and always turns good writing into good movies. If you're new to this series, don't start with three or you'll only be confused. Other series' can give you that luxury perhaps, but this isn't one of them. If you're a fan of the series this is a good enough ending. Otherwise if you're watching, this is gonna be long and sluggish. Either way, I love Scream so I like this movie.

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Halloween Movie Month 2! Movie #1: Halloween II

Halloween Movie Month 2! Movie #2: The Devil's Rejects

Halloween Movie Month 2! Movie #3: Friday the 13th Part II

Halloween Movie Month 2! Movie #4: Scream 2

Halloween Movie Month 2! Movie #5: Evil Dead 2: Dead Before Dawn

Halloween Movie Month 2! Movie #6: Trick 'r Treat

Halloween Movie Month 2! Movie #7: Planet Terror

Halloween Movie Month 2! Movie #8: SAW III

Halloween Movie Month 2! Movie #9: The Cabin in the Woods

Halloween Movie Month 2! Movie #10: Barricade

Halloween Movie Month 2! Movie #11: The Collector

Halloween  Movie Month 2! Movie #12: Hostel

Halloween Movie Month 2! Movie #13: Silent Hill

Halloween Movie Month 2! Movie #14: SAW IV

Halloween Movie Month 2! TV Shows #15: Community

Halloween Movie Month 2 [Scream 2]

I love me some Scream. I think Scream and Scream 4 are two of the smartest and best written horrors of all time. Wes Craven has really created his own, still expanding universe. Also Neve Campbell is a delight throughout the series. But this Scream 2 and coming of the greatness of the first movie, it has a lot to live up to. I think it does a fairly decent job.

After the events of Scream Gale Wheathers (Courtney Cox) releases her book in the Woodsboro murders while Cotton Weary (Liev Schreiber) is exonerated from killing Sidney's mother. We open the movie at a premiere of "Stab", the movie based off of the Woodsboro murders as well. Phil (Omar Epps) and his girlfriend Maureen (Jada Pinkett-Smith) get passes to see the movie. Unfortunately for them, tonight is the night the killer decides to start up again. In the midst of the movie both of them are killed, unbeknownst to the crowd until Maureen drops in front of the screen. The next day, Sindey (Neve Campbell), who is oblivious to the killings heads to class only to be bombarded by reporters. Randy (Jamie Kennedy), the other survivor from the first film also goes to college there along side Derek (Jerry O'Connell), Sidney's boyfriend, Hallie (Elise Neal), her best friend and Mickey (Timothy Oliphant), a classmate, rush to help her. Gale reports to the college as well as Dewey Riley (David Arquette). More murders start happening around campus and the body count starts piling up. Can Sidney escape Ghostface one more time or is Windsor College where Ghostface makes his final mark?

This first time I went though this I wasn't as impressed as I was with this viewing. The first time I checked out about half-way through the movie. Reason omitted for spoiler purposes haha. This time I paid more attention and it wasn't as bad as I thought it'd be. First off the writing, timing, and digs at the horror movie genre as a whole was just as good as in one, and is throughout the series. Wes Craven has been one of the best horror directors of all time and giving him writing like this is begging for a solid film. The comedy is the other thing about the Scream series that I really like. There are good jokes, situations and back-and-forths, that really make you laugh in between all the murder. Speaking of murder the kills are just as good as in the first one. Most were bloodier than in the first, but you can never have too much blood and gore. Music was on point and I really don't think horror movies, at least all the ones I've ever watched have had bad scores or music in them.

All in all this movie almost lives up to the first. I'd rate it up there with 1 and 4 if it wasn't for basically recycling the plot twist of 1. It felt longer too me too. I don't think it was though, but it it felt that way. If a movie feels long with me, you're gonna have a bad time. But that being said this is still a good watch. The actors, writing, cameos and kills were all great. For the fourth time in a row, you shouldn't need to be scared if you wanna watch the first two movies of this series on an October night.

