Poll: Enough with the Wilhelm Scream!

[Drathnoxis]

At first the Wilhelm scream [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilhelm_scream] was a neat little in-joke in some films, but frankly it's getting pretty old. This stupid scream is in practically every movie I see, whether it fits or not, and it's absurd.

It's starting to take me out of the film whenever I hear it. Let me give an example: I'm watching the Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and I'm fairly immersed in the world of Middle Earth, but then they are running around those goblin tunnels and one of the goblins being knocked off the ledge gives out that ridiculous scream. It sounds nothing like a goblin, and I'm immediately ejected from the thrill of the escape as I'm reminded of that stupid in-joke.

Memes have no place in any serious work of fiction, and this joke has quite gone on long enough.

 

[Dirty Hipsters]

The Hobbit movies did a lot of stupid crap like that.

Remember the go pro footage they used to capture the river chase sequence from the barrel's perspective? It's the single stupidest, most baffling, directing decision I've ever witnessed, and I've watched all of The Room.

Honestly though, I don't really have a problem with the Wilhelm scream itself, but I do have a problem with it being use obnoxiously. It's supposed to be a little easter egg and easter eggs aren't supposed to be prominent. If you're going to use it then hide it among the other sounds of the movie, don't make it the loudest and most prominent thing on screen for that moment.

 

[tippy2k2]

It's the single stupidest, most baffling, directing decision I've ever witnessed, and I've watched all of The Room.

Do you hate yourself or was it some kind of "Clockwork Orange" torture device? I got about thirty minutes in because I was told that I had to watch it to see the worst movie ever and...ho boy did it live up to that title.

OT: I agree. If they are able to hide it as Mr Glutton for Punishment here recommends, I'm fine with that since you shouldn't hear it unless you're listening for it. Outside of that, it's just a really annoying and useless Easter egg.

 

[lechat]

wow all topics really do get rehashed here, i remember this exact same topic like a year ago and i even remember (roughly) my response.

Me personally i prefer the wilhelm scream to the howie scream which pops up in tons of movies and commercials but especially games.
The problem i have with the howie scream is it doesn't sound like anything anyone would ever scream for any reason, It's kinda this excited "yeah bro" scream which shifts into an overly long scream of horror. to show you how ridiculous it is try and fit it into any context in this clip:

 

[Vault101]

I was playing dragon age inquisition (battle scene) and I fucking heard it XD

I wonder if its ever been in Mass Effect

 

[Evonisia]

Point the first: The Hobbit film is considered a serious work of fiction?

As for the Wilhelm scream, it personally doesn't distract me, but I simply don't encounter it enough to get sick of it yet. It gives a light smirk even if the battle is supposed to be intense and stuff. I suppose that makes it a tone crusher, which is a bad thing obviously.

 

[Kyrian007]

I think it needs to be used more. It never fails to make me laugh. "Ahh the tragic passing of another in the Willhelm Clan. Let us comfort the widow Willhelm." It's no more or less stupid than any other sound effect, like the common frying pan bonk or that horrid Inception BWAAAAHHHHHHHHHNNNNGGGGGGGG.

 

[dangoball]

I didn't really notice the Willhelm scream until I started watching Everything Wrong With *insert movie title*. That made me google it and now I finally know what it it. As it was not in any way disturbing prior to my knowladge of it I don't really have a problem with it. It was kinda funny when I rewatched the Watchem and heard Willhelm in Rorschack's prison escape scene, though.

Edit:
Also I believe this is relevant to the thread

Spoiler: A song to celebrate the topic at hand!

 

[FirstNameLastName]

Personally, I think it's welcome to never show up in a single movie again. It's so over used that it doesn't work as a joke any more, and it never worked as a valid sound effect to begin with.

 

[Zhukov]

Meh, it strikes me as harmless enough.

I mean, I'm not a fan of it, but it's not going to make me storm from the theatre frothing at the mouth with impotent rage.

 

[Zhukov]

... the howie scream...

Wait, that's a thing?

I just thought it was the Starcraft end-of-level sound. That's the only place I can remember hearing it.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

Peter Jackson likes it a little too much... and he doesn't seem to care where he puts the scream either. There's a good timing for it and a bad timing. I didn't mind it in the LOTR movies at all... but in The Hobbit movies it felt wrong a couple of times. Specially in the Extended Cut, where he gives an important character a Wilhelm Scream for his death scene. Just absurd.

 

[SonOfVoorhees]

I think its funny when i hear it but its never enough to ruin a film. Though i would prefer that if a movie is serious then they shouldnt use it. Like if there is a WW2 movie and their is a scene where Nazis were shooting Jewish people - then the Wilhelm scream would be wrong to include.

 

[happyninja42]

I love the Wilhelm Scream. Every time it pops up I cry out "Wilhelm! NOOOOO!!!" and then pretend to cry for a few moments. It's great fun for me and my wife. People in the theater don't really get why I'm doing it, and then laughing, but screw them xD

 

[sky14kemea]

I love the Wilhelm. :c

Everytime I hear it in a film my mind goes "Wilhelm!" like I'm playing movie trope bingo. It makes me happy for a few moments.

I can agree with them not using it super obviously like some movies are doing, but I wouldn't like to see it removed altogether.

 

[happyninja42]

---Wait, that's a thing?

I just thought it was the Starcraft end-of-level sound. That's the only place I can remember hearing it.---

My browser is being weird so I can't "quote" people, but yes. That sound effect has been used many times in multiple forms of media. The example of it that always pops in my head, is in Noah Antwiler's (The Spoony Experiment) review of the 2 Reb Brown movies Caged Fury and Caged Fury 2. I don't recall which review it was in, but in one of them, he highlights that sound effect as it was used, in a very comical way.

 

[Fijiman]

So long as it isn't used constantly though out a film I'm not really gonna care about what kind of scream they use.

 

[Fox12]

It ruined one of my favorite LotR scenes, so I can never forgive it. You want to include it in a silly moment? Sure. But when the tension has reached a fever pitch, and everything is lost, don't insert a Wilhelm scream you asinine clown. It's everywhere. I'm sick of it. No serious film maker should be using it. It used to be a film geek shout out, a little in joke. Now it's everywhere, and everyone knows about it. It was never funny, and it's lost it's relevence. I'd be happy to never hear it used again, and to have it exponged from history. It's obnoxious.

 

[Bob_McMillan]

Uh we're talking about the Boba Fett scream right? Because that's the only time I remember it being used. If it is, I sometimes notice it some times I don't.