Scream: Season 2 (2016)

*CONTAINS SPOILERS*

What I liked:

• Noah. Foster. Again, the dude is mah spirit animal and I absolutely adore him. He is geeky, awkward, crazy as heck, a little more withdrawn in this season, but whatever. As long as he is here 😀 Also liked seeing him try to get back on the dating horse again – gosh, it is awkward (just think of that condom shopping, and his interactions with Zoe), but I am happy for him!

• The new sheriff, Acosta. He is a different kind of beast, but I like the way he approaches situations and handles things.
• Still a big fan of the throwbacks, the rules, Noah’s podcast voicing so much, as well as how meta and aware the show is at the best of times.
• The dynamics between the Lakewood Six. Really cool friendships have developed between these kids.

What I didn’t like:

• The score. I totally forgot how crap the music was for this show. It is really sad though, because I think it really detracts from the show.
• Emma Duval. I know she is our main peanut and all, but she still really annoys me – she is never going to be Sidney Prescott.
• The blackmail. I don’t know – but I think the blackmail paired with this horrendous score made me think of Pretty Little Liars, and that is not a compliment. Okay, and the phone call games made me think of Saw.
• How bland and boring this season was at the best of times. Disappointing.
• A lot of story lines got introduced and then randomly dropped, which was really annoying.
• The MAJOR PLOTSIE at the end was totally not as shocking as they would have wanted it to be. Something I have wondered about since season one, and I think the implementation of it when all is said and done here at the end of this was a bit messy.

Rating:

Alright, so this silly show has is sort of like a guilty little pleasure of mine. I say this because the show is undoubtedly messy, and it is super flawed, but it is also stupidly entertaining, and for that I will have to give it credit. Anyway, I didn’t rush when I saw there was a new season because, well, I totally had bigger fish to fry, but eventually I had some time to fill with something else. This was that something else.

This season was so much tamer than last season. There were no shocking deaths, the gore was not as out there as last season, and it was truly a lot slower and more bland than season one, which is a pity, but also sort of something I expected. There were also other issues that we will get into as I go along, but there were also good things.

Let’s start with Noah Foster still being the king and the biggest reason that I watch this show. For realsies, that guy is my spirit animal, and I absolutely adore him. What a sweetie! I found that he was a lot more reserved this season as opposed to the last one, and while I still admire him, I wish he had some more oomph. It was great to see him get back into the dating game because seriously, this guy is an insanely awkward turkey! Also, his antics in getting laid? That condom shopping? That had me in absolute stitches, and this whole season is pretty much worth watching just for that. I really liked him and Zoe together, so I was quite sad that Noah had the world dumped on his shoulders again.

Another thing I really liked is to see the friendships that have developed between the Lakewood Six, what with the survival of the psycho (but not shocking) Piper Shaw. I guess something like that is sure to bring everyone closer. I would have loved to have seen more Audrey and Noah in this one. I thought they didn’t get enough time together – seriously, the guy couldn’t even see that she was super jumpy after the whole Piper thing? I thought it was nice to see how Brooke fits in with the others. Speaking of Brooke – I thought it was awful that Jake was barely even buried and she had taken up with Gustavo already. Girl, really???

I had an absolute ball when Audrey pointed out to Emma that not everything is about her. It really took way too long for someone to open up their damn mouths and point out the painfully obvious. I know we are supposed to like Emma, but she really grates on me. I find her to be quite spineless and insipid, neither characteristics that will ever endear her to me. While we are at it, what the heck is the obsession with Emma? Eli is the new one to add to this mix, and the guy is creepy as hell, no lies. I was not a fan of him at all. Icky, and dude, that is your cousin’s girlfriend, have some respect and go fish somewhere else! Not to mention Mr Branson and his teen obsession popping up here again – nasty, man!

The big reveal at the end about the new villain was so not a shocker – in fact, I have been waiting for something in this line since the first season. It was not revolutionary, and I don’t think it was handled well either. Not because the actors didn’t pull it off, but because they were let down by a faulty script. Shame, too. While we are at the big shootout and all, how many freaking rounds can that gun hold?! I could not buy into it. What madness!

Anyway, definitely a slower season than last, and not nearly as edgy, nor as unsafe for the characters as season one, Scream season 2 is still not the worst way to burn through some time, specially when you don’t really have to invest too much, or think further than “these stupid kids”. There isn’t really much more to say on the matter.

