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Drew Barrymore, "Scream" (1996)Exactly 20 years ago, audiences first laid eyes on Wes Craven’s tongue-in-cheek horror masterpiece, “Scream.”
I was only six at the time, so, of course, I wasn’t a part of any of those first night audiences. But I’m definitely a fan now.
The beauty of “Scream” is the way in which it mocks horror tropes – found in movies like “Halloween,” “Friday the 13th,” and “When a Stranger Calls” – while also admitting their inevitability.
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Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) famously skewers the genre, quipping “They’re all the same. Some stupid killer stalking some big-breasted girl who can’t act who is always running up the stairs when she should be running out the front door.” But a few seconds later Sidney does just that as she’s taunted by the film’s iconic villain, Ghostface.
Randy (Jamie Kennedy), the film’s comic relief, continued to mock the tropes throughout the film, highlighting the three golden rules of horror:
“Sex equals death, okay?”
“It’s a sin – It’s an extension of number one.”
“You won’t be back.”
“Scream” paid homage to a number of classic horror films, such as Alfred Hitchcock’s “Psycho.” Sydney’s boyfriend was named Billy Loomis, after the lead actress’s boyfriend Sam Loomis in the 1960 flick. He was played by Skeet Ulrich, who was hired because of his resemblance to “Nightmare on Elm Street”-era Johnny Depp.
It also inspired three sequels, and a spin-off series on MTV. “Scream” also reportedly increased the use of caller ID more than threefold after its release.
Plus it’s the movie that kickstarted the great romance between co-stars Courteney Cox and David Arquette – though that has since ended – as well as a series of popular parody films in the “Scary Movie” franchise. “Scream” skillfully managed to mock the predictability of horror, while still throwing in a twist or two.
And though the advent of cell phones and social media may have made it a bit outdated in the 20 years since it was released, “Scream” certainly hasn’t lost its bite. It’s scary how good this film truly is.
