Scream 3 (2000)

 

After the juggernaut successes of Scream and Scream 2, Kevin Williamson was ready to hit the last installment until...scheduling conflicts got in the way. The movie was slated for a 1999 December release but it was pushed due to the controversy surrounding the Columbine shootings, so some changes had to be made. First and foremost, the violence had to be scaled down, focusing more on the comedic aspects of the script, to the detriment of the filmmakers. On top of that, Kevin Williamson, who was attached to writing the film, had to back out of the project because of his busy schedule. During this time, Williamson was very in-demand, getting involved in various projects like Dawson's Creek, Wasteland, and the film, Teaching Mrs. Tingle, a script that was since lifted from development hell. Instead, he wrote a 20-30 page outline draft where the plot involves a film within a film scenario. That's when the infamous Weinstein brothers hired Ehren Kruger to write the full script. For some reason, the Weinsteins scrapped most of Kevin Willamson's notes, changing most of the film entirely. Kruger insisted that the characters should be moving to bigger places, transitioning from a small town to a college campus, and finally to the big city lights of Hollywood, Los Angeles, which, in my opinion, takes away the claustrophobic atmosphere of the first two movies. When it came to the casting, it was inevitable that the triumphant trio of Sidney, Dewey, and Gale would return, once again, for the third entry. But the film series' leading lady, Neve Campbell, had to back out due to her own scheduling conflicts. During this period, Neve Campbell went from TV star to bonafide movie star in a span of four years. Just like Williamson, Neve Campbell was very in-demand, and to keep up with her schedule on Party of Five's final season, she only had 20 days of filming. So you had both the creator and the lead star take a backseat to what is perceived to be the "last" entry of the Scream series. Not to mention, countless rewrites that somehow morphed the final project into another movie. Yeah, that's not a good sign.

The final result? It's a pretty mixed bag. The comedy overlaps the suspense and the movie is less scary because of that. From what I feel, there isn't a sense of urgency, mainly from the new supporting characters. They're just not likable or interesting enough for me to care whether they live or die. Although I found the mystery surrounding Maureen Prescott intriguing, the third act of the movie feels more like a Saturday morning cartoon than a highly intense horror/thriller. I know that's a bit of a stretch but some of the scenes in this movie come off as unintentionally goofy. Whatever potential Scream 3 did have, was ruined by an underwhelming plot twist. But before we dive into that, let's solve the puzzle that is Scream 3.

The Story: During the filming of the third Stab movie, two of its main cast have been brutally slaughtered, one of them being Cotton Weary, the man Gale Weathers defended when he was accused of Maureen Prescott's murder. When Gale gets word of this, she is quick on her feet and starts to crack in the clues. While snooping around on the Stab set, she runs into her old flame, Dewey Riley, who is now working as a personal bodyguard for actress Jennifer Jolie, who ironically portrays Gale in the new Stab movie. As the killer weighs in on his targets, Mark Kincaid, one of the detectives on the case, discovers that the killer is connected to former actress Rena Reynolds. As it turns out, Rena Reynolds just so happens to be Maureen Prescott, which opens up the killer's true target: Sidney Prescott. After the events of the Windsor College murders, Sidney Prescott has completely secluded herself as an isolated hermit. But when she gets a call from Dewey about the recent Stab murders, Sidney, once again, is prepared to face what has been haunting her for all these years...this time, it's very, very personal...

It's time to analyze the opening scene. The setting takes place at a busy traffic jam way across the hill from the Hollywood sign. Cotton Weary, now polished and primed with an impressive physique, waits impatiently in his state-of-the-art SUV. Recently, he has used his notoriety to become a syndicated talk show host. It was back then when sensational talk shows were at their prime. Cotton, in this case, would be a Donahue-Geraldo type. Then the phone rings...When Cotton answers it, we all know how this goes. From two movies on, we should know that Ghostface is on the other line. But as it turns out, it's a flirty fangirl of Cotton's, who just so "happens" to have the wrong phone number. Right. The flirting goes on for quite a while until she mentions that he actually has a girlfriend and that's when the suspense kicks in. It might not be as subtle as the first two movies, but I'll take it. Cotton thinks the caller is joking but then she switches to the sinister voice of the Ghostface killer saying that he knows he has a girlfriend and that he's looking right at her. The killer demands to know where Sidney is and when Cotton responds with a threat, the killer bluffs at him and makes his move.

