1996: Scream

0:01 These are the movies of nineteen ninety six. What's up, everybody. I'm Jeff Johnson from a Film By podcast and I'm hoping you're down for this dope series. We've broken down the fresh films of nineteen eighty six. We examined the gritty cinemascape of nineteen seventy six. Now it's time to check out the Hella good flicks of nineteen ninety six. Due to provisions made in his contract that he appear in all a film by limited series, David Burns is with me today. Hello, Hey, we're gonna argue. We're gonna discuss what is arguably the most important horror film of the nineties. Dave, is that there to say?

0:57 Yes, that'd be right, Yes, it is. It is. Well, we have a great one to discuss, So pull the jiffy pop off the stove and get ready. Yeah, you love this one. It's a scream Baby began with the scream over nine one one. In a town would by fear. Wow. You have to know theos to survive. Don't answer the phone, don't open the door, don't try to hide. Are you The. Question is where am I scream? The us for a Leer from West Crayton read it ar now playing at a theater near you.

1:39 Teenager Sidney Prescott, a high school student at Woodsboro High, lost her mother a year ago, and just when things can't get worse, she starts receiving frightening phone calls from a killer terrorizing her and her friends. The math killer likes playing games with deadly results. Sidney is in the fight for her life as she struggles to stay alive but also uncover just who it is that is trying to kill her. I want to talk about the opening segment of this film. You mean it is the best opening of a horror movie of all. Okay, I'm glad we agree because I have my notes here. It's a and I wrote, greatest thirteen minutes of a horror film opening ever. Yeah, again, without question, Jeff.

2:21 It blows my mind how just amazing this segment is. I mean, it's almost like a little mini movie within a movie. Yeah, damn is it good? I know, and you know, as many times if both of us have seen this film, Like when I watched this again this week to prep myself for this podcast, I was still on the edge of my seat, and I know what's going to happen. Let me take you back to the theater in nineteen eighty six. You know, it's like mid December. We're watching this and think about this all summer long. We are just the trailers are making us believe. Well, Drew Barrymore is the star of this movie, obviously, yep. And ten minutes in you're like, wait, what, Well, she's fine, she that was that was a stab on the shoulder. She's okay. And then two minutes later she's hanging from the swing sets with her guts spilling out of her and it's like jawl's hitting the floor of every movie theater.

3:19 Right, Yeah, absolutely, Yeah, I can't believe. I can't believe they pulled this off. I can't either, And it's yeah, I've non seen a horror film has equaled this opening. And I would like to say one day we could, but so far nope. No. Well, let's talk about openings. Scream opens in fourth place, fourth place, Dave. Now, you're not gonna believe the titles I'm gonna give you, but it opens behind one hundred and one Dalmatians, Jerry Maguire and Beavis and butt Head do America. Oh okay, there we go, what's going on in that weekend at the theater? And well, this was December too, is it not? It was December and a horror film in December? Come on, come on?

4:05 Well, yeah, taking a chance, You're taking a big chance. I get that. A week later, it drops to fifth place, and Variety is calling the film quote unquote dead on arrival. However, wrong, wrong, wrong, that's right. Audiences are giving this film strong word of mouth, and like a killer in a slasher film, it rises and moves up to third place, and it's third week, yep, and then it stays in the top ten for the next nine weeks, as it should have, as it should have. Yeah. It goes on to become the thirteenth highest grossing film of nineteen ninety six. It is the second Mirramax film to gross over one hundred million dollars after Pulp Fiction Did It and David's the highest grossing slasher of all time until twenty eighteen's Halloween Legacy sequel comes out.

4:57 Yep, yep. Yeah, And you know you want to talk about awards to know what's surprised? Screen wins Best Movie at the MTV Movie Awards. Of course, of course, right, Yes, let's talk a little bit about what's going on behind the scenes here, how this movie comes to be, how this movie came to. Be interesting story, is it not? I think so? So it's inspired. You know. You got Kevin Williamson, who is still a struggling screenwriter. He sees some news reports about a real life series of murders committed by someone called the Gainesville Ripper. Yep. He takes three days he writes a very slick screenplay, calling out all the popular cliches found in horror movies. He's listening to the film score for Halloween while he writes. Good choice, and he calls the project scary movie.

5:50 Glad he changed the name. Are you? I say you're among the you know you're among the I mean that that thought this was a not maybe not the best title for the film. I don't. I don't think so. And then the fact that, well with what comes with scream, I think that is a much better title. Jeff, I think they made the smart decision here. I think you're right, and I hate to call out this guy for doing something right, but I Harvey Weinstein decide, yeah, I know. But but in ninety six he decides this title needs to change because he's sending it out to directors and they're all passing on it because they assume it's a spoof film, right, And so he's scrambling and then this this Michael Jackson Janet Jackson duet comes out called cold Scream. Do you remember that song?

6:36 I do? He thinks it's a cool sounding title, and then he Weinstein's all over the project and says, this is the name of the movie. Now, keep in mind, they've got hats, t shirts, they've you know, they've got everything that says scary movie. And late in the game they change it to scream. It's like it's like a Revenge of the Jedi all over again, is it not? It is? It is? Yep. But one of the things that I found interesting, Jeff, you know about the I survived scene one eighteen? No what Okay, this is gonna be a good story, I guess. So, as you know, the end of this film at that the party at the house, which you know closes out the film, was like act forty. Yeah, but it's like the entire third act, it's like forty some minutes of this film.

