One of the modern slasher horror franchises that is still making sequels today is the storied Scream series, and on this episode, we welcome back Scream super-fan and frequent guest, Ben Raifsnider of the Little Dead Aliens podcast to share his love of the first sequel to the surprise 90s hit, 1997's Scream 2, directed again by Wes Craven and also written by Kevin Williamson! This quickly greenlit and filmed sequel, released one year after the original sliced its way through cinemas and into the hearts of slasher fans everywhere, further establishes the world and rules of the Scream franchise and its meta film-within-a-film, Stab! Will Sydney and Randy's college years be less exciting than high school? The high bodycount and bloody mystery of who is killing co-eds is a sign that they'll probably be a bit messier. More returning cast members, and the addition of hot young actors of the late 90s make this a fun sequel that hits many high notes, with some great scenes, some fun trickery with multiple scripts to keep the early internet sleuths guessing, and solidifies the series as a big ticket draw for the studio!

Additional Resources for this episode:

"Scream creator confirms longterm theory" by Cathal Gunning, 6/12/25 screenrant.com

The-Numbers.com

Film Review: Help! He's Back! Run! Shriek! Tempt Fate!" by Janet Maslin, 12/12/97 New York Times

"Cassandra's Curse" Unheeded Warnings in Scream 2 and Black Christmas" by Jessica Scott 3/2/23 Fangoria.com

"The Silence of the Cast" by Marc Shapiro w/Ian Spelling, Fangoria 170 March 1998, pp 38-41

HelloSidney.com