Scream has some level of success.
Scream is a 1996 American slasher film written by Kevin Williamson and directed by Wes Craven .. Wes Craven. Wes Craven. Kevin Williamson. Kevin Williamson ( screenwriter ). slasher film. slasher film. The film stars David Arquette , Neve Campbell , Courteney Cox , Matthew Lillard , Rose McGowan , Skeet Ulrich , and Drew Barrymore .. David Arquette. David Arquette. Neve Campbell. Neve Campbell. Courteney Cox. Courteney Cox. Matthew Lillard. Matthew Lillard. Rose McGowan. Rose McGowan. Skeet Ulrich. Skeet Ulrich. Drew Barrymore. Drew Barrymore. Released on December 20 , 1996 , Scream follows the character of Sidney Prescott -LRB- Campbell -RRB- , a high school student in the fictional town of Woodsboro , California , who becomes the target of a mysterious killer known as Ghostface .. Sidney Prescott. Sidney Prescott. Ghostface. Ghostface ( Scream ). The film combined black comedy and `` whodunit '' mystery with the violence of the slasher genre to satirize the cliches of the horror film genre popularized in films such as Halloween and Friday the 13th .. black comedy. black comedy. whodunit. whodunit. satirize. satire. horror film. horror film. Halloween. Halloween ( 1978 film ). Friday the 13th. Friday the 13th ( 1980 film ). The film was considered unique at the time of its release for featuring characters who were aware of real world horror films and openly discussed the cliches that Scream attempted to subvert .. Based partly on the real life case of the Gainesville Ripper , Scream was inspired by Williamson 's passion for horror films , especially Halloween -LRB- 1978 -RRB- .. Halloween. Halloween ( 1978 film ). Gainesville Ripper. Danny Rolling. The script , originally titled Scary Movie , was bought by Dimension Films and was retitled by the Weinstein Brothers just before filming was complete .. Dimension Films. Dimension Films. The production faced censorship issues with the Motion Picture Association of America and obstacles from locals while filming on location .. Motion Picture Association of America. Motion Picture Association of America. The film went on to financial and critical acclaim , earning $ 173 million worldwide , and became the highest-grossing slasher film in the US in unadjusted dollars .. slasher film. slasher film. It received several awards and award nominations .. The soundtrack by Marco Beltrami was also acclaimed , and was cited as '' -LSB- one -RSB- of the most intriguing horror scores composed in years . ''. Marco Beltrami. Marco Beltrami. It has since earned `` cult status . ''. cult status. Cult following. Scream marked a change in the genre as it cast already-established and successful actors , which was considered to have helped it find a wider audience , including a significant female viewership .. Scream was credited with revitalizing the horror genre in the 1990s , which was considered to be almost dead following an influx of direct-to-video titles and numerous sequels to established horror franchises of the 1970s and 1980s .. direct-to-video. direct-to-video. These sequels drew decreasing financial and critical success , as they exploited cliches upon which films in the genre had become reliant .. Screams success spawned a series of sequels , though only Scream 2 , released in 1997 , achieved a level of commercial and critical success equal to the original film .. a series of sequels. Scream ( franchise ). Scream 2. Scream 2. In the years following the release of Scream , the film was accused of inspiring and even inducing violent crimes and murders .