I think the thing that makes this one of the greatest horror films of all time, is Scream‘s ability to make fun of itself and the predictability of scary movies, while still throwing stuff in there which surprises the audience. It’s also the perfect blend of humor and fear, which makes for an interesting dichotomy of emotions. This famed flick pays homage to its predecessors by pointing out the typical plot points and “rules” of the genre…and then using them themselves, while still catching the viewer off-guard and eliciting screams. In the movie, Sidney (Neve Campbell,) is a teen who’s being stalked by a crazed killer who’s obsessed with other horror movies. Because the killer wears a ghost face mask and costume, Sidney spends the entire movie trying to figure out who it is….and why he’s after her.
Fun & Freaky Facts:
• Director Wes Craven found the infamous Scream mask in a store while location-scouting in California.
• “Sabrina the Teenage Witch” star Melissa Joan Hart auditioned for the role of Sidney Prescott.
• About 50 gallons of fake blood were used in the making of this film.
• When Casey’s parents come home and see that something is wrong, her father says to her mother, “Go down to the Mackenzie’s house,” which is a quote from the original Halloween.
• The school janitor’s name is Fred and he’s wearing Freddy Kreuger’s outfit from A Nightmare on Elm Street.
• In the movie, Casey claims that all the sequels to A Nightmare on Elm Street sucked. Wes Craven sold the rights to the sequels after making the original and apparently disliked the ones made after that.
• The use of caller ID increased threefold after the release of this film.
• The killer was based on the Gainesville Ripper.
• Former cheerleader Courteney Cox and David Arquette met and fell in love during the making of this movie. Coincidentally, they ended up starring in the fourth installment of the series as they were in the middle of a divorce 10 years after the third film.
