Scream (1996 film)
Set in the fictional town of Woodsboro, California, Scream's plot follows high school student Sidney Prescott (Campbell) and her friends, who, on the anniversary of her mother's murder, become the targets of a costumed serial killer known as Ghostface.Williamson, who was struggling to get his projects off the ground, was inspired by reports of a series of murders by the Gainesville Ripper as he wrote a screenplay that satirized the clichés of the slasher genre popularized in films such as Halloween (1978), Friday the 13th (1980), and A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984).Developed under the title Scary Movie, Williamson's script became the subject of an intense bidding war from multiple studios before Miramax Films purchased the rights.[g] Williamson revised the script based on studio input, removing some gorier content (such as exposed internal organs and severed limbs) and adding the murder of principal Himbry because Weinstein said there was too long a period following the opening without any deaths.[h] The search for a director took over two months, with Danny Boyle, Tom McLoughlin, Sam Raimi, Robert Rodriguez, George A. Romero, Quentin Tarantino, and Anthony Waller being considered.[26] Describing what attracted her to the role, Campbell said Sidney was "a fantastic character for any kind of movie" who transitions from "tormented, traumatized, insecure young woman to overwhelmingly empowered and strong".[58] Woods suggested Courteney Cox for the cold and calculating Gale Weathers, believing it would be interesting to play against her typical personable characters in series such as Family Ties (1982–1989) and Friends (1994–2004).[o] Seth Green, Jason Lee, and Breckin Meyer were all preferred for Randy, the "lanky, gangly, opinionated fifth wheel, who really has a love and passion for movies", but Craven and Williamson appreciated the innocence and comedy that Jamie Kennedy brought to his portrayal.[17][26] He recounted overhearing his competitors discussing the Ghostface as the "new Freddy Krueger", but Jackson interpreted it as a more subtle role which required charisma and sexiness to keep his target on the phone even though they want to hang up.[t] The Sonoma Community Center served as a replacement but scenes had to be rewritten to accommodate the new location, and additional costs to transform the former elementary school into one appropriate for young adults, including larger desks and installing lockers.Craven estimated the disruption and location changes caused by the Santa Rosa district's decision cost the production $350,000, including the $270,000 the center was paid for three days of filming.[93] Because the hung Casey was to appear gutted from chest to waist, effects artist Howard Berger decided against applying prosthetics to Barrymore in favor of a mannequin that could be hollowed out, showing her spine holding her upper and lower parts together.[99] The Weinsteins were critical of the Fun World Mask, believing it was "flat" and not scary, suggesting various alternatives, and said Barrymore lacked sex appeal because of the pageboy hairstyle she had chosen.[ac] Konrad defended Craven to the brothers, and in response Bob Weinstein sent Dimension executives Cary Granat and Andrew Rona to the set to directly intervene.Ulrich admitted he did not realize Scream was intended to be a horror with comedic elements and was confused by Lillard's and Kennedy's "humorous moments", believing they were "ruining the movie ... Like, 'This isn't funny.[61][3] By the time they had filmed Gale returning with a gun, Ulrich said he and Lillard were "roaming around like caged animals" to keep the intensity of their performances high, to the point Craven asked them to relax because they were scaring Cox.[aj] Scream was rated NC-17 by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), restricting its audience to those over 17 years of age, which was considered "box-office suicide" by industry experts.[25] It took up to nine cuts to address the MPAA's complaints, including removing any movement of Steve Orth's internal organs, trimming Kenny's throat being slit (because the actor's pained expression was too "disturbing"), moving Billy and Stu stabbing each other off screen, and reducing scenes of Casey's hanging body and Tatum's crushed head.