7:26 Okay, that's forty forty three something like that. Yeah, it took them twenty one days to shoot just that scene because it was so massive, and you know just how long they sat on that one scene went on and on and on, and the cast and crew just got so exhausted and tired. But they knew they had to get it because the whole movie hinged on that scene. So apparently that scene became known as from all the cast and crew as I Survived, See One Team. Because it took so long to make it, that's what they called it, the longest night in horror history. I can't believe I've never heard that before. That's awesome. Yeah, but I mean, come on, okay, you and I have both been on film sets, yep, twenty one days to shoot what a third of the movie. That doesn't seem like it's out of it doesn't character really it doesn't.

8:19 But when you're sitting on one set practically for that many days, that's a lot. I mean, you're wearing the exact same clothing, You're in the exact same scene. Okay, I get that. That had to be tough. And man, hats off to whoever's uh doing the continuity on this film. Oh god, yeah, for. Sure, could you imagine trying to you know, like where all the blood is and wherevery you know, the bruises and the scrapes and everyone's no chance. Man, not at all. And one more tidbit though that I want to add to this. Yeah, that house they used. Do you know the history of that house? No, I mean, I'm assuming they'd built it. It's a set, is what I wouldn't. That's a real house. Now, some of the interiors and stuff that they probably had to do, some of the you know, inside of a studio, but the exterior of the house at times that they were using a genuine house. Apparently a husband and a wife died in that house. Oh they didn't. They couldn't sell the house or the family kept it, so they actually rendered it out to the studio to make this movie. I wonder that house even creepier.

9:27 That house is definitely creepier. You gotta wonder if that story is circulating on set, then oh, hey, you know, people died in this house. And because on this on a horror movie set, you know that we always get these great behind the scenes stories about you know, this film was cursed and here's why you got You gotta wonder what kind of stories were going on? Uh in this house is I wonder is the house still there? Then that? I don't know. Oh man, that'd be great to go check that house out. Yeah, it's a really cool look at house. Come on, it really is. I wouldn't love to own that house. I'll buy it, yeah, right, Dave. One thing I want to talk about is the film's soundtrack and score. So let's be honest. Pretty decent soundtrack with several standout tracks personally. Personally, I love the track Youth of America by Bird Brain.

10:19 I think there's a perfectly timed use of Alice Cooper schools out. Yeah, and and of course one of the most recognizable nineties songs. The second someone plays this song, you know you're in a nineties movie. I'm talking about Red Right Hand by Nick tabrethan Bad Seeds, Yep, it's anywhere. You can't go wrong with Don't Feel the Raaper either, man. You know what, that is a great remake. It is I'm not remembering who did the remake, but it is a good remake. And I kind of dig the fact that, you know, I mean, I don't think we're we're we're blowing anyone's minds by saying that there are little tributes in my just to Halloween sprinkled throughout this whole movie.

11:02 But again Halloween. You know, dol Phil the Reaper was used in Halloween. Yep, And now I'm thinking, yeah, they used in this too, so another another another not to Halloween. I think that's cool. And even even Marco Beltrami, who did the score for this film, this is his first feature film. He didn't do anything. He did like little things for like web episodes, TV series and stuff like that, he had not done anything like this. And apparently the one of the producers went on looking for hey, we need a composer, so many different and he put it on the internet and everyone was pointing to Marco Buttrami, and that's how he got this job on screen. And now he's done, like most of the screens now right, I think he's.

11:45 On most of them. He's done. He's went on to do several horror films now. Oh yeah, So and listen, you're the composer guy. I wanted to confirm this with you, and it sounds like what I'm what I'm going to ask you. It sounded it's clicking now based on what you just said, Apparently he doesn't even like horror films. No, and that's why you get this, uh, this this amazing score that he does, because it's unlike any other we've heard in a horror film. It's it's operatic at times, it's got some Western motifs. Yeah, that's exactly it. You hit the nail and head right there. He did not want a typical horror score in this movie, which is why he leaned on a Western approach. Apparently he was influenced by eno Mark Morris.

12:39 He was influenced by him, and that's why you get a little bit of that Western style throughout the film. I thought it was fantastic and very fitting. Well, it absolutely is. You know, this is one of those It's one of those scores from a horror film that you remember. Right, yes, yep. I mean if you you can name some of the some of the great you know, Friday thirteenth nightmround Alm Street. I'm going to immediately hear the theme in my mind, you know, Poltergeist. I hear, I can hear scream And it's interesting because he avoids the music cue for ghost Face. Did you pick up on that, like I did. And it's it's purpose It's purposely done because this is it's a slasher film, but it's also a mystere We're trying to figure out who is under the mask, and he doesn't want to give it, give give you any kind of hint when you back on the scream. I love that about it.

13:30 Oh yeah, absolutely. And you know, and I've talked about this quite a few times on podcasts and to you guys when we're not doing podcasts, but I love any time a composer can fit in a choir or a chorus, and you get hints of that in this movie, you know, when the camera slowly moving around, especially when we're on Sydney later on as things are happening, and you get that little choir going on within the score, which just adds so much more dramatic power to what's going on in her life at that very moment. Absolutely loved it. The Sydney's theme, if you want to call it, that is one of the best pieces of music in this film, and I love that that they've kind of kept that going throughout the entire franchise. Absolutely, yes, talk to me about nineties culture that you see in this film.

