How Scream Saved Slasher Movies | Slash Course | NowThis Nerd

Our deep dive into the depths of slasher cinema concludes with a look at Scream and the ‘90s slasher boom!
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Horror movies have come a long way since Michael Myers first stepped onto the slasher stage in Halloween. It was a high point in the history of horror, but throughout the evolution of horror, the ‘80s and ‘90s were a treasure trove of terror, introducing us to classic creepy characters and franchises like Friday the 13th, Freddy Krueger, Leatherface, Chucky, Candyman, and so on. But even after slashers like Jason Voorhees fell out of style, the kills still kept coming, but it would take a new breed of scary movies to bring them to the next generation.
Throughout the history of slashers, the kill count continued to rise while box office returns fell, but Wes Craven changed the game again with Scream in 1996. Ghostface changed the game and jumpstarted the evolution of slashers, inspiring a new slate of Scream sequels and ripoffs that explained how slasher movies came back to prominence. The best slashers can’t be explained through any kill compilation, trailer, clip, or scenes, they are a totality of the last century of cinema, and you can trace a direct line from the classics to modern stuff like Jigsaw, the Conjuring, AHS 1984, and the Blumhouse films of 2019 and beyond. The popularity of slasher cinema waxes and wanes, but slashers are clearly here to stay.
#halloween #horror #scary #slashers #fridaythe13th #jason #freddy #michaelmyers #leatherface #scream #ghostface #candyman #chucky #ahs1984 #nowthis #nowthisnerd #slashcourse
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NowThis Nerd is your one stop shop for everything from movies and TV to games and comics. We’re committed to fueling the conversation about the nerd world and nerd culture. Join us every week as we geek out and explore topics such as sci-fi, aliens, monsters, superheroes and villains, comics, Marvel, DC, and so much more.

[@TellItAnimated]

Horror Icons born in the 90s (other than Ghostface): Candyman, Leprechaun, Hook Man maybe, but most of them began their series before Scream came out.

[@Smileydude123]

Wow dude

[@gabethegeek593]

Tell It Animated Nice job

[@michaelj1729]

Childs Play too

[@SLiMmcl]

Yeah it's kind of weird how they just jumped from '84 with Elm Street and skipped all the way to '96 with scream.

[@melaniemills4745]

John Michael Ligtas childs play started in the 80’s

[@brittonius2]

What's funny is Scream actually got me into Slashers as a kid and made me wanna look back at some older ones and look for ones that were coming out at the time. S/N: I think you're the 1st KZbinr I've seen that actually acknowledges Valentine like at all.

[@littlebigbunnyrabbit9520]

Same but in horror in general

[@paulvoorhies8821]

That’s hilarious!!

[@michaelj1729]

yall are wrong, Scary Movie 1-3 aged like fine wine.

[@TotalTech_]

Scary movie 2 onward aged like goat milk

[@bicuriousdirtbikeboi2594]

Scary Movie 3 was the best. Scary Movie 1-2 were awesome and funny. Scary Movie 4 was good. Scary Movie 5 sucks.

[@deepdirt]

This Boi Loves P!nk Scream 3 was the best?? God I hope you’re kidding. That movie was such a joke.

[@Tysenberg]

@@bicuriousdirtbikeboi2594 i hope your joking or else this comment section is gonna have some drama

[@bicuriousdirtbikeboi2594]

@@Tysenberg I mean to say Scary Movie

[@MadeByDW]

“Scream sequels”, includes tha horrible Scream 3 but skips tha underrated Scream 4. I’ve been patiently waiting for a Scream 5 && for Kirby Reed’s return

[@thehardercandy]

Scream 4 was garbage. Emma Robert's as a killer running around in high heels, 100 pounds soaking wet 😂 what a joke.

[@MadeByDW]

Guy Guest thanks for opinion, keep it pushing

[@boliaam]

they confirmed TODAY that a new Scream movie is coming. They just didn't say if it is a sequel or a remake. Hoping that Sid and Kirby come back slaying it.

[@MadeByDW]

Otávio Mafra from what I heard it’s gonna be a reboot from the studio that bought out/took over Dimension films

[@boliaam]

@@MadeByDW oooh... Well i wanted Neve Campbell again, but I guess a remake is nice as well, if they make as good as the original

[@shadowsinthedark4036]

Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon did a great job examining the genre as well.

[@blaze556922]

Not just one of the greatest horror movies of all time, but one of the greatest movies of all time to me.