Cut to a blonde getting ready for a shower while the killer lurks by. Cotton's girlfriend, Christine, is played by Kelly Rutherford who I will recognize as Lily Van Der Woodsen on Gossip Girl. Cotton races down across the freeway and through the streets of L.A. before it's too late.

Back at the mansion, the radio plays. Now, I'm going to stop here for a moment. The rock song playing on the radio is Creed's "What If" which is featured on the movie soundtrack. Self-promotion, much? Nor do I find this part of the scene scary. Do you think rock music is creepy? Anywho, the music lures Christine out of the bathroom. She gets dressed and slowly walks towards the banister. She hears that it's Cotton and she is instantly relieved. But what's so off about this is that Cotton is calm, all of sudden? Shouldn't he be in panic mode? 

And just when Christine heads down the stairs, the killer strikes! He chases Christine through the hallway and into the study where she locks the door. Then, she hears Cotton's voice again...Could it be Cotton? This is one aspect of the opening scene that I do like but unfortunately, the effects of the voice translator gets a little nonsensical later on in the movie. 

Cotton's voice becomes more menacing and the killer starts to stab through the door.

Cotton has finally arrived at the house. The house has an uneasy quietness and Cotton is prepared to take action. He quickly takes off his suit jacket and arms himself with a weapon. He sees that door is full of stab holes. A dreaded feeling comes over him. When Cotton breaks in the door, he is relieved to see that Christine is still alive.

But she is totally freaking out and swings a golf club at him. When Christine questions Cotton's sanity, he tries his best to calm her. But then...

The killer stabs Christine in the back. When Cotton dodges away, the killer slices him in the arm but he doesn't back down. 

And just when Cotton gets the upper hand and throws a bookcase on him, The killer kicks him over the desk and stabs him in the chest. The killer gloats at Cotton before he gives him one final stab in the head which immediately cuts to the title card. Now, there are some pros and cons to this opening scene. 

How the killer tricks Christine into thinking he's Cotton was a nice touch. It adds in a bit of tension since the killer is able to confuse the victim and catch her off-guard. But here comes the con. I just don't feel that sense of urgency. Sure, Cotton is a character that is well-established in the series, but I really don't feel scared for him. What I liked about the opening scenes in the first two movies is that the characters in that felt like real people. Cotton and Christine aren't relatable in my opinion. Cotton is this hot-shot talk show host living on the coast of Hollywood while Christine isn't really developed enough for me to care what happens to her. And lastly, The Ghostface Killer talks a wee bit too much. I know this is a pet peeve, but it takes away the mystique of Ghostface, and from then on, he turns into this hammy supervillain. The entity of Ghostface is at its scariest when it's on the phone but, then again, this killer has different methods.

Let's move on to the characters. The supporting cast from this go-round is misanthropic, jaded, and aggressively snide to each other. I guess this is part of the movie's commentary on Hollywood Cynicism, especially of how it was present at the time. Let's just say that the overall commentary of Scream 3 is a very subtle F-you to the Weinstein Brothers, particularly Harvey Weinstein. We'll expand on that further into the review.

However, there is one thing that Scream 3 gets right, and that is the consistency of the three main leads. Wes Craven actually stepped in to set things right. You gotta give it to Wes Craven, this is a man that knows his characters. 

But let's focus on over to the supporting cast and it's sad to say that they're not really all that interesting. Though I do have one exception with Parker Posey as Jennifer Jolie.

First, we have Sarah Darling. There's not really much to say about Sarah, other than, according to her words, she's a thirty-five-year-old playing twenty-one-year-old and she's not particularly happy about being a disposable blonde in a slasher film. But that would be Sarah's unfortunate fate in real life. 

 I've heard rumors that the character of Sarah Darling was supposed to be a dig at Sarah Michelle Gellar hence the first name of Sarah. Let's just say that she and Wes Craven didn't see eye to eye while filming Scream 2. I thought Jenny McCarthy was really funny in the role and carries on her quippy dialogue with what little material she has. I especially liked the bit where she confuses the movie Psycho with Vertigo. However, there's not much screentime for us to get attached to the character but oh well. 