JB & The Chop Do: Scream (1996)

What the what?! Yes, you are seeing this correctly! The Chop and I return! We are back in business peeps! After all this time! This time we are back to see what we make of Craven’s slasher franchise. So gear up, get ready, and let it be like old times with our latest crazy collaboration!

SYNOPSIS: A group of teens are pitted against a masked murderer that tests their knowledge of horror movies. – via IMDB

What? A Scream collaboration with the Chop? YES! Dreams! You all know I have crazy love for this. Like, it is madness. My husband laughs at me, he thinks I have lost my mind, but he lets me get into it every time. It is one of my favourite things to watch, and something that gets my attention multiple times a year. I even recently got myself a Scream themed backpack, and I fucking love it!

I grew up watching the Scream movies, and as I have gotten older, I have seen there is even more to appreciate than I ever really realised as a kid – so they are both sentimental and smart for me, so winning! Scream is a stroke of genius. Why? Because it mocks on horror movies, does its thing, conforms (and yet stays original and fresh) and teases and jokes.

Scream also heralds one of the most memorable opening scenes ever. Wow. It stays with you and is handled so damn well, hooking you in the opening minutes. Barrymore was perfect as Casey, introducing the creepy call, and her death totally sets the bloody style for the movies right off the bat. So good!

Let’s not pretend Scream isn’t nineties as fuck, but you know what? It works for it. This movie just owns everything. I have serious feelings of nostalgia when it comes to these movies, and I know there are others out there. Love, love, love this, as you can all surely tell 😀

Then there is Sidney Prescott. For reals, this girl is a freaking awesome Final Girl. She doesn’t take flak, she puts up a fight, and she really goes for it. Sassy, smart, survival.

Speaking of specific characters, we cannot forget fan favourites Deputy Dewey and Randy. Man, Dewey you cannot help but adore, and Arquette is brilliant. Then, of course, there is Randy, the signature film geek you gotta love man. I enjoyed his references.

Scream has fun extolling the rules of the horror/slasher genre, and balances this so well with the movie. We get a fun movie, not something to be taken too seriously, but that still brings the gore, the tension, and the blood to the table. What more could you ask for?!

Also, gotta say, while he is not everyone’s cup of tea (and he isn’t even my cup of tea), Skeet Ulrich is doing the most messed up stuff here, but looks damn fine while doing it (I am specifically looking at all at the end – yes, I know how psycho that sounds).

Anyway, I say again, I fucking love Scream. I am going to stop here because I have reviewed these and discussed these all over the show, so I am going to leave it at these movies are awesome. I am looking forward to covering all of this with my partner in collaboration crime Eric. Much fun ahead. Now that you all know what I have to say about it, what did the Chop think?!

1st off – I would like to say THANK YOU to our JB for agreeing to do another series with me. I was afraid I scared her clean off after the Amityville run. When she came back around and asked if I wanted to do the Scream series, I was all “sure thing – I think I’ve only seen one of them” and now – WE’RE BACK!!!!!

Here’s my history with Scream: I really do remember when this came out and I really do remember that this was featured in the commercials here, where I live:

Obviously, I was intrigued but in 1996 I was going through a divorce and living in this shit-cheap apartment that was built back in the 1930s that really did have a BOILER in the corner for heat. That winter was VERY hard and cold and I basically had to sleep on the floor by the thing to try and stay warm at night. Anyway – one night, my friend and I went downtown to this bar and this band called Jackyl was playing behind it so we went out to drink beer and watch the show.  I’ve never been a really upfront/alpha kind of guy with the ladies – I’ve always let them seek me out – but, for some reason I started lurking lingering around this chick and let her sit on my shoulders to see the band and she ended up following me (us) home.

As things turned out, she had a bootleg copy of this movie on VHS so we popped it in and got under the blanket and started watching it and then *ahem* #romance happened and we never finished it. I also didn’t want to be in a relationship again so I never called her even though that was some of the best #romance I ever had. Several years later I was living with my girlfriend at the time who was totally cheating on me and one night we started watching Scream 3 and got most of the way through it before #romance happened so I’ve never really seen one of these all the way through.

Until now, but unfortunately there hasn’t been any #romance as a result of it although earlier I went and got my copy of True Detective back from my coworker since I’m leaving this place and I’ll never see her again and she said she’d be happy to be in my movie I’m working on and she’s willing to show her boobs if need be, so there’s that. Actually, I guess by the time this posts I’ll no longer be employed here so, hi Future Eric – remember to text XXXXXXXXXXX.

