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Things You Might Not Know About: Scream

This is a new column we’re introducing to LonelyReviewer that will take a look at a variety and perhaps introduce you to some trivia each movie; our first entry is for Wes Craven’s 1996 teen slasher , “Scream. “
 

Scream” is particularly iconic because it revitalized the slasher genre, bringing it to a whole new generation, not to mention inspiring a plethora of similar films. Written by an aspiring screenwriter, Kevin Williamson (who went on to write/create “Dawson’s Creek,” and much, much more), the film went on to gross over $170M and spawned 3 sequels.

Here are a few things you might not know about “Scream:”

  • scream2Originally titled “Scary Movie,” Kevin Williamson wrote the film over 3 days, inspired by the killings of the Gainesville Ripper. Williamson secluded himself in Palm Springs and wrote the full script from his 18 paged treatment, as well as outlines for the film’s two sequels. Williamson has said he was motivated by his desire to write a movie born out of his childhood love of horror, and drew from films like “Halloween,” “Friday the 13th,” and “Prom Night.
  • drew barrymore scream1At the time, it was rare for horror films like “Scream” to feature well-known performers. Drew Barrymore had heard about the project, and was interested in being a part of it; the producers were quick to cast such a popular actress in the role of the main character, Sydney. However, scheduling conflicts arose, and Barrymore took a smaller role. Her involvement brought the interest of many other actors, arquette-cox-screamincluding Courtney Cox. Known for her role on “Friends,” and  Cox was interested in playing a “bitchy” role, the opposite of her role on TV.
  • Scream-Skeet-Ulrich-Jaime-Kennedy-Matthew-LillardOther actors that were approached and/or auditioned for roles in the film include: Reese Witherspoon, Brooke Shields, Janeane Garafalo, Melinda Clark, and Rebecca Gayheart (who later appeared in “Scream 2”).
  • Scream maskThe now iconic “Ghostface” mask that the killer wears was discovered while location scouting, in a house previously used in the film “Shadow of a Doubt.” The rights to the mask itself were owned by Fun World, a costume company. Craven showed the mask to Dimension, the studio, who commissioned the effects company KNB Effects to design their own to avoid having to license the mask. After many different tries, Craven still prefered the original Fun World design, and convinced the studio to license the design.
  • sidney-prescott-scream-1996-_132779-fli_1366465078KNB Effects used 50 gallons of fake blood during the production of “Scream.” The knives used had collapsable blades. Warning that the next fun fact is a bit of a spoiler: in the final fight/death scene, an umbrella is used to stab the killer – the actor was wearing a protective vest underneath his wardrobe; however, the second thrust missed, and the pain you see on the actor’s face is genuine as the umbrella impacted a wound from a previous operation.

So there you have it, 5 fun bits of trivia about the film “Scream”. Feel free to add more facts in the comments below, and if there’s another film you’d like to see covered, feel free to let us know!

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