Scream to Scream, Scene by Scene: SCENE 28 of Scream 2 (1:29:09-1:29:52)

In this project I attempt to review the entire Scream trilogy scene by scene in chronological order. Heavy spoilers and gore throughout!



SCENE 28 of Scream 2
Length: 0min 43secs
Primary Characters: Gale Weathers, Cotton Weary and Debbie Salt
Pop Culture References:

• None
  

A tiny scene this one, but pivotal for a couple of reasons. Firstly, it acts as a bridge between scenes and gives Gale a reason to be at the big climax. Secondly, and more importantly, it adds further dimension to the Gale/Cotton relationship and gives Cotton's heroic reveal an added dimension.


Yeah, I'd probably react that way if giant booming music suddenly appeared as I walked right into a prime suspect in the serial killings to which I was very nearly a victim of.


Love the bait and switch here. The sight of Cotton with blood all over his hands surely implies - as Gale suspects - that he is a killer, and this suspicion results in her running right into the open arms of the actual killer, someone she didn't suspect for a single moment. It works though because even if Cotton was the killer it would have made sense as a viable outcome (and still makes more sense than, say, Mickey), and yet still one that could have shocked. By including this bit here his hero turn in the climax proves to be the real Cotton Weary twist. If that makes sense. Does that make sense? It probably doesn't make sense. Basically what I mean "omg fake twist!! ooh!"


Yes, Gale's trust issues result in her running right into the real killer's web, but if you were her and saw Cotton with someone's blood all over them you'd probably suspect him to be a homicidal maniac, too!


Not a good look. Also, I love thinking that Naomi Watts and Liev Shreiber have DVD nights where they watch their old pre-fame horror movies like this and Children of the Corn 4: The Gathering. Liev clearly has the upper hand in that fight.


Run Gale, run! I've said it time and time again, but I love how so much of Scream 2 follows the blueprint of the original Scream to the letter and yet it never once feels like it's being repetitious or stale. Sometimes it's obvious like the replication of the "opening scene" and all that, but other times it's less obvious like this bit. This part actually reminds me of when Sidney turns around to see Stu and asks for help, only to discover that oops he's a killer!


"Gale, I was right in the middle of a story."


"I've got your god damn story!"


"The killer is Cotton FUCKING Weary!"


"Cotton Weary?!?"
Firstly, I love Courteney's line reading of "Cotton FUCKING Weary!"

Secondly, I love how completely obvious it is from Debbie Salt's reaction that she's actually the killer. Of course, I wouldn't have noticed this the first time, but her "gee!" tone of sarcasm is really obvious. To be honest, even her mere presence in the proceedings this late in the game was a big giveaway I say, since these sort of secondary characters either die or disappear by this stage unless, as is the case here, they turn out to be the mystery villain. Meanwhile, say hello to Laurie Metcalfe's crazy bug eyes! They'll be with us in full force during the next scene.

Scream:
Intro, Scene 1 Scene 2, Scene 3, Scene 4, Scene 5, Scene 6, Scene 7, Scene 8, Scene 9, Scene 10, Scene 11, Scene 12, Scene 13, Scene 14, Scene 15, Scene 16, Scene 17, Scene 18, Scene 19, Scene 20, Scene 21, Scene 22, Scene 23, Scene 24, Scene 25, Scene 26, Scene 27, Scene 28, Scene 29, Scene 30, Scene 31 Scene 32, Scene 33, End Credits

Scream 2
Scene 1, Scene 2, Scene 3, Scene 4, Scene 5, Scene 6, Scene 7, Scene 8, Scene 9, Scene 10, Scene 11, Scene 12, Scene 13, Scene 14. Scene 15, Scene 16, Scene 17, Scene 18, Scene 19, Scene 20, Scene 21, Scene 22, Scene 23, Scene 24, Scene 25, Scene 26, Scene 27

The Melbourne International Film Festival: The List

This blogathon is an initiative of MIFF for their 60th anniversary year. I am one of six bloggers given the mission of seeing 60 films in 17 days and writing, reporting, reviewing and wrangling my way through the tiredness and hunger to bring the festival experience to your computer.

