5 reasons why the film Scream is Postmodern

Pastiche - it replicates the movie plot of a slasher film. It follows the same formula of films from that genre.

Parody - Although it takes on this formula it almost makes a mockery of slasher films for being too predictable. For example the main character Sidney Prescott even says this about slasher films "Some stupid killer stalking some big - breasted girl who cant act who is always running up the stairs when she should be running out the front door. Its insulting." What she doesn't realize is that shes about to reenact that movie genre.

Appropriation - taking a piece of art work and giving it a new meaning. The evil villain in this film was named after a rubber Halloween mask, which was originally inspired by the Edvard Munch painting called "The Scream."

Scream Mask and "The Scream" by Edvard Munch

High and Low Culture - Craven has taken a massed produced and low cultured item (the rubber mask) that originated from a high cultured piece of art work and re-imagines this to create a slasher film. 


Intertextuality - the film references a lot of other movies from the Horror genre. Especially when the characters are discussing about horror movies themselves. Many of the characters, especially Randy Meeks understands the cliche of slasher films.