Scream 3 (2000)

January 20, 2025 9:01 AM

[Trailer] While Sidney and her friends visit the Hollywood set of Stab 3, the third film based on the Woodsboro murders, another Ghostface killer rises to terrorize them. --IMDb

41% / 38% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Directed by Wes Craven, from a script by Ehren Kruger based on characters by Kevin Williamson. Starring Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, and David Arquette.

Justwatch listing. (Or, possibly, borrow it from your local library.)

posted by johnofjack (4 comments total)

My feelings on this one have waxed and waned over the years. At first I thought it was weaker than 2; then stronger, then (again) slightly weaker. 2 has a weak beginning--the scene in the theater feels tacked-on and the scene in the film class might be my vote for "weakest scene" in the series, it's so rote and uninspired--but this one has the Carrie Fisher cameo (certain to take anyone out of the movie) as well as the suspension-of-disbelief-straining upgrade to the voice changer. I think the weakest parts of 3 aren't as bad as the first half of 2, but I'd also say that the best parts aren't nearly as good. And (in my book, at least) neither holds a candle to the first.

Oh, and also: this one makes a lot of "jokes" about stars needing to sleep with directors and/or producers to get parts which I wouldn't say have aged particularly well in a film produced by the Weinsteins.

(Yes, I'm watching the series again; yes, in order again.)
posted by johnofjack at 9:05 AM on January 20

I think this one and 4 might be the only ones I haven't seen. I think by the time those came out, I was a little burned out because obviously it spawned so many imitators.
posted by Kitteh at 9:22 AM on January 20 [1 favorite]

This one is better in retrospect than at the time and I do like the pokes (stabs?) at Hollywood which is mostly in the background before and after this one. The set piece on the, err, set is fantastic and there are some solid kills/sequences, but the story's and the killer's backstory and how it connects to the original is a bit of a mess.

However, Parker Posey is a delight, as always, and this is worth watching for her. Emily Mortimer as the ingenue is such a weird but wonderful bit of casting as well.
posted by slimepuppy at 11:54 AM on January 20 [1 favorite]

Parker Posey?

Sold.
posted by ginger.beef at 3:32 PM on January 20