Yes, it’s an in joke (for a broad definition of “in”), and I can see making the case that it’s overused. I still don’t get the rage though. If the escalating ridiculousness of that scene didn’t pull you out of the movie, how could a half second scream do it?
It’s one of those things that I never would have noticed had it not been pointed out to me, and now that my ears are attuned to it, I hear it everywhere. I, too, think that the in-joke has run its course, and Wilhelm should just be allowed to get on with his (apparently) horrific death.
Huh.
After all this time, I thought the Wilhelm Scream was the Darth Vader “NOOOOooooooo!”.
(Usually yelled by someone whose nefarious plans had been foiled.)
That’s how it is for me. Countless times after watching a movie I’ll see it listed in the movie’s IMDB trivia and I’ll think 'hmmm, missed it, I never notice those".
I’m not sure this is exactly the best logic. Ity doesn’t always bother me, but every single time I hear it, I am completely pulled out of the action. Suspension of disbelief goes out the window and generally doesn’t come back. This may not ruin everything forever, but it’s also against the sane principles of moviemaking. Suffice it to say, that while I’ve enjoyed films with a Wilhelm Scream, I’ve also pretty much never wanted to see one twice, because the magic inherent in the movie-making process dies instantly the second it comes on.
Let me also cut off the numerous people here trying to say, “Well, it shouldn’t bother you so suck it up!”
This is the most bullshit line lack of reasoning I’ve ever heard. We’re talking about a moderately annoying and particularly distinctive sound effect, which actively harms the rest of the movie for a significant minority of the moviegoing public, which is not used because it in any way improves things, but solely because it’s an in-joke among sound designers. Whether you think this or that should be so is irrelevant. It does bother some people, they have ever reasonable right to be annoyed, and there’s no good reason to include it. And frankly, given how movies these days seem to be going out of their way to actively drive away as much of their audience as possible, it’s stupid to keep using this gag even in most comedies.
*In all fairness, were I making a farce, I’d try having this used as often as possible leading to a scene where about six hundred people do the Wilhelm scream as they fall to their doom, finally leading to a big, obvious “Wihelm Machine” catching on fire and the screams being permanently silenced.
I’ve always thought the Wilhelm scream sounds as if somebody unexpectedly put an icy hand on the back of your neck rather than throwing you off a cliff.
Of the list of things to complain about referencing the movie Crystal Skull, the Wilhelm Scream wouldn’t even make the list. I had the misfortune to tune into this on TV towards the end and it was soooooo bad I would have actively welcomed hearing the scream just for the laugh had I known about it.
Really? What reminds me that I am watching a movie is being surrounded by obnoxious people talking loudly and texting. And that’s when I am at home.
I’ve heard the Wilhelm Scream mentioned here many times and always thought it referred to Goofy’s scream. After looking it up on Youtube, I have to say that I don’t recognize it at all.
Once I found out about Castle Thunder I began noticing it everywhere.
I heard it in The Hobbit, smiled a little and then got on with enjoying the movie. Didn’t bother me.
Hate it. It’s a stupid in-joke that isn’t even an in-joke anymore since it’s become so obvious and overused.
had a post, board ate it, short version follows
reusing a poorly recorded super easy to identify sound is obnoxious not clever, it was clever when it was one guy using it. Now its like Barrens Chat, stupid murlock and Chuck Norris jokes for months on end.
reminds me of the intro to Queensryches operation mindcrime. there is a bit in a hospital that I hear every so often, completely rips any suspension of disbelief I have.
I don’t always catch the scream but I agree its long past time to kill it. you sound like that old teacher trying to sound cool using slang thats 3 years out of date.
its in the first ten/15 seconds the nurse paging the doctors
I’m just enjoying the irony of people on the SDMB complaining about an overused in-joke.
In Soviet Russia in-joke overuse you.
Like it or not, the main reason it still gets used is because the only people it bothers are nerds like us! 
Seriously, if you said ‘Wilhelm scream’ to 1000 average moviegoers I doubt if even one would know what you were talking about.
Probably best if we kill it with fire and then nuke it from orbit.
You listed two items?
[Wilhelm]
Hi Opaaaaalll!
[/Wilhelm]
But arguably, it’s only nerds like us that would potentially appreciate it, so if we’re pissed, what’s the point?
In many cases the scream isn’t that noticeable amongst other noise. But I agree with the OP wrt the hobbit; it was very noticeable and distracting. It also didn’t sound anything like the other character noises.