Scream 2 (5 Stars)

"It's a dumb-ass white move about some dumb-ass white girls getting their white asses cut the fuck up".

That's the cliché about horror films stated by college student Maureen Evans at the beginning of this film. While it might have applied to "Scream", the statement isn't true for "Scream 2". The first two people killed in this film are black. Three cheers for racial equality!

"Scream 2" was released in 1997, one year after the first film. Wes Craven already had ideas in his head for this film, because in "Scream" the film nerds were talking about sequels, for instance how to survive until the sequel. The whole film within a film idea is expanded in "Scream 2", when we see that a film called "Stab" is made about the events of the first film. People dressed as the killer, often referred to as Ghostface, sit in the cinema alongside normal people, the victims, to watch the film. This is clever in so many different ways.

One of the important things about slasher movies, as already defined in the 1980's by films such as "Halloween" and "Friday the 13th", is that the killer is invincible, often in a supernatural way. Whatever is done to him, he keeps coming back. This pattern is repeated here. The original killer (or rather killers) died in the first film. Ghostface is dead and buried. And yet he returns in this film. Someone else puts on the mask. It's as if there's a mystical Ghostface entity possessing someone new to make him continue the killing spree. And once more Sydney Prescott (Neve Campbell) is the centre of attention. It's the people around her who are targeted in preparation for her to die as the final victim.

"Scream 2" is darker and less comedic than the first film, but that doesn't detract from its quality. It's every bit as good as "Scream". The best way to enjoy it is to watch it shortly after the first film, as I did.

I almost forgot to mention Liev Schreiber. He only appeared briefly in the first film, but in "Scream 2" he plays an important role. For me this is the film that established him as a world class actor. He's much more skilled than other actors who receive more awards. His performance as Ernst Hanfstaengl in "Hitler: The Rise of Evil" was nothing short of amazing. Some actors never seem to get the recognition they deserve.