Scream Film Opening

Scream 

(Wes Craven, 1996)


Budget 15m
Gross 161m

Scream Cover

Production Companies

• Dimension Films (presents)
• Woods Entertainment

Distributors

• Dimension Films (1996) (USA) (theatrical)
• Becker Home Video (1997) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Laurenfilm (1997) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Scanbox Entertainment (1997) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Buena Vista International (1997) (UK) (theatrical)
• RCV Film Distribution (1997) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Filmes Castello Lopes (1997) (Portugal) (theatrical)
• Les Films Number One (1997) (France) (theatrical)
• Kinepolis Film Distribution (KFD) (1997) (Belgium) (theatrical)
• Asmik Ace Entertainment (1997) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Lider Films (1997) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Cecchi Gori Group (1997) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Kinowelt Filmverleih (1997) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Alliance (199?) (Canada) (theatrical)
• RCV Film Distribution (199?) (Luxembourg) (theatrical)
• Dimension Home Video (1998) (USA) (DVD)
• E1 Entertainment Benelux (2010) (Netherlands) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Fox Network (1999) (USA) (TV)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
• Lionsgate Home Entertainment (2011) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• MAWA Film & Medien (1998) (Germany) (DVD)
• RCV Home Entertainment (1998) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• RCV Home Entertainment (1999) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• RTL (????) (Germany) (TV)
• RTL2 (2006) (Germany) (TV) (as "Scream - Schrei!")
• Vídeo Arte (199?) (Brazil) (VHS)

Opening:
The first character is a blonde woman. Her blonde hair signifies she is the scream queen of the film. As well as having the stereotypical appearance of a scream queen, she is home alone, which is a common signifier of the slasher genre. We learn that the girl has a boyfriend, which is also anchorage to signify she is the scream queen figure. Equilibrium is portrayed at the very start as well, as the girl is simply preparing popcorn and is on the phone, although she does not know that the man she is talking to is the killer. As she begins to realise, the equilibrium becomes disrupted. This is another example of Todorov's theory being applied to a slasher film. 

   Barthes' theory of narrative engima is also slightly applied to the opening. To begin with we only hear the voice and don't see the physical body. When we do see the killer, he is wearing a mask, so we still do not entirely know who it is and what their motive is.

Useful Resources:
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1074316-scream/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scream_(film)