What’s your favorite scary movie?… and why is it Scream?
It’s a no-brainer that this 1996 horror film set the stage for what scary movies can look like. And, with this year marking its 30th anniversary, it’s obvious no one can escape Ghostface, even New York Comic Con (NYCC).
Empire Stage brought new thrills with the panel ‘Ghostface Forever: The 30th Anniversary of Scream.’ On Friday, Oct. 9, horror fans learned more about their favorite film through panelists Matthew Lillard, Skeet Ulrich, Lee Waddell, and Jamie Kennedy.
The discussion didn’t begin with a jump scare, but with praise for the 1996 film’s director, Wes Craven. Ulrich credits Craven’s way of “welcoming us in and appreciating what we do.” Lillard adds by praising the director’s incredible nature of “letting us get one in [a scene] as written, then letting us play.”
“There’s a confidence in that kind of filmmaking,” Lillard elaborates. “Many times, filmmakers will hold on to their idea and give you no space to play or find these moments. I feel like that sort of courage [referring to Craven] allows that moment to breathe, and with that, you get all these performances.”
There’s no question that Scream would not be such an iconic film without its actors. During the discussion, panelists shared how they incorporated themselves into the movie, adding their own touches to the cult classic.
“I remember feeling an inkling of that [character uniqueness] when I hit Matt with the phone accidentally,” Ulrich jokes.
While this response got many chuckles from the audience, the actor goes on to explain the importance of genuine reactions. Lillard agrees to this point, explaining his admiration for Neve Campbell, Scream’s Sidney Prescott.
“By the time we got to that last sequence, I was so enamored with her as a person and as a friend,” Lillard explains. “Especially, the endurance it took to keep that level of performance up for weeks on end.”
Lillard explains how filming Scream took longer than it does now. While today a scene can take two hours, Lillard shares that every scene “would take three-quarters of a day to two days to shoot.” This only adds to his appreciation for Prescott at that time.
Kennedy shares Ulrich’s sentiment about genuine reactions, recalling a moment during the video store scene. The actor speaks of Ulrich grabbing his nose and Lillard tickling his ear. And while this was not in the script, Kennedy explains that those moments made the movie special.
“Doing that, these little tricks and surprises, is the best because you get real reactions,” Kennedy says. “We never knew what we were going to do, and we all had different styles. Everyone did something for themselves, and Wes encouraged that.”
While many fans know Lillard as Ghostface, the man behind the mask is stuntman and actor Lee Waddell. At the panel, Waddell spoke about his time on set, especially the challenges of the film’s opening scene.
“We threw the wardrobe on…and it didn’t really occur to me the difficulty until we went to shoot that opening sequence and I’m like, ‘Man, I can’t see and run with this,’” Waddell says.
Waddell overcame his obstacles by having fun and being in the moment with his co-star Drew Barrymore. It’s dedication like this that makes Ghostface so iconic to longtime fans.
The fun didn’t stop here as the panelists then talked about the 30th anniversary. Ulrich had no suspicions of Scream’s future popularity, explaining how “we were just making another movie, and we were all enjoying the experience.” For Lillard, it wasn’t until Craven invited them to a celebration dinner that the notion clicked.
“I remember seeing Wes and going, ‘Why are we doing a celebration?’ and he said, ‘Because the exit polls are beyond anything Miramax has ever seen…It’s gonna be a monster hit,” Lillard shares.
And it’s true. With a room packed with NYCC guests, many had the opportunity during the Q&A section to share how Scream is their comfort movie. Despite its 30-year-long legacy, it is clear that Scream and Ghostface aren’t dying any time soon.
