Surprisingly, third time's a Scream

by Jon Chattman

2-14-00

It doesn't quite measure up to the "Star Wars" or "The Godfather" trilogies (omitting "Episode One's" Jar Jar and Sofia Coppola respectively, of course), but Director Wes Craven's "Scream 3" ends the clever franchise with a bang....or shall we say, a scream.

Craven helped reinvent the horror-genre by mocking it with 1996's "Scream," which featured one of the 1990's wittiest scripts by Kevin Williamson, creator of "Dawson's Creek." "Scream" took place in the small town of Woodsboro and followed teen Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) coping with the death of her mother, and being stalked by a ghost-masked killer.

The best elements of that film was that it boasted as much laughter as it did screams. It also matched Janet Leigh's shower departure in "Psycho," by killing off its top-billing star Drew Barrymore in the first opening minutes. After the film's success, came "Scream 2" a year later. That film, which followed Sidney in college and in pursuit of an acting career, had less chills and thrills despite a clever sub-plot of a film-within- a-film, "Stab," which based on the lives of the original film's characters. TV's Laurie Metcalf appearing as the killer didn't help either.

"Scream 3" continues the film-within-a-film plot from the first sequel with killings occuring during the filming of "Stab 3: Return to Woodsboro," which is being helmed by first-time director Roman Bridger (Scott Foley) and produced by veteran horror producer John Milton (Lance Hendrickson). LAPD Detective Mark Kincaid (Patrick Dempsey) leads the investigation of another masked killer making threatening phone calls and slashing victims with the trilogy's trademark weapon, a knife.

Kincaid gets help from "Scream" and "Scream 2" leftovers, TV personality Gale Weathers (Courtney Cox Arquette), whose book "The Woodsboro Murders" inspired the "Stab" films, and ex- beau Dewey Riley (David Arquette), a former Woodsboro cop and current technical advisor on "Stab 3. Dewey, Gale, and Sidney's "Stab 3" counterparts, Tom Prinze (Matt Keeslar), Jennifer Jolie (Parker Posey), and Angelina Tyler (Emily Mortimer) are also along for the ride.

Outside of the Hollywood scene, and in seclusion is Sidney, who works from her California home as a crisis intervention operator and is haunted by the ghost of her mother. As more murders take place, she is forced to leave her house when the killer tracks her down. Sidney joins her friends in Hollywood to put an end to the killings, not to mention the franchise.

Despite less screen time than the first two films, "Party of Five" co-star Neve Campbell gives her finest performance as Sidney. She has progressed the character from an innocent girl being stalked in the first film, to a young woman who defends herself and will not take any crap from anyone--even if that anyone is a masked-killer. She also shows the character's vulnerability and strength.

In the role of Dewey, David Arquette, who gave "Scream 2's" best performance, offers the same likability he had in the first two films, but is limited to smirks and flirts with wife and co-star Courtney Cox Arquette, who gives her weakest performance as Gale by portraying her less bitchy, and more like her character on "Friends." She also can't be taken seriously, because she prances around the film in a straight black wig.

The remaining supporting cast are stabbingly good, particularly indie-queen Parker Posey, who steals each scene as the superficial Jolie, who has portrayed Gale Weathers in all three of the fictional "Stab" films. Patrick Dempsey convincingly portrays Detective Kincaid as a man who is determined to find the killer, and is haunted by the victims he has while on the job. Dempsey effectively shows how he identifies with Sidney, and is attracted to her as well.

Rouding out the cast are "Felicity" star Scott Foley who jumps off the small screen superbly as Roman, former MTV babe Jenny McCarthy as a bimbo actress (there's a stretch) who longs for a better role, and Liev Schreiber, who returns as former suspect of the Woodsboro murders , Cotton Weary who is now the talk show host of "100% Cotton." Jamie Kennedy also appears as Randy Meeks, the character he originated in the first two films, in a "if you're watching this video I am probably dead" scene.

Director Wes Craven once again adds to the film's suspense, by showing characters running from their attacker, and finding hiding places before the lull of the storm. The haunting score by Marco Beltrami adds to the scream factor.

The script is cliched and contains actual scenes that the characters of the original film would likely rip apart, but Ehren Kruger, who wrote one of the best films of last year, "Arlington Road" and the upcoming "Reindeer Games," tidies up all the loose ends of the first two films.

Kruger, who took over for "Scream" creator Kevin Williamson, keeps up with the "Scream" theme by mocking the film itself. Just some of the highlights, aside from the obvious "Stab 3," are references of Cox Arquette's "Friends" co-star David Schwimmer and "Must See TV." In addition, Hendrickson bares a strong resemblence to Craven.

Despite not matching the laughter or shreaks the first film generated, "Scream 3" surpasses the first sequel. It may not be Oscar-worthy, but it provides the moviegoer with exactly what going to the movies is all about---escapism. The biggest thrill of the film is not the identity of the killer, but the fact that this closing chapter is so damn entertaining.

Grade: B+