[121][124][123] He incorporated elements of the western genre, particularly for Dewey's theme, and took cues from composers including Elliot Goldenthal, Ennio Morricone, Eric Serra, Christopher Young, and Hans Zimmer.This was compounded by rising production costs and high salaries for stars such as Jim Carrey, Tom Cruise, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Julia Roberts, prompting many studios to cut their film slate by fifty percent.Even so, over forty films were scheduled for release in late 1996, including Beavis and Butt-Head Do America, Jerry Maguire, Mars Attacks!, Ransom, Space Jam, and Star Trek: First Contact.[ar] Peter Stack and Dave Kehr praised Campbell for her standout performance that successfully carried the central focus on her character, portraying a tough, capable heroine who avoids the "damsel in distress" archetype.[186][187] In 2022, Varèse Sarabande released the score in a limited-edition six-disc box CD set and digitally, alongside Beltrami's work on other installments, as well as unreleased music, demos, and alternate versions.In a meta reference, Randy recounts the rules of the genre: to survive a horror film, characters cannot sin by drinking, taking drugs, or having sex, and they cannot say "'I'll be right back.'[196][197][195] While Gale's actions revolve around profiting from the suffering of others, she is depicted not as a villain but a careerist and an antagonist to Sidney who evolves into a heroic figure, aiding in the deaths of Billy and Stu.She continued that the male killers in Scream enact violence and intimidation primarily on women, including Casey who romantically rejects Stu before the events of the film, and Sidney's mother Maureen, as Billy blames her for the end of his parents' marriage.[az] Far Out and MTV described Scream as a "ground-breaking" slasher film that "successfully crossed over into the mainstream" because of its deft blend of traditional horror with self-aware commentary and satire.[210] Studios rushed to capitalize on Scream's success with teen-centric horror films and television series leading into the 2000s, such as I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997), Urban Legend (1998) and Cherry Falls (2000), as well as sequels to popular, but diminished, franchises such as Halloween H20: 20 Years Later and Bride of Chucky (both 1998).[284] The British Film Institute (BFI) called the opening scene "one of the all-time great pre-credit scenes—an unforgettable masterclass of building tension, heart-stopping terror, and shocking images".The Weinsteins refused to license the Fun World costume for the show or allow references to the films, which was controversial with fans and contributed to the series' low ratings, poor reception, and eventual cancellation.
Wes CravenKevin WilliamsonCathy KonradCary WoodsDavid ArquetteNeve CampbellCourteney CoxMatthew LillardRose McGowanSkeet UlrichDrew BarrymoreMark IrwinPatrick LussierMarco BeltramiDimension FilmsLos Angelesslasher filmSidney Prescottserial killerGhostfaceGainesville RipperclichésHalloweenFriday the 13thA Nightmare on Elm StreetMiramax FilmsPrincipal photographyCaliforniaMotion Picture Association of Americaword of mouthhorrorhorror genremultimedia franchiseScream 2Scream 3Scream 4ScreamScream VIScream 7anthology television seriesCasey BeckerCotton WearyBilly LoomisTatum RileyDewey RileyGale WeathersStu MacherRandy MeeksJamie KennedyW. Earl BrownJoseph WhippLiev SchreiberRoger L. JacksonLynn McReeFrances Lee McCainbitchycameo appearancesHenry WinklerLinda BlairFreddy KruegerKilling Mrs. TingleTurning PointDanny RollingJason Voorheeshome invasionone-act playProm NightJanet LeighPsychokilling offBayboro, North CarolinaMorgan Creek EntertainmentParamount PicturesUniversal PicturesOliver StoneBob WeinsteinDanny BoyleTom McLoughlinSam RaimiRobert RodriguezGeorge A. RomeroQuentin TarantinoAnthony WallerThe Haunting of Hill HouseJulie PlecMarianne MaddalenaVampire in BrooklynHarveyVinessa ShawReese WitherspoonMolly RingwaldAlicia WittBrittany Murphyscreen-testFamily TiesFriendsBrooke ShieldsJaneane GarofaloJohn WayneIndigo GirlsThora BirchNatasha LyonneVince Vaughnpunk rockFaces of DeathThe CraftSeth GreenJason LeeBreckin MeyerMars Attacks!Tom KaneExtrasTomales, CaliforniaWilmington, North CarolinaVancouverNapa County, CaliforniaSanta RosaSonoma County, CaliforniaGlen EllenHealdsburg, CaliforniaTomalesSanta Rosa High Schoollocation scoutingKNB EFX Groupstunt performersHoward Berger