Scream (1996)

A year after the murder of her mother, a teenage girl is terrorized by a new killer, who targets the girl and her friends by using horror films as part of a deadly game.

Director:

Wes Craven

Writer:

Kevin Williamson

Stars:

Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, David Arquette

7 wins & 9 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Drew Barrymore	...	Casey Becker
Roger Jackson	...	Phone Voice (voice)
Kevin Patrick Walls	...	Steve Orth
David Booth	...	Casey's Father
Carla Hatley	...	Casey's Mother
Neve Campbell	...	Sidney Prescott
Skeet Ulrich	...	Billy Loomis
Lawrence Hecht	...	Neil Prescott
Courteney Cox	...	Gale Weathers
W. Earl Brown	...	Kenny Jones
Rose McGowan	...	Tatum Riley
Lois Saunders	...	Mrs. Tate
David Arquette	...	Deputy Dewey
Joseph Whipp	...	Sheriff Burke
Matthew Lillard	...	Stuart

Storyline

A year after her mother's death, Sydney Prescott (Neve Campbell), and her friends started experiencing some strange phone calls. They later learned the calls were coming from a crazed serial killer, in a white faced mask and a large black robe, looking for revenge. His phone calls usually consist of many questions, the main one being: Whats your favorite scary movie? Along with many scary movie trivia, ending with bloody pieces of innocent lives scattered around the small town of Woodsboro.

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Plot Keywords:

slasher | serial killer | masked killer | masked villain | homicidal maniac | 

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Taglines:

He's Taken His Love Of Fear, One Step, Too Far.

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Genres:

Horror | Mystery

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong graphic horror violence and gore, and for language

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 December 1996 (USA)

Also Known As:

Scary Movie

Filming Locations:

3871 Tomales Road, Tomales, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$14,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$6,354,586, 22 December 1996

Gross USA:

$103,046,663

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$173,046,663

Company Credits

Production Co:

Dimension Films, Woods Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

111 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Screenwriter Kevin Williamson was partially inspired by a real-life series of student murders in Gainesville, Florida in 1990, perpetrated by killer Danny Harold Rolling who was later dubbed "The Gainesville Ripper". He was inspired to draft an eighteen-page script treatment about a young woman, alone in a house, who is taunted over the phone and then attacked by a masked killer. The treatment remained as a short story while Williamson worked on another script, Teaching Mrs. Tingle (1999), a thriller that he would eventually sell, but that would languish in development Hell for many years. Struggling to pay his bills, Williamson secluded himself in Palm Springs and focused on the development of his "Scary Movie" treatment, hoping for a quick sale to meet his financial needs. Over the course of three days, Williamson developed a full-length script, as well as two separate five-page outlines for potential sequels, Scary Movie 2 (2001) and Scary Movie 3 (2003). He hoped to entice buyers with the potential for a franchise. In an interview, Williamson said that one reason he focused on the Scary Movie (2000) script was because it was a film he wanted to watch, born of his childhood love of horror films such as Halloween (1978), but "nobody else was making it".

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Goofs

(at around 49 mins) When Gale and Dewey are talking outside the school, Dewey folds up his sunglasses and hangs them on his shirt. In the next scene they are upside down and then seconds later back in the original position.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Casey: Hello?
Phone Voice: Hello.
Casey: Yes?
Phone Voice: Who is this?
Casey: Who are you trying to reach?
Phone Voice: What number is this?
Casey: Well, what number are you trying to reach?
Phone Voice: I don't know.
Casey: I think you have the wrong number.
[...]

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Crazy Credits

Right before the credits roll, there is a quick flash of the killer's face (Ghostface), so quick, it causes the viewer to doubt they actually saw it.

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Alternate Versions

Video Director's Cut on VHS removes a brief scene showing Stu saying "Yes!" and moving his arm after the announcement that the school has been closed.

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Connections

Featured in Hollywood's Top Ten: Opening Scenes (2011)

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Soundtracks

I Don't Care
Performed by Dillon Dixon, Marco Beltrami & Steve Carnelli
Written by Marco Beltrami

User Reviews

Thrilling, refreshing horror tale

Watching this film for the first time in the basement of a four story house, with no-one else in was the perfect setting for this film. From the very first scene I was gripped and I could not wait for the climax to discover the murderer and his motives. The script was extremely original, as they had purposely set out to parodie the typical slasher style movie.

It was written in a way that deceived and tricked and had you jumping out of your seats but also laughing at the paradoxical black humour. For anyone looking for a good horror film with a twist, you won't find a better one than Scream.

Overall I give it 9.5/10