MovieChat Forums > Scream 2 (1997) Discussion > sarah michelle gellar's scene is so out ...

sarah michelle gellar's scene is so out of place and useless

posted 8 years ago by stepsonglass
30 replies | jump to latest

i actually like this scene in terms of its direction and execution, its one of the better chase scenes in the series, but ive always felt its so out of place and completely useless to the story. it feels tacked on in post production like they went back to film extra scenes to throw in at the last minute or something.

i think it would have worked better as the opening scene rather than the theatre scene maybe? but it probably would have been too similar to barrymore's scene

its just weird how her character has absolutely no relevance to the others, never interacts with the other characters, no relationship or friendship to any of them and is just kind of thrown in as an extra kill.

at no point in any of the other films do they do this so it has always stuck out for me as by far the most useless scene in any of the movies.

they have the random secondary character killed in all of the other films like the principal in the first one or the publicist in scream 4 but they at least did have relationships with the other characters.....cici did not.

anyone else ever notice this totally useless character?

[–] Stratego 8 years ago

its just weird how her character has absolutely no relevance to the others, never interacts with the other characters, no relationship or friendship to any of them and is just kind of thrown in as an extra kill.

The same goes for Jada and Omar in the opening scene, though? At least Cici was also in Randy's movie class. There was also a deleted scene that showed her with the other sorority girls. The first two victims and also Drew's character in the first movie didn't interact with any of the main characters at all. I really don't think it was out of place, the whole point was that it initially seemed that strangers were being killed by a copy cat on the loose who was inspired by Stab.

[–] stepsonglass 8 years ago

that's why i said gellar's scene would have been more suited for the opening. the opening scenes in this series always feature one off characters who dont have much if any relevance to the rest of the film (with the exception of part 3 with cotton's death as the opening). so its a bit forgivable in that sense....but in the middle of the movie i found it odd.

it felt like she had a good agent who used her recent fame from buffy to stick her in there in post production or something.

i didnt know about the deleted scene, but maybe they should have left it in to give her character more relevance....i know she was briefly in the classroom scene but so was pacey from dawsons creek and he didnt get his own kill. i dont know i always felt her scene sticks out like a sore thumb in the series.

[–] Stratego 8 years ago

that's why i said gellar's scene would have been more suited for the opening.

But wouldn't we then have the same or even a bigger problem with Omar and Jada's death scene? Like I said, at first it seems that random people are getting killed, but that changes almost immediately after Cicis's murder when Sidney gets attacked. Cici is the second death scene of the movie at 30 minutes in, it's not exactly in "the middle of the movie".

Himbry also has only one short moment of interaction with Sidney. He was also never meant to die, they only killed him off because the producers thought too much time had passed without a death scene. So his death seems more "out of place" and "useless". There wasn't really any obvious motive for killing him either.

it felt like she had a good agent who used her recent fame from buffy to stick her in there in post production or something.

Cicic's death scene was always part of the original script and the whole point of the character. I don't think there were any other scenes featuring her.

i didnt know about the deleted scene, but maybe they should have left it in to give her character more relevance....

There was even less interaction in that scene. I believe they replaced that scene with the film class scene to have some more interaction with the Cici character

i know she was briefly in the classroom scene but so was pacey from dawsons creek and he didnt get his own kill

He was more like a cameo.

Don't get me wrong, you have every right to feel it's out of place and useless, but I'm just not really seeing it.

[–] stepsonglass 8 years ago

i never said that the character WAS actually shoehorned in, just saying thats how it feels to me. im sure cici was in the script im not saying otherwise just stating how i feel so your meticulous refuting of everything im saying is pointless as its how i feel about the scene. saying "it was in the script" isnt changing how i feel about it.

im aware the principal wasnt supposed to die and they threw that kill in for pacing purposes... thats how i feel about cici as well...it seems she was thrown in and to a lesser extent the publicist in part 4 also (tho she had a larger role than cici).

the principal and publicist were seen in various instances of interaction with other students/cast members including immediately preceding their death scenes, so it felt less forced. the principal scolding the pranksters and the publicist being fired by sidney. the solo nature of cici's kill scene (having nothing to do with anything relevant thats happening in the story at that particular time in the film and with no other characters involved) is what makes it seem so out of place.

[–] Stratego 8 years ago

so your meticulous refuting of everything im saying is pointless as its how i feel about the scene.

Okay, so you only started this thread to have people agree with you? You said that Cici had no interaction with other characters, that there are no other characters like her in the rest of the series and that her death scene happened in the middle of the movie. I don't see why I can't refute those statement when they're not correct.

I'm not sure how you want me to respond and what the point is when you say:

it felt like she had a good agent who used her recent fame from buffy to stick her in there in post production or something.

It seemed you were suggesting that that may be the reason it feels out of place. I could only say that that's not what happened.

the solo nature of cici's kill scene (having nothing to do with anything relevant thats happening in the story at that particular time in the film and with no other characters involved)

That's because it's supposed to appear random. Just like Casey's murder and just like Maureen and Phil's deaths.

Like I said, you have the right to feel it's out of place. I'm just trying to understand why you feel that way. Why does her death scene feel out of place to you? Why doesn't it feel like she's initially a random victim like Maureen and Phil and later a victim specifically chosen because of her name, like the movie is portraying?

[–] stepsonglass 8 years ago

disagreeing is fine. you disagreed 3 posts ago, move on. you dont need to keep quoting each sentence of my post and badgering.

[–] Stratego 8 years ago

If you didn't want me to reply, then you shouldn't have replied to me. It's as simple as that.

