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"SCREAM 3"
(2000) (Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox Arquette) (R)

Alcohol/
Drugs
Blood/Gore Disrespectful/
Bad Attitude
Frightening/
Tense Scenes
Guns/
Weapons
Mild Extreme Extreme Extreme Extreme
Imitative
Behavior
Jump
Scenes
Music
(Scary/Tense)
Music
(Inappropriate)
Profanity
Mild Heavy Extreme None Extreme
Sex/
Nudity
Smoking Tense Family
Scenes
Topics To
Talk About
Violence
Moderate Mild Minor Moderate Extreme


QUICK TAKE:
Horror: A serial killer stalks the set of the last installment of a horror trilogy that's based on previous murders involving a small group of people.
PLOT:
Several years after the murder sprees that terrorized them in the town of Woodsboro and then again in a small college town, the survivors of those events have made attempts at getting on with their lives. Sidney Prescott (NEVE CAMPBELL), the target of those homicidal attacks, is now an anonymous crisis hotline operator. Gale Weathers (COURTENEY COX ARQUETTE) is a reporter for Total Entertainment, while the formerly, but wrongly accused Cotton Weary (LIEV SCHREIBER) has his own TV show.

Then there's Dewey Riley (DAVID ARQUETTE), a former cop who's now an advisor on the set of "Stab 3: Return to Woodsboro," the last installment of a horror trilogy based on that group's experiences. Although these people seem to have returned to as normal a life as possible, that changes when L.A. homicide detective Kincaid (PATRICK DEMPSEY) reports that the killings have begun again.

It seems that the killer is searching for Sidney and leaves photos of her dead mother at the crime scenes. As such, Gale and Sidney eventually join Dewey on the set of "Stab 3." There, they meet the film's director, Roman Bridger (SCOTT FOLEY), and producer, John Milton (LANCE HENRIKSEN), as well as stars Tyson Fox (DEON RICHMOND) and Sarah Darling (JENNY McCARTHY). They also meet their big screen counterparts, Jennifer Jolie (PARKER POSEY), who plays Gale, Angelina Tyler (EMILY MORTIMER) who plays Sidney, and Tom Prinze (MATT KEESLAR) who does the same for Dewey.

As Kincaid and the others, including bodyguard Steven Stone (PATRICK WARBURTON), try to protect Sidney and the performers, the survivors try to elude the killer while attempting to figure out his or her identity.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?
If they liked the first two "Scream" films - or horror films in general, they probably will.
WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: R
For strong horror violence and language.
CAST AS ROLE MODELS:
  • NEVE CAMPBELL plays a young woman still traumatized by being the target of serial killers in her life. As such, she's very cautious and initially reclusive, and occasionally uses some strong profanity.
  • COURTENEY COX ARQUETTE plays an ambitious reporter who gets jealous of Dewey's attraction to another woman. She also briefly uses strong profanity.
  • DAVID ARQUETTE plays a former cop turned movie set advisor who tries to protect the women in his life while stopping the killer.
  • PARKER POSEY plays an ambitious actress who is caught up in playing an ambitious character.
  • SCOTT FOLEY plays the film's director who turns out not be such a nice guy and uses some heavy profanity.
  • PATRICK DEMPSEY plays the local homicide detective and resident movie buff who tries to solve the case while protecting everyone else.
  • EMILY MORTIMER plays another actress who steals some props from the movie set as "souvenirs."
  • LIEV SCHREIBER plays a man formerly, but wrongly charged with the murders who's gone on to have his own TV show and also uses some strong profanity.
  • JENNY McCARTHY plays a thirty-five year old actress playing a twenty-one year old character who's upset that her character is supposed to be killed so early in the film. She briefly uses some strong profanity.
  • LANCE HENRIKSEN plays the film's somewhat seedy producer.
  • CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO

    HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE


    Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit?
    Then read OUR TAKE of this film.


    (Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below).


    OUR WORD TO PARENTS:
    The following is a quick look at the content found in this R-rated horror film. Just like its predecessors and many other "slasher" films, this one is filled with extreme amounts of violence as many people are killed - most by being stabbed to death and usually with bloody results.

