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The Wilhelm Scream! It's from the 50s, but it actually got broad popularity due to its use in Star Wars. There's a podcast episode about it where they track it down: https://www.20k.org/episodes/wilhelmscream
Somewhat known fact:
In Return of the Jedi, Han throws a bag and knocks an Imperial Officer off the gangway falling to his death.
That officer was none other than Ben Burtt himself who was the sound designer for the Star Wars series and responsible for popularizing the Wilhelm Scream in modern cinema.
Wilhelm Scream is what you're thinking of.
But you ONLY GET ONE per movie. It's in the UN charter or something.
I definitely saw a movie where it was used twice... I don't remember what I was watching...
Edit: I think I remember what it was! And the crazy part, it wasn't even a movie, it was an episode of Star wars: the clone wars (the animated show). They're only 25 minute episodes and they thought they'd just put it in twice anyway... It definitely made me chuckle, like "c'mon guys, really? Are you done?".
But ...it is forbidden!
I would argue that twice is cursed. Once is good, and an obnoxious amount of times can also be funny.
thanks
Then it was most certainly not first seen in LOTR, that shit is ancient.
First recorded in 1951 for the film Distant Drums.
Don't click this link. Stay unknowing. This knowledge is cursed.
First seen in lotr movies omegalol
Someone needs to reread xkcd #1053.
You know that never having heard of something and assuming its the first time are two different things, right?
You know that not knowing something and not knowing the context around that thing often go together, right?
You know that I know that you know that knowing something and not knowing something is known to be a different thing when you know the context around the unknown which often knows which knowledge goes together, right?
You, you, you oughta know-w
I'm here
I think it's hard to say they're assuming it was first seen there in a post where they're literally trying to verify that claim. At best you might be able to say they previously assumed that was the case, but for all we know they're checking someone else's assumption having never believed that that's the case.
The two words you omitted in your original quote make that much more clear: "was it first seen in LOTR movies?"
It's a little joke among filmmakers and sound guys, and frankly, I think it needs to stop. It's a huge illusion break for an audience that's figured it out.
Honestly don’t think I’ve spotted the wilhelm scream in new media for a while, it was fun for a bit but maybe we’re finally free.
They do a better job of making it fit into the sound design nowadays instead of sticking out like a sore thumb like it did in older movies. Harder to catch.
Last thing I saw it in was the Baldur's Gate 3 intro.
I'm pretty sure it was in House of the Dragon as well
Was it? I’ve seen it a dozen times or so but didn’t notice
Yeah, when a bunch of tower debris fall on fleeing people.
Yeah it's maddening, once you know it you hear it E V E R Y W H E R E q_q
I'm not watching a short, but it sounds like you're talking about the Wilhelm scream. It comes from an older movie.
The older movie it comes from is actually Star Wars. /joke
thanks anyway
Even the Steam Controller has an easter egg where it plays the Wilhelm scream randomly if you drop it.
this post was submitted on 19 Oct 2026
33 points (82.4% liked)
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