Scream 2 appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 2.35:1 on this 4K UHD Disc. The Dolby Vision image worked well.
Overall definition was fine. The movie showed a little softness in a few shots, but it usually demonstrated good clarity and accuracy.
I noticed no jaggies or shimmering, and edge haloes remained absent. Grain felt fairly natural, and I saw no print flaws.
Colors seemed pretty good. The palette remained natural and the tones showed nice vivacity that the disc’s HDR brought out in a satisfying manner.
Blacks came across as deep, while shadows were clear and visible. HDR gave whites and contrast a boost. This became a pleasing presentation.
Consistent pleasures came from the movie’s DTS-HD MA 5.1 audio, as the track delivered a nice impression. The soundfield used all the speakers well, as it broadened the action around the room.
This became most important in the violent scenes; those delivered solid impact and put the killer in appropriate spots. Music spread to the channels nicely and the whole thing combined in a satisfying manner.
Sound quality was strong. Music seemed bold and vibrant, while effects followed suit; those elements came across as accurate and dynamic.
Speech appeared natural and distinctive as well; the lines were clear and without edginess or other concerns. This ended up as a solid soundtrack.
How did the 4K UHD compare to the prior Blu-ray version? Both offered identical 5.1 audio.
As for the Dolby Vision image, it showed improved definition, colors and blacks. It also lost the noise reduction of the BD, which made it a much more natural-looking presentation. The 4K turned into a definite step up in quality.
Only one extra appears on the 4K disc itself: an audio commentary from director Wes Craven, producer Marianne Maddalena and editor Patrick Lussier. All three sit together for this running, screen-specific look at story, characters and themes, cast and performances, editing, sets and locations, camerawork and music, reshoots, alternate scenes and a few other areas.
While we learn a fair amount about the movie, the track tends to drag more often than I’d like. The commentary for the first film cranked at a good pace, but this one meanders on occasion. Still, it includes enough useful material to make it worth a listen.
The included Blu-ray copy brings additional features, and two Deleted Scenes go for a total of four minutes, nine seconds. One shows an alternate version of the classroom discussion of sequels.
Another shows a different edition of Sydney and her friends in the aftermath of Derek’s attack. Both let us view scenes that were later reshot, so neither of them shows much truly “deleted” material.
We can watch these with or without commentary from Craven, Maddalena and Lussier. They tell us a little about the scenes and let us know why they needed to be reshot. We get a few decent details from the participants.
Under Outtakes, we find an eight-minute, 54-second reel. I hoped this would show little snippets of deleted material, but instead, it’s a long blooper collection. That’s a whole lot of goofs and giggles, and it does little for me.
A Featurette lasts seven minutes, five seconds and includes Craven, writer Kevin Williamson, and actors Neve Campbell, Jamie Kennedy, Sarah Michelle Gellar, David Arquette, Omar Epps, Liev Schreiber, Jada Pinkett, Courteney Cox, and Elise Neal.
They give us some general notes about the script, the sequel and other movie elements. It’s a general overview with a promotional emphasis.
Next we get Music Videos for “Scream” by Master P and “Suburban Life” by Kottonmouth Kings. I always thought P and his incessant “uhhhs” was about the most annoying rapper out there, and this ugly, irritating video/song don’t change my mind.
Amazingly, the Kings are even more obnoxious – I guess Master P wasn’t the worst of the era! Was rap circa 1997 really this awful?
The disc opens with ads for Scream 4 and the Saw series. These show up under Also from Lionsgate as well.
In addition, the Blu-ray provides the trailer for Scream 2 and 11 TV spots.
Note that the Blu-ray literally duplicates the 2011 release, which feels weird because that one came from Lionsgate and the 4K is from Paramount. The included BD even still includes Lionsgate logos and branding!
As a sequel to a semi-spoof, Scream 2 encountered unusual challenges. It didn’t surmount all of these, but it worked well enough to provide a mostly entertaining flick. The 4K UHD brings very good picture and audio as well as a decent set of supplements. Scream 2 may not be as good as its predecessor, but it’s fun.
To rate this film visit the original review of SCREAM 2