| “ | I'm gonna blame the movies. | „ |
| ~ Mickey Altieri |
Mickey Altieri is the secondary antagonist of the 1997 horror film, Scream 2. He was one of Sidney Prescott's best friends at college and was was obsessed with movies and often filmed whatever was going on. He subtly increased paranoia and suspicion when the murder spree began with intimate conversations. He finally revealed himself to be one of the killers to Sidney. He was betrayed by his mentor, but managed to get one more scare in before getting gunned down by Sidney and Gale Weathers.
He was portrayed by Timothy Olyphant, who also played Thomas Gabriel and Agent 47.
Background
A psychotic obsessed with films, he met Mrs. Loomis on-line. She helped him go to Windsor College, and pay his tuition fees, so the two of them could execute a murder spree. He planned on getting caught and starring in the following media circus. At college, he befriended original survivors Sidney and Randy Meeks, as well as Sidney's boyfriend, Derek Feldman. He even started dating Sidney's roommate, Hallie McDaniel, to further embed himself in her life. Once the murder spree was over, Mickey stabbed Hallie after escaping a car accident, shot Derek tied to a cross, and attempted to shoot Gale on the stage, who managed to survive, and killed Mickey, with help from Sidney.
Scream 2
In an early scene in the movie, while at film class, he argues that violence in the media contributed to the theater killings the following night. He also says sequels can be better than the original, unlike Randy. Mickey and Randy seem to have a solid relationship, unlike the rocky one between Randy, and the killers, Stu and Billy, from the first movie. However, under this, Mickey is deranged and psychotic. Mickey has a fascination with murderers and how the media affects them. He met Mrs. Loomis, Billy Loomis's mother on a serial killer website and agreed to help him with his tuition fees and expenses, if he can kill Sidney for her. With her guidance and tuition expenses, he does the killings, so she can plan out the revenge for Sidney killing her son.
Mickey, in the last scene, claims that unlike most killers, he wants to be caught so he "can blame the movies", planning to be immortalized by the media, and be in the world's most talked about court trial. He shoots his friend Derek, who was hanging by a cross. However, Mrs. Loomis shoots him, saying that his motive will never be believed. Before he seemingly dies, he shoots Gale off stage. After the whole ordeal is over, he jumps back up and gets killed in a hail of bullets by Gale and Sidney. Character In the Scream 2 DVD commentary, Wes Craven likens Mickey to Iago; both characters deftly cast suspicion onto others.
Victims
- Maureen Evans - Stabbed in stomach/back 3 times/3 more times, hacked up
- Officer Andrews - Throat slashed with knife
- Officer Richards - Impaled in back of head through windshield by pipe while on moving car
- Hallie McDaniel - Stabbed in chest 4 times
- Derek Feldman - Shot in chest with handgun
Behind the Scenes
- He was described as "20's, athletic, cool and rowdy" in the script.
- In the original script, Mickey and Derek had switched roles. Mickey was innocent and chained naked outside by his Greek brothers for declaring his love for Hallie over them. Sidney eventually untied him, but he was then stabbed to death simultaneously by two killers. In the finished script, this role was given to Derek, and Mickey ended up with Derek's film obsession and being Ghostface.
- A deleted scene further cemented that Mickey and Hallie were a couple.