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Halloween Movie Month 2! Movie #1: Halloween II

Halloween Movie Month 2! Movie #2: The Devil's Rejects

Halloween Movie Month 2! Movie #3: Friday the 13th Part II

Halloween Movie Month [Scream 4]

So I felt like watching Scream 4. Mostly cause Scream spurred me into it. They're two of my favorite "modern" horror flicks. I think it's the self awareness, Ghostface itself, the quick/sudden kills and the humor and writing. 10 years later Sidney has moved on from all the Ghostface shenanigans and is ending a book tour for her bestseller about the original Woodsboro massacre. Of all places, it ends in Woodboro. But like fifteen years ago this murder cycle reboots, like in the Stab series, with the death of two high-school girls. Now a copycat, or perhaps a person who wants to tribute the anniversary, is on the loose and terrorizing Woodsboro again. Now, save for THE VERY LAST LIKE 3 MINUTES OF THIS MOVIE (my only gripe about this), this was epic to me. The kills were "updated" after a huge bloody horror movie generation happened. It doesn't take away from the film with senseless blood and gore either. There is a ton of blood, huge amounts compared to the first three, but kills work quite well. Did I mention I love the kills? Cause I do. The writing and twist at the "before-end" had me gasping. The "new rules" for horror movies were great and the dialogue throughout were very interesting. At least to me. Also, with most Wes Craven films the humor is subtle, punny, and never fails to make me smile or laugh. The abundance of awesome actresses in this (Alison Brie, Hayden Panettire, Emma Roberts, Courteny Cox, Neve Campbell, Kristen Bell, Anna Paquin) made this a very eye-candy movie to boot. All in all I skipped reviewing 2 and 3 cause I thought they weren't as good as 1 and 4. If you want the full Scream experience of course watch the whole series. I still love it as a whole, but I wanted to do the first and the last cause they're my two favorites and in my humble opinion the two best. "What's your favorite scary movie?"

Halloween Movie Month! Movies #1/2: How To Be A Serial Killer and Red State

Halloween Movie Month! Movie #3: The Evil Dead
Halloween Movie Month! Movie #4: The Shining
Halloween Movie Month! {Bonus}: American Horror Story
Halloween Movie Month! Movies #5/6: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Psycho
Halloween Movie Month! Movie #7: Paranormal Activity
Halloween Movie Month! Movie #8: Scream
Halloween Movie Month! Movie #9: The Last House On The Left

Halloween Movie Month [Scream]

Now I've always liked the Scream series and earlier this year I went through all three (seen the first one a couple times before) before Scream 4 came out. Since I'm not reviewing 2/3 this month I can tell you that while it was a downhill progression between two and three but they were still solid. My thoughts on Scream 4 when I review it later this month. But Scream is where Wes Craven's crazy series began. It tells the story of  Sidney Prescott and her life nearly a year after her mother was raped and murdered. The town is in an uproar because of a masked person calling a girls house, asking her a series of questions about horror movies and then kills the girl and her boyfriend. I've always loved this movie. Funny story, the second time I watched it, it was on a local station and edited and stuff. I got a kick out of it cause the programming that day was bring sponsored by Children's Tylenol. The kills are sudden quick and look good. The acting by the cast is surprisingly good, I love the opening and the final scenes so much. Along with the acting, the writing for this is awesome. I usually don't point it out, cause these are horror movies, but it's great and the horror movie rules are genius. Anywho I love this movie. Actually it's, in my opinion, one of the best modern horror films ever made. The kills, acting, humor, and story are all original and pretty damn great. Go watch it, you won't be disappointed.

Halloween Movie Month! Movies #1/2: How To Be A Serial Killer and Red State

Halloween Movie Month! Movie #3: The Evil Dead
Halloween Movie Month! Movie #4: The Shining
Halloween Movie Month! {Bonus}: American Horror Story
Halloween Movie Month! Movies #5/6: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Psycho
Halloween Movie Month! Movie #7: Paranormal Activity