Preamble

It never ceases to amaze me how the right words always come for the actual blog post itself, but writing for a preamble is akin to running backwards in a race whilst being blindfolded. But as I sit here on a Saturday night with Blue Öyster Cult’s “I Love the Night” blasting through my headphones, that’s the exact state of affairs. Suffice it to say, in anticipation of Scream 7, I could think of no better lead-up than the series getting the one great-shot treatment (and hopefully a review of Scream 2022). So, with that said, what’s your favourite shot from the original Wes Craven classic? Let me know in the comments below.

One Great Shot

One of Scream’s greatest legacies is the character of Stu Macher. Revealed as one of the killers in the film’s third act, the livewire teenager has been mythologised to the point of breaking point, with mastermind conspiracy theories that retcon his death, in which he had a height-related tumble with a TV. Part of this has come from the creators of Scream. Screenwriter Kevin Williamson’s original idea for Scream 3 was to make Macher the head of a cult. However, this was slashed due to the Columbine school shooting. And in Scream VI, Mindy Meeks gives voice to millions of Stu is alive fans when she says, “If you believe he’s dead” in response to looking at the television that killed him in the original picture.

If anything, Scream’s one great shot reinforces why Stu Macher is not a beyond-the-grave Machiavellian figure, and underscores the series’s ingrained humanity. Matthew Lillard’s performance is one that colours outside the lines. It’s akin to throwing an electric eel in a fish tank, whereby it injects the film with a unique energy that’s hard to ignore. And it’s a testament to Lillard that any one of his shots could be worthy of discussion. His physicality in the video store scene suggests a homoerotic subtext, and his stillness during his reveal scene is a lingering piece of subtle acting.

But the above shot of a bloody Stu Macher on the phone remains Lillard’s best moment in the film. For one, it’s improvised. In a recent interview with Kevin McCarthy, the Scooby-Doo actor revealed that the famous line “My mum and dad are going to be so mad at me” was “not written” and that director Wes Craven “never said cut” after filming the originally scripted moment. The line illustrates how Macher is just a kid who is slowly realising the consequences of his actions. Like an extreme practical joke that’s gone wrong, the hyperactive and attention-grabbing character is doing a tearful “It’s just a prank, bro.”

Unlike mastermind, Billy Loomis, whose Andrew Robinson-esque presence (circa 1987’s Hellraiser) suggests a cold and calculated desire for revenge, Macher seems like an excitable puppy who will go along with the plan because it’s fun, etc. In this way, the character embodies the series’ appeal of the human killer. Occasionally, there’s no complex reason for someone to murder. Instead, it’s as simple as “It’s a scream, baby.”