And so it begins.

My mission to see 60 films at the 60th annual Melbourne International Film Festival has begun. Well, not exactly. The films themselves don't start until opening night on the 21st of July with The Fairy from directors Dominique Abel, Fiona Gordon and Bruno Romy and conclude on the 7th of August (the big "closing night" film is Winding Refn's Drive, but it screens on the Saturday night so as to allow partying long into the night for those who don't actually have more movies to see the next morning! Here's hoping for a surprise screening of it on Sunday!)

If you're attending the festival then this programmer from @danshep79 is a wonder because it allows you to see who is attending the same session as you. Great for knowing which of those Twitterers and bloggers you've never put a face to before are "in the house". Anyway, let's take a look at what films I will be seeing at this year's fest.

My festival begins not with some big Cannes title or world premiere. No, it begins with Martin Scorsese's The King of Comedy from 1982, which is screening as a part of the festival's retrospective program. There was no way I could give up the chance to see my #2 Scorsese film on the big screen. There's something about Sandra Bernhard's performance that was made to be projected on a huge screen, don't you think? Other retro titles I selected in my program are Cocteau's Beauty and the Beast, which I've never seen, Giorgio Mangiamele's Clay and Carol Reed's The Third Man. Why not, yeah? The other films I have selected are a mix of features, documentaries and shorts - which is rare given my aversion to them, but the Melbourne Shorts programs of rare short films about Melbourne, including what sounds like a few really fascinating titles like Loop and The American, sounded too good to pass up given my love for this city of mine. I also added a selection of "experimental" shorts because I figure they'll be more interesting than regular shorts. And if they not? Sleepy time.

Unfortunately there were several high profile casualties, as there always are when programming a festival lineup. Another Earth and Elena were two titles I was most disappointed about having to give the flick due to screening at the same time as titles less likely to get a release post-festival. Scheduling conflicts also brought about the end of my seeing Black Venus, 3D French animation Tales of the Night, Face to Face, Exporting Raymond, Resurrect Dead: The Mystery of the Toynbee Tiles, Aussie documentary The Curse of the Gothic Symphony, 280 minute The Mysteries of Lisbon and The Mill and the Cross. Take Shelter, the high profile Cannes title starring Michael Shannon, had to be cut due to its run time cutting into the late night screening of The Innkeepers with director Ti West in the house. Considering West's last film, the chilling The House of the Devil, got the barest of obscure film festival releases long after it premiered in America so I thought that I'd see that one before it gets lost in niche horror distribution hell. I replaced Take Shelter with Kill List, so I don't think I'll be going all depressed at the thought of missing it. La Havre and A Seperation, too, were victims of the dreaded "you'll be getting a release anyway so I'd rather see something else" syndrome.

Meanwhile, there are still two sessions that I am unsure about. I have booked myself in for Errol Morris' Tabloid and the Canadian exploitation homage Hobo with a Shotgun, but I find myself wishing to swap them out for Ruhr and The Turin Horse respectively. We'll see how that goes. As for a film I'd rather die than see? How about that documentary about Elmo. Christ, hasn't that nostalgia hipster fad ended yet? Note: I chose The Turin Horse and Ruhr. Those two are far less likely to receive a release of any kind so, ya know, why not?

