Editorials
Ghostface Glossary: A Guide to Every Horror Reference in ‘Scream 2’
Welcome to the Ghostface Glossary, a guide to every horror reference and nod throughout the first five films of the Scream franchise.
After a lot of pausing, rewinding, and zooming in, as well as researching, we’re catching all of the many horror-specific references Williamson, Craven, and Co. included in this beloved postmodern slasher franchise. If we’ve forgotten any glaring ones, kindly let us know.
This guide will exclude homages from previous Scream films and their respective sequels— we’re only looking at outside horror franchises and inspirations, because any red-blooded Ghostface fan is likely already aware of those. (Goes without saying that the beloved faux franchise ‘Stab’(s) 1-8 will also not be counted, since, even though our neon green ‘Stab’ t-shirts and mock VHS tapes feel very real, it’s still a very fake franchise). If we’ve forgotten any glaring ones, kindly let us know.
“By definition alone, they’re inferior films!”
With a lightening speed turnaround of exactly one year after the release of its OG predecessor, Scream 2 has less to say about the horror genre itself (or its then-current state of its 1997 release year). Instead, Williamson and Craven continue to drop old slasher movie Easter eggs galore, both mainstream and obscure, while also focusing on the specificities, tropes, and rules of movie sequels, in general. From its arguably all-time best opening sequence within a room full of jacked-up ‘Stab’ fans to its Pamela Voorhees-inspired “good old fashioned revenge” motive, this first sequel is right up there amongst some of the other great Part 2 horror pantheons (Friday the 13th Part 2, Child’s Play 2, Hellbound: Hellraiser II, etc.) as a respected pinnacle of what constitutes as a superb follow-up and beginning of a decades-spanning franchise. Could it have included more commentary about said horror sequels? Sure.
But these horror references are more than satiating to horror fans of any level— elementary or expertise.
‘House on Haunted Hill’
House on Haunted Hill (1959): 1) Ghostface dummies fly over the heads of the rowdy audience before ‘Stab’ begins and 2) the glow-in-the-dark “Stab-O-Vision” appears on the screen before the ‘Stab’ title card— both odes to William Castle gimmicks.
Psycho (1960): 1) The ‘Stab’ version of Casey Becker removes her clothes and turns on the shower. 2) Later, Mrs. Loomis sticks her eyeball through a hole in the door, in the same fashion as Norman Bates does to spy on Marion Crane.
Demons (1985), Popcorn (1991), He Knows You’re Alone (1980), Anguish (1987), and Messiah of Evil (1973): All five are distinct influences for the film’s opening movie theater sequence and/or Maureen’s death in front of the movie-going audience. Anguish also later parallels Mrs. Loomis’ killer mommy reveal.
Alien (1979), Aliens (1986), Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), and House II: The Second Story (1987): Randy and Mickey’s film class debates which horror sequels rival their predecessors. T2 is also later referred to again, when Mickey compares Sidney to Linda Hamilton.
Nosferatu (1922): Cici settles on watching the expressionist vampire classic as she talks on the phone with her friend.
‘Friday the 13th’
Friday the 13th (1980): Arguably Scream 2’s most prominent homages come from the 1980 film in the following circumstances:
1) Cici’s friend says a variation of the famous “Ki Ki Ki Ma Ma Ma” as a joke over the phone
2) Randy says later, “Mrs. Voorhees was a terrific serial killer!”
3) Mrs. Loomis is finally revealed to be the mommy revenge killer a la Pamela Voorhees, of course. Mrs. Loomis also attempts to break down a door with Sidney on the other side, just like the ending scene with Pamela and Alice in the 1980 film.
Black Christmas (1974): Cici, the sorority girl, gets a freaky phone call from Ghostface inside her sorority house, akin to Billy harassing the girls inside their sorority house in BC.
Halloween (1978): While the 1996 film takes the whole cake in terms of odes to Halloween, Scream 2 can’t help itself, either. 1) Cici’s body splayed on the ground after falling off the roof looks very similar to Myers’ body in the Carpenter film, before he’s revealed to have survived and his body disappears. Of course, Cici is not as fortunate. 2) The detectives assigned to protect Sidney are named Richards and Andrews, likely after child actors Kyle Richards and Brian Andrews. 3) Finally, Debbie Salt’s actual last name is revealed to be Mrs. Loomis, obviously.
Faces of Death (1978): Cameraman Joel complains to Gale: “I was brought here to do an interview— not ‘Faces of Death 14.’” To be fair, there are only 8 volumes in the series (to date.)
‘Beetlejuice’
Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning (1985) or Beetlejuice (1988): Ghostface says “It’s showtime!” to Sidney via phone, in the post-college party scene. This could be a nod to either film…but we’re leaning towards the former, knowing Williamson’s love for the Friday films.