[–] stepsonglass 8 years ago

because you're one of those people who has to have the last word? got it. you're being put on ignore

[–] Stratego 8 years ago

So this is some sort of competition? If YOU wanted to have the last word then you should have ended the discussion instead of continuing it. Now if you're able to end this discussion in a mature way, then by all means, have the last word. But don't go and put the blame on me.

[–] megameme2x (25) 2 years ago

she definitely is and good job on putting her on ignore @stepsonglass

[–] ADBruno1985 (3304) 3 years ago

It's irrelevant to apply that argument to Jada and Omar though. Because it's the opening scene and they die by default of that. And that girl in Randy's film class said she had a class with Maureen.

Plus, take into account, Casey and Steve's deaths in the original. Same argument fits there. Because we never see them interact with anyone else, but we know they did from what other characters say after. And their opening kills are the most iconic.

[–] Klockard23 8 years ago

Scream 2 is about a killer stalking people on campus. Cici was a student on campus, one who even went to class with one of the killers. What is random and out of place about that lol.

Out of place for me would be someone not on campus or with any connection to any of the characters on campus being murdered.

[–] amity529 8 years ago

Well remember, Cici's first name matched Casey's as part of the killer's copycat plan.

[–] flashbobjones 7 years ago

EXACTLY, lol this whole thread could be simplified with you're response alone.

[–] Stratego 7 years ago

I actually said the copycat angle was the whole point of that scene in the first response to the OP, but obviously it did not simplify the thread.

[–] Movie_Buff_Brad 8 years ago

I'm not a huge fan of it, either. There are some nice touches (like the shot of the killer sneaking in), but it feels like a scene from Stab, with a blonde bodycount victim doing the stupid things Scream should be making fun of.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOQbX5YpcdE&feature=youtu.be

[–] InTheHub 8 years ago

The reason it sucks is because it just feels like Casey Becker Light.

"See it with someone you love...Go by yourself"

[–] Chrisi1991 8 years ago

My take on it was Cici along with Phil and Maureen were killed because they had the same names as woodsboro victims.
Randy I don't believe was the intended victim but Gale was.
Cops were killed to get to Sidney as was Hallie.

You're a survivor arent you sidney?

[–] FireWave 7 years ago

I am so delighted someone actually responded to the OP correctly.
Cici's real name is Casey as in Casey the Woodsboro victim.
Killers were copycats.
It was directly thrown in our faces during the movie.

[–] Stratego 7 years ago

I mentioned the copycat thing in my very first post to the OP. Apparently he had different issues with the scene.

[–] FireWave 7 years ago

My bad then ( sorry ), but still Sarah's scene is neither out of place nor useless if we are aware of the killer's plan, but obviously OP wasn't aware of it, so there it goes.

You can't cheat Dheath, unless you're not Sidney, Gale and Dewey... :)

[–] Stratego 7 years ago

I don't know if the OP was aware of it or not, he still had an issue with the scene after I mentioned it. Maybe his problem is that the audience isn't aware of the copycat plan until some time later in the movie.

[–] shawnmichael15 7 years ago

its just weird how her character has absolutely no relevance to the others, never interacts with the other characters, no relationship or friendship to any of them and is just kind of thrown in as an extra kill.

I know a few other posters have mentioned it briefly, but I'll go a little more in-depth. Cici, nor Maureen or Phil were "random" victims at all. It's actually literally the opposite. Do you remember the scene at the police station where Gale asks if Cici was the girl's real name? And then they tell her it was actually Casey. And then Gale writes on the chalkboard all the victims' names and how they had the same names of the victims from the first movie:

Maureen Evans / Maureen Prescott
Phil Stevens / Steve Orth
Cici "Casey" Cooper / Casey Becker

The "copycat killer" killed his victims with the similar names in the same order as the original. Sidney's mom/Maureen Evans, Steve Orth/Phil Stevens, and then Casey/Cici. Here's the police scene if you want to watch it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oi7lvkyVIgg

Cici's death scene was also essential because it was the reason everybody left the mixer, which caused Sidney to get attacked by the new killer for the first time in that house, and it made Derek look shady which was an important aspect to the end reveal. So there's no way they just decided to add this scene to the film after post-production. It fits right in with the plot. Also, Cici was in Mickey's film class so she sort of had ties with at least the killer.. And the film would have been a little boring if they didn't have any death scene at that point of the movie. It's a slasher movie. It could have been played by any actress, but I do feel like SMG was only in this because of her name at the time, though. She probably didn't even have to audition.

Sorry for the largely detailed post, I'm bored at work!

[–] PulpFictionbuff 7 years ago

Thanks for posting that so I didn't have to. Lol. Yep, everything had a purpose.

And speaking of purpose, yes, SMG was one of the hottest actors at the time, and I read that she loved the first Scream and really wanted to be in the sequel. So of course they let her, because they knew she'd help sell tickets. 

"My mom and dad are gonna be so mad at meee..." Stu

[–] ukmale-93122 7 years ago

Yes you are right pulp, SMG wanted to be in Scream 2 based on how popular the first movie was, she only had a limited time on the film as she was about to resume filming for Buffy the Vampire Slayer so they added her in the film, she was guaranteed to bring asses to seats as she was a huge name, they killed her for shock value and because she was 'Buffy'

I understand the people confused by her death, a big star with a hit TV series playing a token blonde who's in the movie about 10 minutes in all, if that. I heard Sarah was pleased with her role in the movie

[–] TroyB (164) 3 years ago

She played a memorable role and held her part well.

[–] 7 years ago

[deleted]

[–] ADBruno1985 (3304) 3 years ago

I agree with everything you say. There was the deleted scene that showed her interacting with Lois and Murphy, maybe it was a mistake to delete that.

[–] bobbydallas (8059) 2 years ago

meh.
most characters in this film feel out of place and useless.