By 1996 the slasher genre was just about dead. The iconic characters had become clichés, the plots were formulaic, and the kills just lazy. The masters of the genre had all but moved on to other, “more respectable” projects. There was nothing left to surprise audiences; we had seen it all. When hope was all but lost, one of horror’s masters returned to reinvigorate the genre and bring audiences back to the theater for a good scream.
Wes Craven, already responsible for one of the most beloved franchises in movie history, brought to the screen another celebrated franchise in Scream. Craven understood that in order to make a slasher in the 1990’s, it was crucial to turn the genre upside down. Audiences could see the typical scare coming a mile away, so why not incorporate that mentality into the film? Make a slasher film for a smart audience. Receiving a warm response from audiences and critics, Scream spawned several sequels that continued to examine the horror genre, while also proving that not only was the genre alive, it was thriving. Wes Craven proved to be the Master of Horror. Test your knowledge of the first film in one of the last great slasher franchises.
Looking for more quizzes? Test your knowledge of A Nightmare of Elm Street, John Carpenter’s Halloween, and Friday the 13th now.
The first question is DEWEY, not GALE.