[@DBMWM3GTR]

The first movie to mix humor, horror, mystery with a thrill in those days. I watched it as a kid and it really impressed me.. use to be afraid at night for a period of time. 😂

[@paigypoo1015]

i actually really love both urban legend and valentine 😂

[@matthewennis3591]

I’d say Candyman stayed pretty memorable among slasher villains of the 90s

[@cheddadinerro4479]

Ghostface and Candyman are the 2 best slashers from the 90s

[@stevezac_cptlpnshmnt]

Agreed

[@bosshogg916]

Ghostface: *WASSUP*

[@Smileydude123]

W

[@Smileydude123]

A

[@Smileydude123]

S

[@Smileydude123]

S

[@Smileydude123]

U

[@tweaker3484]

Scary Movies 1 & 2 have aged well I’d say.

[@kevinminder9209]

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2003 remake is one of the best horror movie remakes ever, fight me

[@theb0ys429]

I'll fight u it sucks

[@aydenbaldwin3041]

The texas chainsaw massacre is the best remake of all time

[@Busybethableable]

I love your verbal alliteration! Such fun, informative videos, that give horror movies the nerding out that they deserve!

[@shimerrill967]

So, Ghostface “technically” saved everyone else’s franchise kicking up the popularity by being a unknown, quirky, funny.. sometimes even charming.. killer 😳 Awesome 😎👍

[@godzillamaster90]

Jeepers creepers where did you get those peepers.

[@kerrajohnson3203]

I actually love the Scream rip-offs 😂 Valentine & Urban Legend still get watched in my house. 🤷🏾‍♀️

[@hakikigulyabani]

Kerra Johnson SAME

[@thekiller7994]

Same thing as well

[@fourteen8490]

The original scream is my favorite slasher movie of all time, I mean this movie kicked off other movies like scary movie and started something huge

[@parzival9895]

NowThisNerd: Wes Craven almost ruined slasher films with A Nightmare on Elm's street. Also NowThisNerd: Wes Craven saved slasher films with Scream.

[@no-ro6by]

he saved what he almost killed

[@letsdodapumpkin7999]

*I used the movies to fix the movies*

[@lukecage5524]

Dude Scream is my favorite movie of all time... and guess what Scary Movie is one of all my all time favorites as well!! This video is pointing out something I think is bogus the market just got flooded and over saturated just like anything.

[@kurtmorrison6411]

GREAT video guys!!!! Knocked it out of the park with this one

[@Scarshadow666]

I would also say that the Lull period was also giving rise to more intense horror when it came to videogames. While there's franchises like Castlevania that involved lots of Gothic horror influences, Resident Evil and Silent Hill were on their way up in popularity during the late 90's and early 2000's and were what helped bring about purposefully scaring gamers, something that continued into the Amnesia games and various other other games heavily inspired by RE and Silent Hill. There was also the Clocktower games and games that I'm just now realizing were covered in another video (lolz, 😅🤪)

[@angelfromda8138]

I really want a new scream movie

[@MadeByDW]

Angel Canales right?

[@jorboii]

Angel Canales Apparently blumhouse is working on it

[@angelfromda8138]

Jordan I heard about that but it was awhile ago

[@adrianav.7713]

Me too. I will literally write a script for a new scream movie rn😂

[@angelfromda8138]

Adriana V. Let’s do it lol

[@3boodae749]

Scream was a comedic satire of the horror genre, while Scary Movie was just a straight forward parody. I know on a meta and production level the franchises are linked, but a lot of people online still seem to confuse the terms 'satire' and 'parody' hence why they cannot understand what actually makes the two films different, apart from that one is 100x more goofier than the other.

[@cwfilbert]

I love Adam Green ‘s “ Hatchet “series.

[@hejabalhajri617]

It’s so underrated

[@barbarapatino5458]

AMAZING! Loved this video!!!

[@DBMWM3GTR]

A legendary movie... specially the first one.

[@ahmedhathoutt]

I'm actually in love with Valentine. Still trying to figure out what it is that it's missing that made people not take it seriously at all.

[@buffyfan10112]

Ahmed Hathout same. I thought it was a solid film. Could it have been better? Sure. It’s an underrated film.

[@TarynM716]

It’s weird that I watched this for the first time in a flood while last night. I really liked it.

[@anemkcire]

I love how scream 4 was completely ignored

[@Mike-sp9sk]

That 1974 Texas chainsaw massacre movie so good

[@jazzywolf9250]

Cabin in the woods.

[@heroicdorkgoop4850]

Jazzy Wolf I’m surprised he never mentioned it

[@ben_campbell22]

I personally love I Know What You Did Last Summer

[@user-vn7ce5ig1z]

11:29 - They're not rebooting _Black Christmas_ , they're remaking it, _again_ . You can't reboot one-off movies, you can only remake them. You reboot a _franchise_ of sequels (especially if they're serial rather than episodic). I still don't understand the credit for _Scream_ ; the same thing could be said of any movie at a cusp of change.

