Scream 2 (3 stars) (1997) (Dimension)* 120 minutes. Neve Campbell, David Arquette, Courteney Cox, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Jerry O'Connell, Laurie Metcalf, Jada Pinkett, Liev Schreiber. A sequel nearly the equal of the original. Even though it is essentially a copycat movie about a copycat murderer, what distinguishes Wes Craven's fearfest from others is that it boasts more wit than blood. R (violence, blood). DVD and laserdisc available. (CC)
Afterglow (2 1/2 stars) (1997) (Columbia TriStar)* 114 minutes. Julie Christie, Nick Nolte, Lara Flynn Boyle. Writer-director Alan Rudolph's dissection of two faltering marriages is unbalanced by the radiant, Oscar-nominated performance of Christie, who makes the other union play like an afterthought. R (sex, adult themes). (CC)
The End of Violence (2 1/2 stars) (1997) (MGM)* 129 minutes. Bill Pullman, Andie MacDowell, Gabriel Byrne. Director Wim Wenders' flawed but provocative essay on the impact of violence in our culture and those who profit from it. Pullman is a Hollywood producer who is kidnapped and forced to confront some painful truths. R (language, adult themes). (CC)
RECENT MOVIES Fall (1997) (Orion)* 90 minutes. Eric Schaeffer, Amanda DeCadenet. The life of an easygoing New York City cab driver changes forever after he persuades a supermodel to go on a date with him. (CC)
Mean Guns (1997) (Trimark) $96.99. 110 minutes. Christopher Lambert, Ice-T. The leader of a crime syndicate brings the world's most dangerous criminals together and offers $10 million to the last three men standing by midnight. R.
The Student Affair (1997) (Fox)* 100 minutes. Sally Kellerman, Ed Begley Jr., Tyne Daly. The wife of a professor who suspects he is having an affair hires a private detective. R. (CC)
FOR CHILDREN Blue's Clues (1997/98) (Paramount) $9.98 each. 50 minutes each. Two volumes of episodes from the Nickelodeon preschool series: ``Arts and Crafts'' and ``Story Time.'' (CC)
Melody Time (1948) (Buena Vista) $22.99. 75 minutes. Collection of cartoon shorts hosted by Donald Duck includes visits with Johnny Appleseed and Pecos Bill. (CC)
Wishbone's Dog Days of the West (1997) (Lyrick Studios) $14.95. 92 minutes. The canine star of the PBS-TV series stars in a feature film, in which he travels back in time to the Wild West.
DOCUMENTARY Farewell Good Brothers (1998) (Discovery/BMG Video) $19.98. 90 minutes. Made-for-Discovery Channel look at a group of people who, in the 1950s, claimed to have been contacted by friendly visitors from the planet Venus. (CC)
Raging Planet Series (1997/98) (Discovery/BMG Video) $14.98 each. 50 minutes each. The entire Discovery Channel series about natural disasters: ``Avalanche,'' ``Fire,'' ``Flood,'' ``Hurricane,'' ``Lightning,'' ``Tidal Wave'' and ``Tornado.'' (CC)
COMING NEXT WEEK The Spice Girls star in Spice World.
Stars:
* * * * Excellent
* * * Good
* * Fair
* Poor
(Videos with no stars were not reviewed by The Inquirer.)
* No suggested retail price was set for this video because its supplier deems it primarily for rental.
MPAA ratings: Motion Picture Association of America ratings are included for all titles that received them. If the title was reviewed by The Inquirer, further parental warnings (violence, nudity, etc.) are included.
(CC): Closed captioned.
