Line #98 YMMV/Scream1996


1	* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation:
2	** It's written into the film that Sidney is naming Cotton Weary as her mother's killer partly to punish him for having an affair with her mother. One has to wonder if—considering Maureen [[spoiler: had an affair with Billy's father too]]—she ever suspected what her mother had been doing and had just gone into denial. Part of her conflict could come from knowing deep down that she's condemning an innocent man to death just to preserve this image she has of her mother.
3	** Another reason Sidney may have fixated on Cotton as a suspect was because she did not want to think about who the other most likely suspect would be—[[spoiler: her father. She may still have had some lingering doubts about his innocence, but she would not let herself think too deeply about them because she didn't want to lose the only parent she had left.]]
4	** As it's unknown how long they were together [[spoiler: before he murdered her mother, could Billy be keeping his relationship with Sidney going just for the sake of punishing Maureen? It's stated that he keeps pressuring her into sex,]] which takes on a harsher light after TheReveal.
5	** Some have suggested that [[spoiler: Billy was planning to kill Stu and pin it on him as the accomplice of Sidney's father. Noticeably, while they wound each other, Stu takes a few more hits than Billy, who might've been trying to weaken his larger friend before they're done with the others so that he wouldn't put up as strong a fight against him when he actually tried to off him]]. This interpretation is usually based on the events of the [[Film/Scream2 second]] and [[Film/Scream4 fourth film]] in which [[spoiler:one of the killers attempted to off the other so that he'd take the fall]].
6	** Was Stu's shock [[spoiler:at Billy's motive a case of EvenEvilHasStandards or realization that they weren't just killing for fun like he was led to believe?]]
7	** Before the sequels {{flanderized}} the bitchy part of Gale's character, it's unknown if she actually did like Dewey or she was just turning on the charm in the hopes of getting a good story.
8	** After hearing Sidney's cries for help, Ghostface decides to go after her, passing up the opportunity to deliver a quick kill on an unaware Randy while there is still enough time to do so. [[spoiler:Since this is Stu in costume, one can view this as him [[PetTheDog giving Randy a chance to escape]]. On the other hand, one may cynically interpret this hesitation as PragmaticVillainy on Stu's part since killing Randy means that Sidney will immediately figure out that Stu is Ghostface after finding Randy's corpse.]]
9	** [[WebVideo/DeadMeat James A. Janisse]] has speculated during his second [[WebVideo/TheKillCount Kill Count]] of the film [[spoiler:Stu was motivated not only by his own sadism, but by an unrequited crush on Billy.]]
10	** During the scene where Sidney admits to Billy that she can’t keep lying to herself about who her mother was, Billy looks oddly put out. Was he just [[BitchInSheepsClothing pretending to be sympathetic to Sidney's feelings]] or did he begin to realise that he and Sidney had more in common than he had previously thought i.e. a BrokenPedestal regarding their mothers and if so [[spoiler: did he have a HeelRealization about his murderous intentions that he ultimately chose to ignore?]]
11	** [[spoiler:Given that Stu kept Neil Prescott captive in his house for a long time without letting his parents find out, it can be presumed that [[ParentalNeglect his parents]] regularly spend weeks away leaving their teenage son all alone at home and during a time when ''a serial killer is known to be on the loose''. While this doesn’t justify Stu's actions, it does beg the question: if Stu's parents had been a bit more attentive, would they have noticed the [[PsychopathicManchild their child's behavioral problems]] and gotten him the help he desperately needed? If so would it have made a difference?]]
12	** When [[spoiler: Billy]] is about to [[spoiler: shoot Gale and Dewey]], he randomly cracks his neck before doing so. Was this added to make him that bit more intimidating ''or'' was it possibly [[CharacterTics a tic of his]] that he had kept hidden up until then? If so could it have implied that he had some sort of mental disorder like schizophrenia or maybe even Tourette's?
13	* CatharsisFactor: [[spoiler:Billy's death. Same with Stu's too.]]