[@thehardercandy]

Were you alive and old enough to understand the cultural impact Scream had when it came out? I was and it definitely deserves credit for jump-starting the horror genre in Hollywood again.

[@paulvoorhies8821]

Ironic, given that Halloween is essentially Halloween’s unofficial sequel.

[@marlonsanchez3141]

The reason why slasher had no staying power is because they had little to no thought or subtext in them unlike modern day super hero films like THE WINTER SOLDIER, they incorporated the themes espionage and who can you trust. However, Studios still have not learned this lesson aside from MARVEL.

[@adagiobreeze8493]

Cherry Falls with Brittany Murphy was my favorite Scream rip off

[@MAMoreno]

I'm fond of I Still Know What You Did Last Summer. It dropped the pretenses of its predecessor and was just a good old dumb slasher flick.

[@chauthaibao5305]

“It failed to create new slasher stars” Jigsaw: Am I a joke to you?

[@ghostface3652]

Y’all sleeping on my guy Candyman in the 90s 😤

[@deshawn_riley3546]

Ghost Face candyman always get slept on i guess it’s because candyman came out in 91 when the slashers was on the downhill till scream came out in 96 candyman & ghostface are the best from the 90s

[@gettheflickoverhere]

The strangers is a recent movie that I think was amazing.

[@jovanmilosevic5488]

Scary movie aged well

[@drinks_menu]

my biggest issue with this video is that AHS is dated 2011 but specifically AHS:1984 (Season 9) is referenced despite that season being released in 2019.

[@BrianEssersGarage]

Anyone else totally think this guy looks like he could be related to Tony Angelo from Hot Rod Garage? The resemblance is uncanny.

[@vonvex]

I only watch content on this channel with Moose. Guys a legend

[@Tara-zz7ny]

Kevin Williamson actually didn’t write Scream 3. He helped produce it but it’s the only one in the franchise he didn’t write. Which is why some people absolutely hate the 3rd one lol

[@torontofreddy8688]

That's right! Erin Kruger wrote the script. I think most people don't like it because it's a horrible film , not to mention the fact that Parker Posey's in it ieeee!!!

[@C.L.Hinton]

8:20 So Moose's parents were *trying* to give him coulrophobia? I mean, they weren't even being subtle about it.

[@adrianav.7713]

Imma say it. I wanna be the next Wes Craven. I truly would like to bring back Slasher films/ the Slasher film trope, yes Scream/Ghostface and Ahs 1984 are TWO of my inspirations.

[@theburrisarchivedk5426]

3:12 i love that movie and its 2 sequels.

[@TrailerGuy]

incoming Friday the 13th reboot? what do you guys know that the rest of us don't?

[@ssj3gokou24]

So, kya came back for 1 episode?

[@Karnxge]

I love scream

[@fruit7726]

Pls do part 3

[@alexh8503]

Do how to survive in Haddonfield

[@bulljuggalo]

forgot about victor crowley from the hatchet film series

[@TheKodysimon1]

Chuckie Candyman and Pumpkin head

[@CasuallyClutching]

Where did you get the statistics for the highest grossing Slasher's adjusted for inflation? I've been looking for an actively updated non-article list forever.

[@torontofreddy8688]

You forgot Gus Van Sant's shameless shot for shot Psycho 1998 remake! That actually came before The Texas Chainsaw Macassar!

[@destroyadora]

I absolutely love scary movie lol

[@Sus_Miser]

I love scream!

[@Sus_Miser]

Also your the first comment!

[@johnnymars6773]

Not gonna lie- I thought I Still Know What You Did Last Summer was a ton of fun.

[@paulvoorhies8821]

God, the Black Christmas sequels were dreadful. Particularly sad, given that the original 74 version is the progenitor of the North American slasher.

[@AxeKick80]

Blood n’ Guts Puttin’ Butts Nice 👌

[@anthonyhudak9363]

Can you guys make a video covering Tremors?

[@francinearcieri8439]

Fade to Black dennis. Christopher from it was awesome love it the fan Lauren Bacall scary good

[@Prkwon]

Drew Barrymore part was homage to psycho

[@toolazyforaname]

R.I.P REGULAR SHOW :(

[@carko-lime7182]

Scream will always be my favorite horror movie of all time

[@richie7782]

You totally forget the first throwback nostalgic horror movie that came out in 2008 “HOUSE OF THE DEVIL” it even was filmed to have the same look of the 80’s!!!!