14:20 So I think with the film itself, Jeff, we know horror movies were struggling, right, especially the slasher subgenre of this was struggling mightily. When we got to the point of this film and the audience in the nineties had gotten smarter and somehow, some writer, some director. I'm looking at Wes Craven because you did this, but needed to step up to bring this to the culture of the nineties because that intelligence of horror films had to step up or it wasn't going to succeed. So what I feel like is that is exactly what Kevin Williamson did here. He had to bring some kind of new game to the theater that was horror that was going to capture a younger audience who did not technically grow up with what we grew up with, Jeff. From the seventies and the eighties. You still had that crowd because we are there, we are, but yet a younger crowd who were born in the eighties and were growing up in the nineties and you're getting all this new music, you're getting all of these new horror movies and you get but were not successful until this one came along. But what I also want to point out is do not forget a movie that came out in nineteen ninety four that I feel also influenced this movie, and that is Wes Craven's New Nightmare, because if you think about it, that was a meta horror film, just like The Scream is a meta slasher film. So I feel it has a heavy

15:51 influence on this movie. I think you're right. I'll tell you some other fun things when you watch this movie and you and things are that nineties culture imprinted on this film? Making Jiffy pop on the stove? Yeah? Yeah, you know? How about how about cellular telephones and cordless phones. Every house had a cordless phone and the cellular phone. And I'm saying cellular because in this film they're called cellular telephones. I love I love the moment when Billy is with the sheriff at the police station. He's like, what are you doing with a cellular telephone? Son? And he's like, everyone's got one nowadays. Share that was a brand, that was a brain, that was brand new technology.

16:33 It was yea, even even Jeff became a big thing this you know. Yeah, yeah caller I d yeah, yeah, everyone. Well, let's Let's be honest. Everyone wants Caller I D after this movie comes out. Absolutely, you'll pay you'll you'll gladly pay uh for Caller ID. Because nobody wants to pick up that phone here, Hello Sydney. Yeah, yeah, oh I'm you know, even even when he's starting out nice and chill, you know, yeah, oh hi, I must have dialed the wrong number, you know. He quickly turns from that to like, hang up on me. I've cut you like a fish. Whoa, whoa. We went to an real quick buddy, he does. I'll tell you what, Dave.

17:15 Let's let's take a quick break and when we get back, we got to talk about this cast. Welcome back. We are talking about Wes Craven's scream. Dave. Let's talk principal roles first. Well, I want to start off, obviously with the main one, and that's Nev Campbell, who plays Sidney Press Scott Jeff. You know, you want this young, innocent looking female, which is sometimes hard to capture, but when you go casting for somebody, that's exactly what they were looking for here in Stream, and I think they absolutely nailed it with her. Man. She came from what part was a party of five. She was, she was a she was a hit on a Fox with a party of five.

17:58 Yeah, yeah, that's it. That's where she got her start, right. Yeah, that's that's where she's getting her start. So yeah, uh, let's talk about you know, you said you got to get the right girl for this role. Let's talk about who wasn't right. So Reese Witherspoon is turned down because she looks too young. Kevin Williamson, I'm sure he's crushing on this lady, just like we were back in the day. But he wants Molly Ringwold to play Sidney Prescott, and Molly says, look, I'm a little too old. I'm twenty seven years old. I can't play a high school student. And ultimately it comes down I think she could. She could have pulled it. She could have. Absolutely, Yeah, Ultimately it comes down to nev Campbell, Alicia Witt and Brittany Murphy was never the right choice.

18:43 Alicia Witt. I could see Campbell. Yeah, I think I think Campbell's the right choice. Alicia. It would have been a good, a good fit for it as well. You know, we we will see her later. What was it Urban legend? Urban legend? Yeah, yeah. So I just I just think Campbell has that next door neighbor girl look that they absolutely needed in this movie, and she nailed it. She I'm gonna call out the Jamie factor. She has the Jamie factor where she like Jamie you know, obviously the scream queen of all Stream queens, Jamie Lee Curtis. She looks like the girl next door. She's unassuming, she's a little a little broken, but she's also tough. She can handle it. Exactly, yes, exactly, And I love that nev you know, is playing the role not as a victim, but as someone that's you know, doesn't necessarily need the help, right, he doesn't need her boyfriend to show up, right yep?

19:33 Yep. Courtney Cox as Gail Weathers. So my understanding is she was tired of the I mean, she wasn't tired of it. She was doing friends, and she wanted that I need to get rid of the I'm I'm you know, happy and everybody loves me. I need a a bitch look or a character kind of thing, and that's why she wanted This is my understanding, right. Yeah, I think about it. She is one of the most likable women in Hollywood. At this point, you know, because we grew up with her on family ties. We watched Bruce Springsteen pull her out of the crowd on a music video and dance with her. Yep, and she's she's Monica on you know, on friends like and Friends is a huge success right now. And Wes Craven's like, no, we're not using Courtney Cox. She's just too likable. Yeah, but do you do you do you know what Courtney Cox did about this? No?

20:29 What did she do? So she hears that Craven's really not interested, she writes him a letter telling him that being a bitch was was not going to be a stretch for her at all, like quote unquote, and so he's like, all right, let's let's talk to her. Well, she pulled it off, she did. I mean think about that, like the first time you see her and she's telling Kenny the cameramando, you know that that that she is a bitch. You know, I. Understand you're fifty pounds over wait, but when I say move, move your fat ass, like, I'm like, damn, this is not Monica. No. And even for us, Jeff, when we were watching the theater for their first time, we were kind of like taken aback by that because you're not used to that coming from Courtney Cox.

21:15 No, no, you're not at all. It's uh. I'll tell you one thing. I'm I'm so happy that they never killed her character off because seeing her throughout this franchise has been a lot of fun. Oh yeah, I would agree. Yeah. I want to talk about one of your buddies. Oh I know, can can we talk about Matthew Lillard Leans, Yes, Dave. This guy just happens to walk into an audition by chance. He's taking his girlfriend on some audition in the same building, and they look at him and go, hey, you want to come in here and read for this real quick? Because think about this at this point, like we saw him in uh that movie Hackers. Yep, he hadn't really done much else. But I gotta tell you, you know, by Kevin Williamson's own recount recounting, this character is brought to life because of Matthew Lillard. Like it was under it was underdeveloped. Let's let's talk about Matthew Lillard.

