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Few titles have redefined the horror genre like Scream. Wes Craven’s original film premiered in 1996 and promptly unleashed a wave of teen meta-slashers that would dominate the genre for the remainder of the decade. From the filmmaking collective Radio Silence, Scream VI manages to strike the perfect balance of homage to the past while moving the story forward.
We won’t reveal spoilers here, but the film features an unprecedented reverence to all nine of the Ghostface killers who’ve come before with a museum-like shrine including their individual costumes, weapons, and personal artifacts. It’s a fun trip down memory lane, but what about their victims?
Don’t those who’ve stared down the long, vacant eyes of the silently screaming face deserve some love as well? In honor of innocents often left out in the cold, we’ve compiled a list of ten Scream franchise characters we’d happily build a shrine to – and the personal items we’d love to collect.
Casey Becker
‘Scream’ (1996)
The one who started it all, Casey (Drew Barrymore) is the initial onscreen target of Ghostface and the first we see play a deadly game of horror movie trivia. The sweet high school student is home alone preparing to watch a video when she answers the phone and hears a mysterious voice. What follows is a terrifying game of cat and mouse that remains one of the best horror movie openings in the genre’s history. A costumed killer stalks her through the house while quizzing her on all things slasher. In a heartbreaking twist, Casey’s parents pull into the driveway mere minutes before she becomes the first victim in a legendary franchise.
Items to Include:
- The cordless phone she clings to as she dies
- Her now iconic pale yellow V-neck sweater
- The burned remnants of an abandoned Jiffy Pop container
Tatum Riley
When we first meet final girl Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell), she’s approaching the one-year anniversary of her mother’s death. With her father barely around, Sidney’s main source of emotional support is her best friend Tatum Riley (Rose McGowan). One of the highlights of a film packed with fantastic characters, Tatum earns our love by relentlessly teasing her older brother Dewey (David Arquette) and constantly having her best friend’s back. From cooling the boys off when describing Casey’s dead body to providing a compassionate ear for Sidney’s grief, Tatum is the best friend we all wish we could have. Plus we’re pretty sure she would dump her boyfriend Stu (Matthew Lillard) when she finds out he’s a murderer.
ITEMS
- Her psychedelic mini skirt and turtleneck tee.
- A VHS copy of “All the Right Moves” paused just right.
- A beer bottle from the garage, one she does NOT throw at Ghostface.
Joel Martin
Intrepid reporter Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox) can be a demanding boss. After her cameraman is killed by the original Ghostface killer, Joel Martin (Duane Martin) takes over recording duties for the second wave of deaths at Windsor College. In addition to his witty comebacks and creative adjectives, Joel is one of the smartest characters in the entire Scream franchise. When his news van becomes a bloody crime scene, Joel decides to get the heck out of dodge and removes himself from the line of fire. Luckily he returns to film the aftermath for an interview with newly minted hero Cotton Weary (Liev Schreiber).
ITEMS
- The dog-eared copy of Gale’s book The Woodsboro Murders he started reading AFTER accepting the job
- His utility vest
- His faithful camera. And yes, he got that on film
Cici Cooper
From its opening scene, the Scream franchise has been known for killer death sequences and exciting stunt casting. Drew Barrymore kicks off the tradition in a near perfect home invasion sequence, but Scream 2 ups the ante by casting Buffy the Vampire Slayer herself, Sarah Michelle Gellar, as sorority girl and film student Cici Cooper. Home alone while her sisters party elsewhere, she receives a call from the murderous stranger then runs for her life through the empty house. She tragically falls to her death from a high balcony, but not before getting in a few solid hits of her own. That slayer training proves equally effective against serial killers.
ITEMS
- Her pink crochet sweater set
- A cordless phone that doesn’t work outside the house
- The James Cameron film collection
Derek Feldman
The Scream franchise is filled with attractive love interests, but none as big a catch as Derek (Jerry O’Connell). Sidney’s boyfriend in Scream 2 is a handsome and kind pre-med major willing to put himself in harm’s way to protect her from the killer. The blue-eyed charmer also has a lovely singing voice and serenades his girlfriend in front of the entire cafeteria (though we’re pretty sure that’s a major no-no). Even more romantic, he understands Sidney’s hesitancy to trust him and accepts her decision to separate until the latest round of attacks have been resolved. Derek tragically becomes the final victim of the copycat killers, but he will always hold a special place in our hearts.
