Scream for Help
A teenage girl's warnings go unheard.
Scream for Help is a 1984 American horror film directed by Michael Winner and written by Tom Holland. It stars Rachael Kelly, David Brooks, and Marie Masters, and was filmed and set in New Rochelle, New York. The story follows a teenage girl who discovers her stepfather is trying to kill her and her mother, but her warnings are repeatedly disbelieved.
Quick Facts
- Director
- Michael Winner
- Writer
- Tom Holland
- Starring
- Rachael Kelly
- David Brooks
- Marie Masters
- Music
- John Paul Jones
- Cinematography
- Robert Paynter
- Editing
- Arnold Ross; Michael Winner
- Studio
- Miracle
- Torremodo Ltd.
- Videoform
- Distributor
- Lorimar
Facts from the source article.
Plot
In New Rochelle, New York, teenager Christie Cromwell realizes her stepfather Paul Fox is plotting to murder her and her mother Karen for Karen's money. When she tries to alert others, nobody believes her. After a maintenance worker dies in the basement, Christie suspects Paul set a trap intended for her mother. She follows Paul and discovers he is having an affair with a woman named Brenda Bohle, but Paul convinces Karen that Brenda is a client. Christie enlists her friend Janey Ralston's boyfriend Josh Dealey to help catch Paul, but the brakes on Karen's car are tampered with, nearly killing Christie and Josh. Christie and Janey later spot Paul and Brenda at a motel, and Janey is killed in a hit-and-run. Christie accuses Paul of the murder but is not believed. Christie loses her virginity to Josh, but Paul interrupts them. Christie notices gas in the bathroom and realizes Paul is trying to kill her too. Karen is injured by a trap and ends up in a wheelchair. Christie photographs Paul and Brenda having sex, and overhears that Brenda and her supposed brother Lacey are actually a married couple planning to blackmail Paul. Karen sees the photo and orders Paul to leave. At midnight, Paul, Brenda, and Lacey invade the house, force Christie and Karen to the basement, and reveal their plan to kill them at 2 a.m. Christie tells Paul about Brenda and Lacey's true relationship, angering him. She tricks Brenda into letting her go to the bathroom while Karen cuts the electricity, allowing Christie to stab Lacey and Paul. Brenda attacks Karen and restores the lights, and Christie surrenders. The two victims are forced back to the basement, where they devise another escape plan by wetting the fuse box.
Production
Tom Holland wrote the screenplay shortly after completing Psycho II, intending to create a horror film with a psychological bent grounded in reality. He wanted to react against the over-saturation of slasher films, which he felt relied too heavily on special effects, violence, and gore, and instead emphasize psychological horror. Michael Winner admired the script and contacted Lorimar to express his interest. Exterior sequences were filmed on location in New Rochelle, New York over two weeks, while interiors were shot in Finchampstead, Berkshire, England.
Release
Derek Malcolm of The Guardian wrote that Winner pushes his plot to further levels of implausibility and ends with a bloodbath resembling a practice run for Death Wish III. Disappointed with Winner's direction, Holland chose to direct his next screenplay himself: Fright Night (1985). Scream for Help was released on VHS, Betamax, and LaserDisc in North America by Karl-Lorimar Home Video on 15 October 1985. The home video release received a promotional campaign including brochures, posters, counter cards, and a cardboard standup. Stuart Karl, then-president of Karl-Lorimar, noted that this was the first time a home video feature was advertised like a theatrical release. The film has not been issued on DVD, but a Blu-ray from Scream Factory was released on 18 September 2018.
More in British Psychological Horror Films
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced