Mostly Dead, Not All The Way Dead

The Cliché: The killer, seemingly dead, pops up for one last scare before being finished off for good… well until the sequel (see next page for details).

Appears In: Scream (1996)

How To Recreate It: Make sure to go overboard with your killer’s demise. Show them being killed in a variety of ways, overkill if you like, to hammer the point home to the audience that this killer can’t possibly come back.

At some point during filming, slip the actor playing the killer a drug that will actually stop his heart. Then once he’s good and dead, attach defibrillator pads to his chest, put his shirt on and lay him in position.

Now all that’s left to do is roll camera, have your heroes celebrate their victory and leave the camera lingering suggestively on the killer’s dead face… then hit the difib, restarting your killer's heart and making him leap off the floor.

All worth it for a decent scare, though the most surprised person will likely be the actor you just used like Kiefer Sutherland in Flatliners.

Next: Hint At Sequel