22:16 This, in my opinion, he made this film what it is because his joking comedy that you get from him. But when you realize who he actually is. When you get to the end of this film and you look back at some of the comments that he made, You're like, this guy is seriously unbalanced, and but he's not only scary, but he brings a funny level to that scary. Jeff, I gotta be honest, man, throughout the movie until until the big reveal at the end, like you want to hang out with Stu. He's he's I mean, obviously he is. He goes over he goes over the line a couple of times. So some of his his poor tasted humor, like liver alone. You know, I just love the ad libit that that Matthew Lillard's doing in this like when when Tatum hits him in the head near the locker because he's again he says something that's that's not that that's sensitive. He's like, what this place is like Christmas? Like he is, he's loving, he's loving all the attention that the high school is getting because of murders, because right because two classmates got murdered.

23:21 And the whole the whole thing. When Skeet Alter throws the phone at him, there if there at the end, he comes up with that with that you hit me with the phone. Yeah, well man, yeah, even you know, we talked about how nineties culture is influencing this movie. I think one of the better scenes in the movie is him and Randy at the video store. And let's let's not forget video stores were huge at this point. I love the fact that Randy's working. I will get to Randy here in a second, but I love the fact that he's throughing a video store and you know, Randy's giving him his theories. He's like, oh really, you know, he's just he's playing into it, right right. Yeah. Lillard's awesome. Man. I love the fact that he made this character such a huge part of this movie. He's definitely stealing most, if not all, the scenes that he's in.

24:10 Without that, yeah, yeah he is. And Dave, he's such an amazing guy, Like we you know, we've talked to him, we've met him. He does the cons and dude, you you pray that you can get a chance to get in his line and get to see him or get to talk to him, because it sells out every single time. Right. Yeah. He's very friendly to everybody. I mean, he takes his time with each person. And Jeff you and I were there at Horhow when we saw this that line never went away. It had at least what one hundred and fifty two hundred people deep and it never went down. Well that's the line to get into the line. Yeah, right, I mean that's how That's how huge he is at these things. Yep. And he embraces the fandom. He embraces he does. You know, if you're not putting something screen related in front of him, you're probably putting something Scooby Doo in front of him. Yep. But he loves it, right, Yeah, absolutely, he does.

25:00 He's always a pleasure to meet when he goes to conventions, for sure. I'll tell you he's not alone. Skeet Ulrich is usually there too. Skeate's playing Billy Loomis, Yep. I want to I want to give you a what if. Here the studio is looking at a rising star named Vince Vaughn to play the role of Billy. Vince Vaughn is sick during the audition process, never gets the audition, and Yett to think he's kind of he's kind of he's jumping on the scene because he's got swingers. Yeah, that comes out this year and kind of puts him on the map, is Vince Vaughn. Yeah, you're shaking your head. So I can't even sell it like he just he would not have been right for this, right, not.

25:40 At all, man, especially after seeing what sket did. I mean, come on, yeah, there's no way Skeet had that that that young Johnny Depp going for him here. He really did with the hair and all that kind of the way he presents himself. He really did. And I don't see Vince Vaughn being able to pull that off at all. I don't think so. I think I think it gets a little more comical if if Vaughan's got the role. And I love how serious al Rich is to get into the role, because to get into the mindset of Billy Loomis, he's listening to punk music and he's watching Faces of Death in his hotel room. Nice to kind of get himself in the in the in the headspace of Billy Loomis. I'll tell you one thing that Skee does though he almost single handily sinks this movie before it comes out. Are you aware of this? No?

26:29 What what happened? He's doing an interview? Oh no, ske what has he done, mistakenly gives it away that he's he's one of the killers in this interview. Oh no, you know, this is this is I mean, we've seen Tom Holland doing this kind of stuff with Spider Man, you know, you know, in recent times. But as soon as he realizes it, cut the interview. He gets on the phone with his agent, has his agent work over time to kill the story. Thanks god man. Yeah, could you imagine, Let's be honest, I can't imagine any media outlet getting something like that and wanting to run with it and and ruining something like that. You know, that is one movie you did not want ruined for you, Jeff, because what a shock that was to you when it when when the reveal happened, well.

27:16 Yeah, especially you know after after Ghostays pops out and guts him, you know, he, you know, does the fade away die you know you said, you know, collapses on the bed in a pull of blood. It was such an amazing moment, right yep. Speaking of amazing, we we got to talk about David Arquette playing Dewey. Uh. You know, we're a couple, couple of supporting players. I want to start with David Arkett of course, Dave, he had the role of Billy, turns it down because he wants to play Dewey because then the original script Dewey was the hunky leading man he was supposed to be, wasn't supposed to be the bungling Don Knott's type of charactery.

27:58 He turned he became. But Arquett's like, I'm gonna be I'm gonna be the deputy. He's got to save the day. And Kevin Williamson and Wes Craven had other ideas. But what do you think again, I can't imagine this franchise without David Arquette. Not at all. And he plays you know, even though it's not what was intended when he got the role, he did it so well. You know, not only is he this this guy who's trying to do so good, but he's like don knots at it. He just tries too hard that it makes it even worse for himself that I just he pulls it off so well. I don't see anybody else in this role no way. Yeah. I love how he He's believable, Like when he's being serious and he's being tough, he's believable. And then when he when he is being a little a little bit of a goofus, when he's when he's arguing with his little sister. Yeah, I totally buy it.

