Scared to Death (1980)

An ex-cop, now working as a hack novelist, is called out of retirement to help investigate a string of deaths that appear to be the work of a serial killer but soon are revealed to be the ... See full summary »

Director:

William Malone

Writers:

William Malone, Robert Short (story)

Stars:

John Stinson, Diana Davidson, David Moses

2 wins.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
John Stinson	...	Ted Lonergan
Diana Davidson	...	Jennifer Stanton
David Moses	...	Detective Lou Capell (as Jonathan David Moses)
Toni Jannotta	...	Sherry Carpenter
Walker Edmiston	...	Police Chief Dennis Warren
Pamela Bowman	...	Janie Richter
Mike Muscat	...	Howard Tindall (as Michael Muscat)
Freddie Dawson	...	Virgil Watson
Tracy Weddle	...	Kathy Sperry
Joleen Porcaro	...	Kelly - Victim #5
David Daniels	...	Michael, roller skater (as Joseph Daniels)
Stephen Fanning	...	Scott, roller skater
Greer Justin	...	Sandy, rollerskater
Johnny Crear	...	Victor Colter
John Moskal	...	Police Lab Man (as John Moskal Jr.)

Storyline

An ex-cop, now working as a hack novelist, is called out of retirement to help investigate a string of deaths that appear to be the work of a serial killer but soon are revealed to be the work of the Syngenor - the synthesized genetic organism!

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Plot Keywords:

female frontal nudity | voyeur | candle | slasher | psychotronic film | 

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Taglines:

They wanted to create a new form of human life...They failed.

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Genres:

Horror | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

Director William Malone decided to make a monster movie because it was the type of film that you could get a lot of production value for very little money. He had experience making monster masks as he previously worked as a designer at a Halloween mask factory.

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Crazy Credits

[Before the film commences, this is placed across the screen] PROLOGUE: The events portrayed in the film, although fictional, are based on scientific fact. If they have not already happened, they soon could. Genetic engineering is real, and soon we may all have to deal with new values and definitions for life and death.

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Alternate Versions

A TV print that aired on USA Network included a scene not included on Media's VHS: a group of teens searching for their lost friend in a parking garage find her body hanging upside down much like a scene in Halloween (1978).

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Connections

Referenced in Ban the Sadist Videos! (2005)

User Reviews

"Listen, I'll Call You Guys Tomorrow, If I'm Still Alive!"...

Something has emerged from the sewers of Los Angeles and started killing people. Enter Private Investigator, Ted Lonergan (John Stinson), who is brought in when the police are stumped, and unable to stop the slaughter. Not even roller skating enthusiasts are safe from hideous doom! It is soon discovered that the murders might have something to do w/ a genetics experiment gone horribly awry. SCARED TO DEATH is an extremely low-budget monster movie. The monster itself looks a lot like some of H.R. Giger's early, rejected test drawings for ALIEN. The creature is best left in the shadows, since it isn't overly impressive. Others have commented on its glacier-like speed. Watching it creep through the sewer system is like watching an earthworm climb stairs! While not at all frightening, this movie is enjoyable enough for one viewing. Just don't expect anything beyond the realm of cheeeze...

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

March 1981 (USA)

Also Known As:

Scared to Death: Syngenor

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$74,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Malone Productions Ltd.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1