Reasons why Scream 3 (2000) is a camp classic and deserves revisionist positive reviews — a thread

Neve Campbell’s hectic schedule forced her to have a smaller role in the film (though you’d hardly notice given how often Sidney is the focus, even without being there).

So the film heavily shifted the focus to Dewey and Gale in a Mulder/Scully Fred/Daphne dynamic.

In turn, this entry into the franchise solidified the “veteran franchise trinity” of Sidney, Dewey & Gale. This significantly boosted the overall appeal of the franchise, because of the backlash from Randy’s death in Scream 2.

It also gave Gale great character development.

I personally think Sidney’s less central role freshened things up. She’s still the main focus of the final act, but her appearance as a recluse makes sense given all she’s been through since her mother’s murder. And the final scene was a great epilogue / send-off.

The imagery in the film is really beautiful. Wes Craven did his best to remind people it’s still a horror movie, even when the script required a more campy murder mystery approach / less gore / violence due to the Columbine Massacre of 1999.

There’s something deeply hilarious and ironic about the whole movie. “The script’s been changed 15 times already” type of lines. The production issues of Stab 3 poked fun at the issues of Scream 3.

Parker Posey’s comedic performance as the absolute best secondary character in the entire series!!! Courteney Cox, Carrie Fisher and Parker Posey’s scene together was peak comedy. It’s crazy to think this is the ONLY film in the franchise not written by a gay man.

Sidney being a very fed up 21-year-old recluse is VERY ahead of its time. I, a very fed up 21-year-old recluse relate to this commentary on the current generation.

IT PREDICTED THE ME TOO/TIME'S UP MOVEMENT IN HOLLYWOOD. And the fact that Jennifer Jolie was a combination of Angelina Jolie and Jennifer Aniston's names, even though the two actresses had ZERO things in common at that point in time... SO ahead of time. https://www.bitchmedia.org/article/scream-three-and-me-too

The killer being the director and the secret backstory of him being Sidney's very secret long lost brother who instigated the events of the whole series... CAMP MANIA. NEXT LEVEL.

the opening kill prime innocent victim who instigates the whole film being a very macho, muscular straight man... it's such a TURN ON ITS HEAD. Commentary that men are victims too. WE LOVE A GOOD SCREAM KING KILL VICTIM.

the script last minute changing Emily Mortimer from being the second killer so that Roman could be the sole director/killer for edgelord points won't take away the fact that IN MY HEART AND SOUL, Emily Mortimer fought and knifed Liev Schreiber to death. And that's on radfem.

'its willingness to tackle systematized sexual assault/power hierarchies makes it a surprisingly risky film for 2000. I literally can’t think of another contemporary horror film of that period that dared to fly so close to the sun with its political agenda.' -consequencesofsound

In conclusion, Scream 3 is a film filled with ahead-of-its-time references, a political agenda that would come to light 17 years later, out-there cameos, a supporting cast of Independent Spirit Award winners... and Courteney Cox's terrifying bangs. It is a masterpiece. GOODNIGHT.