Scream 2 Opening Analysis

Scream 2 (1997) Director: Wes Craven

Couple before being murdered

The film starts by people queuing to go watch a slasher film. The characters shown are a male and female couple; the female says "I hate scary movies and you know I got a bio due" this shows that the female may be the scream queen in the film as she is not doing her work and going to watch a film instead, although she insists on wanting to go see Sandra Bullock instead, the girl is Afro-American with black short hair; which does not follow the usual traits of a scream queen although she seems to be both sexually active and is not doing her school work. When they go into the room where the film is going to be screened a white girl with blonde hair is being chased outside by a male wearing a ghost mask with a knife; this relates back to the first film and the scream queen being killed (as well as that the girl being chased follows the typical scream queen look).


The male say's "No one would pay to see that unless she was naked of course" this show's that they are free to talk about sexual acts, this gives you a lead that they may soon be killed. It also makes the pair seem heterosexual. Throughout the opening of the film it shows how the pair are actually a couple first by the male comforting the female as she is scared by the film and then as they both kiss. 
    
The opening two actors are both Afro-American. Ethnicity is brought up in the first minute and a half of the film; the woman persists in telling the male about what will happen in the film they are about to watch. The female talks only about white people featuring in the film and what will happen to them, even saying that they will be killed. This is the opposite as in the opening of the film the couple are killed. This is the opposite to the majority of slasher films where the scream queen is caucasian and blonde haired. 

Teenagers in Cinema

The main characters in the film are teenagers; like in most slasher films- due to the target audience being between 15-25. The film starts off by teenagers going to see another slasher film, this is filled with teenagers and you barely see any adults present, as well as that the main actress (Sidney Prescott) now attends college, which is where the film is based, you first know this after she is hoarded by media outside of it.