As for Scream – I thought it was good enough. I know I’m the old man of the group, so I didn’t grow up with these like JB and others did so it didn’t resonate with me in all of it’s 90s-ness like it will most people. I thought the “ghostface” costume was dumb and NOT scary and the wardrobes were awful – I half expected the cast to have their acid washed Guess? jeans cuffs pinched and rolled up over their ankles while they smoked Marlboro Light Shorts out of a box. They used to call that the French Rolled or Penny Rolling look around here and it was AWFUL but it looks like rolled up cuffs are making a comeback in Europe and they’re calling it “Pinrolling”. Shit.

Regarding the movie in general, I thought the cast did a good job and it was a lot bloodier than I thought it would be but I got kind of tired of the constant movie references and Matthew Lillard (who I like) drove me crazy at the end. If you’re not familiar with him you might remember him as:

I guess that’s it – I liked it enough and David Arquette was actually decent considering the giant douche he can be. Hopefully these get less 90s as they progress.

Sporadic Chronicles of a Beginner Blogger Trivia #1: due to the way I grew a great deal taller before everyone else and my lean physique, my nick name in high school was “Shaggy”.

Sporadic Chronicles of a Beginner Blogger Trivia #2: Sadly, that was not my nickname because I shagged all the hot chicks around town.

Sporadic Scene: Scream (Season 1×01) – Noah’s Slasher Monologue

Recently I watched the new MTV Scream series (because you all know I have a deep Scream love affair), and I thought it was okay, if not messy and predictable. Even with all those issues, however, I absolutely adored Noah Foster, a character whom I swear is my spirit animal (he even got a Character Tribute). He is smart, entertaining, geeky as hell, definitely quirky, and bags of fun. Right from the opening pilot episode, I just knew he was going to rock. When he had himself a typical Randy Meeks style moment in class when describing a slasher film. “Slasher movies burn bright and fast, TV needs to stretch things out.”

If you have a scene that you would like featured, drop me a mail at sporadiczoe@hotmail.com with a link to the scene and an explanation as to why.

Character Tribute: Noah Foster

So I watched Scream recently, and while I was not the biggest fan of the show, necessarily (review here), I was a massive fan of Noah Foster. For so many reasons. The guy… he is amazing, and such a cutie to boot. Anyway, he entertained me so much that I thought to do a character tribute on him and share it with you all. I know, it’s been a while!

No game? Really? It’s always been the cute, geeky ones that kicked it for me. However, how he feels about his realisation of being that nerdy dude is hilarious.

Being the virgin of the show was funny, especially when he and his bestie became Bi-Curious and The Virgin!

Noah is comfortable in his own skin. Yes, he might be strange, and quirky and ditzy and all sorts of things, and awkward about other things, but he does not hide the fact that he is a horror fanatic of note and has a deep-seated fascination with serial killers. His honesty is refreshing.

He can be adorkable at times xD Wouldn’t want to let his mama down after she made the cape!

The way that Noah applies horror logic to (undeniably) creepy situations. Yes, he really does live and breathe this stuff.

Another time? Refusing to fall victim to the deadly clichés.

How, even in a dire situation, he is still the one carrying all the humour, and pointing out the delightfully obvious.

Noah was also essentially the narrator for the Scream series, and the throwbacks he had to Randy Meeks thrilled me no end, I won’t lie. Noah, like Randy, gives us the rules, points out the obvious, and is super entertaining while he is at it.

Okay, Noah Foster screaming is a thing of beauty. Like, really. It rivals Dean Winchester.

He just has a way of saying things, he can get so excited and then it is like this crazy word vomit… another favourite of mine (but I can’t find a gif) is “Oh, holy Manson Family album!”

Friendship goals! Audrey gets taken in for questioning, and what is Noah doing? Printing up some epic shirts!

How finicky on the details he is, no matter how sketchy it might make him look xD

Noah is hilarious – caught in a bad situation, he is going to freak his way out of it, homemade weapons and all.

I will always appreciate how smart Noah is, and how he actually spends time picking at some damaged logic in shows/movies.

I love how Noah can get on a roll and just keep talking, even when he sees he is walking right into a tricky situation. It’s almost like he thinks that somehow, this time he will talk himself out of it. It’s too funny.

His wonderful modesty at times.

Just because it looks fantastic, and suits Noah down to a tee.

His epic monologue about a what a slasher is, well worth the look see!

Review: Scream 4 (2011)

SYNOPSIS: Ten years have passed, and Sidney Prescott, who has put herself back together thanks in part to her writing, is visited by the Ghostface Killer. – via IMDB

And here we are, the final movie! Thank you all for sticking with me, reading, commenting, everything. As always, it’s appreciate it! It’s been a blast.

