Scream 2

Starring: Neve Campbell, David Arquette, Courteney Cox
Directed by: Wes Craven
Released: Dimension Films, 1997

The laughably predictable and unfortunately inevitable sequel to 1996's ingenious teen horror parody should be given credit for wrangling many of the principle stars back into the production -- though Neve Campbell, perhaps a more talented actress than many critics give her credit for being, probably wishes she'd never signed on in the first place. This time around, horrormeister Wes Craven and pop culture sensation Kevin Williamson follow Sydney (Campbell) and the gang from her secluded hometown of Woodsboro to Windsor College, where the same ghoul-masked, knife-wielding sicko (as he's invariably referred to) turns up again. Ostensibly, the purpose of the sequel was to poke fun at the sequels, but there's a reason they call it catching lightening in a bottle -- it usually only happens once. Craven and Williamson should have quit while they were ahead.