What should have been an explosive finale to the trilogy in Scream 3 ends up becoming something of a damp squib, with little of the suspense that made the first two so memorable. Kevin Williamson, creator of the original Scream, claimed he always saw the series as a trilogy, so it's a pity that he couldn't have had more of a hand in the last of the series, settling for a producer credit while the screenplay is penned by Ehren Kruger (ironic in itself, given director Wes Craven's most famous creation). When a crucial player in the first two movies is killed in the now obligatory pre-credit murder sequence, the attention switches to the set of Stab 3, the third in the fictional film series based on the original Woodsboro murders of the first Scream movie. Sydney Prescott, who has spent the last few years targeted by the Ghost-faced killer, is drawn out of hiding in the Californian hills to face the killer one last time. Along the way she is re-united with old friends, (both living and dead) and discovers more about her family history than she ever wanted to know. Most of the players look a little bored with the whole thing now and Craven just doesn't inject any pace into the proceedings, happy, it seems to produce virtually carbon copy set pieces from the previous instalments. The film sags incredibly in the second act and when a convenient "pre-recorded" message from the late Randy Meeks turns up, it's not so much evidence of that character's forethought, more of the scriptwriter's laziness. It has its moments though: Jenny McCarthy hiding from the killer in a wardrobe room filled with Ghostface costumes, a great cameo from Carrie Fisher and the constant bitching between Cox and the wonderful Parker Posey, who plays Gail Weathers in the fictional Stab 3. Ultimately, though, as the closing chapter in a great horror series, Scream 3 fails to live up to its predecessors. -Jonathan Weir.

"We don't have time for subtle," says Brendan Fraser, the star of The Mummy Returns, neatly encapsulating the relentless pace and hammerheaded tone of the film. As is the way of sequels here we have more, more, more of the same formula: more explosions, more action and more mind-numbingly endless CGI effects. Once again borrowing shamelessly from the Indiana Jones series, The Mummy Returns, like its predecessor, has boundless energy but lacks the stylish verve and charm of Spielberg's trilogy. All the original cast are reunited, this time joined by WWF star the Rock in a cameo role designed to plug his spin-off vehicle, The Scorpion King, and young actor Freddie Boath who plays an English eight-year-old in the 1930s whose dialogue borrows from Bart Simpson ("Get a room" and "My dad's gonna kick your arse" are two of his choice phrases). Other cinematic thefts include a Jurassic Park-style creatures-in-the-long-grass sequence and a lengthy triple-threat finale along the lines of Return of the Jedi. Still, despite the wearying relentlessness of its computer-generated effects, endless chases and fights, this is undeniably fun popcorn fodder and provides some memorable scenes along the way, notably Rachel Weisz and Patricia Velasquez battling it out for the affections of nasty old Imhotep. On the DVD: This two-disc "Special Edition" is a treat for fans of the franchise. The first disc has an anamorphic widescreen print of the movie in its 2. 35:1 CinemaScope ratio, and a choice of Dolby 5. 1 or DTS for the headache-inducing soundtrack. [+]

Cherry Falls, the eponymous small town in Cherry Falls, has some dirty secrets-secrets that come to light when a psychotic killer starts killing teenagers. But the killer has an unusual criterion: only virgins are marked for death. Cherry Falls is a striking movie that never got released in cinemas, probably because marketers didn't know what to do with it. It's not a winking, smirk-while-you-shriek twist on the genre like Scream, nor is it a broad parody like Scary Movie-instead, Cherry Falls tries (and largely succeeds) at trying to turn the clichés of slasher movies into something that will do more than make you jump in shock. It's still scary; few things are creepier than wandering the empty hallways of a high school after hours, and Cherry Falls takes full advantage of that. It's also often funny, mostly because the mechanics of a slasher movie have become just a little too much and you can't help laughing. But it also makes you think twice about attitudes towards sex-moments such as parents breaking into a brawl while talking about their children's sex activity, or an "experienced" girl's pep talk to an assembly of girls eager to lose their virginity, are both funny and caustic. Brittany Murphy (Clueless, Girl, Interrupted) shines as the sheriff's daughter caught in the middle of it all; Michael Biehn (The Terminator) is great as the earnest sheriff who knows more than he lets on; and Jay Mohr (Jerry Maguire) smoothly handles the part of a teacher with an unhealthy interest in Murphy. Cherry Falls doesn't tell you when it's funny or scary, which makes many viewers uncomfortable. But if you're interested in watching a slippery, layered examination of sexual attitudes that is also a successful, spooky slasher flick, then this movie is for you. [+]