ITEMS
- His striped and beer covered boxers.
- A copy of the hit single “I Think I Love You” signed by the entire Partridge Family
- We would love to include Derek’s fraternity letter necklace, but we’re pretty sure Sidney’s still wearing it.
Jennifer Jolie
Of the now six films in the Scream franchise, none is so maligned as Scream 3. Marking the first entry not written by Kevin Williamson, the story moves to Hollywood and follows the cast of the newest Stab movie as they get picked off one by one. But love it or hate it, Scream 3 gives us one of the franchise’s best characters, Jennifer Jolie (Parker Posey). The flaky actress stars as Gale Weathers in the parody films and forms a hilarious partnership with her real-life counterpart when her co-stars begin to die. Jennifer serves as an encapsulation of the film itself. Sure she’s a little bit silly, but you just can’t help but love her.
ITEMS
- Her Top Story prop mike
- A publicity still on the studio backlot that eerily matches a photo of Sidney’s mother.
- Her “off duty actress” outfit complete with red print pants, chunky necklace, and an artful replica of her pigtail buns
Rebecca Walters
Scream 4 serves as a bridge between the old and the new, falling eleven years after the original trilogy and eleven years before what now seems to be a new phase of the franchise. Helmed by Craven, the film introduces a new batch of characters including Rebecca Walters (Alison Brie). Sidney’s publicist makes a stop in Woodsboro on Sidney’s book tour and winds up becoming the latest victim. While Rebecca is not exactly likable, she feels like a reincarnation of Top Story Gale; an eager young woman willing to do whatever it takes to achieve fame and fortune. Unfortunately, we don’t get to spend much time with this ambitious young woman, but Brie turns in a delightfully catty performance that makes us love to hate the newest power-hungry woman on the scene.
ITEMS
- A copy of Sidney’s perfectly planned book tour itinerary
- Her puff-sleeved blazer
- A perfect window display of Sidney’s book “Out of Darkness” (no cats were harmed in the making of this visual promotion)
Judy Hicks
The Woodsboro PD may not have a flawless record, but a few fearless officers stand out from the pack. When Dewey Riley retires as the town’s sheriff, he’s followed by Officer Judy Hicks (Marley Shelton), a former classmate of both Sidney and the original murderers. Though instrumental in catching the fourth set of Ghostface killers, Judy dies in the midst of the fifth attacks while rushing home to save her son. She will be remembered as a dedicated officer and mother who would stop at nothing to protect the residents of her beloved hometown.
ITEMS
- A framed picture of Hicks with her idol Dewey Riley
- Her uniform and badge
- The recipe for her delicious lemon squares
Mindy Meeks-Martin
What Scream film would be complete without a horror movie expert to round out the cast? Mindy Meeks-Martin (Jasmin Savoy Brown) comes by her love of spooky stories honestly as the niece of original film nerd Randy Meeks (Jamie Kennedy). With a comprehensive knowledge of slasher movie tropes, Mindy attempts to suss out the killers and deconstruct their motives, providing hilarious meta-commentary for a new generation. Unfortunately this wealth of knowledge does not prevent her from tasting the cold steel of the killer’s knife and she becomes the latest film scholar to outguess the killer while falling victim to his plans.
ITEMS
- Her Blu-ray box set of the Stab Franchise
- Her T-shirt collection and rainbow heart pin
- An annotated transcript of her monologues guessing the killers for each film
Stu Macher
Okay we said no killers in this shrine, but in the 27 years since the original Scream premiere, the lanky actor has become a sort of unofficial mascot for the franchise itself, thanks in large part to the uber likable Matthew Lillard. Not a sequel goes by without hopes and rumors that the original party boy killer will return to once again don the Ghostface mask. Much attention has been given to his domineering partner Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich), who appears in the fifth installment from beyond the cinematic grave. However we’re Stans for Stu. Yes, he is a bloodthirsty killer, but he’s just so darn charming.
ITEMS
- The TV that fell on his head and (allegedly) killed him
- The red satin robe he wears to host the original killer house party
- A signed affidavit from both parents confirming that they are indeed so mad at him
