Stock Scream

	This page needs some cleaning up to be presentable. There are enough examples of the "Howie Long" scream that it should get its own section, like the Wilhelm Scream.

"AAAAAAAAAAAARGHHH!!!"
—Every movie with the Wilhelm Scream in it.

"Wilhelm's on Mars now? Man, that guy gets around."
—Unskippable

Overused Stock Sound Effects can screw with a TV viewer's attention span—repeated use makes them instantly recognizable to those in the know. One of the worst offenders is the Stock Scream—one of several vocal effects used when a character has to scream and the sound the actor recorded isn't loud or piercing enough. From the popularity of some stock "scream" effects, you would think they were the only ones in existence. Currently there are about 15 commonly used stock screams, most of which have yet to be named.

Looking for an Instant Wilhelm Scream? Look no further.

Examples of Stock Scream include:

Wilhelm Scream Examples

The "Wilhelm Scream" has been a running joke among sound editors for decades, to the point that whole websites exist for tracking its appearances, and the Internet Movie Database often includes instances of the Wilhelm in its trivia entries for movies and shows. Some directors, notably Quentin Tarantino, Peter Jackson and George Lucas, make a point of using the Wilhelm in all their action movies. It was recorded for and first used in the 1951 film Distant Drums when a soldier is attacked by an alligator, and it got its name from the character Private Wilhelm, who used it in the 1953 movie The Charge At Feather River, the second movie it appeared in.

Anime and Manga

The English dub of Burst Angel uses "a tribute to" the Wilhelm Scream when a soldier gets shot and falls off a train.
The uncut version of Dragonball Z Kai uses it in episode 34.
The English dub of Highschool of the Dead uses it in episode 1.
Sailor Moon S The Movie: Hearts in Ice uses it in the English dub when, as Amara, Michelle, and Trista watch, a second wave of freezings happens. The scream can be heard seconds before the three transform into Sailor Soldiers.
Lupin III: Island of Assassins includes the scream during the melee in the opening scene.
In his opening scene in Ranma ½, Ryoga emits something that sounds like Take 3 when his lack of sense of direction gets him in a mess.

Films -- Animated

One of the Rhinos in Kung Fu Panda gives one of these during Tai Lung's prison escape.
Up features a faint Wilhelm when Muntz's hounds tumble down a cliff.
The Pixar short feature Lifted (that accompanies Ratatouille) ends with the Wilhelm scream.
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs features a short Wilhelm when Sardine Land starts collapsing.
The Wilhelm scream appears in the Disney version of Beauty and the Beast, when a clip is shown of the castle's living furniture attacking the angry mob that's trying to kill the Beast, and when Gaston falls to his death.
Happens once in Osmosis Jones, while Thrax is hijacking a car.
Despicable Me features the Wilhelm Scream when Gru's mother karate kicks a hanging bag into her instructor, sending him flying.
Aladdin when Genie lifts the castle off the ground and someone nearly gets hit by the falling debris.
Hercules when a villager nearly gets stepped on by the cyclops.
In Superman: Doomsday when Doomsday strangles a worker and tosses him to the ground.
In Cars, this happens to a car in Lightning McQueen's dream sequence as a result of him being zapped by a giant sparkplug.
Uttered by a group of Bone Hunters (who normally only communicate in their own language) in Bionicle: The Legend Reborn. It's not the only stock sound effect used though.
Happens near the end of Finding Nemo during the scene where Marlin, Dory, and Nigel are chased by the seagulls.
Used in both Toy Story (when Buzz falls out the window) and Toy Story 3.