This one is definitely not right up there like the first two movies, but this is really not the worst movie to be added to a franchise, especially so long after the fact. It is infinitely better than the last one though, that’s for sure! I will always be a fan of the fact that the same cast has always returned for their roles, it just gives the whole experience a more cohesive and authentic feeling, which is awesome.

Thank goodness Cox’s hair was sorted out – Scream 3 did her no wonders whatsoever, and whoever styled her hair with that fringe should have been shot. Seriously. Her and Dewey being together is adorable, and I will not lie, that blonde woman, Hicks, who was hitting on Dewey? She really made me angry Stay away or go find an available man, hooker!

I am still not sold on Emma Roberts – even her face just looks like a spoiled brat to me, and she always comes across like that, too. Ugh. She isn’t even that great an actress (or I have yet to see her in anything where she wows me, at any rate). Giving her such a huge role in here peeved me a bit, but there were other things to enjoy. As I understand it, there was quite some backlash when Hayden Panettiere was cast for this (although much humble pie has been eaten since, by the sound of it). I thought she was great, and definitely a character I had a lot of fun with.

Sidney has the worst agent of all time and she annoyed the fuck out of me. Like can you even?! The woman had no morals or scruples! There were quite a few reprehensible characters for this one though, but you can deal with it. There was a strong focus on the teens again, very reminiscent of Scream, and I enjoyed exploring that avenue again, though modern kids are less entertaining than they think they are.

Dewey with some power was awesome, and to see him getting hit on by the other cop and that pissing Gale off was classic, even though that woman irritated me (as I mentioned). Hicks did provide some classic entertainment for unleashing the snippy Gale Weathers we all know and love though.

Sidney is back in action of course, and the woman just keeps on getting crap flung at her. She has in no way had an easy life, and people seem so keen on constantly making her relive awful torment. This time around she is not taking anything, and puts up a great defense, terrified or not. She is making her stand and that is just that.

I almost died when they tried to call Rory Culkin’s Charlie Walker this generation’s Billy Loomis. Are you freaking kidding me??????

My argument:

Billy Loomis – sexy

Charlie Walker – not so much

The new and improved “rules” that were put forth in this movie and explored made me laugh, there were quite a few industry digs and they were handled quite well.

For a sequel to a set of films so long after the fact, Scream 4 is highly successful and hits quite a few high points and misses in other places, but that isn’t an issue for the most part.

Overall I had an absolute blast going back to these films as well as watching this one, the only one I hadn’t seen. I can see myself watching the hell out of these movies again, so much fun to be had! Thank you all so much for undertaking this journey with me, taking the time to read and share comments, I always appreciate it!

Review: Scream 3 (2000)

SYNOPSIS: While “Stab 3” is in production, somebody in a ghost mask starts to murder the new cast members. This lures Sidney out from hiding deep in the woods where she lives, and she comes to Hollywood to face the killer for the final act. – via IMDB

Alright, alright, this was certainly the weakest Scream film so far. It just didn’t do things as well as its predecessors, which is a pity. Not to say that it was a total waste, there is still fun to be had, but definitely not on the same level as before. There are flaws, there are contrivances, there is so much useless screaming and not such snappy conversation… what a pity.

Courteney Cox’s hairdresser completely screwed up her hair. I mean whoa. Gale is this hot, tenacious reporter with very few qualms, sassy as can be and pretty hardcore. Then she’s back here, and she is all those things but that fringe. Goodness. It was like a horror movie all on its own! It really didn’t suit her or her character whatsoever.

This one certainly lacked the charm of the previous two. I appreciated what was being done here, though I was not a big fan of everything being “the movies” and “on set”. It was gimmicky and didn’t work for very long at all.

Neve Campbell returns as our reluctant heroine Sidney, and Scream 3 spends a little more time looking at her fractured psyche, as well as how she has locked herself away from the world, terrified and slowly dealing with things, but unwilling to be a part of the public eye anymore. Being dragged out because Ghostface is back was obviously inevitable, but the story really gets rolling when she steps in. I thoroughly enjoyed the throwbacks to seeing the set of Sidney’s home, the garage, etc. Those were nice little reminders, but some got overplayed and quickly. Our Randy Meeks got a little cameo, which was cool. We miss you Randy! But it also felt like it was squeezed in for those who raged about that terrible decision in the last film.