14	* CommonKnowledge:
15	** There's a common misconception that Ghostface raped Maureen Prescott before killing her. While Maureen Prescott was abducted, tortured and ultimately murdered by [[spoiler:Billy and Stu]], at no point did they say anything about raping her. Maureen Prescott was abducted [[spoiler:after sleeping with Cotton Weary,]] which led the police to believe that [[spoiler:Weary raped and murdered her, when in reality he was innocent.]]
16	** Another common misconception is the fan theory that [[spoiler:Billy and Stu have different killing styles as Ghostface. This fan theory "analyzes" the body language of the killers, alleging that Stu holds the knife with two hands when attacking whereas Billy grips the same knife with one hand. As such, said theory speculates that Billy murdered Casey because the Ghostface in said scene held the knife with one hand when delivering the final blow.]][[note]]Strangely, the same fan theory also states that Stu killed Kenny even though the Ghostface in that scene held the knife with one hand, so this theory already contradicts itself at certain points.[[/note]] However, WordOfGod debunks this fan theory [[spoiler:as writer Creator/KevinWilliamson confirmed on [[https://archive.is/AG7BC Twitter]] that Stu was Casey's killer. Furthermore, Lee Waddell, the Ghostface stunt actor for the first two ''Scream'' movies, [[https://youtu.be/ord1sasl2hg?t=6198 verified]] that Billy and Stu don't have unique mannerisms under the costume as director Creator/WesCraven never gave him special instructions to act specifically like either character. As for Wes Craven himself, he too [[GodNeverSaidThat never stated that Billy and Stu have different killing styles]].]]
17	* CompleteMonster:
18	** [[spoiler:[[PsychopathicManchild Stuart "Stu" Macher]] is one of [[VillainousLegacy the original Ghostfaces]] with his partner [[EvenBadMenLoveTheirMamas William "Billy" Loomis]]. A [[AxCrazy horror-loving psychopath]] who leaped at the chance to become a real killer, Stu assisted Billy in abducting, torturing, and brutally murdering Maureen Prescott, [[FrameUp framing]] her lover Cotton Weary for the crime. A year on, Stu murders Casey Becker and her boyfriend Steve out of spite for Casey leaving him, leaving her corpse for her parents to find, and then gleefully participates in the Ghostface murder spree with Billy that even sees his own girlfriend Tatum killed. Stu plans to massacre most of the attendees of a party so he and Billy can murder [[Characters/ScreamSidneyPrescott Sidney Prescott]], frame her father for it, and pass themselves off as innocent victims free to continue planning their "sequel", with Stu more than happy to stab Billy for their plan, culminating in him attempting to throttle Sidney as he claims he "always had a thing" for her.]]
19	** In Kevin Williamson's [[https://imsdb.com/scripts/Scream.html original script]]: [[spoiler:[[MadArtist Stu Maker]] is a horror-loving fanatic who decides to become a real-life slasher villain with his partner Billy. Raping, torturing, and murdering Maureen Prescott with Billy and [[FrameUp framing]] an innocent man for it one year ago, Stu kicks off the Bayboro murders by heinously attacking his ex-girlfriend Casey with tormenting phone calls and [[ForcedToWatch forcing her to watch]] her new boyfriend Steve be disemboweled. Stu then gutted Casey herself and strung her body up for her parents to find. Working with Billy to rack up more bodies, ranging from their school principal, to Stu's own girlfriend Tatum and her brother [[Characters/ScreamDeweyRiley Dewey]], Stu relishes exposing the truth of the duo's crimes to Maureen's daughter, and reveals their intent to murder her and her father both so they can pin the mass murder on Sidney's dad. Stu then tries to murder [[Characters/ScreamGaleWeathers Gale]] and Sidney's LoveInterest Randy, a smile on his face the whole time.]]