**As a tip for future ticket buyers, I would suggest not bothering with Red Dog, Beginners, The Guard, Senna or Jane Eyre due to their release so soon after (or even during) the festival. I'd suggest you not bother with Norwegian Wood because it so insufferably bad. While a lot of the films I will be seeing will get a release some point in the future, I don't see much point in going to see films that are of little interest just because they won't get a cinema release and Martha Marcy May Marlene will, ya know?**

Friday 22, July
13.30 - The King of Comedy (USA, dir. Martin Scorsese)
18.30 - Melbourne on Film Shorts Program 1 (Australia, dir. Various)
21.00 - Melancholia (Denmark/Sweden/France/Germany, dir. Lars von Trier)

Saturday 23, July
13.00 - Cave of Forgotten Dreams (Canada/USA/France/Germany/UK, dir. Werner Herzog)
16.00 - Living on Love Alone (France, dir. Isabelle Czajka)
18.30 - Submarine (UK, dir. Richard Ayoade)
21.00 - Kill List (UK, dir. Ben Wheatley)
23.00 - The Innkeepers (USA, dir. Ti West)


Sunday 24, July
18.30 - Martha Marcy May Marlene (USA, dir. Sean Durkin)
21.00 - 13 Assassins (Japan, dir. Takeshi Miike)

Monday 25, July
11.00 - Armadillo (Denmark, dir. Janus Metz)
13.30 - LennoNYC (USA, dir. Michael Epstein)
16.00 - Post Mortem (Chile, dir. Pablo Larraín)
21.00 - Swerve (Australia, dir. Craig Lahiff)

Tuesday 26, July
13.30 - The Piano in a Factory (China, dir. Meng Zhang)
16.00 - Little Rock (USA, dir. Mike Ott)
18.30 - Bobby Fischer Against the World (USA, dir. Liz Garbus)
21.00 - Michael (Austria, dir. Markus Schleinzer)

Wednesday 27, July
12.00 - The Third Man (UK, dir. Carol Reed)
16.00 - I Wish I Knew (China, dir. Zhang ke jia)
18.30 - How to Die in Oregon (USA, dir. Peter D Richardson)
21.00 - Tomboy (France, dir. Céline Sciamma)

Thursday 28, July
11.00 - The Ugly Duckling (Russia, dir. Garri Bardin)
14.30 - Winter's Daughter (Germany/Poland, dir. Johannes Schmid)
18.30 - Tiny Furniture (USA, dir. Lena Dunham)
21.00 - Beauty and the Beast (France, dir. Jean Cocteau)


Friday 29, July
11.00 - On the Sly (Belgium/France, dir. Olivier Ringer)
13.30 - Top Floor Left Wing (France/Luxembourg, dir. Angelo Cianc)
16.00 - Experimental Shorts 1 (USA, Australia, UK)
18.30 - Brother Number One (New Zealand, dir. Annie Goldson)
21.00 - The Black Power Mix Tape 1967 - 1975 (Sweden, dir. Goran Olsson)

Saturday 30, July
11.00 - Ruhr (Germany, dir. James Benning)
13.30 - Pool Party (USA, dir. Beth Aala)
16.00 - Toomelah (Australia, dir. Ivan Sen)
18.30 - The Forgiveness of Blood (USA/Albania/Denmark/Italy, dir. Joshua Marston)
21. 00 - Bullhead (Belgium, dir. Michaël R. Roskam)

Sunday 31, July
18.30 - Detroit Wild City (France, dir. Florent Tillon)
inc. The Future Will Not Be Capitalist (Austria, dir. Sasha Pirker)
21.00 - The Turin Horse (Hungary, dir. Béla Tarr)

Monday 1, August
18.30 - The Future (USA, dir. Miranda July)
21.00 - NEDS (UK, dir. Peter Mullan)

Tuesday 2, August
11.00 - Falling for Sahara (Australia, dir. Khoa Do)
16.00 - Natural Selection (USA, dir. Robbie Pickering)
18.30 - Wasted Youth (Greece, dir. Argyris Papadimitropoulos & Jan Vogel)
21.00 - Tatsumi (Singapore/Indonedia, dir. Eric Khoo)

Wednesday 3, August
11.00 - Once Upon a Time in Anatolia (Turkey/Bosnia Herzegovina, dir. Nuri Bilge Ceylan)
18.30 - A Useful Life (Uruguay, dir. Federico Veiroj)
inc. The Little Tailor (France, dir. Louis Garrel)
21.00 - Beauty (South Africa/France, dir. Oliver Hermanus)


