Forgotten Frights is back! To celebrate the second anniversary of our annual horror movie roundup, every weekday for the next month we're going to sound off on a scary good sequel (or, if we want some cheese with our corn syrup, a schlocky second), ruminating on the returns of our favorite monsters, murderers, heroes (or heroines), creepies, crawlies, chills and thrills.
What came before it: Scream, Wes Craven's 1996 homage to horror movies. As the original “ghost-face killer” hunts down a group of teenagers, Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) and her friends try to abide by the rules of scary movies (Never say, “I'll be right back,” for example) in order to survive.
What remains: Everyone that made it out alive the first time is back for more! Sidney is now attending college where she's joined by everyone's favorite film geek, Randy (Jamie Kennedy). When someone is murdered at the premiere of Stab, the film based on Gale Weathers' (Courtney Cox) best-selling book, The Woodsboro Murders, Deputy Dewey (David Arquette) arrives to protect Sid and Weathers is there to get the story. Just like old times.
Why it deserves a second (or third, or fourth) chance:
- You'll see some horror movie regulars in this “killer” cast, including Sarah Michelle Gellar (I Know What You Did Last Summer) and Rebecca Gayheart (Urban Legends).
- In general, this is a star-studded cast. You'll also see brief appearances (some more so than others) by Jada Pinkett Smith, Portia de Rossi, Joshua Jackson, Luke Wilson, Tori Spelling, Heather Graham, Omar Epps, Liev Schreiber, Jerry O'Connell... the list goes on.
- The film class scene in which class members discuss the merits of sequels is perfect. Favourite line: “Stab 2? Who would want to do that? Sequels suck.” – Randy
- Just like the first film, you'll be screaming at the television as the soon-to-be victims break every scary movie rule. “Are you serious? Don't run up the stairs!!” and “Come on! Do you really need to make sure he's actually dead!?”
- Fans of a little gore will be pleased to know that “the body count is always bigger” in sequels.
- Fans of a little romance will enjoy watching Gale and Dewey/Courtney Cox and David Arquette's (ill-fated) love blossom.
DREAM CAST: Michael Fassbender, Ryan Gosling, Mia Wasikowska, Saoirse Ronan, Emma Thompson