[@igloo614]

Scary Move 1 and 2 have aged well idk what you on about

[@deshawn_riley3546]

1:Candyman 2:Jeepers Creepers 3:Final Destination 4:IKWYDLS 5:Valentine 6:Urban Legend

[@antwaunclark85]

Scary movie 1 and 2 aged well fasho

[@igloo614]

Yeah idk what mans talking about

[@fatcatmankovichstudios2314]

I love horror movies and I'm first to see this video

[@bicuriousdirtbikeboi2594]

Wait what slasher was Paul Rudd in? Other than Halloween?

[@SteelViko]

7:58 didn't that come out this year? Not 2011?

[@coolthefool1]

What about candyman Chucky and leprechaun

[@ootdtoxic3648]

Do more video like this

[@berniemadow1722]

The Shape

[@alltimelowbro227]

I like to think superhero movie genera kinda replaced the idea of what slasher movies where for the new age of flim has a whole but that's just my opinion I think with a lot of R Rated movies showing success like Swamp Thing,Blade,Punisher,Deadpool,Logan we could see the reamgerance of the slasher genera in the 2020's

[@luisvelez1952]

Will the scream franchise ever return again to the movies?

[@sgillman16]

I don't understand why people dislike Halloween Resurrection.

[@barz2k12]

If that's the 1 wit busta rhymes on it that's why 😂

[@sgillman16]

It was a modern day entry to the series. A resurrection of Myers for the MTV generation. You can't just make a copy of the first movie over and over. Would you listen to an album with 20 variations of the first track? No. You would be sick of it after a few songs.

[@barz2k12]

@@sgillman16 you right you cant just do the 1st movie over and get the same response but Halloween has has never been comical and putting a rapper on it crackin jokes made it more of a joke. The series never relied on gimics for attention its a known brand they didn't have to. Busta and Tyra banks? MTV generation cant watch a classic without new popular people in it? Wtf

[@ncrtrooper1782]

Directors/Inspiring Directors out there, as if 2019, the scariest things out there are Shootings and Terrorist attacks so have those elements in your horror films. It will be terrifying with the recent scares, using current world problems works best. But remember, the best feat to use is the fear of the unknown.

[@JRKonungrinn]

El Vista 665 *aspiring

[@ncrtrooper1782]

@@JRKonungrinn ahh

[@Scarshadow666]

@El Vista 665 And also to think of the specific horror audiences and their horror subgenre of interest that you want to speak to. Like what was said in the video, we now have ways of seeing movies tailored to suit with audiences individually and personally, so audiences that are looking for goofy or not-so-serious horror to escape from real life horrors may not want something that taps into heavy material and may avoid horror movies that have shootings and terrorist attacks, while audiences that don't mind being challenged will gravitate towards it better. Timing and who you're speaking to is everything! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[@ncrtrooper1782]

@@Scarshadow666 yes ur right but I'm talking about things that will stick with people, since it is our decade's traumatic reality it sticks with us more. Similar to how in the 60s and 70s, invasion of the body snatchers was scary, since they were scared of communist and in a way IOTBS is similar. It makes good content is what I'm trying to say. I understand if people think it's too much and I get what u mean

[@Scarshadow666]

@El Vista 665 In that case, you're definitely right! Hoping to see more horror movies (and horror videogames) that deal with modern fears too (I'm sure that there is plenty material out there for future horror writers/directors)!

[@ChubbsWho]

the scary movie franchise was great up until scary movie 3.

[@samultraflame2043]

My favorite slasher it ghost face

[@yellowtanos8369]

Boisssssssssss!!!!!

[@milkywaygamingboy5531]

Whydidnt they add stuff like The Stuff and Ticks into the mix for this?

[@Deleteds_petfish]

Don't talk bad about resurrection I loved seeing Michael getting beaten cause of karate.

[@arfansthename]

EVERYBODY'S A SUSPECT!

[@michelleduvally2876]

1:25

[@daytonsouthall1137]

Halloween(2018) is not a reboot

[@bobbybrown1682]

I arguably love the babysitter franchise

[@MA1.5]

What about Saw?

[@jamesminor1945]

Cherry Falls was pretty good

[@TEKKENKING23]

You forgot they are remaking The grudge.

[@hilariajackson3252]

Hi

[@psulionz87]

#UrbanLegend fam

[@rwilmer8]

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

[@garethwilliams7330]

Now Wes has sadly gone the only person who should direct a Scream 5 should be Kevin Williamson. The Weinsteins really messed him and now with their downfall he could have full control.

[@buffyfan10112]

I wish people would stop citing Williamson as a writer for Scream 3. He wrote a different script that never came to fruition due to the Columbine High School massacre. Ehren Kruger wrote the script, along with Craven’s help.

[@HP43677]

Hi everyone

[@givemecookies5078]

my favourite post-scream slsaher would totally be victor crowley.i dont know why probably because im a gore hound