28:48 It's it's amazing, and you fall in love with his character, you do. You don't want any anything to happen to him because he's so innocent, and he pulls it off so well that you don't want anything to happen to him. So when it does, are like, oh no, you know. Yeah, And and Craven gives us this absence of his character for like the longest time. Hm. And then at the very end, Oh, there he is. He's getting loaded into the back of an ambulance. He's he's gonna he's gonna be fine, He'll make it, you know, which becomes like arawling card. Yeah, okay, but a Kyle becomes his calling card because it happens again at the end of Scream too. And I you know, he's always like, oh, I'm gonna make it. I'm gonna make it. Let's talk about his little sister. Tatum is being played by Rose McGowan. Now, I know we talked about at the very first episode of nineteen ninety six, we talked about it. She had a small role in Biodome. Yeah, no one knows who she is, and then she's about to explode in popularity because of Scream. I dig the fact that she takes ownership of her character.

29:48 She does, and she does it well. They even get with it a blonde wig. I think they gave her no they she dyed her hair. She dyed her hair. That's what I knew. There was something about the hair that they needed to change. Yeah, well Nev's a brunette and they're like, well, we can't have to brunette. So she's like, don't worry about it, I'll dye my hair. Yeah. But I love the fact that when she shows up for her costume fitting, costume designer has envisioned her as a tomboy mm hmm, and Rose McGowan is like, no, I'm going to play the sexy one. But the costumes, I was like, you know, here, try these. Gives her a pair of denim overalls and she says, hey, these are these are very in and Rose says they are very never he goes to them all though, and she buys her own wardrobe with her own money. I mean that's commitment, right, It is commitment.

30:35 Yeah, and she pulled it off because she looked fantastic to this movie. She's She's awesome in this movie. You know, I love She's. She is a very believable best friend character. Yeah. And again we're talking about Slasher, and you know, these these these characters, they're not gonna last. But I kind of feel like I wish she wasn't. I mean, she had one of the most spectacular death scenes Slasher film, Yeah, with the garage door. But I wish I wish she would have survived. Man would have been fun to see her move on throughout the franchise. I agree, Yeah, it would have been fun moving on. H Let's talk about Jamie Kennedy playing Randy. Who's been fired several times from a video store, but he's still working there.

31:16 Yeah, yeah, no danger getting fired from the film, though he wins the role over Seth Green, which I totally can see Seth Green doing this. I can't see that too. Yeah. Yeah, but I'm glad we got Jamie Kennedy because, you know, earlier we see him, he's playing a very small supported character in bas Lehrman's Romeo and Juliet. You know earlier, this earlier in nineteen eighty six. He is a Wes Craven favorite though, because he's doing a lot of ad libbing and he's got the cast laughing. He's got Wes Craven laughing like that whole Jerry Lewis bit that's all him. Wow, that's impressive. Yeah. A lot of his a lot of his lines are like ad lib They're like, go ahead, and Randy, you know, go ahead, Jamie, do what you want to do. Just do it. Yeah.

31:57 It's kind of like the Bill Murray thing. Just do what you want in front of the camera and because you're sted, you can pull it off. But for an unknown to do it like he's like, look, he's looking at Wes Craven like, hey, can I have one more take and try something different? Wes is like, sure, man, go for it. And I think we're connected to him some because he's such a horror fan like we are, and how much he loves movies and just obsesses over them, talks about him. We connect with him, I think a lot easier. I'll be honest, man, you know, Yeah, he's the nerd archetype in this movie. I don't care. Like when I'm watching the movie the first time when I'm watching it yesterday, He's always like my guide. I'm connected to him, and it's because of the confidence he has with his movie knowledge. Yep, and he's He's got maybe one of the most important scenes in the entire film when he delivers the rules.

32:51 You want you want to talk about the rules here? Oh yeah, let's talk about the rules. Jesus Christ, you don't know the rules have an aneurism. There are certain rules that one must abide by in order to successfully survive a horror movie. For instance, number one, you can never have sex, big big, number seven saith okay. Number two you can never drink or do drugs the sind factor. It says sin. It's an extension of number one and number three. Never ever, ever, under any circumstances, say I'll be right back, because you won't be back.

33:34 I'm getting another beer. You want one? Yeah, sure, I'll be right back, all right, Dave, never have sex, never drink or do drugs, and never say I'll be right back. I'll be back. Such a good scene. Is this some of the most brilliant writing that Kevin Williamson's gonna do in this script? Because I know, I know you're a huge fan of horror films like I am. And when you look at these three rules, I can instantly I don't care pick the pick the the horror franchise. Yeah you can. You can say, hey, never have sex.

34:15 And whether whether I say Friday thirteenth, whether I say Halloween, whether I say Nightmare arm Street. Yeah, you can immediately think of scenes, repeated scenes where this happens time and time again, and he's like, yeah, well that that person's gonna die because they you know, they just had sex. So that person's gonna die because they just went skinny dipping. That person's gonna die because they just smoke pot. What. Yeah, this meta commentary though, that that Kevin Williamson creates in this movie. To your point, you're talking about, we have a smarter audience. Now, yep, kids aren't gonna run around, you know, run run back into the house. You know. Beautiful girls aren't gonna hear a noise and then decide to take their clothes off and get in the shower.