20	* CrossesTheLineTwice: Hotheaded Principal Himbry [[spoiler:being gutted and hung from the goalpost on the football field]]? Not funny. Himbry's students [[spoiler:eagerly abandoning a WildTeenParty so they can see his body before the police take it down]]? BlackComedy galore.
21	* CryForTheDevil: It's a small comedic moment, but the way [[spoiler: Stu starts to cry when he imagines his parents' reaction to his killings]] is surprisingly rather pitiable. For a few seconds, [[spoiler: his despicably psychotic nature disappears and what we see is a terrified, horribly injured kid who realizes that his life is over.]]
22	* DracoInLeatherPants: [[spoiler:Though Billy Loomis is a sociopath and remorseless killer, he's still played by a young and attractive Creator/SkeetUlrich, which is enough to make some admirers swoon ''even when he's covered in'' (fake) ''blood'' and proclaim that they love "dangerous guys."]]
23	* EnsembleDarkhorse:
24	** Casey Becker, the blond girl murdered by Ghostface in the beginning of the film, is very popular thanks to Creator/DrewBarrymore's acting and because the scene itself is one of the [[SignatureScene most memorable]] ones from the films.
25	** Dewey proved to be one with test audiences, prompting Creator/WesCraven to [[spoiler:spare him in the final cut, rather than his planned death]].
26	** Randy as well for being the PluckyComicRelief and GenreSavvy MetaGuy.
27	** Stu is often considered one of the best [[spoiler: Ghostfaces]], mainly due to Creator/MatthewLillard's LargeHam performance and memorable lines.
28	** Tatum, for her actress, attractiveness, sense of style, friendship with Sidney, fight against Ghostface [[spoiler:and memorable death scene]].
29	* {{Fanon}}: A lot of fans theorize that Tatum has a sister who was absent from Woodsboro during the first movie. This is due to the twin beds in her bedroom and how [[spoiler:it would allow for a BackupTwin scenario after her death.]] It helps that Creator/RoseMcGowan is a supporter of the theory.
30	* FanonDiscontinuity: Fanfiction stories don't always acknowledge [[spoiler:Tatum's]] death.
31	* FirstInstallmentWins: Which of the films in the series featured Creator/DrewBarrymore's iconic death scene and Randy's slasher film rules (the most famous ones, anyway)?
32	* GenreTurningPoint: Horror movies beforehand were usually B-movies or went DirectToVideo - save for a handful of {{Cult Classic}}s. Slashers in particular were seen as the bottom of the barrel. Once Creator/DrewBarrymore attached herself to the project, numerous more popular actors were interested. With the film becoming a SleeperHit, horror became much more respectable and mainstream. ''Film/IKnowWhatYouDidLastSummer'' is living proof - it had been written before ''Scream'' and Kevin Williamson had trouble selling it. Once this film was picked up, it was immediately greenlit with names like Creator/SarahMichelleGellar and Creator/JenniferLoveHewitt attached.
33	* HarsherInHindsight:
34	** Two mentally ill teenagers with a fondness for movies go on a killing spree, which kills various students and one teacher, and plan to be immortalized as a result. You're either talking about [[spoiler:Billy Loomis and Stu Macher]], or the [[UsefulNotes/{{Columbine}} Columbine High School killers]] Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold. The third film was actually [[DistancedFromCurrentEvents rewritten in the wake of Columbine]], with a lot of the violence heavily edited down, and at least one scene alludes to the chilling effect that the massacre had on the horror genre at the time.
35	** [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scream_(franchise)#Controversies Then there's the multiple copycats inspired by the film.]]
36	** Creator/RoseMcGowan's character being the victim of sexually charged violence becomes this in late 2017 when she (along with numerous other actresses) revealed that she had been raped by Harvey Weinstein, who executive produced the movie. Tatum even makes a reference to ''Film/ISpitOnYourGrave'', an infamous RapeAndRevenge flick.
37	* SugarWiki/HeReallyCanAct: A retroactive example. Creator/JamieKennedy is a widely derided comedian nowadays, but his work as Randy is regarded as hilarious and genuinely likable.