Next, we have Angelina Tyler, the actress portraying Sidney in Stab 3. It's mentioned that Tori Spelling got weirded out by the real-life events surrounding the film series, so that's when Angelina Tyler, an ingenue newcomer, steps in.

 Her name is supposed to be a combination of Angelina Jolie and Liv Tyler, who were rising stars in their own right. Angelina is sort of a red herring at first. There are times where she comes off really suspicious and may not be as innocent as she seems. The movie also hints that Angelina might be a little obsessed with Sidney along with "borrowing" the film's props as souvenirs. But it turns out that this is one of Angelina's quirks. It's kind of weird but harmless. Though, it's later revealed that she did some not-so-innocent methods to get the lead role. Let's just say she had a casting couch session with the producer John Milton. In a metaphorical sense, once Agenlina drops her good girl act, the killer strikes. 

I thought Emily Mortimer gave an interesting performance, adding a bit of charm to her offbeat mannerisms and elevated above what was expected of her character. 

Next, we have Detective Mark Kincaid played by Dr. McDreamy himself, Patrick Dempsey. For the most part, Mark Kincaid is an okay character, though unlike the detectives in the last movie, he and his partner aren't completely useless. But in comparison to Dewey, Mark is terrible at self-preservation. Unintentional or not, the part where he accidentally smashes his own face against the fireplace while fighting the killer was hilarious. I just couldn't help but chuckle. 

I think Mark was implied to be a love interest for Sidney, but it never went anywhere. Sure, it might've been interesting but, realistically, Sidney is still trying to process her damaged love life. One boyfriend betrayed her and the other was killed right before her eyes. If the filmmakers went along with having Mark as Sidney's new love interest, sure, fine, I take that. But Sidney would still have to deal with her trust issues and coming from me, it's not easy to deal with. So, Mark not appearing in the fourth movie adds a lot more context than it should. 

Here we have Tom Prinze played Matt Kessler. He's supposed to be one of those manufactured, ultra-handsome, cookie-cutter Hollywood actors. His name in particular is a jab at Tom Crusie and Freddie Prinze Jr. who was at the height of their popularity. Inevitably, Tom has a tendency to be full of himself. He's also kind of dumb, considering how his death could've been totally preventable. But all in all, Tom is just sort of...there. Nothing much to that, really.

Next, we have Tyson Fox (which is probably a pseudonym for Tyson Beckford and Jamie Fox) is, unfortunately, just the comic relief. Given that he is the only black guy in the main cast, it's a major step down from the representation of the second movie, which had more than one black character that wasn't relegated to comic relief. Deon Richmond does okay with what little has to work with. I mean the guy is funny and he carries a lot with the minor role he's given.

Lastly, we have the amazingly memorable performance of Parker Posey as Jennifer Jolie, who is definitely the highlight of the movie. Her name is actually based on Jennifer Aniston and Angelina Jolie...how fetching. LOL. Jennifer, in particular, is a parody of those eccentric, overly-pretentious Hollywood actresses who takes their roles WAY too seriously, and although Jennifer is supposed to be unlikable, Parker Posey's impeccable charm makes it hard not to like her.

I especially like her dynamic with Gale where most of the comedy actually works. Here, you have this egocentric actress who goes out of her way to step into the shoes of Gale, which includes hiring her ex-boyfriend where it's implied that her relationship with Dewey is more than professional. Gale, right off the bat, is annoyed with her but reluctantly agrees to tag her along in her investigation since Jennifer is one of the killer's targets. Though what Gale doesn't realize is that, metaphorically, Jennifer is basically a mirror of herself. She must find a way to accept her flaws and make amends with her shadow side, to which Jennifer serves as the physical representation. I must say, Parker Posey and Courtney Cox have great chemistry and I found them to be incredibly hilarious together. You have the drama queen antics of Jennifer and the sardonic snarkiness of Gale. I would love to see Parker Posey and Courtney Cox in a buddy comedy one day. 

Overall, Parker Posey was entertaining as Jennifer and was the shining beacon amongst the mostly mediocre supporting cast.