We have another cop here, which I am sure some ladies appreciated immensely. Patrick Dempsey plays Detective Mark Kincaid, the cop that is investigating the latest slew of murders, and who keeps Sidney at arms length while doing his job. I liked that not everybody pitied her out of hand, he was not for that. In his mind, she was a potential suspect, though he thaws later.

Something that I really miss? The “romance” of the phone calls has been lost, there are calls, but more often than not, like the last, it is more about slashing and killing than anything else.

Then let’s talk about Parker Posey – I don’t like her. I never have, and I don’t think I ever will. I find her to be such an annoyance in all movies and she always comes across as whiney, no matter that she is playing the bitch/ruler/whatever. This was no exception – she never shut up, she was entitled, and I feel that she did more harm for the film than she did good.

As for the big killer reveal at the end, sheesh. That was a whole different kettle of fish to fry. I mean Cotton was being dragged in here (again), but he honestly didn’t last very long at all.

I cannot skip over mentioning Dewey in this post because we all know I am a huge fan. He provided some humour again, and watching him and Gale dance around each other after their history was something else entirely, but I felt that he was wasted here, and they make it look like Dewey can have no life or respect without Gale, which is kinda sad.

Scream 3 was also plagued by ridiculously silly and cheesy, predictable deaths, which was a little bit of a letdown. But when all is said and done, I have seen infinitely worse movies, this one still had some redeeming aspects and fits in with the trilogy nicely.

Review: Scream 2 (1997)

SYNOPSIS: Two years after the first series of murders, a new psychopath dons the Ghostface costume and a new string of killings begins. – via IMDB

Sequels aren’t usually that good, we all know that. It is a topic that this sequel harps on about, and it is pretty successful. For one, I still had an absolute blast with this movie, how conscious it was of the type of film it was (once again), how it mocked and taunted (again), yet did all those things anyway. Scream 2 managed to pull it off, but I had no doubt that it would, and no, not just because I had seen it a million times before. Hell, it even had a (really) brief glimpse of Joshua Jackson in it, so there weren’t complaints for me. Personally, I would have liked to have seen more of that.

The opening is one of those that have stuck with people for years after all was said and done, whether you remember the rest of the movie or not, we all remember the brutal toilet stall slaying of Phil and the screaming theatre death of Maureen.

I was so happy to see Dewey again, I think he is such an adorable idiot, and David Arquette was perfectly cast to play him. He is truly a favourite of mine, and watching him and Courteney Cox together was great, they just worked. Dewey’s fury with Gale and her book was a point of incredible entertainment for me, he was so childish about it all, yet still so infatuated with her.

There was no shock in the reveal (hopefully nobody was expecting there would be), and though there were more murders in this one, they were not as meticulously planned as the first one, and also much less phone calls. I miss the phone calls. They were something I truly enjoyed about Scream. I think one thing that really fell flat in this movie was Ghostface… not quite what I was hoping for, and it was a little bit jarring, too. It wasn’t as smooth as it could have been, though not a complete waste.

The back and forth between the characters was as sharp, smart and fast as always, so nothing has really changed there. Sidney is still hanging in there, our reluctant heroine who is surrounded by wonderful people. I felt so sorry for Randy, perpetually stuck in the dreaded friendzone. Sidney is a wonderful character to carry the Scream franchise because she isn’t too much or too little, she never takes over and is never forgotten, and that is something that so many horrors can mess up. The main characters from this franchise all have their time to shine.

Gale kicks some serious ass. I love this woman. She is a shark and a super  mean bitch but she is hardcore, and she doesn’t take much crap from anyone. Sometimes she is just too harsh for some, and her lack of morals really is a bit rough at times, but she is someone that I really like.

Then something that happened in this movie that I am sure many fans are still horrified about. (Highlight text to view – SPOILER if you haven’t seen this yet). Killing Randy Meeks?! After all that we have been through with him, after all the lessons that he taught us! The only main character to be popped. Ugh. Why?! Craven, how did you think that was alright?! What the ever-loving hell was the meaning of that? 

 

I adored how Scream 2 starts up, and you are thinking they are going to do something different and you are missing all the characters you came to love, and slowly but surely they start creeping through the cracks. It really is something to witness them all coming together again to battle Ghostface, again, though it cannot possibly be the delicious Billy Loomis.

Overall, Scream 2 is buckets of fun, while not as brilliant as its predecessor, it is a strong sequel with plenty of laughs, blood and gore – everything I am looking for in a film. Definitely worth the watch.