38	* HesJustHiding: If a bullet wasn’t put in their head onscreen, you can bet that there is a sizable portion of the fan base that thinks they could be alive.
39	** With the release of the ''Film/Scream2022'' trailer, a lot of fans have embraced the original idea for ''Scream 3''[[note]]where Stu was masterminding a series of high school murders from prison[[/note]] and are claiming [[spoiler:Stu]] survived his death by electrocution and will be the hidden BigBad of the film. It helps that, unlike [[spoiler:Billy]] (who received a gunshot in the head), there's a slight chance [[spoiler:Stu's]] death might have been non-fatal, as well as him never officially being mentioned in later movies as deceased. [[spoiler:Traction for Stu to return got even stronger after the release of the movie, which referenced Stu and featured Creator/SkeetUlrich as Billy in a fairly prominent role as a posthumous hallucination. It helps that Matthew Lillard is an enthusiastic supporter of the theory.]]
40	** The creators of the fifth film even reference this theory within the film itself. Midway through the film, as Richie is watching a video about ''Stab 8'', a sharp-eyed viewer can also see a thumbnail recommendation for a video called [[spoiler:”Did the real-life Stu Macher survive?”]]
41	** The theory remains as popular as ever going into ''Film/ScreamVI'', though ultimately, [[spoiler:he doesn't return in that film either.]]
42	* HilariousInHindsight:
43	** [[spoiler: Billy Loomis]] states that the PowersThatBe never decided why Hannibal Lecter [[ImAHumanitarian likes to eat people]] as an example of how motives don't make things better. Cue ''Literature/HannibalRising'', which serves as Lecter's origin story, and was poorly received to the point of being a FranchiseKiller.
44	** Many related to [[spoiler:Creator/MatthewLillard]] playing one of the killers.
45	*** In this film, the actor plays a creep in a mask. Six years later, [[spoiler:he would play [[Film/ScoobyDoo Shaggy]], who spends all of his time running from creeps in masks]]. Even more amusingly, [[spoiler: Creator/CartoonNetwork once did a ''Scooby-Doo'' promo parodying ''Scream''. Guess whose role Shaggy has a turn at.]] It became even more hilarious when [[spoiler:Lillard eventually became the ''official voice actor'' for Shaggy after the retirement and later death of Creator/CaseyKasem.]]
46	*** The actor also played a killer's accomplice on ''Series/LawAndOrderSpecialVictimsUnit''. Although [[spoiler:he lived]] in the episode, [[spoiler:he unfortunately did not have parents to be mad at him]], but rather [[Series/TheCarolBurnettShow somebody]] [[WifeHusbandry far more disturbing...]]
47	*** In the first season of the show ''Series/TheBridgeUS'', the actor plays a character who is one of the targets of a SerialKiller.
48	*** In this film, [[spoiler:Lillard's character [[{{Frameup}} frames]] the victim's secret lover for murder after the police find the lover's DNA on the victim and the victim's blood on the lover's clothing]]. In ''Series/TwinPeaks'', [[spoiler:Lillard's character, who is also an innocent man, is accused of murdering his secret lover after the police find his DNA all over the crime scene]].
49	*** In ''[[Film/FiveNightsAtFreddys2023 Five Nights at Freddy's]]'', not only does [[spoiler: Lillard's character once again turn out to be the killer]], but there's even an ActorAllusion where [[spoiler: he wipes off his knife in the same manner.]]
50	** In the opening scene, Casey finds her boyfriend Steve tied up on her lawn, and the voice on the telephone says that in order to free him, [[Franchise/{{Saw}} she has to play a game with him.]] It ends with Steve getting GuttedLikeAFish due to Casey's failure to answer one of the caller's questions. The fourth film even referenced the ''Saw'' franchise.
51	** Both Creator/NeveCampbell and Creator/RoseMcGowan, who play best friends in this movie, have played witches before. Campbell had just done ''Film/TheCraft'' (also with Skeet Ulrich), and [=McGowan=] would later do ''Series/{{Charmed\|1998}}''. ''Charmed'' even used Love Spit Love's cover of "How Soon Is Now?" as its theme song. Even more hilarious with Creator/SarahMichelleGellar in the second film.
52	** Mixed with {{Defictionalization}}, Dewey says the reason the police aren't able to track down who bought the Ghostface costume is because it's "sold in every five-and-dime in the state." Today, Ghostface has become the best-selling Halloween costume of all time. Relatedly, the producers had a fantastic amount of trouble tracking down the copyright holders for the mask, and some scenes (most notably, the opening with Drew Barrymore and Principal Himbry's death) were filmed with a replacement based on the design but changed just enough to be legally distinct. Eventually, the were able to trace the mask's ownership to Fun World and obtain permission to use it in the film, mirroring the difficulties the police faced in trying trace the purchase of a generic Halloween costume.
53	** Going meta here, but producers were reluctant to cast Courteney Cox as Gale, feeling she was too nice to play such a bitchy character. This was before Monica on ''{{Series/Friends}}'' underwent severe {{Flanderization}} to become far nastier and shriller, as well as her bitchy turns on ''{{Series/Scrubs}}'', ''Dirt'', and ''Series/CougarTown''.
54	** [[spoiler: Tatum's death]] becomes funny when you learn that during filming, [[spoiler: Creator/RoseMcGowan]] really could fit through the cat flap, and her shirt had to be stapled to it so she wouldn't fall out.
55	** Twenty years later, Skeet Ulrich stars in ''Series/{{Riverdale}}'', the second season of which has the small town terrorized by a masked SerialKiller. Plus, in both ''Scream'' and ''Riverdale'' [[spoiler: there's actually ''two'' of them]].
56	** Early on, Stu dismisses the idea of the killer being a girl. [[spoiler:With the exception of ''Film/Scream3'', every film that followed in the series would have one female killer as part of the Ghostface team, as would [[Series/ScreamTheTVSeries the TV series]] and its reboot ''[[Series/ScreamResurrection Resurrection]]''.]] For bonus points, [[spoiler:the female killers in the second and fifth movies are the ones who kill Randy and Dewey, respectively, succeeding where Billy and Stu failed]].
57	** Throughout the film, many characters wrongly suspect that [[spoiler:Randy]] is actually Ghostface. [[spoiler: In the fourth film, the Randy {{Expy}} is revealed to be the new Ghostface's accomplice. In the fifth movie, the killers are a pair of LoonyFans complaining about the SerialEscalation of the InUniverse ''Stab'' franchise.]]
58	--->'''Billy:''' Maybe your movie-freak mind lost its reality button.
59	** Sidney's knock against the idea of Creator/ToriSpelling playing her in the inevitable RippedFromTheHeadlines movie about the murders became the subject of a BrickJoke in the second film, where Spelling did indeed play Sidney in ''Stab''. She would also star in ''Film/ScaryMovie 2'', the sequel to a parody of ''Scream'', though the second film was more of a parody of supernatural horror.
60	*** Not only that, but Tori Spelling had portrayed a character named Stacy Lockwood, who ended up being stabbed to death, in the 1994 Lifetime movie Film/AFriendToDieFor which was based on the real life Murder of Kirsten Costas, and Stacy Lockwood was based on Kirsten.
61	** The same scene has Sidney saying that her preferred choice to play her would be Creator/MegRyan. [[Film/Scream2022 Come 2022]], Meg Ryan's son Creator/JackQuaid would star in a ''Scream'' film [[spoiler:as the killer]].
62	** Randy mentions to Sidney that Creator/JamieLeeCurtis was nominated for a MediaNotes/SaturnAward for ''Film/TerrorTrain''. Sidney's actress Neve Campbell would ''win'' a Saturn Award for ''Scream'' in 1997.