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention Steven Stone played by the very sexy Patrick Warburton. Steven is mostly there to be a foil to Dewey. The animosity he feels towards Dewey mostly stems from jealously. He seems to be Jennifer's number 1 and it begs the question of whether his relationship with her is more personal than professional. Therefore, Steven is a total asshole, going so far as to crack jokes about Tatum's death at Dewey's expense. After making the crude joke, the killer strikes...and kills him in the most unclimatic way. More on that later.

Just like the previous movie, we have some special cameos:

In the first go-round, we got the one and only Carrie Fisher gracing us with her incomparable wit. She plays Bianca Brunette, a would-be actress now working as a file clerk for Sunrise Archives. She'd almost got the part of Princess Leia if it wasn't for a certain actress who had to sleep with the director. Carrie Fisher actually improvised her lines and, I have to say, Mrs. Fisher has great comedic timing. 

We have another cameo by Jay and Silent Bob, who seems out of place in a Scream movie. So does this mean the View Askew films and the Scream series are in the same universe? I'm confused.

Finally, Randy gives his last bow. But the way he's introduced is kind of contrived.

Martha Meeks, Randy's never-before-mentioned little sister, just shows up on the film set and just so happens to have a videotape of Randy during his last days. 

Randy explains the elements found in a horror trilogy. The most prominent element is when the main character from a previous film is killed off. For example, Nancy Thompson was brought back in Dream Warriors (which is the third nightmare movie by the way) only to get killed off at the end of the film. Randy makes a warning to Sidney, Dewey, and Gale that one of them might not come out of this alive. The purpose of Randy recording the video is that he knows what his fate will be and that one of them might join him in the afterlife. Although I find the execution of his cameo a bit clunky, it was good to see Jamie Kennedy as Randy one last time.

Lastly, we have genre legend, Lance Henriksen as the slimly John Milton, which is more of a guest star role than a cameo. John Milton is the representation of the corrupt Hollywood system. As you can see, the character of John Milton is based on Harvey Weinstein who was known for ruining horror films such as The Curse of Michael Myers and Hellraiser: Bloodline. He almost almost ruined Scream but Wes Craven put the kibosh on that. However, that's not the only reputation Mr. Weinstein has. Just recently, this particular reputation was the most talked-about scandal in Hollywood. You see, Mr. Weinstien was known to be a bit of a perv towards women. So the basis of John Milton is that he lures in young, up-and-coming actresses to sleep with him, including a young Maureen Prescott. Yeah, more on that later. In conclusion, John Milton is a sleazy asshole with no redeemable qualities.

Now, let's get to the triumphant trio known as Sidney, Dewey, and Gale.

The character development of Gale Weathers is now in full completion, although her personality hasn't changed that much. She is still the headstrong, overly-ambitious spitfire that we know and love but with a softer, kinder touch and a striking new hairstyle. Not her best but it's fine with me. After the events of Windsor College, Gale's popularity seems to be dimming low. She now makes appearances at college lectures doing those "If I can do it, you can do it" speeches but the students ain't buying it. Gale's brand has basically sold out. Nobody goes for that 'if it bleeds, it leads' moniker anymore and since Gale's brand involves real-life murders, realistically, that wouldn't sit well with most people. 

After hearing the news of Cotton's death, Gale takes the time to really humble herself and reflect how The Woodsboro Murders was the flame that ignited her career. With the torchlight fading out, Gale does what she does best and plays detective.

When she hears about the killer possibly stalking the cast of the new Stab film, Gale goes on set to investigate. Right around the corner, here comes Jennifer Jolie, the actress portraying her. Gale is immediately annoyed by Jennifer's presence and when she sneaks away from her, she runs into...Dewey Riley, her ex-boyfriend. 

Turns out, Dewey is Jennifer's "personal" bodyguard. Seeing this woman playing her, let alone hiring her ex-boyfriend, gives Gale the implication that Jennifer might be taking her role too seriously. And to add insult to injury, Jennifer's relationship with Dewey might be more than just professional.

So, Gale tries her best to mend her relationship with Dewey even if her globe-trodding career disrupted their courtship. But serendipity brings them back into the sleuthing game and Gale and Dewey are on the case.

On a special note, art imitates life when Dewey proposes to Gale, and around that same time, David Arquette and Courtney Cox married in real life, which wrapped up the relationship nicely (well, if you count the next movie and the real-life divorce but that's beside the point).