    In addition, those and other "cat and mouse" scenes (usually in the dark and accompanied by plenty of scary/suspenseful music) may be frightening, suspenseful and/or unsettling to viewers (especially true for the young or those with low tolerance for such material).

    Beyond all of the typical horror film material, profanity consists of nearly 30 "f" words, along with plenty of other profanities and colorful phrases. Some sexually related comments occur, while some characters smoke and drink. Should you still be concerned - after reading that summary -- about the film's appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home, you may want to take a closer look at our more detailed content listings.

    Of special note for those concerned with the flashing of bright lights, a brief moment of that occurs as characters descend a stairwell with a partially faulty light.


    ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE
  • Tom tells Gale that he's not happy with a former story she did about him involving booze and drugs.
  • Jennifer carries a glass of wine, while another character comments about Tom being drunk.
  • Roman and Angelina drink and we then see Roman carrying the bottle around with him (and he's acting a bit intoxicated).
  • BLOOD/GORE
  • A character's face is a little bloody after being hit.
  • The killer's knife is bloody after being used to murder someone.
  • A character appears to have slightly bloody hands (with the blood partially smearing on a window).
  • A victim's face is bloody.
  • Another victim is bloody and we see the knife still lodged in his back.
  • A character has some bloody scratches on his head after being slightly injured.
  • A character has a slightly bloody lip after being punched.
  • We see a room from the movie set designed to look as if a murder had taken place there. As such, there's fake blood everywhere, including on a sheet covering a fake murder victim.
  • Another murder victim is rather bloody.
  • A character has some blood on their face, while another who's been stabbed in the chest is bloodier. Later, we see some blood around that person's body.
  • Another victim is bloody.
  • Some injured people have some bloody cuts on various parts of their bodies.
  • We briefly see blood come out of a person's throat after it's been slit.
  • More injured and dead people are rather bloody.
  • DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE
  • Obviously, the killer has extreme cases of both.
  • Stone and Dewey don't respect the other for what they do for a living and make a few related comments.
  • An actress claims that she "took" some items from the film set as souvenirs (she stole them).
  • A character "borrows" a cop's gun.
  • FRIGHTENING SCENES
  • The film contains typical slasher horror violence and suspense commonly found in such movies. For the very young or those with no/low tolerance for such material, the film will probably be quite frightening, suspenseful and/or unsetting.
  • Scenes listed under "Violence" and "Blood/Gore" may also be frightening, suspenseful and/or unsettling for viewers. In addition, and in the tradition of the first two "Scream" films and most other "slasher" type horror pictures, there are plenty of scenes/moments where characters slowly make their way through darkened homes, offices or other locations, with them (and the audience) knowing the killer is lurking about somewhere nearby.
  • Sidney has a nightmare where she sees her dead mother at the window and that ends with someone suddenly grabbing her.
  • As a character tries to hide from the killer, she ends up in a prop room containing many costumes that look exactly like what the killer is wearing.
  • A character finds herself alone on the movie set and has a close encounter with a body under a bloody sheet as well as with the killer.
  • A long sequence where characters split up, interact with and try to elude the killer in a mansion is filled with plenty of typical slasher film moments.
  • GUNS/WEAPONS
  • Knives/Guns: Used to threaten, wound, or kill people. See "Violence" for details.
  • Handguns: Occasionally drawn by various characters in a defensive/precautionary fashion.
  • IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR
  • Phrases: "What the f*ck are you doing?" "You scared the sh*t out of me," "Sh*t happens," "Sucker," "Pissed off," "Go to hell," "Jeez," "Bitch," "Shut up," "Slut" and "Bastard."
  • Gale gives "the finger" to two men on the movie set.
  • JUMP SCENES
  • Someone suddenly grabs Sidney in a nightmare.
  • A person purposefully scares another person.
  • A character suddenly surprises another character.
  • Several characters surprise other characters in quick succession.
  • A character surprises several people by popping out of a door.
  • A character surprises another character.
  • The killer suddenly grabs the intended next victim.
  • A person surprises another person.
  • MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE)
  • An extreme amount of suspenseful and ominous music plays throughout the film.
  • MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE)
  • None.
  • PROFANITY
