A Re-Visit of the “Scream” franchise: “Scream” and “Scream 2” - Countdown to “Scream 7”
- Matt Palmer
- Feb 28
- 5 min read
Believe it or not, the first “Scream” movie was released three decades ago this December. After a low box office opening, the studio thought the movie would be a huge flop. Once word-of-mouth quickly spread, the horror movie became a sleeper hit and a new slasher/horror franchise was born.
Now, with “Scream 7” opening soon (which I will be checking out for the March 11 edition), it’s time to re-visit the still popular horror franchise - starting with the 1996 movie “Scream” and its 1997 sequel “Scream 2.”
In “Scream” (1996), the sleepy little town of Woodsboro just woke up screaming. There’s
a killer in their midst who’s seen too many scary movies.
Suddenly nobody is safe, as the psychopath stalks victims, taunts them with trivia questions then does away with them. It could be anybody …
The “Scream” series has always been one of my all-time favorites for some time and with the seventh entry coming up, I figured it was the perfect time to go through the entire series!
During its initial 1996 release, the first movie was a ground-breaking, self-aware and terrifying reinvention of the horror genre, while also being a great mix of suspense and satire. It has also been praised for its clever, meta-commentary on horror tropes, a still shocking opening scene and it made horror mainstream again. And this “Scream” movie is just as entertaining as ever, even after countless viewings.
Unlike many slashers where the killer’s identity is known, “Scream” (and its sequels) functions as a tension-filled “whodunit” mystery that can keep anyone guessing until the very end - unless you’ve either seen it many times or already figured it out. Slight spoiler: this movie’s opening scene is probably still the best out of the entire series since the movie casted a big star (Drew Barrymore) for a part and ended up killing her off. One thing I liked about the casting of her was that Wes Craven was trying to show that in these movies no one is safe.
Besides the opening minutes, “Scream” has plenty of memorable moments, such as the final reveal of two killers (where it defied the traditional “one killer” formula in slashers), the infamous “Rules” monologue (which has become a “Scream” tradition) and pretty much any moment featuring Stu Macher (played by Matthew Lilliard) as the character practically steals the show in every time he’s on screen.
Wes Craven’s “Scream” redefined the slasher genre by blending meta-commentary, satirical humor, and genuine horror, effectively revitalizing 90s horror cinema. The movie is a self-aware “whodunit” where characters know horror tropes, making the plot both nostalgic and fresh. It balances intense, suspenseful violence with clever dialogue, focusing on a masked killer (Ghostface) whose human, often clumsy nature makes the threat feel surprisingly plausible.
In “Scream 2,” Sidney and Gale survived the events of Woodsboro, but their nightmare
isn’t over. When two college students are killed at a sneak preview of “Stab” (a movie based on what happened), it’s clear a copycat killer is on the loose.
Sidney and Gale, as well as fellow survivors Dewey and Randy have to find out who is behind this new killing spree, before they all end up dead.
“Scream 2” is a strong, highly entertaining sequel that successfully continues the meta-commentary of the original. With many viewers (myself included) considering it one of the best in the series. Also, just like the first move, this 1997 horror sequel can also deliver some really intense moments and a few good twists at the end.
There are some highly suspenseful sequences scattered throughout that really stand out, such as the opening cinema scene, the sound booth chase with Gale and the killer, and the police car escape with Sidney and her roommate, among many others. The sequel also provides some mold twists that can easily shock a first time viewer and can still be quite effective even if you’ve seen it many times.
The second movie also does a decent job keeping the high energy and excitement going for most of the movie and can easily keep a first time viewer on the edge of their seat. Sure, there are a few times here and there where “Scream 2” can slow down a little bit. But, when the high-octane third act starts up, the high energy and excitement quickly comes back and doesn’t slow down until the credits roll.
“Scream 2” 1997) is a meta-slasher sequel that cleverly dissects the tropes of follow-up horror movies while delivering a self-aware, suspenseful mystery. It also expands on the original by exploring the impact of trauma, with a stronger focus on the characters emotional states. In this sequel, we get to see Sidney’s journey focusing on her struggle to live a normal life while being continuously pursued, highlighting how society turns her trauma into morbid entertainment.
You can currently stream the entire franchise on Paramount Plus.
(At around twelve minutes) At the beginning of the movie when Casey's (Drew Barrymore's) parents come home to find something is wrong, her father tells her mother to "go to the McKenzies'", which is the same thing Laurie (Jamie Lee Curtis) told Lindsey (Kyle Richards) and Tommy (Brian Andrews) to do in Halloween (1978), of which this movie contains many references.
The use of caller ID increased more than threefold after the release of this film.
Matthew Lillard was cast as Stu Macher by chance after accompanying his then-girlfriend to an unrelated audition taking place elsewhere in the same building. Casting director Lisa Beach saw Lillard in the hallway and asked him to audition for the part. He got into the role with "incredible ferocity".
The film was released in December, five days before Christmas. The studio did this because during the holiday season, family friendly movies are usually released, and the studio wanted to give the horror audience something to see during a time when no horror movies would be out. It opened at number four with $6.4 million, which led the studio to believe the film had flopped. However, the film's good word of mouth is what led to its success at the box office. With every week it went up, or stayed at the same place in the box office. By the end of its run, it ended up making over $100 million at the U.S. box office.
Originally titled "Scary Movie", which was later used for a parody of this movie, and other pop culture horror films in the Scary Movie film franchise. The term "Scary Movie" is mentioned five times.
Wes Craven knew they were walking a fine line with the killer's clumsiness/how often he's knocked down, and during the first fight with Sidney they actually shot but then removed a beat with her hitting him over the head with a picture causing him to fall down the stairs.
One scene in Kevin Williamson's screenplay was described simply as "Wes Craven will make it scary."
The cast were not informed of the identity of the killer until the last day of principal photography. Also, the cast did not receive the last ten pages of the shooting script until it was time to film the scenes contained therein. Furthermore, the last ten pages of the shooting script were printed on gray paper in order to deter illicit duplication of them. All cast members were required to sign confidentiality clauses as parts of their respective contracts that precluded them from discussing the outcome of the story and the killer's identity.
Kevin Williamson had the idea for a sequel while writing the script for Scream (1996), discovering there was more to the story. This movie began principal photography just six months after the release of Scream (1996), and it was released less than a year after its predecessor.
Earned one third of its total gross of $101.3 million in its opening weekend.
Greenlit while Scream (1996) was still playing in theaters.
Wes Craven submitted eight different cuts to the MPAA before it was passed.
With an 82% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes as of 2025, this is the best-reviewed film in the series.
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