Review of Scream 3 (2000) by Caleb N — 16 Apr 2013

Directed by Wes Craven, who between Scream (1996) and Scream 2 (1997), had decided to do something completely different with musical drama, Music of the Heart (1999), which had middling financial success but glowing reviews, he was coaxed back to complete the Scream saga, (he was originally going to just produce this one), and it was a good conclusion to things, even if the blood was toned down in the one because of Columbine.

It's now 3 years since the events of the first film, and Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) has become a recluse, and having psychological episodes, but when Cotton Weary (Liev Schreiber) is brutally murdered, Sidney comes out of hiding, and murders happen on the Hollywood set of Stab 3, which has just gone into production, with Roman Bridger (Scott Foley) as director, the production is shut down by producer John Milton (Lance Henriksen).

Dewey Finn (David Arquette) is in town as technical adviser on the film, with Gale Weathers (Courtney Cox) wanting to know why she wasn't asked to be an adviser, but the body count goes up. Toning down the film's violence was a mistake, as it's not the violence that causes real life deaths, it's the viewer.

But, there's some fun along the way, even if the cast are starting to look bored, but they would be coaxed back a decade later for Scream 4 (2011).