The Wilhelm Scream

[Gemini Cricket]

At last, a long time question of mine has been answered. Thank goodness for YouTube and Wikipedia.

In many, many films you can hear the Wilhelm Scream. This (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilhelm_scream) is the Wiki description of it.

See this clip (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YDpuA90KEY) for several examples. (***Warning - Clip compilation contains scenes from Howard the Duck and the Star Wars Holiday Special.*** :D )

I heard this scream so many times in movies that I just knew it had to be some inside joke or homage.

[innerSpaceman]

Interesting to read the listing of what films it's been in since Star Wars revived it.

Lots of Lucasfilm, ILM and Disney.


Um, but now it's too many for it to be a fun joke anymore. Time to stop, methinks. (with apologies to Pvt. Wilhelm.)

[Kevy Baby]

I never knew that. Very cool GC - thanks for providing the info!

[Jazzman]

"Spot The Wilhelm" is a fun movie game we play whenever we watch a new movie. Whoever calls it first usually just gets a beer or something but it's funny to yell out "WILHELM!!!" in the middle of a movie (at home) and have a good laugh.

[wendybeth]

Goofy should have exclusive use of the Wilhelm- it really works for him.

[Gn2Dlnd]

http://www.onthemedia.org/yore/transcripts/transcripts_020901_wilhelm.html

[LSPoorEeyorick]

Love me some Wilhelm.

Though, lately there's another trend; there's one particular horn honking with doppler effect that is showing up EVERYWHERE. We used it as a special effect in one of the games we built at work, and I heard it a lot. Now I hear it in pretty much every action or street scene around, and I have great fun turning to Tom and saying "I know that beep!"

BEEP-BEEEEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep

[Deebs]

I heard this scream so many times in movies that I just knew it had to be some inside joke or homage.


How can I have lived this long and not known about it? Of course I recognized it as soon as I heard it, but I didn't know its name. Thank you for sharing this bit of cultural ed.

The song at the end of the YouTube compilation made me laugh.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

Loved the comp video. Very cool to see all those scenes at once.

Goofy should have exclusive use of the Wilhelm- it really works for him.I'm sure you were kidding, buuuuut, just so there's no confusion - the Goofy Holler (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goofy_holler) is entirely different from the Wilhelm Scream. Hear Goofy holler here (http://www.zedge.net/ringtones/132590/goofy-holler-sms-ringtone/). (Yes, I only found it in ringtone form.)


ETA, the Goofy Holler wiki entry led me to this (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castle_thunder_%28sound_effect%29) familiar movie sound.

[wendybeth]

Whoops- couldn't get the sound byte to run for me and I read the article too fast.....
I'm relieved the Goofster will retain his special sound.:D