A Scream That's Not The Wilhelm Scream

Cafe Society
1

There’s a scream I hear on TV alot, and I think in a few movies, and definitely in the game Starcraft (might have been Broodwar).

I don’t know how to describe it. It starts kind of with an “r” sound, then goes to an “a”-ish sound, and ends maybe with the a, maybe closed up with a “g”-ish sound. It’s long. It’s mostly rising in pitch.

The best cite I have is the Starcraft game, but unfortunately I don’t remember exactly when it happens in that game.

But I keep hearing it in battle scenes on TV.

If I hear it again, I’ll come back with further cites, but I was wondering if anyone could identify it already just with the info I have.

(By “Identify” I just mean something like “Be able to tell me truthfully, ‘No, you’re not crazy, that’s one scream sound you keep hearing in different contexts, for example, I heard it in…’”)

-Kris

2

Further information:

I now recall the following:

  1. It’s the screaming sound that you hear when you click on the academy in Starcraft.

  2. Taken out of context, the sound reminds me more of something like a star wars TIE fighter sound effect, but whenever I hear it, its being used as a human scream.

-FrL-

3

Okay, third and final post tonight, I think.

I found a discussion about the DOOM trailer which says the same sound occurs therein as well. So in a sense my question is answered–others besides me have noticed there’s this one sound that keeps getting re-used as a scream in different productions.

Wonder if anyone here has any further information about it though. Is it really a scream? Or some other sound being used as a scream? What other movies or other media contain the sound effect? And so on…

-FrL-

4

I definitely know what scream you’re talking about, it lasts for a good two seconds or so, right? Unfortunately I don’t have any idea how to identify it.

5

This question seemed really familiar to me. Then I remembered that I’d actually asked it before. There’s a link to a wav in post number 30 - at least, I think that’s the one you’re asking about. Here’s hoping we get this one settled, because now I’m curious again!

6

Yes, that’s it!

I wonder where this thing originated…

-FrL-

7

I’ve always wondered about that scream too. I think it’s the same one they used when Wesley is killed in the Pit of Despair in The Princess Bride, and I know for sure it’s used when some dude is thrown off a bridge in Under Siege 2: Dark Territory.

I don’t know why I’ve seen Under Siege 2, or how I know it’s subtitled Dark Territory.

8

I’d say it’s the vocalization of a young elephant seal. That’s what was used to make some of the TIE fighter sound effects.

9

If it’s the same sound I’m thinking of, I believe X-Com had the same screeching when an alien was killed.
And of course, there is my favorite, Tom’s scream from Tom & Jerry:

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!