63	** [[spoiler:Stu's]] line, "I always had a thing for ya, Sid!" and Sidney's retort, "In your dreams", both become pretty ironic when you learn that after this movie, [[spoiler:Matthew Lillard]] and Neve Campbell dated for a while. Even funnier is that [[spoiler:Lillard]] improvised that line.
64	** Tatum tells Sidney when they are out shopping for the party that night that they “have a long night ahead”. The night of the third act famously took ''twenty-one days'' to film, with many of the cast and crew later wearing T-shirts saying “I SURVIVED SCENE 118”. It has been jokingly dubbed “the longest night in horror history”.
65	** Billy compares Sidney's angst over her dead mother to Creator/JodieFoster in ''Film/TheSilenceOfTheLambs'', who kept having visions of her dead father. [[spoiler:Come ''Film/Scream2022'' and Billy's illegitimate daughter is the one having visions of ''him''.]]
66	* HoYay: [[spoiler:Billy and Stu.]] "Give it to me, babe! Get it up!" Also noted by Sidney ("Pansy-assed momma's boy!"), and Randy, who calls [[spoiler:Billy]] "homo-repressed" in the sequel. The writers of ''Film/ScaryMovie'' noticed as well and explicitly made their counterparts in that film a gay couple. Adding onto this, Kevin Williamson (who is himself openly gay) based them on [[https://pridesource.com/article/billyandstu/ the real-life murderers Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb,]] who actually were in a relationship.
67	* HypeBacklash: A lot of horror fans, especially those from TheEighties ([[http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/escape-to-the-movies/3054-Scre4m such as]] Creator/BobChipman), see this film as having [[GenreKiller killed the horror genre]], feeling that it made it impossible to take seriously anymore while causing studios to cram their horror films with {{postmodern\|ism}} humor and target them increasingly at teenagers. Even some who think that it's a great movie on its own merits, such as [[https://bloody-disgusting.com/editorials/3609198/scream-defined-decade-changed-horror-ways-good-bad-love-90s-horror/ Drew Dietsch]] at ''Bloody-Disgusting'', have argued that its status as the defining horror film of TheNineties cast a negative shadow over the decade's horror films as a whole, between its strong parody elements and its imitators. Others, however, believe that it saved the genre from [[PopularityPolynomial the burnout]] that it experienced in the early '90s, creating a new generation of horror fans while causing many people who had been dismissive towards the slasher genre before to give it another look.
68	* ImprovedSecondAttempt: ''Film/WesCravensNewNightmare'' was director Craven's first foray into meta horror, but it wasn't as resonant with audiences, though the film itself is well-received and a good movie. Craven himself attributed it to ''Scream'''s focus on more commonly relatable horror fans instead of production and crew members, while others like ''WebVideo/DeadMeat'' postulate it's because ''Scream'' took itself less seriously than ''New Nightmare''.
69	* ItWasHisSled:
70	** Casey's death at the time was an enormous shock to audiences because Drew Barrymore was advertised as one of the leading cast members of the film. It's widely known among the horror community today that she was one of the first victims of Ghostface.
71	** At the time, it was surprising and subversive to have there be two killers instead of one, but even viewers unfamiliar with the film are aware of the twist. ''Who'' the two killers are may come as a surprise, however.
72	* LoveToHate:
73	** Gale Weathers is so wonderfully bitchy and gets all the best lines. The fact that she has several [[{{Tsundere}} softer moments]] helps too.
74	** [[spoiler:Stu]]'s TheDragon, but is nonetheless LaughablyEvil with his LargeHam PluckyComicRelief schtick even after TheReveal.
75	* {{Moe}}:
76	** Tatum's witty nature, protectiveness of Sidney, fashion style, and the cuddly accessories in her room make her immensely endearing.
77	** Casey's sweet-looking appearance, NiceGirl dialogue and TraumaCongaLine make her feel quite huggable.
