The Scream franchise has gained an iconic legacy by its ability to cleverly apply the tropes, trivia, and history of the horror genre to its films. What makes these movies stand out is their intelligent treatment of horror fans. With plenty of Easter eggs sprinkled through the franchise, Scream always makes the viewing experience just as playful as it is terrifying.
Scream 5 is no exception. 25 years after audiences were introduced to Ghostface, Scream has shown fans that it still has plenty of tricks up its sleeve which is affirmed by the overwhelming box office success of Scream 5. The latest addition is littered with Easter eggs that not only pays homage to the franchise, but to icons of the genre. For all eagle-eyed fans out there, these are some Easter eggs you might have missed.
Sam’s Real Name Pays Homage To Halloween and Psycho
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One of the first big reveals of the film is that Sam’s biological father is Billy Loomis – one of the original killers from the first movie. This would mean that her full name isn’t Sam Carpenter, but rather Sam Loomis – a nod to psychiatrist Dr. Samuel Loomis from the Halloween franchise.
Additionally, Sam Loomis was the name of a character in Psycho (1966), the same film that starred Janet Lee who is Jamie Lee Curtis’ mother. And what films are Jamie Lee Curtis best known for? That’s right – Halloween! This is a multi-layered homage that only Scream could pull off.
"With Pleasure!"
Enraged at her sisters attacker, Sam demanded that the killer to come and get her - to which he replies “with pleasure”, attacking her from behind the door.
In Scream 2 (1997), Sidney Prescott had a similar experience at the sorority house. Just like Sam, she commanded the killer to show his face over the phone. Ghostface then appeared behind her in person, declaring “with pleasure” before attacking her.
Tara Carpenter As A Nod To John Carpenter
Scream’s original screenwriter and executive producer, Kevin Williamson, has openly expressed how the Halloween films heavily inspired the franchise, going so far as to say that Scream is a homage to Halloween. It is then, perhaps, entirely expected for Scream to include at least one reference in the latest installment.
The first main character audiences are introduced to is Tara Carpenter – an obvious nod to legendary horror director John Carpenter. Not only did Carpenter direct Halloween, but other significant horror films such as The Thing (1982) and In The Mouth of Madness (1994)
Wes Hick’s Reprises Psycho's Iconic Shower Scene
A delightful Easter egg from the film is a homage to the iconic shower scene from Psycho (1966). When Deputy Judy Hicks headed out to pick up dinner, her son, Wes, is seen taking a shower. This scene cleverly mimics the legendary shower scene with Marion Crane in Alfred Hitchcock's film, all the way down to the shots and editing.
If viewers hadn’t caught on yet, Ghostface makes it crystal clear what is going on when he calls Judy and asks if she has seen the movie Psycho. The masterful execution of this reference added an extra layer of suspense and excitement for horror fans.
Sam Copies Her Dad
One of the key elements to Sams character is her struggle to accept the truth behind her father's identity. Throughout the movie, she is seen taking antipsychotic medication to help with her hallucinations of her father, albeit unsuccessfully as Skeet Ulrich reprises his role as Billy in her apparitions.
In the hospital, Sam is wearing a plain white tee shirt – a subtle nod to Billy Loomis’ iconic look in the original film which he is seen wearing in her hallucinations. When she brutally stabs Ritchie to death at the end of the film, she wipes the blood off her knife in an unmistakably Ghostface-like fashion. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.
Judy Hicks’ Lemon Squares
One of the more light-hearted Easter eggs of the film is in a note that Judy Hicks leaves on the refrigerator. As Wes is preparing to set the dinner table while his mum picked up dinner, fans can spot a post-it note saying “lemon squares are in the fridge”.
This hilarious detail is a reference to Scream 4 (2011), the film that first introduced Judy Hicks to the franchise. To Gale’s annoyance, Judy would often gift Dewey baked goods as a sign of affection. Gale makes her irritation known to Judy in one of the funniest lines of the franchise: “Your lemon squares taste like a**”.
Wes Craven’s On-Screen Memorial
After Wes Hicks is murdered by Ghostface, Amber throws a memorial party in the same house from the original film. Whilst naming his character after the influential director is an obvious homage, the party for Wes acts as an on-screen memorial for the director, who sadly passed away in 2015.
This touching tribute included a prominent banner that reads, “For Wes”, and even includes a moment where Chad makes a toast to Wes.
“I’ll Be Right Back”
When Ritchie clears out the party after returning with Sam and Tara to pick up her inhaler, he replicates an interaction from the original movie. Ritchie utters the words “I’ll be right back” to Mindy before going down to the basement to find some beer.
This exchange is almost identical to the 1996 film when Stu utters the exact same phrase to Randy when he goes to get some beer. Not only is Randy Mindy’s uncle, but this moment hints at Ritchie as one of the new Ghostface killers.
Amber Transforms Into Freddy Krueger
In the showdown with the revealed Ghostface killers – Amber and Ritchie – Amber is caught on fire after falling onto a lit stove. When Amber ran for a final attack on Sidney and Gale, her heavily burnt face was a reference to another horror icon, Freddy Krueger, with his signature burnt and mutated look.
This is another homage to Wes Craven, the director of Nightmare On Elm Street (1984). The special effects team went so far as to replicate the exact prosthetic style of Krueger’s gruesomely burnt ears.
Did You Hit Me With A Phone?
Right before Ritchie is attacked by Ghostface in the hospital, Tara hits him with a phone to which he replies: "did you just hit me with a phone?!". This is a reference to Matthew Lillard's improvised line in the first movie.
While filming the climactic finale, the phone got stuck to Skeet Ulrich's hand because of the fake blood resulting in him accidentally hitting Matthew Lillard, to which he improvised the response: "you f****n' hit me with the phone, d***!". Wes Craven loved the line so much that he kept it.