Anywho, Courtney Cox embodies this character. She possesses Gale's usual quick-witted sharpness but underneath that, she radiates this spirit of warmth and integrity that makes her endearingly likable.

Although Dewey is adorable as always, he's become a lot more confident this time around. Since Gale is able to eat off the success of The Woodsboro Murders and the subsequent Stab films, Dewey gets a little taste of the good life for being a real-life hero. As he enjoys the perks of being Jennifer Jolie's bodyguard, he runs into his old flame Gale Weathers and he's not afraid to show off his new lifestyle to her face since she literally ghosted him due to her hectic schedule. Once he realizes that Gale's intentions are less selfish and she really does in fact care, Dewey steps into a more active role and takes over...somewhat. 

Jennifer and Gale do most of the sleuthing and Dewey is sort of like the third wheel but I guess it makes sense that Dewey would be the middle ground between Gale and Jennifer, considering that he is kind of in a love triangle.

But as fate would have it, Dewey chooses Gale, which seals the deal of their complicated yet very sweet courtship.

David Arquette is all the more lovable as Dewey and gives the character likability and awareness that is rarely shown in a slasher movie cop character.

Lastly, we have the best of the best and that is our lovely leading lady, Sidney Prescott. Sidney has taken a backseat for most of the film but considering what she's been through in the previous movies, her story arc is very believable. Sidney is now a hermit, living in an undisclosed part of the California desert. Originally, Ehren Kruger wanted Sidney to be this Sarah Connor Clone but Wes Craven felt that wouldn't fit with Sidney's character and made her into a recluse instead. Though there are some elements of Sidney's inner action girl when she carries a gun for safekeeping.

The final stage of trauma has caused Sidney to cut off any and every source of human contact unless it's the people that are close to her. It's a very sad existence for Sidney to constantly look over her shoulder and deal with her trauma alone but there's a bright side to this. She now works as a crisis counselor for an abused women's hotline. It just shows how incredibly awesome this character is because the way she copes with her trauma is by helping others who suffer the same thing. You just can't help but love her. However, a certain someone brings her back to the past that she so desperately wants to escape.

Although she has a heartfelt reunion with Dewey and Gale, the bloodshed surrounding Sidney's life is a constant reminder of her turbulent teenage years. This really hits home when Sidney arrives at the Stab 3 film set. The built-in house is an exact replica of her childhood home. There are good memories but there are bad memories as well. From joking around with her late friend Tatum to her romance with Billy and his sudden turn on the dark side, and finally, the brutal death of her mother. The killer takes advantage of this and scares her for his own sick amusement. This was actually a tough scene to watch, not that it was scary, per se, but mostly on how it affects Sidney and realizing that this particular killer is a reprehensible piece of you-know-what.

But Sidney doesn't back down. She is geared up and ready to kick some ass. Thus, the ballad of Sidney Prescott lives on again.

Neve Campbell's portrayal of Sidney Prescott is undeniably unforgettable. She is now the top tier of final girls amongst the horror zeitgeist. Even in the worst Scream film, Neve Campbell and her character of Sidney will always be the best part of it. 

Finally, we have the Ghostface Killer who has a personal vendetta against Sidney. So what's the method behind this killer's madness? What is the actual connection between Sidney and this particular person?

Now introducing Roman Bridger and boy, I have a lot to say about this guy. This might be a rant.

Let's dive into Roman's backstory for a moment. The most important piece of his backstory is how he was conceived. Some decades ago, maybe around the late 60s to early 70s, Maureen Prescott was a promising young actress going by the alias of Rina Reynolds. When she meets powerful Hollywood producer John Milton, he invites her to a party, and, unfortunately, she ends up suddenly pregnant. This doesn't go well for Maureen's career, so she gives up the baby for adoption and leaves Hollywood for good. Years later, Roman Bridger, the son she left behind, arrives at her doorstep but Maureen coldly rejects him. This leaves Roman in a fury. He's so pissed in fact that he sets up a plan to have his mother killed. Okay, this is when things get a tad bit confusing. Apparently, Roman coerced Billy and Stu to kill his mother by showing videos of Maureen sneaking off with Billy's father. Oookay. I get that the filmmakers are making Roman into the end-all-be-all of the Ghostface Killers but it's done in a very contrived way. It would feel more organic if Billy discovered the affair himself. After all, he was the mastermind behind all of the machinations of the first movie and I feel that Billy being coerced to kill, takes away his mystique.

