Wes Craven’s Scream franchise helped to elevate the horror genre from the depths of forgetfulness. What may be even more astonishing is the fact that he leaned on the very sub-genre – the slasher sub – that had all but murdered interest in horror thanks to astounding over-saturation and a general dearth in creativity to make it happen. Scream was undeniably a slasher picture, but it was unlike anything we’d ever seen.
Kevin Williamson, who penned the tale, brought a very self-aware, often self-effacing style to his screenplay that struck a chord with viewers. He also knew exactly how to appeal to the younger market. I can say that from experience – in 1996 I was 16 years old, and every kid in Scream looked like every other lemming at my high school. Every kid in Scream acted like a kid in my high school. This was a quality that wasn’t lost on the youth of America. We saw that realism, and we dove in, only to discover a brilliant script to support the accuracy exhibited by the characters.
That’s a special film. That’s a very special film, and it never would have been what it was had any man not named Wes Craven tackled the project. Craven knew how to pull viewers in and keep them there. He knew how to pull an insane amount of tension from one single scene. He knew what it required behind the camera to create terror in front of it. And he knew damn well how to kill off naïve youngsters.
There were too many murders in the Scream series to count, and we’re all very respectful of that. But these nine death scenes specifically stand out among the pack. Each for different reasons, but each extremely impacting thanks to a man who truly mastered his craft: the late, great Wes Craven.
Drew Barrymore Gutted (Scream 1): Back in 1996, when we first made our way to theaters to scope out Wes Craven’s new slasher, Scream, we all had it in our minds that Drew Barrymore, whose Hollywood stock was beginning to shoot through the roof, would portray the picture’s lovable survival girl. It seemed an absolute no-brainer. Sure, we knew Neve Campbell had been cast, but her star didn’t seem to shine nearly as bright as Drew’s. Then the movie started and we got the shock of the decade. Drew Barrymore’s character, Casey, was dead inside of 15 minutes. Not only that, she met a very, very grisly demise. She was stabbed, hung from a tree, and disemboweled; and it looked horrific. It’s a damn bloody death scene and one of the very finest of the entire franchise, no two ways about it.
Tatum’s Failed Garage Escape (Scream 1): Tatum, played by then relatively unknown Rose McGowan, was a damn compelling character. She was smart and sassy – sharp-tongued but very lovable. She was cute, she was loyal to her BFF Sidney, and make no mistake… she was tough as nails. She had the makings of a survivor written all over her. But it was not to be. Instead of living to see the final credits, Tatum got herself crushed in a doggy door in the garage door in what turned out to be a cast and fan favorite death scene. The unrated footage is a little bit more gruesome than that displayed in the theatrical cut, but it was a damn unforgiving exit all the same. The lone saving grace for fans? That cold weather did wonders for Tatum’s puppies!
A Bloodbath for the Ages (Scream 1): Scream was such a graphic film that we all knew the final reel would be drenched in copious amounts of plasma. The majority of the sticky stuff is spilled when killers Billy and Stu go about stabbing the living shit out of each other… you know, to make it look like they were actually victims when the police inevitably showed up to find everyone but the two evil masterminds without a pulse. That backfired of course, and all the excess blood loss certainly played a big part in that. How the hell can you think or physically respond well to a chaotic sequence of events when you’ve lost a gallon or so of blood? An amazing finale that still makes the stomach turn a bit.
Randy’s Premature Death (Scream 2): Randy’s death in Scream 2 wasn’t overtly horrific or even all too graphic. Hell, half of it takes place off screen – or rather, hidden by the exterior of a van. That said, it wasn’t the sheer animalistic nature of the murder that resonated with fans; it was the fact that the most relatable character in the entire franchise was offed so suddenly. There’s a bit of Randy in every one of us who adore horror, and seeing him go so early in the series really, really hurt the heart!
Phil and the Un-Glory Hole (Scream 2): Scream taught us a few things right out of the gate, and one of those things was that an A-lister or two would appear in the opening frames of the flicks, only to be dispatched moments later. In Scream 2 it just so happened to be Jada Pinkett Smith and Omar Epps. While Smith’s character, Maureen, dies in noteworthy fashion due to the extremely over-the-top drama of it all, Epps’ character, Phil, really gets it good. He’s in the bathroom. He’s hearing strange noises. So he does what any intelligent gent would: He sticks his ear to the urinal wall and listens in to the stirring in the stall next to him. And that’s when he gets a nice long, pointy (yeah, this is all intentional)… knife, right to the dome. It’s a creative little kill and a strong way to get the picture moving forward.
Cop’s Facial Impalement (Scream 2): In all honesty, it’s difficult remembering who this character even was. Having just revisited the film yesterday, I still don’t know his name. He’s just a good guy who ends up on the wrong side of business with Ghostface. That side is actually a car hood. The man takes a brief ride before moments later having his noggin impaled by some rebar. This is – interestingly enough – an underrated franchise kill (probably because it was a bit player who came to an end so quickly). But it should probably garner a whole hell of a lot more love, as it’s far more graphic and creative than most of Ghostface’s murders. In fact, this may be the most gruesome slaying in the entire franchise.
Cotton Takes it in the Face (Scream 3): By the time Scream 3 came around, it was time to see a longtime player done away with. That longtime player was none other than Cotton Weary, who’d finally begun to win fans over (let’s be real and admit that he had next to no presence in the first film and was a bit annoying for the bulk of the second) by helping dispatch the bad guys in Scream 2. Cotton shows some resilience in his final moments, but ultimately, nothing could save the man from a knife to the face. Rest in peace, Cotton; we honestly did miss you in Scream 4.
The Unicorn, Perkins (Scream 4): Although Randy never mentioned it in the original Scream, I think we’d all likely agree that it’s against the rules to make a joke of “playing dead” in a horror movie. You do something like that and you’re just begging for the Gods of Gore to rain hellish punishment upon you. Deputy Perkins pulled a fast one on the gullible Deputy Hoss, and it managed to get them both killed. While Hoss earned himself a knife in the back, a standard job for Ghostface, Perkins went out in much more memorable fashion: Ghostface’s blade embedded deep in his forehead. One of the coolest kills of the franchise? You bet your ass!
Jill Gets Cleared (Scream 4): Outside of Scream 3, which was a mistake – as a whole, one of the other major misfires in the franchise came in the closing minutes of Scream 4. After we learn that Jill (played by an annoyingly wooden Emma Roberts) is one of the key killers donning the Ghostface attire, we see her get a very, very proper sendoff: Sidney slams a pair of defibrillators against the woman’s skull, essentially melting that pea brain of hers. That was the absolute perfect way to get rid of Jill. It was explosive, shocking, and atypical of every kill we’d seen in the franchise; and it was damn memorable. But then… the brat somehow gets back up and we’re left to settle for a gunshot exit from the series. Why? Why, why, why?! The electrical charge was awfully fitting – no bullets or blades necessary!