A recent tour of Stu Macher's house from the 1996 Wes Craven slasher Scream reveals just how similar the house remains in 2022. The house has become an iconic part of the franchise, instantly recognizable to legions of fans around the world. Known primarily as the place where the identities of the film's killers are finally revealed, Stu's house was a veritable treasure trove of classic slasher horror references and scares that still deliver today.
Arguably one of the main reasons why each subsequent sequel in the franchise hasn't quite reached the same level of regard as Scream has is down to its setting. Wes Craven made the fictitious California town of Woodsboro feel very much like a secluded death trap, cut off from outside help – a tone that was doubled down on in the film's third act when the action shifted to a party at Stu's house. As the mood changes from one of celebration over school being canceled to the realization that Stu's party is actually just part of a carefully crafted plan by the killers, audiences watched the house literally become a part of the action. In recent months, the house has become a fan destination, with bookings taken for special stays in the lead-up to, and on Halloween.
Unfortunately, the number of bookings that the real-life owners of Stu's house could take at one time was limited, and for those who don't live anywhere near the home's Tomales, California location, a visit just wasn't in the cards. But of course, some Scream diehards were able to get in to spend a night and explore, and thankfully the people at Dead Meat were among them. In a recently released video via their official YouTube channel, the Dead Meat crew take Scream fans on a detailed journey through the house, pointing out essential points of the film's heart-pounding climax room by room. When all is said and done, it's remarkable just how similar the house remains, even after all this time. Check out the video below:
Seeing this house explored in this way really delivers an understanding of how vital it was to the film's overall plot and aesthetic. A lot really did happen in the final thirty minutes or so of Scream's final act, and it feels as though there's a solid cinematic memory infused within every inch of the home's environment. Clearly some things have changed over the years, like the cupboard in the kitchen that was removed and the interior's paint job, but considering that it's been 25 years since Scream was filmed in the house, the few changes that have taken place feel all the more minuscule.
With the fifth installment in the franchise now less than a week away from its release, fans are hoping for something that matches the intensity, suspense and fun of the original Scream. So far, the early reviews have been encouraging, but it remains to be seen if the new film can create its own sort of iconography. It's a tough task to match what Craven's original film delivered, as proven by the fact that fans still want to get a glimpse inside Stu's house. Nonetheless, the slasher genre is entirely capable of being reinvented once again.
Source: Dead Meat