78	** CluelessDeputy Dewey, due to his flirtation with Gale and DudeWheresMyRespect interactions with his sister.
79	** Randy, due to being an enthusiastic MetaGuy, but also showing more sadness about the actual murders than most of his classmates.
80	* MoralEventHorizon: [[spoiler:Billy and Stu both crossed it before the events of the film when they murdered Maureen together and pinned it on Cotton Weary. Had things gone differently, an innocent man would've been executed for their crime.]]
81	* {{Narm}}: The tension during [[spoiler:Tatum's]] death scene is undercut somewhat by her distractingly erect nipples (as the garage was notoriously cold during filming the scene). This has been theorized as a reference to ''Film/FridayThe13th1980'' - where Marcie Cunningham wore a similar outfit just as she was killed.
82	* NarmCharm: The now-iconic opening scene is a masterclass in escalating tension, but it also contains an extremely misplaced ScareChord, louder than all the ones preceding it, which for some reason comes not after Ghostface threatens to "gut [Casey] like a fish", but after he menacingly calls her "blondie".[[note]]One way to interpret this is that it was intended to confirm that the killer was indeed watching her and knows who she is; it's one thing to say he's looking at her, but casually dropping a physical detail lets Casey know he's definitely outside.[[/note]]
83	* OnceOriginalNowCommon:
84	** ''Scream'' was one of the first mainstream movies to act as a GenreDeconstruction. It satirized the cliched nature of the slasher genre and the GenreSavvy characters were new and innovative at the time. Any horror films made afterwards have thrown some LampshadeHanging or other forms of postmodernism in there. After a decade of slasher films with GenreSavvy characters, ''Scream'' doesn't seem quite as fresh anymore.
85	** As noted by Creator/RogerEbert, ''Scream'' was one of the first films where the characters weren't just GenreSavvy, but savvy via actual existing movies, actors and the tropes they built rather than generalizations.
86	--->'''Ebert''': Wes Craven's 'Scream' violates one of the oldest rules in movie history: It's about characters who go to the movies. They've even heard of movie stars. They refer by name to Tom Cruise, Richard Gere, Jamie Lee Curtis. They analyze motivations (“Did Norman Bates have a motive? Did Hannibal Lecter have a reason for wanting to eat people?”). True, they went to the movies in ''Film/TheLastPictureShow'' and the heroes of ''Film/{{Clerks}}'' worked in a video store. Even ''Film/BonnieAndClyde'' went to the movies. But those movies were about the ''act'' of going to the movies. 'Scream' is about ''knowledge'' of the movies.
87	** The opening scene was shocking and up there with Creator/JanetLeigh's infamous death in ''Film/{{Psycho}}''. Creator/DrewBarrymore was a recognizable star and most viewers expected that she would be the main character. It was shocking that she'd be killed off in the first ten minutes. It's now become a staple of the franchise to have a DeadStarWalking in the opening, making the original lose a lot of its shock factor.
88	** To a lesser extent, the mask of the killer. The design predates the movie, and back in the day, it was a common generic Halloween mask, of the sort that you might pick up from a Halloween store, adding to the idea that the killer was just a regular guy imitating slasher villains. Obviously, since then, everyone just thinks of it as the ''Scream'' mask.
89	** Before ''Scream'', nearly every horror movie tried to hook their premise on a recognizable supernatural figure, trying to find the next Jason or Freddy, leading to characters like Chucky, Candyman, and the Leprechaun. ''Scream'' broke a mold by making the characters kids in a costume, and successive killers equally just normal people donning the mask and AbsurdlySharpBlade. In time, this has turned Ghostface into a rarity where it's an iconic ''costume'' rather than an iconic ''killer'', but several films in its wake have since pulled from its "person in a mask" premise.
90	* OneSceneWonder:
91	** Creator/DrewBarrymore only gets thirteen minutes of [[{{Pun}} scream time]], but it's easily the most famous scene in the first movie and provided a CareerResurrection after her long battle with alcoholism.
