Is anyone else sick of the Willhelm scream?

[PhunkyPhazon]

For those of you who don't know, the Willhelm scream is a very famous stock sound effect that was first used in the 1951 film, Distant Drums. Ever since then it has become a massively popular in-joke among filmmakers and has been used thousands of times. It has appeared in just about every major George Lucas-produced film, Tarantino is a major fan of it, it's in every Lord of the Rings movie including the Hobbit. If you don't know the exact sound clip by name, I promise you'll recognize it:


The thing is, it's not just movies. It appears constantly on television, in animation, even video games (Red Dead Redemption purposely included it as a homage to the classic westerns that influenced it). And my god I am getting tired of it. It is quite possibly the most overused in-joke in history. It ceased to be funny, charming, or even cute years ago. Every time I hear it now I just roll my eyes and sigh, and its over-saturation just makes it even more irritating. Worse, sometimes it's used where it really doesn't belong, which completely breaks immersion and takes me out of the experience. Perfect example: it has popped up in recent episodes of My Little Pony, screamed by female characters whose voices sound absolutely nothing like the Willhelm scream.

It's like people keep using it just for the sake of having an in-joke, but why the hell has it endured so damn long? Think of the countless internet memes that took the world by storm and were constantly referenced by everyone with a keyboard. Think of all the Rick Rolls, the Over 9000's, the All Your Base jokes- how often do you still see these? Even the most recent one, Gangnam Style, has already been stripped of all appeal thanks to countless parodies and repeats of it.

So why has the Willhelm scream managed to live for over 60 years and why do people still find it so damn hilarious?

 

[Vault101]

but its an awsome song!

EDIT: I think your overratcting..usually it only ever lasts for less than a second

 

[DktrAgonizer]

Nah, I honestly like going through movies and listening for it. I've always found it amusing. Can't blame anyone else for not liking it, but it's never not funny to me.

 

[PhunkyPhazon]

EDIT: I think your overratcting..usually it only ever lasts for less than a second

Length has nothing to do with it. Annoying is annoying, especially when you hear it every time you pop in a disk.

 

[Random Argument Man]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hf6_hok4-lo

I mostly prefer Youraagh. You find Wilhelm annoying? There's really a possibility for everything.

 

[PhunkyPhazon]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hf6_hok4-lo

I mostly prefer Youraagh. You find Wilhelm annoying? There's really a possibility for everything.

It's not the scream itself I find annoying, it's the over-saturation. Nothing can be repeated that many times and still remain charming.

 

[Marter]

I don't even notice it, so ... yeah, I don't actually care if it's used for a second in a movie.

It doesn't detract even the slightest for me, so it's a non-issue.

 

[lechat]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hf6_hok4-lo

I mostly prefer Youraagh. You find Wilhelm annoying? There's really a possibility for everything.

shit i just spent 30 minuets trying to find that. should have read the thread first

the howie scream

that shit pops up in so many movies and games its not even funny. what's worse is it's used in basically any motivational training, ass busting scene you can think of (thats the nutrigrain scream for any aussies)
why i hate that scream more than the wilhelm is it's not even realistic in any sense other than torture

 

[SlaveNumber23]

EDIT: I think your overratcting..usually it only ever lasts for less than a second

I agree with this, I think its a really cool little Easter egg sort of thing put in by filmmakers, I really don't understand how you could find it annoying. Even if you are watching movies constantly 24/7 you are still only hearing it maybe once or twice every hour and a half or so, which is vastly less saturation than memes, which can be used by pretty much everyone and not just filmmakers. Memes tend to invade into your personal life even outside the internet, I've never ever seen anyone doing a Wilhelm scream in real life.

 

[Casual Shinji]

I don't mind unless it's done really over the top - Have you ever seen The Relic?

And hearing any stock sound effect like 20 times in a row will annoy anyone.

 

[Beautiful End]

I concur. I hear it everywhere despite the fact that it doesn't sound realistic anymore, it's overused and everyone knows they just pulled out the good ol' scream tape. I don't understand why people keep using that scream. it's as if we used that one overrated lady scream...which I cannot find on youtube right now.

It's not like it makes me restless but it is annoying now.

 

[Redlin5_v1legacy]

It took me out of The Hobbit for a moment. Then I forgot my irritation instantly and continued to enjoy the movie. Yes, it is an over-used injoke that should probably be taken out of productions for a decade. No, it isn't a big deal. Not in my eyes anyway.

 

[Neverhoodian]

but its an awsome song!

EDIT: I think your overratcting..usually it only ever lasts for less than a second

Why in the world would someone give their song a title like that without inserting the actual scream at some point?! That's a felony in some states, you know.

I don't have a problem with the Wilhelm Scream in most cases. It's a fun little running gag, a kind of audible "Where's Waldo" if you will. I will admit that it wasn't handled very well in The Hobbit, though. Who thought it was a good idea to give the scream to a goblin when their voices don't sound like a human's (besides the Goblin king)? Personally, I would have given it to one of the dwarves during the fight scene with the trolls.

 

[SckizoBoy]

Well, they don't use it repeatedly in a film so it's not all bad. Just once per for the most part, so it can be rather amusing just listening for it 'cos you know its coming at some point... ¬_¬

 

[Headdrivehardscrew]

As usual, a compilation like the one you posted - or linked to, at least - really, really rubs it in.

When I watch a movie, I am normally somewhat absorbed by the actual story and the goings-on, be that dialogue, action or intercourse, so I usually don't notice or expect the Wilhelm scream. Most of the time, I don't even notice it the first time I watch a movie. Sometimes I do on second exposure, and sometimes it's just something someone else points out on some sort of youtubish thing.

I think the Wilhelm scream has not yet overstayed its welcome, and I think it's a film-makers pet peeve favourite in-joke. Deservedly so.

I was more annoyed and still have issues with the unnatural pow and powWEEEE and PEEEEOW sounds guns make in certain movies. I find that to be more offensive than white devils painted black or red to play evil injuns or evil guys from another planet ethnic complexion.

I was annoyed for a while by the abundant use of dog barking stock sound clips, as dogs tend to respond to each and every one of them. The dog's dead now, so the barks just make me sad, at the very most.

Leave Wilhelm alone. As long as he's screaming, we still got the spirit of cinema going.

And it's not happening in 48fps. The soulless perfection of the images of the digital age are a sad, sad thing. Wilhelm shouldn't just scream, he should wail and sob and vomit.

 

[Headdrivehardscrew]

but its an awsome song!

EDIT: I think your overratcting..usually it only ever lasts for less than a second

The Wilhelm Scream equivalent in this video seems to be a smile.

[http://imgur.com/8CqcI]

Just my tuppence on the subject.

Great track, by the way. Always makes me a bit sad for no proper, apparent reason.

But there's that smile hidden in there @ 3:53.

 

[Kroxile]

Suddenly the Borderlands 2 trophy makes a lot more sense.

 

[Ralen-Sharr]

it's old and used in places where it sounds horribly out of place IMO
needs replacement, or you know, just let the damn actor that's supposed to be screaming do the screaming