But the ultimate elaborate plot of this movie stems from the fact that Roman was rejected and Sidney had the life that he never had. Okay, let's backtrack here. This might be a theory, but I think the real reason behind Roman killing half his cast members and causing a shakeup on the film set is to spite his father John Milton. Retroactively, that would make more sense to the narrative. Now let's get into the topic of this situation: Roman's jealously. This is one of the reasons why I genuinely dislike this character. He is incredibly petty.

I want to compare the livelihoods between Roman and Sidney.

Sure, you can say that Roman didn't have it easy at first, being a Hollywood "love" child, but he is the son of a powerful Hollywood producer, and not to mention, he has become a successful director himself. I get the feeling that some nepotism was involved. On top of that, Roman takes on the habit of exploring the tricks of the Casting Couch. Like father, like son, I guess. He even blows up the home of one of the actresses he's slept with! What a dick move! Meanwhile, Sidney suffers from PTSD and is still is reeling over the death of her mother and friends.

Far as I can see, Roman has it WAY much better than Sidney and, yet still, he's bitter. God, what an asshole.

And here comes the contrivances. The voice translator is one of the most confusing plot holes of the movie. It was used well in the opening scene but then I start to scratch my head, wondering how the voices were even recorded on the voice modifier. Just how in the hell did Maureen's voice (who's been dead for almost 4 years by the way) get recorded in the translator? How can Roman record any and every voice on the translator? It's mind-boggling. Furthermore, how can this man stop his pulse? Roman has apparently has gained superpowers at this point.

So Roman goes off on his evil speech and it's very grating to listen to. He sounds less like a maniacal villain and more like a spoiled brat.

Even our girl Sidney has had enough, she's already been through this song and dance before. She says to him what I've been thinking all this time and tells Roman the reason he kills is that he likes it. Who cares if you didn't have the best childhood. In life, you make choices and Roman made his choice. This is a case of nature, not nurture.

I got nothing against actor Scott Foley. He's good with what he's given and I get why he was cast: Oh no! The nice guy from Felicity is the killer! But unfortunately, his character sucks and the script doesn't do him any favors.

I consider Roman Bridger to be one of the worst aspects of this movie. Period.

Wes Craven's directing is always top-notch but it's bogged down by the slapstick nature of the script. One scene I thought was really well done is Sarah's chase sequence, especially when she hides in the costume rack is really creepy and suspenseful until...its gets comical.

This is painstakingly obvious when Sarah uses one of the film props as a weapon.

Another instance is when the Ghostface Killer knocks out Steven with a frying pan. What is this, Looney Toons?

Oh but I'm not done yet. When he goes after Tyson, the killer trips him by pulling a rug from under him. Wiley E. Coyote style. It's ludicrous.

Now, most of the comedy in the first two movies was subtle and leaned more towards meta-humor while this movie is outright slapstick in some places. It's not a major issue but it takes away the intensely creepy and spine-tingling atmosphere that made the previous two movies stand out.

I did like the setting of the climax: a lavish mansion with hidden rooms that sort of reminiscent of the movie Clue. But unfortunately, most of the climax feels like a Scooby-doo episode.

However, when the movie tries to be scary, it fails miserably. Sidney's nightmare sequence, for example, was really forced and cheesy.

The writing is mostly okay. The mystery surrounding Maureen Prescott was handled really well but the revelation of Roman really killed the vibe for me. Ehren Kruger just wasn't right for this material. It would've helped the movie a tad bit if the filmmakers followed through with Kevin Willaimson's notes but seeing how Kruger wanted the film to be bigger and grander than the last movie, Harvey Weinstein and his entourage went on with the deal. Therefore, what Kruger and Weinstein created was a less-than-stellar horror sequel.

Scream 3 isn't a terrible movie, though it is often viewed as the weakest link of the franchise and not as visceral.

Scream 3 is entertaining to watch but it's just not at the top of my list of favorite Scream films.

My last word: not bad but not great either.