Films -- Live-Action

All Star Wars movies use it, most notably a falling Stormtrooper during the Death Star escape in A New Hope, and when one of Jabba's skiff guards gets knocked into the Sarlacc pit in Return of the Jedi. (others are: Stormtrooper in the carbonite chamber, soldier in Naboo hangar, person in Coruscant landing platform, and clone trooper in exploding ship-to-ship gun)
- Interesting bit: the sound editor Ben Burtt cameos in Jedi as an Empire officer. After being punched by Han Solo, he imitates the Wilhelm as he's tossed over the railing. Also, in the 1997 Special Edition a stormtrooper emits one during the celebration scene at the end as the rioting crowd on Coruscant tramples him.
  - Also in the Special Edition, Luke lets one out when he falls off the Cloud City platform in The Empire Strikes Back. This one was taken back out in the DVD release.
- There's even one in The Star Wars Holiday Special when a Trooper suffers a Railing Kill.
George Lucas seems to love this scream. Even Indiana Jones movies have it. One is probably heard every movie, even in Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
Hey, even the Nazi Propaganda Office loved this one; so says Quentin Tarantino, anyway...
- Quentin Tarantino isn't shy about using the scream either—several mooks during the course of Kill Bill Volume One's Crazy 88 battle let one out as the Bride takes her Hanzo blade to them.
  - It also crops up in Death Proof (the first car full of victims) and Reservoir Dogs (Innocent Bystanders as Mr. Pink goes running from the robbery).
- Also, at the end of Inglourious Basterds, one German soldier gets blown out the theatre's window, and lets out a scream you might have heard come from Stuntman Mike in Death Proof.
A HYDRA grunt gives this in Captain America: The First Avenger in what is possibly a Star Wars reference, as they do so while falling off a speeding motorbike in the middle of a dangerous forest bike chase scene.
In the comedy Death at a Funeral (the one with Martin Lawrence and Chris Rock) the mourning wife lets out one after her husband's coffin is knocked down and his body rolls out of it!
The Wilhelm scream is used in all three Pirates of the Caribbean movies.
Used more than once in the classic mutant-ant movie Them!.
There's a Wilhelm Scream in New Moon, in the movie that Bella, Jacob and Mike watch in the theater.
- Which was, of course, pointed out by the Riff Trax team:

"They shot Wilhelm!"

The Wilhelm Scream is used twice in Return of the King, and once in The Two Towers.
Heard as the Big Bad's and Mad Scientist's lab hidden inside the mountain, is blown up in Agent Cody Banks.
When Batman shoves a Mook aside in Batman Returns the unfortunate guy lets out the Wilhelm Scream.
Australia uses it as a guy is blown away from an exploding cart.
Naturally, Star Wars parody Spaceballs includes it as well. It shows up when Barf deflects four blaster shots using a chunk of curved metal pipes, and hits the last Spaceball in the ass as he tries to run away.
Also used twice in Willow once when a chariot with two evil mooks overturns, and later during the final battle when an enemy soldier falls off their horse. It's another George Lucas movie, so go figure.
One shows up in the Aeon Flux adaptation towards the end of the climactic fight scene.
Used as Yogi Bear's scream in the film adaptation of the same name. It does not fit in with Dan Aykroyd's voice at all.
Tron: Legacy features distorted Wilhelm Screams mixed with deresolution sound effects during the fights in both the End of Line club and the Rectifier.
In Sin City, when Marv throws the cop from the squad car, you hear a Wilhelm Scream.
In Paul, a government agent lets one out as he falls to his death.
Used twice in Kill Bill Vol. 1. First when Beatrix jumps off a Crazy 88 and slashes another, then later when she slashes another member then kicks him down the stairs.
In Gremlins 2 when a gremlin latches onto a man's face and causes him to fall from a railing.
Machete when a man is crushed by Machete's truck.
In Peter Jackson's King Kong when a stampeding brontosaurus knocks a man off a cliff.
Used in Knowing during the subway crash scene.
Used twice in Small Soldiers. First when Brick Bazooka's legs get torn off causing him to fall off Alan's bicycle, and when a malfunctioning Kip Killigan's head is punched away by Alan's dad.
In Thirty Days of Night when a vampire bites a man and tosses him off a roof.
One is uttered by Frenzy in the 2007 Transformers film when his head is kicked by Sam, digitally altered of course.
One can hear a Wilhelm Scream during the big battle scene in the remake of Planet of the Apes
Used in The Lord of The Rings: Return of the King. Riff Trax picks up on it: "Oh no! They've gotten Lord Wil of Helm!"
Particularly noticeable in the Hellboy when a nazi is dissolved by the hell portal.
Shows up in the Dead or Alive movie when Hayabusa throws a ninja off a balcony.
It happens twice in the film version of 21 Jump Street, where the third character to fall off of his motorcyle does so, and during the end credits.

