Top 10 original titles for popular horror movies

Scream – Credit: Dimension Films

9. Scary Movie (Scream)

Wes Craven’s classic 90s myster-slasher film Scream is a top favorite for many fans in the genre. One of the most interesting qualities about it is how it’s a self-aware horror movie. It pokes fun at many of its own genres stereotypes and tropes, with characters even pointing them out in the film.

By having the concept of poking some fun at horror movies, Scream originally had a more comedic name going for it. They were going to call the film Scary Movie, a parody of the formula most horror movies had been using for years. Screenwriter Kevin Williamson and director Wes Craven were both big fans of the title, even thinking ahead for sequel plans of doing Scary Movie 2 and 3.

As the filming neared completion, however, the Weinstein Brothers of Dimension Films opted to rename the film. They thought Scary Movie didn’t accurately convey what movie was really about. It was also them who came up with the new title in Scream. Williamson and Craven both hated the name change at first, even to the point of calling it “stupid”. Ultimately, however, both of them came around to the title and admitted the name change was for the better.

As we all know, the name Scary Movie still didn’t end up going to waste. It would become the name a of a horror-comedy series lampooning all of the popular horror movies. In a true twist, the first Scary Movie especially takes aim at roasting the movie Scream.