From Norwegian Post-Impressionism to MTV slashers: the many faces of a scream
In short: Whether it is Edvard Munch’s haunting 1895 lithograph or an American anthology television series, the concept of a scream evokes primal terror. Explore how a cinematic slasher concept evolved from a terrifying masked killer into a multi-season television saga of secrets and survival.
The television series Scream, developed by Jill Blotelevogel, Dan Dworkin, and Jay Beattie, is an American anthology slasher set in various locations. Set within the imaginary Colorado community of Lakewood, the initial two seasons featured the Lakewood Slasher hunting individuals such as Emma Duval, who drew inspiration from Sidney Prescott. These early seasons featured a cast including Willa Fitzgerald and Bex Taylor-Klaus, following a pattern of teenagers being stalked by a masked serial killer. The first season's cast included characters like the wealthy Brooke Maddox and the intelligent Noah Foster. Other notable figures included the student Kieran Wilcox and the medical examiner Maggie Duval.
The series underwent a significant transformation during its third season, titled Resurrection. Moving from MTV to VH1, the show was rebooted with a new setting in Atlanta and a fresh cast, including RJ Cyler and Keke Palmer. This iteration shifted focus to Deion Elliot, a football star tormented by his past. The production also saw a change in leadership; while the first season was led by showrunners Blotevogel and Jaime Paglia, they were replaced by Michael Gans and Richard Register for the second season due to creative differences. During the transition to VH1, executive producers such as Queen Latifah and Shakim Compere joined the production. The third season's cast also featured Tyga and Giorgia Whigham.
Beyond the screen, the word 'Scream' resonates through art history. The iconic work by Norwegian artist Edvard Munch, created in 1895, exists as a black ink lithograph on cream card. Decades later, American artist Raymond Martin produced his own lithograph titled The Scream in 1963, demonstrating how the visceral emotion of a scream continues to inspire different mediums and eras of artistic expression. Munch's 1895 piece is part of the Clarence Buckingham Collection. Martin's 1963 work was acquired via the Frank G. Logan Purchase Prize.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Scream (TV series)
- Also: Art Institute of Chicago — The Scream · CC0 (data); description CC BY 4.0
- Also: Art Institute of Chicago — The Scream · CC0 (data); description CC BY 4.0
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