For Halloween, everyone loves to follow the costume and candy-in-a-bucket traditions. However, I spend my time binge-watching one of my favorite horror film franchises like it's brand new. The franchise I'll watch faithfully—besides its tragic MTV adaptation—is 'Scream'.
To summarize, 'Scream' centers around protagonist Sidney Prescott, alongside Woodsboro residents, who are terrorized by a mysterious 'Ghostface' killer. Introduced in 1996, the film franchise became a box-office hit and was considered a revival of the then-deteriorating horror genre.
Ironically enough, 'Scream' is known for its satirical take on classic horror films, such as 'Halloween', 'Friday the 13th' and 'A Nightmare on Elm Street' respectively.
But, have you ever heard of a horror film sequel that directly mocks other horror sequels?
'Scream 2' does it justice.
I personally think that this film is one of the few sequels that truly belongs in horror film history. It's ironic, too, because this film directly mocks sequels for lack of quality, and this sequel has the most quality I've ever seen.
Here are a few reasons why 'Scream 2' is the best horror film in the franchise and genre.
1. The opening scene.
The 'Scream' franchise is widely regarded for its opening scenes. In the first installment, actress Drew Barrymore fulfilled the victim role that ignited the mystery of the Ghostface killer. Similarly, actress Jada Pinkett-Smith portrayed Maureen Evans, murdered within 10 minutes at a movie theater.
Cleverly, the theater's film centers around the Woodsboro murders that occurred in the first film. Creators Wes Craven and Kevin Williamson contrasted the death scene in the theatre film with Maureen's death.
Film-in-a-film is a decent technique.
2. The satire.
Even though 'Scream' is initially a horror film, you can consider it a satire or parody of other horror films. The sequel gains knowledge of many other sequels, while also directly bashing sequels for its lack of innovation, character development and inferiority.
According to lovable film geek Randy Meeks,
"By definition alone, sequels are inferior films!"
Check out this clip:
Scream 2 (2/12) Movie CLIP - Sequels Suck! (1997) HDwww.youtube.com
3. The kills.
From toilet stalls and movie theaters to sorority houses and cop cars, this sequel's intense death scenes are literally memorable. To this day, Randy Meeks' death scene still hits me hard.
4. The star-studded cast.
Considering 'Scream 2' was set in a campus, the college atmosphere introduced a multitude of characters, portrayed by a few recognizable faces, such as Sarah Michelle Gellar (Buffy, The Vampire Slayer), Jada Pinkett-Smith, Laurie Metcalf (Roseanne), and Jerry O'Connell (Stand by Me).
Usually, a star-studded cast can be overwhelming in a film, but each character held their own and had very memorable moments in the sequel.
5. The police car scene.
'Scream 2' is full of suspense and anxiety, making you question whether the Ghostface Killer would attack or not. The best scene of the film, for me, is the police escort scene, where Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) and her friend Hallie (Elise Neal) are trapped in the car with the Ghostface Killer, who kills the two cops in an intense joyride.
Sidney and Hallie attempt to escape from the cop car while the killer is unconscious in the front seat.
Scream 2 (1997) - Car Crash + Hallie's Death Scene [1080p]www.youtube.com