Thursday 4, August
13.30 - Innocent Saturday (Germany/Russia/Ukraine, dir. Alexander Mindadze)
16.45 - The Triangle Wars (Australia, dir. Rosie Jones)
18.30 - Tyrannosaur (UK, dir. Paddy Considine)
21.00 - X (Australia, dir. Jon Hewitt)

Friday 5, August
13.30 - Bi, Don't Be Afraid (Vietnam/Germany/France, dir. Phan Đăng)
16.00 - Sleeping Sickness (Germany/France/Netherlands, dir. Ulrich Köhler)
18.30 - Melbourne on Film Shorts Program 2 (Australia, dir. Various)
21.00 - Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest (USA, dir. Michael Rapaport)

Saturday 6, August
11.00 - Page One: Inside the New York Times (USA, dir. Andrew Rossi)

Sunday 7, August
11.00 - "Surprise Screening 1"
13.30 - Atteberg (Greece, dir. Athina Rachel Tsangari)
16.00 - Clay (Australia, Giorgio Mangiamele)
18.30 - Jiro Dreams of Sushi (Japan, dir. David Melb)

And that's that, folks. I'm sure some of these will change if there are screening troubles or some other life happening that must take precedence. As it stands, however, this is what I plan to spend 17 days of life devoted too. There will (hopefully, but not guaranteed) daily updates and reviews.

By the Numbers:
Number of Films: 58
Number of Days: 17
Number of Documentaries: 15
Number of Shorts: 14
Number of Aussie Films: 8
Number of Classic Films: 4
Number of 5 Film Days: 3
Number of 3D Films: 1
Number of Times I Will Say "JIRO!!!": Infinite

Scream to Scream, Scene by Scene: SCENE 27 of Scream 2 (1:23:41-1:29:08)

In this project I attempt to review the entire Scream trilogy scene by scene in chronological order. Heavy spoilers and gore throughout!



SCENE 27 of Scream 2
Length: 5min 27secs
Primary Characters: Sidney Prescott, Hallie, Officer Andrews, Officer Richards and Ghostface
Pop Culture References:

• None
  

Talk about one-two punch! First the sound proof stalk scene - my favourite scene of the trilogy - and now the car chase escape sequence, which is surely the most tension filled five minutes of Scream 2. They really reached the peak of their filmmaking with this 15 or so minute block at the beginning of the third act, didn't they?



Notice how she's constantly on the look out here and yet later in the scene, she runs blindly off towards the destination of the killer. She should know not to do that! Alas, we'll get to Sidney's stupidity later.


"So, where you takin' us anyway?"


"If we tell you we'll have to kill you."


*oh no you didn't!*


He may as well have said "we'll be right back" since it was obvious Ghostface was gonna pop up at some point. Still, this is a really awesome arrival by Ghostface, and bloody, too! While I really liked the bit in Scream 4 with the two cops and the killer popping up from behind, I really didn't like the way the Anthony Anderson character died with a joke. It's just not something this franchise had done before. The cops in Scream 2, however, die brutally and cruelly. I like that the gay cop - I think it's the gay one, they're easy to mix up - has a final line about "don't ask, don't tell!" before getting the slash. Teehee.



Yes, these feel like appropriate responses. Hallie holding her neck is particularly priceless.



Also an appropriate reaction. As Hallie would say... "ouch!"


This reminds me of that great moment where Ghostface taunts Sidney in the cop car by dangling the keys from outside while she's trying to get away. As per Randy's instructions and the need for things to be much more elaborate, I like that instead of a set of keys Ghostface taunts Sidney in a cop car with, what else, but an actual cop. Slamming him into the window in particularly realistic, violent fashion.


Mmm, yum!

Also: 400 SCREENCAPS!