Candyman (1992): While explaining who he thinks the killers could be to Dewey, Randy notes there is “always room for Candyman’s daughter,” when discussing the possibility of Hallie. “She’s sweet— she’s deadly! She’s bad for your teeth.”
The House on Sorority Row (1982), The Dorm that Dripped Blood (1982), Splatter University (1984), Graduation Day (1981), and Final Exam (1981): Showing off his horror expertise to Ghostface, Randy lists these college campus-themed titles over the phone while attempting to locate him.
‘Slumber Party Massacre’
The Slumber Party Massacre (1982): Randy gets yanked into the news van, in the middle of the afternoon, where he meets his demise— similarly to another shortly-lived character’s fate in the early moments of this 1982 slasher. However, there was no blaring boom box to comically cover the sounds of agonizing screaming, like what occurred to poor Randy.
Mute Witness (1995): While Gale and Dewey are studying Joel’s news footage in the campus’ projector/editing room, Ghostface finds them and (nearly) murders Dewey. The 1995 film features a similar set piece and chase sequence within the walls of a film editing space.
Twin Peaks franchise (1990 series and subsequent films): As Sidney and Hallie are riding with the detectives, for a few frames, the camera focuses on the changing traffic lights— similarly to the ominous usages of changing traffic lights within the bulk of the TP series.
Stage Fright (1987): Scream 2’s final battle between Sidney and Mrs. Loomis, which takes place on a stage set piece, is akin to this ’87 slasher about a bunch of stage actors prepping for a play. Scream 2 also notes you must shoot the killer between the eyes for them to finally die, which is another direct reference to Stage Fright– except, Mickey and Mrs. Loomis are a lot more dead than SF killer Wallace may be…
Thanks to IMDb and the Zack Cherry YouTube channel for picking up a couple this writer had missed for this comprehensive guide.
‘Scream 2’
College kids, strippers and vampires—those were Donald P. Borchers’ only requirements when he approached Richard Wenk about writing and directing a movie for New World Pictures. As requested, Wenk cooked up Vamp (1986), a tailor-made blend of the decade’s teen movie craze as well as its horror boom.
Grim and earnest stories were still very much a part of the ’80s horror landscape, yet Vamp is something of a comedy. One difference between it and, say, Saturday the 14th, though, is the former avoids using schtick. Wenk’s movie proves that horror comedies also don’t have to subtract thrills from their recipes. Of course, it takes a minute before reaching that point; college antics and culture shocks preface this one macabre misadventure.
Vamp‘s initial setup is apt for a typical college-set, sex-driven comedy; to bribe their way into a fraternity house, two pledges (Chris Makepeace, Robert Rusler) go looking for some adult entertainment. Without wasting time on any further exposition, the characters embark on an all-in-one-night trip that quickly detours into terror.
To procure their elusive MacGuffin—a stripper willing to gyrate for some frat boys—Keith (Makepeace) and AJ (Rusler), plus a third wheel named Duncan (Gedee Watanabe), trade the safety of their remote college campus for the seediness of some unnamed city. The setting is recognizably L.A. by day, but as soon as night falls, downtown, along with the characters, slips into a kind of surreal universe. Director of photography Elliot Davis gave this early entry on his prolific résumé an unusual yet distinctive look; that Mario Bava-esque, magenta-green lighting is omnipresent, so much so that it’s almost its own character.
Chris Makepeace and Robert Rusler in Vamp
The faint comparisons to Martin Scorsese’s After Hours are merited, although not just because of Vamp’s distinguishing nighttime aesthetic. Save for the primary characters, the supporting roles in Wenk’s movie are also quite colorful and transactional in their behavior. The difference here, though, is the additional urge to ruin Keith and his friends at every turn. Some of that harm is humorous and tolerable enough, whereas the moment Vamp dishes out its first fatality, it’s abundantly clear how this movie qualifies as horror.
Vamp falls into that category of horror movie that reveals its genre with a scream rather than a series of whispers. The opening scene can function as a hint of what lies ahead—things are not at all what they appear to be—but otherwise, Wenk is more than happy to hold off on the horror. When that time does come, though, it catches the viewer off guard. In addition to the pure shock value is that sudden decision to upend the movie’s foremost feature. Or so it would seem.
If afraid of major spoilage, those new to Vamp would be wise to stop reading here. There’s just no skirting around the fact that the central fellowship in this buddy movie hits a serious snag when AJ is killed. That development causes the story to become more of a “long, bad night” journey for Keith and his romantic interest. So while Wenk scores points for subverting expectations, there is also a touch of sadness in his decision. Because if Vamp does anything well, it’s making the characters likable.
