Scream (1996)

Scream — Why This One Still Cuts Deep

Wes Craven didn’t just bring the slasher back—he sharpened it.

Scream landed on December 20, 1996 from Dimension Films with a modest $14M budget and went on to slash its way to $173,046,663 worldwide. Critics mostly loved the trick it pulled: Kevin Williamson’s script toyed with horror tropes while Craven kept the blade honest. Roger Ebert called it “clever and funny, while also being scary.”

Not everyone liked the self-awareness or gore, but the consensus declared the genre officially undead. It’s sitting at 66 on Metacritic, plus it nabbed Best Movie (MTV Movie Awards, 1997) and Best Horror Film (Saturn Awards).

Tagline: Someone Is Playing A Deadly Game, Someone Who Has Seen Way Too Many Scary Movies.

What It’s About

A year after her mother’s murder, Sidney Prescott starts getting calls. Wrong number? Not quite. The voice is playful, then predatory—obsessed with movie trivia and blood. A killer in a white scream-mask and a black robe turns the quiet streets of Woodsboro into a guessing game with a body count. Favorite icebreaker: “What’s your favorite scary movie?”

Memory Lane: Coby Hit Play

High school. Friday night. Popcorn on the stove and the TV’s blue glow. That first watch blew me away—funny, vicious, and weirdly cozy. It felt new and classic at the same time. I’ve been chasing that feeling ever since—same way Signs scratched the itch years later. Scream wasn’t just a movie; it felt like an event.

Behind the Scenes & Production Notes

• The spark: Kevin Williamson wrote the script after seeing a report on the Gainesville Ripper and realizing how terrifying it would be if a killer started calling people who loved scary movies.

• Bidding war: Multiple studios fought for it before Dimension Films won with a $400K deal.

• Craven’s comeback: Wes initially passed twice until Drew Barrymore signed on and a fan told him he’d “gone soft.”

• Barrymore’s switch: She chose to play Casey Becker instead of Sidney, figuring killing off a big star in the opening scene would shock audiences—and she was right.

• The mask: Found by producer Marianne Maddalena on a location scout, it was a $3 novelty mask made by Fun World in 1991. Craven insisted on using it, and it became one of the most recognizable icons in horror history.

• Scene 118: The entire party finale was filmed across 21 straight nights—cast shirts later read “I survived Scene 118.”

• Blood budget: Around 50 gallons of corn-syrup gore used.

• MPAA drama: Craven fought to keep the film rated R after multiple NC-17 threats. He trimmed frames but secretly snuck some gore back in.

• The voice: Roger L. Jackson, the real Ghostface, stayed hidden from the cast and delivered live phone calls on set for genuine reactions.

• Improvised lines: Jackson ad-libbed much of his banter; Matthew Lillard freestyled classics like “My mom and dad are gonna be so mad at me!”

• Wes’s cameo: The janitor in the Freddy Krueger sweater at Woodsboro High—Craven’s wink to his own Nightmare on Elm Street.

• Title swap: It was called Scary Movie during filming until Harvey Weinstein heard the Michael Jackson song “Scream” and changed it. The parody franchise later stole the original name.

  
  

Favorite Picks

For me, it’s all about atmosphere—that mix of 90s small-town nostalgia and raw tension. The Red Right Hand montages, the blue-tinted nights, the creeping paranoia—pure cinematic comfort food.

Favorite Characters: Stu and Dewey. Matthew Lillard’s wild energy sells every line, and David Arquette’s lovable awkwardness gives the movie its heart.

Top 5 List: Movies Where the Rules Matter

Our countdown this episode covers the films that live and die by their own playbooks—those with survival codes, sacred laws, or cinematic commandments. From horror to sci-fi to comedy, the best ones remind us that rules exist for a reason… especially when breaking them gets you killed.

VHS Conspiracy Hotline ☎️ — “Stu Lives”

The most enduring Scream theory: Stu Macher never actually died. Sure, Sidney dropped a TV on his head—but horror history teaches us, no body, no death. Early drafts of Scream 3 reportedly had Stu orchestrating new murders from prison before that storyline was cut after Columbine. Matthew Lillard has teased fans for years, and now, nearly 30 years later, he’s officially returning for Scream 7—directed by Kevin Williamson himself. Whether it’s retcon or revenge, the “Stu Lives” believers just got the ultimate “told-you-so.”

Late Fee Rating

$77 / 77 – Top-Tier Rental. Still fresh, still fun, and still one of the smartest horror films ever made. Craven and Williamson didn’t just parody the genre—they resurrected it.

Movie Memorabilia Inferno: Cam surprises Coby with a vintage gift straight out of Woodsboro. Blood-stained authenticity sold separately.

And that’s another overdue rental. Thanks for listening to Raised by VHS.