34:59 They're smarter now, aar And I love I love a character like Randy because he is so in tune with with how you should behave in a horror film. Right. Absolutely, the whole intertwining two of his character at the party house with Halloween and all of that on how the Entertwina into the story of what was going on in the real world, just with absolutely brilliant Jeff brilliant. How about he's watching Halloween saying no, don't do that, don't turn around, turn around. As it's happening behind him. As it's happening behind him, and then Gail Weathers and Kenny are in the van. Yeah, and they're turnaround, kid, turn around. You know, it's like they're watching him. He's watching Jamie Lee. It's a It's absolutely brilliant. The fact that they incorporated the Halloween theme, Carpenter's Halloween theme into that scene, especially do it when Dewey comes in. I mean he's hitting the marks perfectly. I mean I don't I don't know how many takes that too, but Dewey is reacting and the music, Carpenter's music is in perfect sync with him.

36:05 See one eighteen baby, all. Right, one more guy, I gotta talk about and I have a theory I want to share with you, please. I love theories. Hear it? All right? Joseph Whip is playing the sheriff. He's had some fun scenes. I've got a theory, though, I'm gonna take you back. I got a theory that's going to connect Scream a Nightmare on Elm Street and Escape from Alcatraz. Okay, hold on, Okay, So Joseph Whipp played a prison guard in Escape from Alcatraz, and then he's playing a couple of years later. You know what was that that you guys just covered that. So it's nineteen seventy nine, correct, all right, nineteen eighty four. He's playing a police sergeant in Nightmare on Elm Street and now he's the sheriff. Okay. My theory is he's playing the same guy.

37:08 Okay, I can see this. Okay, So and I you know, and are some of our horror fans that are listening right right now going whoa, whoa, whoa. Now, I mean, Arb Street takes place in spring Wood, Ohio. You guys should know that because you're in Ohio and. We do, yes, we do. We know this little liberty with with with this, I'm gonna I'm gonna give me a little latitude. I'm gonnae you know, because obviously Alcatraz is in San Francisco right, and Woodsboro is in It's in California, isn't my understanding? Yep, Northern California, Northern California. So my thought is this guy promotes, you know, he's he's a prison guard, you know, early in his career.

37:51 Maybe he moves across across the country, ends up to the mid Boston, Ohio. I can see that goes through you know, has has the Springwood Slasher, all these murders happening, can't handle it. Yeah, you know what, it's time to go back home, moves back home to California, settles in northern California and Woodsboro, and rises through the ranks from sergeant to sheriff. I truly like this theory, Jeff, I can see this now that you mentioned it. Yes, yeah, absolutely, yeah. I mean I don't know, maybe it's a far stretch, but I dig it. Yeah, I like it. Yeah, Clint Eastwood's Alcatraz, knightment elm Street in this. It's all happening together because of this.

38:32 If I was a director right now, I would say cut Rennett. All right, cameos and before they were famous extras. Obviously, the we didn't expect it to be a cameo, But Drew Barrymore playing Casey Becker did not. Expect what we got out of that character. You thought, obviously what you said earlier, that we had a bigger role from her playing Casey. But then well that ended pretty quickly. Yeah, but move to our shock. Yeah. Yeah, but good move of putting her in there like that and trying to throw us off. And they did. They did a really good job of that. Well they did. And then but think about this, this becomes the new normal, right, like, hey, let's get a big star to do a glorified cameo and we'll kill them off at the beginning of the of the of the movie exactly, and it and it works, it does.

39:26 Yeah, it paid off well for them. I mean again, this movie is hitting on all cylinders. So just another thing they knocked it out of the park with I Wes Craven. I was listening to the audio commentary, mm hmm. That you know, there's a great audio commentary out there that Wes Craven and Kevin Williamson do. It's on the it's on the original DVD release. Have you have you listened to that? Have you? Are you aware of what he did to Drew Barrymore Wes Craven by the way. I think, yes, I do. The way he made her cry, Yeah, have you heard this story? Yeah? I guess he told her about like, was it pets getting killed? Well, okay, so pets or something like that. Drew shared a story with Wes Craven and she said, hey, I read the most upsetting thing the other night. This guy was torturing a dog by burning it with a cigarette lighter and they caught him, and she said it brought her to tears. And Wes talks on the commentary about how this is a this is a situation where an actor puts a lot of trust in you to get a certain performance out of them. Now, you know, take after take. I mean she is she is just beside herself with terror. She's crying her eyes out, and to ask someone to do that over and over again, that's not easy, No, it's not Wes. Wes told her every time they were starting to take to get her get her ready, he would whisper in her ear, Drew, I'm lighting the lighter and make her think about that terrible story. And then the water you know, water works

40:57 are on right. The thing director to du boy out of the actor. Hey, whatever, I guess. Poor Drew Barrymore. We got some We've got some other cameos here. Uh, come on, Wes Craven, Come on, Wes Craven playing Fred the Janitor. How about how about Linda Blair as that really obnoxious reporter. How does it feel to almost get gutted? You know? Or what I came what she says? But people have a right to know. Yeah. Do you know this is the second time she's worked with Wes west Craven. What was the first one? She did an NBC Movie of the Week with Wes Craven called Stranger in the House. No, I didn't know that. I'd love to just think. Listen to that title. He hear that title. You know it's gotta be something good. Yeah.

41:42 Absolutely, We'll have. To look that up. What do you think of Henry Winkler playing Prince on Henbrey Dude? Come on, what a what a perfect role for him? And then his leather jacket was in the closet. Did you see that? Wait jacket? Yes, go back and I gotta go back. I gotta go back and see that. Now. You gotta be kidding me. No, And he even brushes his hair like Phonsie did. Yeah, the hair thing. I caught that if you if you grew up watching Happy Days reruns, and you know, he's doing some Fonzie stuff. I love the fact that his death scene it wasn't even part of the act. It wasn't it wasn't even part of the movie initially.

