Every horror movie referenced in ‘Scream’
“There are certain rules someone must abide by to survive a scary movie,” explains Randy, the horror-loving friend of Sidney Prescott in Wes Craven’s iconic 1996 movie Scream. The video store clerk is always on hand to provide the characters with extensive film trivia, dishing out advice that reflects the movie’s meta nature.
Craven’s film came at a time when horror movies were in need of a resurgence. The previous decade was full of fun, scary flicks, many of which cashed in on the success of John Carpenter’s 1978 slasher Halloween. However, by the 1990s, many horror tropes were becoming stale and overused, and sequels, reboots and remakes were becoming increasingly common.
Thus, Craven decided to make Scream, a self-aware comedy-slasher that simultaneously poked fun and celebrated (often clichéd) horror tropes. The movie is loaded with references to other horror movies, whether through direct quotes or more subtle allusions. In essence, Scream is a scary movie about scary movies, with the characters following the rules laid out in other horrors to survive their own nightmare. Randy provides us with everything we need to know about horror rules and regulations, and a viewing of Halloween becomes central to the climatic final act of Craven’s film.
Let’s start with every Halloween reference, perhaps one of the biggest inspirations that shaped Scream. Carpenter’s classic slasher was a turning point for the genre. Although slashers like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Black Christmas came first, Halloween was a massive success that terrified audiences due to the fact it takes place in a supposedly safe suburban home. Carpenter’s film suggests that anyone completely innocent could become a victim, and in Scream, countless characters die just because of their unfortunate proximity to Ghostface.
In Scream, Casey’s father instructs his wife to “Call the McKenzies”, just as Jamie Lee Curtis’ Laurie Strode asks the children she is babysitting to go to “the McKenzies”. Additionally, Ghostface asks Casey who the killer from Halloween is while tormenting her on the phone, Randy discusses Curtis’ horror career, Sidney hides in the closet before attacking Ghostface à la Laurie and Myers, and Billy Loomis’ name is a nod to the movie’s Dr. Loomis (which in turn is a Psycho reference).
Speaking of Pyscho, Billy directly quotes the movie by saying, “We all go a little mad sometimes”. When explaining his motives to Sidney, he also adds, “Now Sid, don’t you blame the movies. Movies don’t create psychos. Movies make psychos more creative,” suggesting that Billy has a strong knowledge of horror movies. Thus, it is unsurprising that he references other movies throughout, such as The Exorcist (Linda Blair also makes a cameo as a reporter), The Silence of the Lambs and Carrie.
Elsewhere, Randy’s horror-loving sensibilities provide us with many more cinematic references, such as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Prom Night. When it comes to the VHS tapes he brings to the party, titles include The Evil Dead, Hellraiser and The Fog. Tatum also drops a few horror lines before she meets her untimely garage-door fate, such as “I spit on your garage” in reference to I Spit on Your Grave.
It is also worth mentioning how many references Craven makes to his own film, A Nightmare on Elm Street. Not only does Tatum wear a jersey similar to Glen’s in the original movie, but Craven also appears as a janitor, wearing the same outfit as Freddy Kreuger. When Ghostface harasses Casey on the phone, he gives his verdict on Craven’s hit film, saying, “I liked that movie. It was scary,” to which his victim replies, “The first one was, but the rest sucked.”
Discover every horror movie referenced in Scream below.
Every horror movie referenced in Scream:
- Halloween (John Carpenter, 1978)
- The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (Tobe Hooper, 1974)
- Friday the 13th (Sean S. Cunningham, 1980)
- I Spit on Your Grave (Meir Zarchi, 1978)
- Prom Night (Paul Lynch, 1980)
- Candyman (Bernard Rose, 1992)
- The Howling (Joe Dante, 1981)
- Hellraiser (Clive Barker, 1987)
- The Evil Dead (Sam Raimi, 1981)
- The Fog (John Carpenter, 1980)
- Terror Train (Roger Spottiswoode, 1980)
- The Exorcist (William Friedkin, 1973)
- Psycho (Alfred Hitchcock, 1960)
- A Nightmare on Elm Street (Wes Craven, 1984)
- The Silence of the Lambs (Jonathan Demme, 1991)
- Frankenstein (Carl Laemmle, 1931)
- Suspiria (Dario Argento, 1977)
- Deep Red (Dario Argento, 1975)
- The Bad Seed (Mervyn LeRoy, 1956)
- The Town That Dreaded Sundown (Charles B. Pierce, 1976)
- Children of the Corn II: The Final Sacrifice (David Price, 1992)