Wow. 400. Consider there are 30 minutes of Scream 2 left, I wonder if we'll beat the total of 535 grabs from Scream that I took (including end credits).


Love this shot of Ghostface through the police car dividing barrier. It has a wonderful duel roll of showing how trapped, and yet protected, Sidney and Hallie are from the killer.



Another shot that I love, mostly because we so rarely get such a clear close-up of the mask like this, but also because the almost playful way he (we're assuming this is Mickey, yeah?) slightly tilts his head as if to say "aw, you wanna play?"


WEEEEE! Looks fun.


This scene runs so fast that I've had to play it in slow motion just to get certain stills. Having done that I've noticed several "goofs" if you will. Firstly, there's already blood on the officer's neck before Ghostface even slashes him! Secondly, the obvious stunt move where Ghostface goes to kick the other office and doesn't make contact - sure, not a goof, but it's funny to see - and then right here you can see he's already a dummy corpse before the pole even goes through his head. You can't tell me that image up there is of a real person, can you?

These aren't "issues" with the film, they're just funny observations. There's only so much gore and mayhem one can discuss in this series before it all sounds alike. Speaking of gore and mayhem though...


Five words: "brain matter on the pole."

Scream to Scream, Scene by Scene: SCENE 26 of Scream 2 (1:21:31-1:23:40)

In this project I attempt to review the entire Scream trilogy scene by scene in chronological order. Heavy spoilers and gore throughout!



SCENE 26 of Scream 2
Length: 2min 9secs
Primary Characters: Sidney Prescott, Hallie, Derek, Officer Andrews, Officer Richards, Sister Lois, Sister Murphy and Portia de Rossi's Eyebrows
Pop Culture References:

• None
  

Scream 2 really did keep their final act moving a great pace, didn't they? After the pulse-racing energy of the Gale chase sequence just before to the car chase scene coming up and the rather energetic finale, it's more than enough to forgive slight lapses in pace that we discussed earlier. Don't you think?


"I'm her therapist!"
Oh Hallie. Sidney was way too trusting of you. Well, she would have been if you were indeed the killer. Her little "Bye Derek" would've made their reveal so great. Stupid people leaking the script! Still, it's curious that Sidney would bring Hallie along - I mean, it's not like her trust instincts have been all that great in the past, have they?


Aw, tender moment between Sidney and Derek ruined by mysterious cloaked figure in running through the background. Whoever could it be?!?


"You! Prepare to die."
Oh it's just melodramatic frat brothers. It works as a nifty fake scare though, don't you think? Plus, it gives us one last chance to see...


SISTER MURPHY AND SISTER LOIS, FUCK YEAH!

The movie needed more of them, I swear. Less tortured romance between Sid and Derek, more sorority sisters waving knives and raising their glorious eyebrows.


"So romantic!"
"So Greek!"
Farewell you incredible ladies. It was great knowing you. Show up in Scream 5, yeah?


Well, hey, if you can't have Derek be the killer then the best thing the filmmakers could have done is strip Jerry O'Connell down to his best assets and tie him up like a fetish act whilst pouring booze all over him. It's like the dolphin pool sex scene from Showgirls but with male breasts and no anatomically incorrect sex. So, a bit disappointing in comparison...

Oh, why not. One more of Sister Lois and Sister Murphy for the road...


Oh, why not? Several more Derek-tied-up-without-clothes for the road...



He may always play awful, awful characters, but it can never be said that Jerry O'Connell was never willing to show off his attributes since losing all that weight as a kid. Good job, Jerry. Everything else about you sucks, but good job nevertheless.

