MovieChat Forums > Copycat (1995) Discussion > Scream took ideas from this movie if you...

Scream took ideas from this movie if you think about it(may be spoilers)

posted 17 years ago by bSpiker
5 replies | jump to latest

this came out over a year before Scream did... and these are the similarities

-Copycat's title scene consists of the word "Copycat poping on the screen like a stamp.. then the whole screen turns blood red, and as for Scream.. the title shows up flashing with a girl screaming, and eventually the screen also turns blood red.

-The score of Copycat had bit piano peices.. that I don't think were the same ones in Scream, but you can obviously see the similarities in the scores.

-At the end, when the killer in Copycat breaks into her house in the cop uniform, he has almost the same hair as the actor in Scream.. and even the way the killers talk are identical... I often times thought I was watching Scream everytime I'd catch this scene on TV.

Scream may be 80% different.. but I still think that Kevin (the screenwriter) had to have read Copycat's script or maybe even seen it.. but doubtful considering Scream was in theaters a little over a year later.

I'm not saying Kevin Williamson read Copycat's script and then quickly thought up some idea.. because I do remember him saying in an interview.. that he felt as if he had to hurry up and write this script, because he felt it was the "right time"... but maybe he was completely being oblivious and not giving mention to Copycat. Sorry Kevin.. you were a year late.

Any thoughts on this?

Any agreements?

"Bad art is more tragically beautiful than good art 'cause it documents human failure."

[–] PatriceLeGraisseux 12 years ago

I has The same thought but jot so much for the imagery of the film, the actors hair or any of what u mentioned. Ghostface is essentially a copycat. Williamson could have easily come with the idea for Scream by watching this film, but I don't think they would have consciously tried to copycat the film as far as mimicking actors hair or opening credits (they are similar, though)

[–] xantny84x 12 years ago

Here's the "similarities" I picked up between the two films:

Some of the trailers for "Scream" use music from Copycat. The music when Sigourney Weaver is being hanged in the bathroom.

The killer, at the end of the film, uses the Buck 119 hunting knife, which is a smaller version of the Buck 120 (longer blade) knife as the killer in Scream.

The oriental kid who shoots and kills the cop near the middle/end of the film, is the same kid who's at the party at Stu's house in Scream.

No Accidents. No Coincidences. No Escapes. You Can't Cheat Death. - FINAL DESTINATION 5

[–] PatriceLeGraisseux 10 years ago

I found some other interesting similarities watching the movie again today.
more about Scream 2 and the killer's motives. Helen confirms that Peter wants to get caught, because otherwise he won't be famous - this was Mickey's motive in Scream 2 and just like Peter had planned to correct Daryl Lee's mistakes so is every other killer in Scream after Billy and Stu's mess. it's mostly in the dialogue but it's there, lines, sometimes taken word for word, it's maybe just one. I love this thread.

[–] arnez88-237-649302 8 years ago

While watching it I was thinking of Scream a lot for sure.

[–] PaladinNJ (21510) 6 years ago

Scream took ideas from lot of movies. I think that was the point of the film.