Scream and Scream Again 1970 Dvd Cover

Scream and Scream Once again

• Review Date: Nov 04, 2015
• Format: Blu-ray Disc
• 

Release Engagement(s)

1970 (October 13, 2015)

Studio(southward)

American International Pictures/Orion/MGM/20th Century Trick (Twilight Time)

• Film/Programme Course: C+
• Video Grade: B-
• Sound Form: B
• Extras Grade: A

Review

Gordon Hessler'south genre-angleScream and Scream Over again isn't your atypical A.I.P. movie, nor is it an atypical genre moving-picture show for that matter. Far from the gothic horror movie in the usual sense of what came before from A.I.P.,Scream and Scream Again is more of sci-fi conspiracy thriller, with simply the mildest of horror elements. It managed to turn a small profit, but information technology left a bit of a bad taste in the mouths of horror fans who lined upwardly to run into the first flick ever that featured Vincent Price, Christopher Lee, and Peter Cushing together.

The story features a surgeon (Price) who is an organ transplant specialist, an enigmatic homo who kills loftier-ranking officials (such every bit Cushing) by just squeezing their shoulders, a group of London law officials out to finish a murderer of women that he meets in nightclubs, and a British intelligence amanuensis (Lee) who is overlooking it all.

Scream and Scream Again was based upon the novel "The Disoriented Man" which was ghost-written by Peter Saxon (a pseudonym). Although the film follows the plot of the book pretty well, several plot elements are left out of the movie that give most of the principal characters their motivation in the story. Every bit is, it tin be a bit of a muddled mess, and nada really seems to coalesce. In that location are still many things that the moving-picture show has going for information technology, including its star power, but also some impressive camera work by cinematographer John Coquillon, who would later famously lens the ghost story classicThe Changeling.

The major selling point for the picture, equally previously mentioned, was the fact that information technology was the first time that Vincent Toll, Christopher Lee, and Peter Cushing had been in the aforementioned moving-picture show together. The ultimate letdown was that they are never all in the same scene together. It was a inexpensive marketing claw dreamed up by A.I.P., leaving many cinemagoers and genre fans unhappy. Cushing is in the picture for not much more than than a cameo, and both Cost and Lee accept very picayune to do as characters. Toll and Lee do share the screen in the film's finale, but ultimately, it'southward not a pairing that yields any corking results. Nevertheless, it isn't the direct error of the director. Hessler was brought onto the project purportedly without a finished script, making the best with he had. Price was as well unhappy with the project and felt used for marketing purposes, which of course he was.

One can continue and on most the behind-the-scene dealings onScream and Scream Again, but what it boils downwardly to is that in the end, it just isn't a strong flick. What it is instead is a very interesting picture show with an incoherent plot, well-filmed sequences (including a very long auto chase), and a skilful cast. It'southward disappointingly far from the horror film that its theatrical poster makes it appear to be, merely information technology'south worth seeking out and has more digestible fabric upon a second viewing, peculiarly in one case the shock of understanding that it isn't a horror film wears off. Many feel that it's Hessler's best work, and to some extent, I suppose I take to agree – even with the problems that it has.

Twilight Time'south Blu-ray transfer of the film features a presentation that's a niggling problematical, especially if you're expecting top of the line quality. It isn't that, simply it has the appearance of a well-worn film print running at a local drive-in. Information technology's very grainy, but quite organic in appearance from scene to scene. The cinematography itself can sometimes be soft, peculiarly during outdoor scenes, simply facial textures in shut-ups and on clothing are often precipitous. The color palette is sometimes inconsistent, peculiarly skin tones, just it can be lush given the right opportunity, especially outdoors. Blacks are too inconsistent, sometimes ripe with thick noise. Shadow item is also lacking, which is on the edge of crush during certain scenes, but a lot of this is congenital into the original photography then it can be difficult to tell. And although it's very clearly seen, information technology could have been brightened upward a bit more with a lower contrast. However, it's a very honest presentation with no digital anomalies to written report, but there are lots of film artifacts leftover, including lots of scratches, speckling (both black and white), and cue marks. The only available sound track for the motion picture is an English mono DTS-Hard disk drive track. It's not a rails that volition wow you with skillful audio, but it'southward an advisable rail nonetheless. Dialogue is mostly clean and articulate, and both audio effects and score accept some heft to them. Sometimes the mix can be a bit too overpowering, particularly during scenes in the nightclubs when it'due south difficult to discern dialogue over the clarion music, but other than that, it's a solid rail. There are also subtitles in English language SDH for those who might demand them.

For the extras selection, yous get Twilight Fourth dimension's usual inclusion of an isolated score audio track; a terrific sound commentary with movie historians David Del Valle and Tim Sullivan; the also terrificGentleman Gothic: Gordon Hessler at American International Pictures documentary from Ballyhoo Move Pictures;Uta Screams Again!: An Interview with Uta Levka (who plays the nurse in the film); a still gallery; a radio spot for the film; the original theatrical trailer; an MGM 90th Anniversary trailer; a roll-through of Twilight Time's current catalogue; and a 6-page insert booklet with an essay on the motion picture by Julie Kirgo.

Scream and Scream Once more certainly isn't one of the finest films of the A.I.P. era, but it's definitely an interesting ane, peculiarly considering what it was originally meant to exist VS. what information technology eventually became. It looks very good at least, and Twilight Time has done a good job at making a less than stellar print of the movie quite watchable. It could utilize some more than restoration work down the road, simply equally is, information technology's definitely a big step upwardly from its DVD counterpart.

- Tim Salmons

Tags

1970, 20th Century Fox, AIP, American International Pictures, Blu-ray, Blu-ray Disc, Christopher Lee, espionage, Gordon Hessler, horror, MGM, Orion, review, sci-fi, scientific discipline fiction, Scream and Scream Again, The Digital Bits, thriller, Tim Salmons, Twilight Time, Vincent Price

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