Scream 2

Scream 2 feels less nerve-shredding than the original, or perhaps that was simply because I was sitting at home on my sofa rather than in front of a gigantic cinema screen. I do not mind that I did not see the sequel at the cinema, for although its entertainment value is high, it is in many ways a rehash of "Scream".

The film once again follows Sidney and the other surviving friends and foes, Randy, Dewey and Gale Weathers, plus newly arrived friends and boyfriends. In the meantime Sidney has started college, but the nightmare begins again. The events of "Scream" have been turned into a film called "Stab". There are signs that it has inspired a madman to imitate the murders. This time Sidney, Dewey, Gale and Randy take an even more active part in the hunt for the killer than before. Just like last time, it naturally turns out that there is not just one killer but two.

Scream 2's mixture of scares, laughs and film references is not a bad cocktail, but a little more deviation from the original's plot would have been welcome.