Something that comes easily to Vamp—and other teen horror movies from this same era—is its ability to invent young characters worth caring about, or at the very least, are interesting and not so immediately off-putting. More impressive is how Wenk did all this without actually fleshing out those characters. Still and all, Keith and his kind are a grade above cookie-cutter, and in some cases, aren’t completely devoid of growth.
Grace Jones in Vamp
Vamp appeals with an assorted cast of characters. No two are the same, nor are they operating on the same wavelength. The cinematically extroverted AJ, whose actor conveyed charm and vulnerability in near equal amounts, comes alive when he’s at his most undead. Makepeace then makes the chronically cautious Keith a sympathetic fellow, even as he’s more and more affected by the night’s bizarre events. Meanwhile, Duncan is indeed the designated loser of the whole bunch, but Watanabe still manages to humanize him. As a bonus, the role didn’t require him to pull a Long Duk Dong.
As for Dedee Pfeiffer, she is plain adorable as the mysterious After Dark server nicknamed “Amaretto”. She spends all night fixing her dress strap while at the same time trying to get Keith to remember how he knows her. As their offbeat romance grows, it becomes another highlight of this movie. Whether or not Pfeiffer’s character is really a vampire also creates some welcome tension in the story.
Like a lot of its contemporaries, Vamp went on to become a bit of a cult classic. That current status is determined by several factors, but without a doubt, the casting of Grace Jones is the most considerable. The image of her writhing on that unique-looking chair, a Keith Haring original, springs to mind whenever this movie is brought up.
Chris Makepeace, Billy Drago and Paunita Nichols in Vamp
Prior to that first display of unequivocal horror, local vampire queen Katrina (Jones) took to the stage and delivered a strip show like no other. One would expect nothing less from that renowned model and performance artist. By now reports of Jones’ tardiness on set are no secret, yet it’s also hard to deny her commitment to the part of Katrina. It was, in fact, Jones who took charge of her character’s appearance—on top of Haring painting her body and that now-iconic chair, she had Andy Warhol handle her costuming. And not too many actors could seize a room’s attention without saying a single line of dialogue.
In 2022, Vamp received a retrospective novelization from Encyclopocalypse. This literary union of preexisting source material—Wenk’s original screenplay—and new ideas from author Christian Francis amounts to a more comprehensive visit to the After Dark Club. The basic story there is no different than what’s shown on screen; however, Francis gets creative with the characters’ origins and designs, and he enhances a number of key scenes.
The novelization expands on the urban and social decay of the main setting, and supplies a background for the After Dark Club. Sandy Baron’s character, Katrina’s emcee and familiar, is given ample motivation for sticking around; up until the fiery end, he is loyal to his friend and former business partner “Squeak”, who looks like he was “fed through a combine harvester, and left as nothing more than a heap of mangled remains”. Then there is Billy Drago’s character Snow, the leader of a street gang called The Dragons. His reason for menacing Keith and AJ is more altruistic than in the movie; he and his peers act tough to scare off any potential food for the vampires.
Lisa Lyon in Vamp
If not for all the backstories, Francis’ Vamp would be a hell of a lot shorter. Instead, this tie-in read dives into how AJ met Keith—the orphaned Anthony Joseph hailed from a broken home back in Brooklyn—and how their friendship flourished over the years. Keith’s archership is no longer just an assumed part of his entire being; it’s a confidence-building extracurricular for a boy who got picked on before coming into the protection of the new kid in town. These supplemental, in-depth looks at the protagonists, plus their close connection, are maybe unnecessary. The movie already did a fair and concise job of addressing their platonic intimacy without the need for flashbacks and insights, specifically in that scene where AJ lays it all out as he sacrifices himself.
Where the novelization gets off course is its approach to the minor characters. Intermittently backstorying the likes of Katrina’s indentured servants, Seko (Leila Hee Olsen) and Vlad (Brad Logan), ends up disturbing the flow of the writing. Was it absolutely essential that readers know Vlad was the Grand Duke of the House of Romanov, or how Snow’s accomplice Maven (Paunita Nichols) became so dentally challenged? No, not really. However, one’s mileage with these random biographies may vary.
The novelization is a more substantial experience, but for a movie like Vamp, less is more. And as plentiful as they are, it never simply coasts on its campy charms, either. The character work sits comfortably in that realm between cursory and meticulous, the script is sharper than first realized, and Greg Cannom’s vampire makeup is straightforward yet effective. Most of all, the movie didn’t squander its out-of-the-box concept. Richard Wenk made his vision of a “comic nightmare in which just about anything that can go wrong does” come true, and it is very enjoyable.
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