92	** Creator/HenryWinkler has a brief but wonderful performance in an uncredited role as the principal.
93	** The unnamed girl in the bathroom stall who's quick to incredulously put down her friend's bizarre story about Sidney being the killer.
94	* PanderingToTheFanbase: At first, Wes Craven rejected offers to direct ''Scream'' because he was tired of directing violent HorrorFilms. Eventually, he decided to direct the film after some fans told Craven that he was getting soft.
95	* PortmanteauCoupleName: This film's fandom has a lot of this. There's "Stuilly" for [[HoYay Stu/Billy]], "Sidly" for [[AllGirlsWantBadBoys Sidney/Billy]], and "Gewey" for [[RelationshipRevolvingDoor Gale/Dewey]], which are the most popular ones overall.
96	* SignatureScene:
97	** Casey's death, in which name actress Drew Barrymore is shockingly killed off just as she thinks she's made it to safety. Any parodies or references to the film will inevitably be based on this scene alone. Barrymore had been listed as one of the leading actresses, which led to many believing that Casey would be the film’s FinalGirl. Needless to say, her DecoyProtagonist role in the movie was a major shock.
98	** [[spoiler:Tatum's death]], in which she attempts to crawl through a pet flap in the garage door. The second most famous segment from the original film, this scene became iconic through Ghostface’s creative method of murder.
99	** Randy listing the rules necessary for slasher movies. Famous for it being the peak of the film’s GenreSavvy tone, this scene is commonly thought of when discussing Randy, the movie, or common horror movie tropes in general.
100	* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter: [[spoiler:Tatum for some. While she has a decent number of scenes and her death scene is a well-liked and memorable one, some fans feel that the character deserved to make it to the climax or even the sequels, and Tatum's survival could have been used to subvert the common horror movie trope of the protagonist's best friend being a SacrificialLion. However, others are fine with said death as no other important characters die with the exception of the two Ghostfaces, so killing off Tatum was necessary to raise the stakes.]]
101	* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot: By not including Dewey's reaction to [[spoiler:Tatum]] dying. This makes a little more sense if you know that [[spoiler: Dewey was in limbo to possibly die as well]], making filming a reaction difficult. Still, he [[AngstWhatAngst barely seems affected in the subsequent films.]]
102	* ToughActToFollow: Much like ''{{WesternAnimation/Up}}'', while the movie is considered a masterpiece, the opening is considered so exemplary that the rest of the movie doesn't reach that same peak despite its best efforts.
103	* TheUntwist: [[spoiler:Billy is the main suspect, acts obviously deranged, and has lots of evidence stacked against him, leading you to believe he's just a RedHerring]]. Even if you're able to figure out he's Ghostface, the true twist is that [[spoiler:there are ''two'' Ghostfaces]].
104	* UnintentionalPeriodPiece: Billy owning a cellphone is used as incriminating evidence against him by Sid and the police since the killer obviously had one to make those pre-killing calls. Nowadays, this would be nothing short of unreasonable to conclude since the vast majority of people own personal phones. In the mid-90's, they were indeed growing popular (something pointed out by Billy even), but definitely not as accessible as they would get until the tail-end of the century.
105	* TheWoobie:
106	** Casey is tortured over and over in the first ten minutes - having to watch her boyfriend die, have her home invaded and run for her life. She also dies just as she [[HopeSpot thinks she's made it to safety]].
107	** Casey's poor mother, she just wanted Casey to be okay... She wasn't.
108	** Sidney lost her mother one year ago, and has to face the facts that said mother [[BrokenPedestal wasn't the saint she thought she was]].
109	** Cotton Weary counts as well, being [[MiscarriageOfJustice sent to jail for a murder he didn't commit]]. As if this wasn't cruel enough, [[spoiler:[[{{Film/Scream3}} he's only out a few years before getting murdered.]]]]

Context YMMV / Scream1996