Hollywood films are known for recycling the same audio effects over and over again, from explosions to gunshots, and cat meows. Chances are, audiences have heard particular stock studio sound effects across hundreds, if not thousands of films, and they play an integral part in the filmmaking process.
The most famous sound effect of all time is undoubtedly the Wilhelm Scream. It originally debuted in 1951 before making its first big appearance in 1953's The Charge at Feather River. Sound designer Ben Burtt turned it into a virtual meme when he used it in the original Star Wars film, and it has since become a hilarious running gag in a number of big-name films.
Batman Returns The Favor
The Caped Crusader squares off against the Red Triangle Circus Gang in the opening act of Batman Returns, and it's one of the more spectacular and brutal fights in the original Tim Burton series. The film is best remembered for its clever in-jokes, carefully woven storylines that were ahead of their time, some wickedly dark humor, and of course, a Wilhelm scream for good measure.
After turning a corner down a dark alleyway, one of the gang members tries to attack Batman but is stopped dead in his tracks with a punch to the face. Without missing a beat, Batman grabs him by the shoulder and hurls him over a railing, causing him to Wilhelm scream at high volume. It looks and sounds rather silly, but that might have been the idea.
Buzz Lightyear Takes A Dive
The original Toy Story wowed audiences and charmed children with its inventive and revolutionary use of rendered CGI characters and backgrounds. It allowed animators to do a lot of things previously unheard of while constructing a highly entertaining and hilarious story around the iconic characters.
One scene, in particular, shows a large globe rolling off a desk and striking a lamp, which spins around and knocks Buzz Lightyear clear out of the bedroom window. As he goes over the edge, he Wilhelm screams all the way to the bottom, which is even more amusing given that Tim Allen voiced the character.
The Spaceballs Butt Shot
Spaceballs was Mel Brooks' not-so-subtle way of jabbing Star Wars (and George Lucas) directly in the ribs, parodying its subject matter, science fiction tech, and of course, merchandising. It's a timeless comedy film that plays up the laughs with witty jokes, one-liners, and some hilarious physical comedy.
When Lone Starr and the gang are chased down by Spaceballs troopers, Barf grabs a bunch of curved pipes that he uses to catch their blaster shots, and redirect them back. The first three troopers go down, while the fourth tries to make a run for it, taking the blast right in the posterior, and triggering a knee-slapping Wilhelm scream.
The Tropic Thunder Toss
Tropic Thunder stands tall as one of the most hilarious and controversial parody films about its own characters making movies. Ben Stiller lampooned the entirety of Hollywood elitism, hypocrisy, and snobbery with a cast of characters that continue to deliver laughs, including his own, Tugg Speedman.
As his star power fades, Speedman finds solidarity with the Flaming Dragon drug cartel. Helping his friends escape on a chopper, he turns around to remain with the cartel, and the little boy he now views as a son. Unfortunately, that little boy tries to knife him to death, so he tosses him into the river in absurd fashion, with a pitch-shifted Wilhelm scream added in mid-flight.
Lethal Flamethrower Weapon
The Lethal Weapon films were always somewhat over the top, but the 4th and final installment is quite possibly the most bizarre. It begins with one of the most iconic scenes of the Lethal Weapon franchise, featuring loose cannons Murtaugh and Riggs having to deal with a heavily armored criminal terrorizing downtown with a flamethrower.
After getting Murtaugh to run out into the middle of the street in his boxers to distract the perp, Riggs takes aim at the flamethrower's fuel canister and ignites it, sending him flying straight into a gas tanker. Of course, the scene wouldn't be nearly as entertaining without the accompanying Wilhelm scream added in for extra sizzle.
Hellboy's Dissolving Nazi
The opening act of the endlessly quotable Hellboy film adaptation finds the Nazi Party working with Grigori Rasputin to open a portal to another dimension in the hopes of bringing forth an army of demons to assist them. Meanwhile, an Allied strike team mobilizes to stop their plan from succeeding.
They toss a few grenades into the encampment, which sends one of the Nazi scientists backflipping ridiculously into the air, and straight into the path of the energy-based portal. The moment he makes contact with it, the scientists dissolve before the audience's eyes, with Wilhelm scream in tow.
Stormtrooper Over The Railing
Star Wars made the Wilhelm scream a mainstay of Hollywood, and it's been used countless times throughout the entire franchise. There are so many examples to choose from, including the iconic scream used in the battle between Luke, Leia, and a group of stormtroopers in the bowels of the Death Star.
However, none of them are as silly or hilarious as the one seen in the infamous Star Wars Holiday Special, way back in 1978. Harrison Ford's Han Solo tries to jostle with a stormtrooper over a blaster rifle, which causes the trooper to lose his footage and plunge over a railing whilst Wilhelm screaming on the way down.
The Matriculated Scream
The popular Animatrix series of short films was composited into one collection in order to act as an exposition project for the original Matrix trilogy. Best known for its varying art styles, the collection tells various stories from different points of view and times, which helps flesh out the Matrix universe in a broader way.
In the final episode entitled "Matriculated," a group of humans manages to convince a handful of machines that they are not the enemy. When a group of Sentinels finds their location and attacks the base, these machines come to the defense of their new human friends. One of them watches as a human is grabbed and tossed by a Sentinel, who shouts out a hilarious Wilhelm scream that really doesn't fit the atmosphere of this particular story.
The Deadpool Throw
Ryan Reynolds was back in top form as the fourth wall-smashing Deadpool in the sequel to the massively profitable spinoff of the X-Men films, and he had plenty of source material from the MCU to lampoon. In the final act, he and Cable go up against the monstrous Juggernaut, who proves to be more than a match for the Merc with the Mouth.
After kicking Cable into a car, Wade tries to take him down from above. While wrestling him into submission, he quips "Hey big guy, the sun's gettin' real low," as a jab at the Avengers films. Juggernaut responds by grabbing his leg and throwing him temple-first into some wrought iron fencing, with a Wilhelm scream tacked on. It feels totally appropriate for the film.
The Machete Truck Stomp
Robert Rodriguez's over-the-top grindhouse homage Machete continues to stand tall as one of the most infamous underground-style action flicks ever released. The film is packed with memorable moments, excellent quotes, and a star-studded cast of unexpected A and B-listers alike. It also isn't afraid to use the Wilhelm scream in good fun.
In the final act of the film, Machete gathers the Mexican Network to go up against a group of border vigilantes for all the marbles. In the process, one of them happens to get much too close to a truck equipped with a lowrider system. The truck bounces high into the air and comes crashing down on the hapless fellow, provoking a hilarious Wilhelm death scream.