42:24 But it's Bob Weinstein, not Harvey Bob uh. He says, hey, man, you you know he's complaining because there's too much time passing between Drew Barrymore's murder and the third act. We need somebody, like we need what we got, you know. And if you think about it, it kind of answers the question like, you know, we have a house full of kids at St. Stu's party. Why wouldn't they be there all night partying? You know, so you know, and it's it's his murder that they're all like, well, he's hanging from the football field, let's go see. Yeah. So I think that worked out pretty good. And I did the fact that he even tries on the ghost face. You know, Speaking of that, did you did you catch when Dewey brings out the costume packaging at the precinct?

43:11 Did you catch that what you know what the actual name of that costume is. No, I didn't Father Death. Okay, yeah, okay, glad we didn't go with that name. Yeah. Well, I mean, you know it's it's like a spirit Halloween costume that Dewey walks out with. But as I paused it, I was like, wait, oh, it's Father Death. Okay, another blink and you miss a cameo here. Francis Lee McCain plays Dewey and Tatum's mom. Yep, famous eighties mom right. Oh man, I loved her from Gremlins. I loved her mother, and that's right. Yeah. I mean, listen, with all all due respect to Francis Lee McCain, she's she's not the ultimate eighties mom.

43:55 We know, we know d Wallace of Beloved d Wallace is the ultimate eighties mom. But but Francis Lee McCain, you know, she's she's a she's a worthy contender, right, she is, absolutely Yeah, nice to see her. And then lastly, uh, Leev Schreiber plays cotton Weary yep. Now obviously he has a significant role in the second and third one. Oh yeah, of course. But think about this, It was uh what like a few years prior we see his his big screen debut in a Christmas movie called Mixed Nuts. We covered it, uh, Brad and I covered that one a couple of years ago for Christmas, yep, remember, And he's amazing in that in that role. If you've I mean, we've seen Lee Schreiber play the tough guy, We've seen him play an X Men mutant, we've seen we've seen him do a lot.

44:42 Oh yeah, if you haven't seen Mixed Nuts, I don't want to spoil it. I'll just say if you want to see Leev like you've never seen him before and in a pretty amazing performance, check out Mixed Nuts. Uh this holiday season coming up, when when it's Christmas time, you know it's a great film. But uh man, he's he's doing something amazing and that fit but uh kind of amazing. He gets this role and then it becomes something so. Much bigger than the Yeah, the singles they could have predicted sequel with coming or where we're at now working on part seven. But yeah, I mean, small little role on the news footage and then he turned into a big role. So yeah, you didn't see that coming. I mean that's like what like an hour is worth of work that day. Yeah, getting the car walk to the car. That's it. That's it. No lines, but always cool to like to go back and look at like, oh yeah, he wasn't screamed the first screen, but I love it when they had a very very small role. Yep, Dave, let's take one last break and when we come back, it'll be time for keeping it real. Okay, Dave, it's time to keep it real.

45:51 Let's do it. I got three quite a look, you're new to nineteen ninety six. We're almost the season, this series is almost done. You have jumped right in, You're gonna be here for a limited amount of time, and then you're jumping right back out of it it out, So let me uh, I got three questions for you. First, one m one of our favorite actors, Billy Zopka was dominating Dojo's high school cafeterias and college swimming pools in some of the best movies in the eighties. Then he's notably absent from Hollywood for most of the nineties. So the question is what about zob Dave, I want you to replace one actor from this film with William Zopka. What role has he taken Billy Loomis. Oh, Billy Loomis.

46:44 Okay, the hair, yeah, everything about him, his performance, his absolutely Billy Loomis. When I read that question immediately, that's who came to mind. Zopka has played uh, he's played a boyfriend that maybe could have been a little bit nicer to his girlfriend in some movies, right, some of his performances. Okay, Billy, Okay, I didn't have him as Billy Loomis, but now that I'm seeing it, and I think that'd be that would have been good chemistry with between him and Matthew Lillard. Yeah, absolutely, yeah, all right, who did you have? I got Zobka's Dewey only only he's probably not going to play it as the aloof you know, Bubbling. He's going to play it like the original, a little bit more leading man, a little bit more masculine. Yeah, I see Zobka putting the moves on Gil Weathers for sure.

47:36 Absolutely. Yeah. All right, Dave a question you have answered many times on our nineteen eighty six series sequel prequel remake. If you controlled this ip, what would be your pitch to the studio to revive it? And I gotta be honest with you, man, We've had a franchise full of sequels, We've had a TV series, So what what what do we do here? We got you said, we got the seventh one coming out soon? What are you gonna do? You know? I hate giving that answer that you know, to be honest with you, the franchise needs to end. It's it's gone on and on and on and on, and Part seven is coming out now. I don't know what the plans are, but one of if if I needed to make another sequel, that's where I would go with it. And and I know that this rumor has been out there, people have talked about it. It's been on some chat groups and stuff like that. We technically did not see Stu die. And if you want to bring the franchise back into a whole new area because it has been beaten to death, give a Steu again.

48:47 Maybe who knows. Maybe it was kept a secret that he was still alive. He was taken to a hospital somewhere and he did survive. They hit him somewhere. I don't know what it could. Be, well, slasher film, right, you could. Yeah, anything can happen. Anything can happen these movies. Yeah, and he's brought back. I know Laurie Metcalf, which was that. Part that was the second one when they're at come the second one. Yes, so I know he's definitely not coming back. Right right, But I'm just saying that whole involvement of her character kind of overshadows a little bit where I'm going with Stu on this one. But it still could happen. In my opinion, that's the only thing I really could see that to really make me go, holy crap, I want to see that so bad because so much stuff has been done with this franchise.

