Scream for Help (1984)

User Rating:

4.8/10   

Director:

Michael Winner

Writer:

Tom Holland (writer)

Release Date:

July 1984 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Mystery | Crime | Thriller

Tagline:

Alone and afraid... was she imagining or was it real...

Plot:

A teenaged girl discovers that her stepfather is trying to murder her and her mother, but when she tells people, no one will believe her. |

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Stepfather | Suspicion | Independent Film

Cast

Rachael Kelly	...	Christie Cromwell
Marie Masters	...	Karen Cromwell Fox
David Allen Brooks	...	Paul Fox (as David Brooks)
Lolita Lorre	...	Brenda Bohle
Rocco Sisto	...	Lacey Bohle
Corey Parker	...	Josh Dealey
Sandra Clark	...	Janey
Tony Sibbald	...	Bob Dealey
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
David Baxt	...	Jerry - mechanic
Bruce Boa	...	Surgeon
Sarah Brackett	...	School Secretary
Clare Burt	...	Patty Sea
Antonio Cantafora	...	Man At Motel (as Michael Corby)
Joel Cutrara	...	Policeman
Tony Cyrus	...	Policeman
Morgan Deare	...	Mr. Peacock - school principal
Erick Ray Evans	...	Power Company Man
Ronald Fernee	...	Policeman
Michael Fitzpatrick	...	Power Company Man
Jeff Harding	...	Policeman
Stacey Hughes	...	Seudi
Chuck Julian	...	Doctor
Leslie Lowe	...	Girl at Motel
Marlene Marques	...	Librarian (as Marlene Marcus)
Richard Oldfield	...	Policeman
Matthew Peters	...	Charlie
Diana Ricardo	...	Mrs. Ralston
William Roberts	...	Power Company Man
Burnell Tucker	...	Mr. Ralston
Britt Walker	...	Ambulance Man (as Brittain Saine Walker)

Runtime:

89 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:(Banned) (1985) | Norway:16 | UK:18 | USA:R | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

New Rochelle, New York, USA

Company:

Miracle

Quotes:

Christie Cromwell: [to Karen] Fine, don't believe me, just wait until he kills you.

Soundtrack:

Crackback

terrific suspenser

Why does everyone bash this movie so much? What's wrong with the acting? What's wrong with the music? I thought it was nicely done, and became one of my favorite thrillers over the years. A teen girl suspects that her step dad is trying to off her mom so he can inherit her millions. The girl turns into a Nancy Drew type and starts tailing him over a period of days to see if she can get some dirt on him. She discovers he's having an affair and becomes the girl who knew too much as the step dad begins to go after her. It all leads to an awesome climax set in the family home, as the step dad and his lowlife cohorts hold the mother and daughter hostage. But the young schemer devises a way to thwart her captors and really turns the final half hour into an exciting finish. Beware though, the film is very graphic, both sexually and violently, but it's kept at a reasonable level (like two shots of Lorre topless, only one shot of Clark's gigantor boobs). As far as all the cast bashing goes, I really don't understand it. To begin with, Kelly is a beautiful, gifted actress whose career really should've taken off with this. Ok, so I had a crush on her, but still she carries the film perfectly. Brooks is sauve enough to pull off the step dad role and when he turns sinister in the end, he's great. Sisto nails his grungy, dirtbag character nicely, and Lorre is a gorgeous manipulator/femme fatale. Your only problem will be obtaining the film, which is very obscure and difficult to track down at video stores. But if you should find it, it should have no problem holding your attention, even if you (for whatever reason) laugh at it like these others have. Though I wont blame you for rolling your eyes at the sappy end credits song.