  • At least 29 "f" words (2 used sexually, 1 used with "mother"), 20 "s" words, 7 hells, 7 damns, 3 asses (2 used with "hole"), 1 S.O.B., 14 uses of "Oh my God," 7 of "God," 6 each of "Jesus" and "Oh God," 4 uses of "G-damn," and 1 use of "Swear to God" as exclamations.
  • SEX/NUDITY
  • We see a woman wearing just a towel after getting out of the shower (where we earlier and briefly somewhat saw her behind the smoked and marginally transparent shower stall door).
  • Sarah shows some cleavage and complains about the character she plays being killed naked (in or around the shower).
  • Jennifer says about Roman, "Remind me not to sleep with him again."
  • A character on a videotape mentions that giving up his virginity to a girl at the video store (while putting away videos in the porno section) probably wasn't such a good idea (we don't see any of that activity - just the person talking to the camera).
  • An older actress comments that she would have gotten a part in the past if she had slept with the film's director.
  • Sidney hears/remembers a guy talking about sex (involving her) and that he wasn't trying to rush her.
  • Angelina shows some cleavage.
  • Although we don't see anything related to it, there's some talk of Milton arranging for young actresses to sexually service powerful men in the entertainment business.
  • A comment is made by a character to another to stop pretending that they were the best they ever had (sexually).
  • A woman comments that she didn't "f*ck" another character just to die along with some second-rate characters.
  • A character comments about another character, "They f*cked her three ways to Sunday."
  • SMOKING
  • Jennifer smokes several times, Tom smokes once, as does a minor character played by Carrie Fisher.
  • TENSE FAMILY SCENES
  • Sidney is reminded of and thinks/hallucinates about her dead mother.
  • TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT
  • The "slasher" subcategory of the horror genre and such violence being used as "entertainment."
  • The way in which characters in such films often split up in dangerous situations despite knowing that they shouldn't.
  • The killer's motivation.
  • VIOLENCE
  • A car crashes into another car.
  • The killer comes after a woman and tries to attack her with a knife. As the killer tries to grab her, she kicks the killer in the face.
  • A woman hits someone on the face with a golf club.
  • The killer stabs another character to death and then slices another character's arm. That person then pushes a bookcase down on top of the killer.
  • The killer stabs another person to death.
  • The killer tries to stab another character, punches that person and then fatally stabs them in the back.
  • The killer stabs another character who fights back until the killer hits him several times with a skillet.
  • An explosion destroys a home and kills a character.
  • A character fires at the killer (with a handgun) who comes up behind another character ready to kill them, but the killer gets away.
  • A character punches another character and is then punched by a third.
  • The killer grabs a person, pulls them through a movie set window and both crash to the ground. The intended victim then punches the killer and then races back inside the house where she throws things at the killer before sending the killer falling from a fake, second-story door to a bed on the floor below. That person eventually falls from a second-story window to the ground below, but is okay.
  • We see a person who's been stabbed in the chest with a knife.
  • The killer fatally stabs another character.
  • The killer slices one person's arm before stabbing another in the chest with a knife. Another character hits the killer with a vase, but moments later the killer smashes the injured person into a glass case and then throws him through an open window (to his presumed death).
  • A character shoots through several mirrors.
  • We see that the killer has fatally stabbed another person (we see the body).
  • The killer grabs another person and tries to stab them with a knife, but the two end of tumbling down a stairwell.
  • A person tries to shoot the killer (but the gun is empty). In turn, the killer throws a knife at that person, striking them on the head (and knocking them unconscious) with the blunt end.
  • The killer backhands a person to the floor.
  • A person shoots another person several times (no blood).
  • The killer fights with another intended victim and then tries to stab another person, but misses, breaking a window with their knife.
  • The killer slits a person's throat with a knife.
  • The killer and another person struggle, hitting each other, until the killer kicks this person several times. The killer then picks up and punches this person, following that by trying to strangle them.
  • The killer hits another person over the head, knocking them unconscious.
  • The killer shoots a person twice.
  • A person repeatedly stabs another person in the back and then in the chest.
  • A person shoots another person several times.



  • Reviewed February 4, 2000 / Posted February 4, 2000

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