James A. Janisse, host of the Kill Count, reviews Scream 3 (2000), the third installment of the Scream franchise. The movie takes place on a Hollywood film set, where a new Ghostface killer is targeting the cast and crew of a movie based on the events of the first two Scream films. As the bodies pile up, Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) and her friends must uncover the identity of the killer and their motives.
Throughout the review, James expresses his disappointment and frustration with the movie's poor writing, weak plot twists, and lack of genuine scares. He criticizes the film's over-reliance on the "voice changer" plot device, which he finds implausible and lazy.
Despite his criticisms, James does praise some of the film's more memorable moments, including a few creative kills and a surprise cameo by Carrie Fisher. However, he ultimately concludes that Scream 3 is the weakest link in the Scream franchise, with too many unbelievable plot twists and a lack of genuine tension or suspense.
The review ends with James's signature "Kill Count" segment, where he tallies up the number of deaths in the movie (10) and awards the "Golden Chainsaw" to Tyson for his memorable death scene. He also gives the "Dull Machete" award to Tom Prinze for his convoluted and unbelievable death scene. Overall, James gives Scream 3 a scathing review, calling it the "embarrassing third child of the Scream franchise."
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. Scream 3 is the third installment in the Scream franchise, released in 2000.
2. The movie takes place on the set of a movie called Stab 3, a film within a film.
3. The story revolves around Sidney Prescott, now living in the California mountains.
4. Cotton Weary is the first victim of the movie, killed by Ghostface.
5. Sarah Darling, an actress on the set of Stab 3, is the third victim.
6. Ghostface uses a voice changer to mimic the voices of other characters.
7. The movie features a cast of characters, including Tom Prinze, Angelina, and Tyson.
8. Randy Meeks, a character from the previous movies, appears in a video recording.
9. The movie takes a self-aware, meta approach, commenting on the horror genre.
10. The killer is revealed to be Roman Bridger, the director of Stab 3 and Sidney's half-brother.
11. Roman's motive is to frame Sidney for the murders and avenge his mother's death.
12. The movie ends with Roman's death and the proposal of Dewey to Gale.
13. The movie has a total of 10 kills, with 6 male victims and 4 female victims.
14. The kills occur at an average of every 11.6 minutes, the most frequent in the series.
15. The movie features a number of celebrity cameos, including Carrie Fisher and Patrick Warburton.
16. The film was released 11 years before the fourth installment in the Scream franchise.
17. The movie's script was influenced by the Columbine shooting, which occurred shortly before production began.
18. The movie's tone is more comedic than the previous installments in the franchise.
19. The movie's plot features a number of twists and turns, including the revelation of Roman's true identity.
20. The movie ends with a meta moment, referencing the real-life marriage of actors Courteney Cox and David Arquette.