Live-Action TV

Primeval had it as a Once an Episode Running Gag in the first two seasons.
The Middleman also had it turn up Once an Episode. The comic adaptation of the unproduced 13th episode also has one henchman scream "Aaaah-aaaargh!", with the commentary at the end pointing out that that was their best approximation of the Wilhelm.
Given Lost's penchant for Star Wars homages, it's somewhat surprising it took them until season 5's "316" to use the Wilhelm Scream.
One episode of QI used the Wilhelm Scream as a buzzer sound.
- The extended episode "Films and Fame" discussed the scream and its ubiquity.
Used in Chuck 1x08, "Chuck Versus the Truth": The Baddie of the Week does a triple backwards handspring to escape from Team Bartowski, and when Sarah shoots him in the knee the Wilhelm Scream can be heard.
Undercovers - Spy husband takes out a rocket-launcher-wielding mook with a well-aimed gunshot close to the end of the premier episode.
On Bombshells, House cane-shoots zombies; one of them lets out a Wilhelm.
The MythBusters are particularly fond of this sound effect, and it appears in many of their animated shorts that set up myths. They sometimes also add it to their live-action scenes, such as when Grant and Tory amuse themselves by mock-reenacting Star Wars scenes.
In the third-season finale of Southland, a bad guy does one of these as he misjudges the distance between buildings and falls to his death from a roof.
In Community episode "Epidemiology" a Wilhelm is heard when Troy re-enters the zombified party in the Power Loader.
- This is something of a Running Gag in the show. Every time a videogame or film (especially Kickpuncher) is played/watched onscreen, the scream is heard prominently.
In the Supernatural fourth season episode "It's the Great Pumpkin, Sam Winchester" a cutoff Wilhelm is heard while Dean is staring at a mask in a Halloween shop and presumably experiencing memories of his time in Hell.

Music

There's also an Australian emo band named after it
And a Massachusetts hardcore band.
And a James Blake song.
It even received its own homage song, "That Calls for a Wilhelm Scream".
"Weird Al" Yankovic uses it in "Perform This Way", at 0:38.

Videogames

In Mass Effect 2, one person gets blown up, and you can faintly hear this. If you're wondering, it's when Zaeed causes an explosion with his gunfire on his Loyalty mission. One of the Blue Suns mercs (Yeah, Zaeed gets a lot of shoutouts to Firefly) goes flying, and he does the yell.
In Dragon Age Origins, one of the unfortunate soldiers killed by the Archdemon in the cutscene before the final battle gives a Wilhelm as he's sent flying. BioWare seems to like this.
Home Front uses this often and even has a secret achievement for getting the enemy to scream the Wilhelm Scream 10 times (by knocking them off the Golden Gate Bridge with your M203 Grenade Launcher).
It also appears in the game Red Dead Redemption as a random sound effect when enemies are killed.
Red Faction: Guerrilla has one in the intro cutscene. Lampshaded in the RF:G Unskippable: "Wilhelm's on Mars now? Man, that guy gets around."
Wet wastes no time and uses the Wilhelm Scream in the opening cutscene.
The Wilhelm scream is used in the opening sequence of Bionic Commando. Mystery Science Theater 3000-esque web series Unskippable lampshades it: "Just ignore Wilhelm back there. Nobody likes him anyway."
This is the standard enemy death sound effect in Dirk Valentine and the Fortress of Steam.
In Command & Conquer 3, human infantry can sometimes give voice to a Wilhelm.
The scream used a lot to imply rage in video game and movie trailers (see Ninja Gaiden 2 trailer for an example) sounds like a version of the Wilhelm Scream that is either phased or flanged and then slowed down to 2/3 speed.
In God of War 3, Wilhelm shows up in the opening cutscene being hit off a bridge by a Cyclops.
Appropriately for something set in the Star Wars universe, The Force Unleashed uses the Wilhelm when Starkiller throws a stormtrooper out of an Imperial dropship in a cutscene.
Halo: Reach. A warthog full of marines think they can make the jump between the collapsed parts of a bridge. They can't.
A Russian soldier in the last part of the Facility level in Golden Eye Wii Wilhelm screams as he dies.
In Blue Planet, a fan-made expansion for Free Space, Lieutenant Wilhelm Nehru screams this when he dies.
In Star Wars: Bounty Hunter, if an enemy is close enough to a ledge when killed, they'll fall off while delivering one of these.
The scream can be triggered in the Star Wars game Shadows of the Empire if a Storm Trooper falls.
This is one of the standard sounds of the Wraith unit movement commands in StarCraft
A soldier gives one towards the end of Act 1 in Vanquish.
Used exactly once in Grand Theft Auto IV, if you shoot the guard standing at the top of the escalator in the mission "...Final Interview".
In the last mission of the second Saints Row when Johnny Gat throws a security guard off a roof.
The new You Don't Know Jack game features the Wilhem Scream if you happen to miss during the Jack Attack.
Near the end of Tales of Monkey Island Chapter 4: The Trial and Execution of Guybrush Threepwood, the Marquis De Singe's final squeal before his molecular dissection is a Wilhelm scream cut off halfway through.
The 2011 Winner of Team Fortress 2's Saxxy Award for "Best Overall Replay", El Muchacho, features the scream midway through the video. Team Fortress 2 also features two Wilhelms in its gameplay trailer (one by a soldier, another by a scout), although the scream isn't present in the game itself.
This troper is pretty sure that he heard the Wilhelm Scream during a sanity effect in Eternal Darkness.
In Deus Ex Human Revolution 's launch trailer, a mercenary does the Wilhelm Scream as he plungs over a railing.
The Wilhelm scream can sometimes be heard in Metal Slug, mostly when the enemy soiders are burned with the flamethrower.
In Dantes Inferno, a short cutscene shows a soul falling into hell and doing the Wilhelm Scream until he hits his head on a cliff.
Splinter Cell: Conviction the Wilhelm scream is sometimes used when you push someone through a window.
Red Dead Redemption contains infinite amounts of Wilhelm as a Shout-Out to old spaghetti westerns, enemies may give of the Wilhelm scream at random when shot

