Clark, a young Mathematics major at University, thinks she's found the best deal for student housing: a group of squatters who live in an abandoned hospital secretly. The quirky residents ... See full summary »
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Clark, a young Mathematics major at University, thinks she's found the best deal for student housing: a group of squatters who live in an abandoned hospital secretly. The quirky residents let her into their community provided she follow the rules, including not telling anyone about her living arrangements. All seems wonderful, until she discovers that the reason that the hospital was abandoned was a series of murders in the 1940's by a strange "shrieking killer" who was never captured - and the discovery that someone who's living in the hospital is using occult means to bring back the "Shrieker," a demonic force summoned and controlled by a human who knows the proper procedure. When strange occult circles are discovered, Clark finds herself the main suspect, because she is the newest resident. Written by
Gary Dickerson <slug@mail.utexas.edu>
Thirty minutes could have been snipped out of this film without anyone noticing the difference. What is wrong with the idea of a short film? Does every good idea have to be stretched and contorted to achieve that apparently all-essential 90-minute minimum film-makers believe is necessary or cinema-viewers have come to expect? In condensed form, stories like "Shrieker" could be assembled for a good cable television series. It took talent to create 50-minute macabre masterpieces like "Thriller" and "Outer Limits." If you can stay awake beyond the lengthy setup for this movie, prepare to rock. However, what is intended to pass for suspense is simple boredom. Interestingly enough, the real suspense comes along when the action finally asserts itself. Some good, scary effects, both visual and aural.
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Thirty minutes could have been snipped out of this film without anyone noticing the difference. What is wrong with the idea of a short film? Does every good idea have to be stretched and contorted to achieve that apparently all-essential 90-minute minimum film-makers believe is necessary or cinema-viewers have come to expect? In condensed form, stories like "Shrieker" could be assembled for a good cable television series. It took talent to create 50-minute macabre masterpieces like "Thriller" and "Outer Limits." If you can stay awake beyond the lengthy setup for this movie, prepare to rock. However, what is intended to pass for suspense is simple boredom. Interestingly enough, the real suspense comes along when the action finally asserts itself. Some good, scary effects, both visual and aural.