references to other horror films in Scream

-Two of the most common references are to A Nightmare on Elm Street and its director Wes Craven.

EG.
At one point Billy sneaks into Sidney's room through her window, startling her, in a way that quotes Glen sneaking into Nancy's room in A Nightmare on Elm Street. The similarity between the scenes in emphasized by the physical resemblance Skeet Ulrich, who plays Billy's character, bears to the young Johnny Depp, who played Glen's character.


-Halloween is referenced many times throughout the film.

EG.
When Casey's parents come home and see that something is wrong, her father says to her mother, "Drive down to the Mackenzies'", which is a quote from Halloween. During the party scene, Randy Meeks, Stu Macher and the other party goers are watching the horror film. They watch many famous scenes such as Michael Myers murdering Bob, as well as Laurie Strode discovering her friend's dead bodies scattered in the bedroom. The song that Billy puts on when he and Sidney are making out in her room is a cover version of "Don't Fear the Reaper" which was featured in Halloween in the scene where Laurie and Annie are driving to their babysitting jobs.

-Billy's surname, Loomis, is the same as that of Donald Pleasence's character in Halloween (1978), which in turn was the name of Marion Crane's lover in Psycho.

EG.
Billy Loomis quotes Norman Bates, saying "We all go a little mad sometimes." Licking his fake blood, Loomis says that it is actually corn syrup and food coloring, "the same stuff they used as pig's blood in Carrie".

-As Stu and Billy reveal themselves to Sidney as the killers, they stand head to head, echoing a famous still photo from the film The Thing With Two Heads (1972).

-When Casey (Drew Barrymore) is dragged across the lawn by her murderer it strongly resembles a scene from Dementia 13.

-The blood pooling at Gale's (Courtney Cox) feet by the news van is reminiscent of a scene in Night of the Living Dead where blood pools on the floor by Barbra's feet (played by Judith O'Dea).

-Many films are briefly mentioned during a scene in which Billy and Stu visit Randy at work at a video store. Films Randy mentions include Candyman, The Howling, Prom Night, Everybody's All-American. Frankenstein is showing on the monitors.

-Sidney mentions The Town That Dreaded Sundown while she, Dewey and Tatum are buying food for the party.

-During the party scene, the partygoers are struggling with which movie to watch. The possibilities include The Evil Dead, Hellraiser, The Fog and Terror Train. Clerks is seen as a videotape on top of a television. During the party scene, when Billy arrives, Randy exclaims "What's Leatherface doing here?". Leatherface is the antagonist in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

-In addition to mentioning several horror films throughout the film, many minor characters were portrayed by actors that have worked with Wes Craven before and have also appeared in prominent horror films. For example, Linda Blair, who played Regan in "The Exorcist", also plays the obnoxious reporter who approaches Sidney when she first returns to school. Joseph Whipp, who plays Sheriff Burke in Scream, also plays the sheriff in A Nightmare on Elm Street. Frances Lee McCain, playing Mrs. Riley, also played the part of Billy's mother, Lynn Peltzer, in 1984's Gremlins.

-Other films that are seen or mentioned throughout the film include:

Friday the 13th - When the killer calls Casey Becker, he asks her "Who was the killer in Friday the 13th?". She exclaims Jason Voorhees as the answer, but the killer meant the original killer from the first movie, Jason's mother.

The Exorcist - When Billy sneaks into Sidney's bedroom, he says he came by due to being bored, sitting at home watching a TV-cut version of The Exorcist. Also, Exorcist lead star Linda Blair appears in the film as a shrill voiced reporter.

Basic Instinct

All the Right Moves - Tatum mentions wanting to see All the Right Moves so she can see Tom Cruise's penis.

Clueless (Alicia Silverstone's character was quoted)

The Silence of the Lambs - Billy mentions Jodie Foster (who played Clarice Starling in the movie) in one scene with Sidney. He also mentions Hannibal Lecter and that they never decided why he liked to eat people.

Trading Places

I Spit on Your Grave - When Tatum encounters the killer in the garage, she mistakes him for Randy, exclaiming "So what movie is this from? I spit on your garage?"

The Town That Dreaded Sundown.

The Bad Seed.

Clerks. Seen on the top of Stu's video player and a poster for it is seen in the background of the movie store