49:32 Man. Well, now keep in mind something, if you brought Stu back, he would have to be in the film as a suspect or a red herring for the audience. So we couldn't I mean, we couldn't. We couldn't show the audience today like here's these seven people and you're trying to play detective to figure out who it is and then all of a sudden, wait, holy what the hell, it's Stu's back. You'd have to happen, so you know, whether he's like, you know, an asylum, or he's you know, he's released or something, I don't know. Yeah, I mean I don't know how you explain, obviously because of Lord and that CAFF's character in the sequel, But still I can't see anything else, to be honest with you, it's just it's just been done.

50:16 Hey, if we get if we get Matthew Lillard back, I'm all for it because we Yeah, we love we love Lillard. We do indeed, all. Right, Dave, one last question for you. DVD extras. Nineteen eighty six, that's the year DVD format is initially introduced to US markets. Yep, we got the simplicity of the compact disc, the high definition. We're throwing our VHS tapes away, unfortunately, I might add, but for cinephiles like us, the exclusive special features are usually a no frills package of scene selection, French or Spanish subtitles. If we were lucky, you got a trailer. Yeah, you might get some production notes. So I'm gonna ask you back in ninety six, what DVD extra would you want on your DVD for this film?

51:05 You got three, You got three choices. Here I'm gonna give you. You can have an in character audio commentary m hm. You can have a making of documentary, or you can have the amber Lewis actors round table and you can pick three people, but you can't have all all the stars. So if you if you're going round table, I'll give you let's see, I'll give you Jamie Kennedy, I'll give you Joseph Whipp and I'll give you the guy that played Sidney's dad. Do you thinks? What do you? What do you want on your DVD? I want an in character audio commentary because I think that could be so unique and so fun to listen to. That.

51:47 That's where I want, would want to go with this. It's the right answer something that before I give you mine? Who do you? Who? Do you which in character audio commentary you're going with? Well, of course I want Sidney interesting? Okay, so amble doing playing Sydney? Yeah? Doing doing the audio commentary interesting? Just based on that that video storm moment, I want in character audio commentary with Randy and stew. That would be fun. That's what I absolutely that'll be a fun time. David. The film's legacy is this? Is this a classic, a cult classic or just a product of its time? Oh? This is, without a doubt a classic. You and I have blowed over this film, and so has so many others. Uh, this brought back the slasher horror genre. And yeah, it's it's a classic for horror films.

52:36 Well, I like what you said there. It brought back the slasher genre. Let's let's talk about how the film impacted pop culture. It did single handily revive the slasher genre. You have talked about the the intelligence of the characters having to ratchet up, and you got you gotta keep in mind, self aware characters making smart decisions becomes the new normal and horror films. You know, a year later we see Jennifer Love hewittt and I know what you did last summer in nineteen ninety eight, we get disturbing behavior the faculty Alicia Witt in Urban Legend, and it's all these self aware, smart teenagers that kind of maybe there a little too smart for their own good because they're still getting hacked to pieces.

53:26 But of course you got to have that. And then ghost Face. Ghost Face is everywhere now right, there is tons of merchandising how many, I don't care. You know, you know, even if it's not a horror con you're still seeing ghost Face run around all over over the conventions. He's officially everywhere. When Homer Simpson dresses up as ghost Face on the Simpsons. Did you ever remember that episode where I do is it home away from Homer? I think, as well, yeah, what about this one? Yeah? No, absolutely yeah, he's everywhere. Yeah, I mean you know, he's everywhere. I don't think. I don't think that even if they stop making the movies, that costume is iconic. Now, it's never gonna go away.

54:07 You can buy the you can buy the voice changer. Yeah. Now, so I need one of those. I don't think you do. They can reach out to you. Lose my number, man, lose my number. I'm going nowhere. Oh yeah, that's right. Look man, I do uh, I do want to thank you. You are so busy doing our Phaser set, the Stunned series. You've got the limited series where you're doing a film at forty five. I know that's about to wrap up here soon. Ye, you're showing up on a film. Buy with me. Uh. I'm happy that I finally got a chance to talk ninety six with you. And I knew, I knew you couldn't resist something like scream.

54:54 Oh God, no way. As soon as you told me, I'm like, I'm in I'm in that one. Yeah, well you woulda tell us what's coming up next week? I planned, Oh, we do, Jeff. We are jumping in the car. We are heading to Lexington for Scarefest and it's gonna be a weekend of some horror fun. But we're gonna get to meet some people. We're gonna be meeting Don coas Corelli. Uh because as next Friday, for film forty five, we are gonna be covering Fantasm. Fantasm is one of the greatest horror films of all time. Yeah, talk about it, talk about a franchise. What they've made so many of those movies and they're awesome.

55:41 They are boy boy. Yeah, I'm excited. I hope I hope you get some time with cos Carelly. I'm hoping to meet Reggie Banister, who plays Reggie in the movies. Yeah, yeah, I love that dude. He's awesome. He too, he is he is awesome. Well, we want to think all of you out there listening to today's nineteen ninety six episode. We are approaching the completion of this limited series and if we haven't covered your favorite film from nineteen ninety six, there's still time to hit us up on social media or email us to share your requests. You can do that at a film by podcast dot com or hit us up on social media. You'll find us on Facebook, Instagram, and X Dave and I Got a bounce. Peace Out,