Webcomics

Spoofed in the Norwegian webcomic Tomkat's Troubles & Toils where a henchman screams, "WILHELM!" as he falls to his death.
In a milestone Musical Episode of Brawl in the Family, a Wilhelm scream can be heard in the background.

Web Originals

The Wilhelm scream appears in the Bandwidth Theater episode "Hit Man" as well.
Metamor City: In Making the Cut, one of the guards defending the hospital lets out a Wilhelm as Victor kills him.
Dragon Ball Abridged
- An alien lets out this, when punched by Bardock in the Bardock special
- In Episode 23, a pair of Mooks discuss it shortly before providing examples.
Episode 25 of International Moron Patrol has LOTS of repeat action with the Wilhelm Scream as soldiers die fighting the Daleks.
The Fake AP Stylebook informs us that "Contrary to popular belief, the famous 'Wilhelm scream' is not a recording from 1951. Foley artists have just been hitting the same guy for over fifty years."
The Angry Video Game Nerd lets out one when shot by Super Mecha Death Christ.
Almighty Hans, a user on Newgrounds.com, included a Wilhelm in "The Ballad of Cripple Kane", which is only fitting given that it's a sort of tribute to the Spaghetti Western and Ennio Morricone.
Makes a rare text appearance in part 11 of the Jenkinsverse story Humans Don't Make Good Pets:

"It was that creature UtMot was supposed to be bringing in sedated! It's up and it killed UtMot and now it's killing everyone in the boarding party! It has a fucking Fusion Sword!" A tell-tale scream issued from the speakers. "He just took out WilHelm!" the voice shouted.

Western Animation

Used at the very end in the episode "Memories of Boom Boom Mountain" of Adventure Time.
It pops up in Bionicle: The Legend Reborn when some Bone Hunters get flattened by a rockslide. It's not the film's only use of stock sound effects.
Drawn Together is a frequent abuser of the Wilhelm Scream as a parody. For a specific instance listen to the bar brawl in the "Very Special Episode".
Used in The Venture Brothers throughout the series.
An episode of The Simpsons, "Millior Dollar Maybe", where the subplot is about parodying the Nintendo Wii: Mr Burns is seen using the Zii Zapper to shoot some Nazis. Guess how every single one screams.
In the American Dad episode "Meter Made", the scream literally comes in at the last minute. As Stan (the CIA agent who regularly engages in espionage, assassinations, and other forms of badassery) contemplates the end of his mandatory community service as a meter maid, he ends with a wistful internal monologue: "No more excitement. No more power. I'm back to being a nobody." (Wilhelm Scream heard in the background of an intense jungle firefight.) "Just a regular schnook."
The Wilhelm Scream is also used in Generator Rex.
Keeping with the longstanding Star Wars Wilhelm tradition, on The Clone Wars series's episode 20 of season 3, a clone trooper lets out a Wilhelm during a space battle when a Cruiser is shot.
In accordance with their tradition of parodying action movies, a bystander looses one in Family Guy during one of the Peter/Chicken fights.
Happens to Dopey after being killed by the Witch in a Mortal Kombat parody at the very beginning of Runaway Brain.

Other Stock Screams

Advertising

Used in all the Ads for Iron Man Cereal in Australia is the "Howie Long" scream mentioned below.