Scream 2

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Year:	1997
Country of origin:	USA
Director:	Wes Craven
Genre:	Slasher sequel
Starring:	Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox, David Arquette, Sarah Michelle Gellar
Rating:	4/5
IMDB link:	http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120082/
Tagline:	Someone has taken their love of sequels one step too far.
Favourite line:	"See, I got my whole defence planned out; I'm gonna blame the movies."

After the incredible success of the original movie, it was inevitable that a sequel would follow and, fortunately, it's not half bad.
With Craven once more behind the camera lens and the same writer (Kevin Williamson) penning the knowingly self-referential lines, everything was in place for a continuation of the successful formula.

Set two years after the original, the story of the Woodsboro serial killings has been turned into a movie, amusingly entitled 'Stab.' It's opening night and people are in party mode, many of the viewers attending the cinema in their own Scream masks and robes (I know, I know. Only in America), perfect cover for one of the assembled throng to get down to a bit of slice and dice action for real.
Soon after, a sorority chick is slain, played by three delectable Sarah Michelle 'Buffy' Gellar, followed by another killing and it soon emerges that the fresh wave of murders are inspired by the originals, the dead sharing names with the victims of two years ago.

Yeah, not much of a plot, but this is all about the violence and the tension, and there's plenty of both.
Toning down the 'wacky' factor from the first movie, this plays it much more straight and is all the better for it.
The regulars from the first film are back (Campbell, Cox, Arquette et al) and at least some of them survive, presumably ready for the third in the supposed trilogy - though Scream 4 has recently been announced by Craven, God help us all.
Mocking, post-modern nods to its own existence abound, with characters openly discussing the inferior quality of most sequels, which is good fun for a short while but quickly becomes tiresome.
It's way too long, as well, coming in just shy of two hours.
Jesus suffering death, this is a horror movie, not an historical epic people.
Flawed then, but enjoyable enough.