From “What’s your favorite scary movie?” to “I’ll be right back”, the Scream films are chock-full of meta horror quips that have become part of pop culture. Let’s slice into a few of the most quotable moments from this bloody franchise.

The 1996 original introduced many classic lines, like the “rules” for surviving a horror movie as explained by film geek Randy: “You can never have sex”, “You can never drink or do drugs”, and of course, “Never say ‘I’ll be right back’.” There’s also the chilling simplicity of Ghostface’s signature line: “What’s your favorite scary movie?”

Scream 2 kept the meta humor rolling, with Randy proclaiming “There are certain RULES that one must abide by in order to successfully survive a horror movie sequel.” He goes on to explain “the body count is always bigger” and “the death scenes are always much more elaborate.” This film also features Sidney’s badass retort to the killer: “You’re forgetting one thing about Billy Loomis… I BLEEPing killed him!”

While not as strong as its predecessors, Scream 3 still delivered some zingers, like Jennifer poking fun at Gale’s character complexity and Tyson pointing out he’s not just “the new Randy” but his own character (“It’s an homage”).

Scream 4 brought fresh blood and a whole new generation to skewer. Robbie lays out the new rules for remakes: “Modern audiences get savvy to the rules. You have to have an unexpected backstory” plus “the only sure-fire way to survive is to be gay.” Of course, Ghostface has the best line: “The unexpected is the new cliché.”

2022’s Scream relaunch brought back the sharp self-awareness the series is famous for. Mindy explains how “requels” work (“Not quite a reboot, not quite a sequel”), while Amber mocks “elevated horror” with her great final line: “I was radicalized… by the message boards!”

So there you have it – a bloody buffet of Scream‘s most quotable quips. What are some of your favorite Ghostface gags? Let me know in the comments… if you dare!