Scream:
Intro, Scene 1 Scene 2, Scene 3, Scene 4, Scene 5, Scene 6, Scene 7, Scene 8, Scene 9, Scene 10, Scene 11, Scene 12, Scene 13, Scene 14, Scene 15, Scene 16, Scene 17, Scene 18, Scene 19, Scene 20, Scene 21, Scene 22, Scene 23, Scene 24, Scene 25, Scene 26, Scene 27, Scene 28, Scene 29, Scene 30, Scene 31 Scene 32, Scene 33, End Credits

Scream 2
Scene 1, Scene 2, Scene 3, Scene 4, Scene 5, Scene 6, Scene 7, Scene 8, Scene 9, Scene 10, Scene 11, Scene 12, Scene 13, Scene 14. Scene 15, Scene 16, Scene 17, Scene 18, Scene 19, Scene 20, Scene 21, Scene 22, Scene 23, Scene 24, Scene 25

Review: In Her Skin

In Her Skin

Dir. Simone North

Year: Who Knows?

Aus Rating: Ummm...

Running Time: 108mins

The path travelled by Simone North's debut directorial feature In Her Skin - previously titled How to Change in 9 Weeks, and since retitled I Am You in various territories - has been a long and difficult one. In fact, due to legal wrangling, the film hasn't even been released in Australia at all and I have only been able to watch it due to its recent release in America. Despite it's completion in 2009, a story ripped right from the headlines, a newfound fascination by local audiences of dramatised true life crimes and a big name cast, In Her Skin has languished at the centre of disputes between filmmakers and distributors and - in all honesty - I haven't the slightest idea what version of the film I watched.

In Her Skin sees North tackle the disappearance and subsequent murder of Rachel Barber (Kate Bell), a 15-year-old girl whose parents (a perfectly acceptable Guy Pearce and Miranda Otto) fought a fierce battle with the local police to get attention called to their daughter’s case. The film’s most interesting aspect is that of Caroline Reid, played here with a – pardon the pun – suffocating performance by Ruth Bradley. Caroline is a young woman prone to epilepsy and swinging depression that has gone strikingly undiagnosed by her father (Sam Neill in Sam Neill mode) and mother (a wonderful cameo from Rebecca Gibney). She’s called a “loner”, “odd” and Bradley is the film’s greatest asset, not just the character but the actress too.


Perhaps it's this aforementioned messy postproduction period that lead to several of the film's key issues. Was too much attention paid to the players behind the scene and no enough to the film at hand? In Her Skin as arguably one of the more perplexing narrative structures of the year as North and her editor Jane Moran use flashbacks and flash forwards at film’s beginning before introducing a three-pronged structure that follows the victim, her parents and her killer in individual strands. Both of these are then dropped for standard linear storytelling and this constant chop and changing plays havoc with various passages.

Other technical aspects, however, are nice. Cinematography by Jules O’Loughlin is especially bright and captures Melbourne’s inner suburbs really well. It does a fantastic job of setting In Her Skin apart from similar made-for-TV movies such as The Society Murders, Wicked Love: The Maria Korp Story and A Model Daughter: The Killing of Caroline Byrne. Not only that, but outside of Caroline Reid’s pig sty apartment, the film never succumbs to the drab, lifeless colour palates that dominated Snowtown. The inner suburban Melbourne locations are also nicely filmed, with the city’s abundant trams and trains filling the frame at odd angles.


The film’s I Am You title is a misnomer since, while it’s shown Caroline wished she was Rachel, she never adopts her victim’s life in any form. She never draws strength from the contemporary ballet dancer that she knows from their childhoods living across the street from one another and despite her desire to be “in her skin”, Caroline never once feels the satisfaction that she thinks comes with being a woman of Rachel’s prettiness. In Her Skin is a far better title since it implies not only Caroline’s desire to be, quite literally, in Rachel’s skin, but also the way Simone North has planted the view in the skin of Caroline. The very uncompromising death sequence and its immediate aftermath make the skin crawl and it really can’t be said enough how important Ruth Bradley’s performance is to this and I’ll say it again if you need me to. The film thankfully doesn’t exploit Caroline’s illness, but at the same time, it’s almost as if the filmmakers weren’t confident enough to centre the whole film on her. If they had, it would have been an even more powerful experience. B-