Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.0

Silent Scream Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf January 11, 2019

1979’s “Silent Scream” makes a game attempt to replicate the work of Alfred Hitchcock, most notably “Psycho,” offering a macabre tale of a house of horrors and a momma’s boy, and all the murder that goes along with it. Director Denny Harris is no Hitchcock, and that’s evident throughout the endeavor, which often struggles with stasis, trying to find some level of fear from characters investigating multiple rooms and engaging in sexual relationships. Horror isn’t actually much of a priority for “Silent Scream,” but Harris has moments of workable atmosphere, exploring spooky areas of an unnerving dwelling while young people go about their daily business of making bad decisions around obvious danger.

Late to sign up for housing at her college, Scotty (Rebecca Balding) is desperate for a place to live, ending up with a room in a Victorian mansion owned by Mrs. Engels (Yvonne De Carlo), while her son, Mason (Brad Reardon), maintains order in the house. Joined by roommates Peter (John Widelock), Doris (Juli Andelman), and Jack (Steve Doubet), Scotty tries to enjoy her time in the neighborhood. However, the fun stops when Peter is murdered by a mysterious figure, keeping the young woman on edge as she tries to return to normal life, sparking a romance with Jack. But the nightmare won’t stay dormant, soon returning to view when more killings occur around the property, threatening to expose the dark secrets of the household.

“Silent Scream” doesn’t stray far from formula, with the screenplay keeping things relatively familiar to best hit all genre targets. There’s an innocent in Scotty, who’s bright spirit is viewed as a challenge to the coldness of the house. She’s monitored by Mason, a secretive creep with daddy issues who gets off on violent entertainment. And she’s lusted after by Jack, her handsome neighbor who wastes no time coming on the new tenant. Sex is actually the fastest thing in “Silent Scream,” which often takes its time dealing with cliches and non-eventful supporting characters such as Doris and Peter, an obnoxious rich kid who needs work on his respect for women. Thankfully, he’s the first to go.

Mrs. Engels remains an enigmatic figure, and what goes down inside her home makes up half of “Silent Scream.” The other side of the story remains with detectives Sandy (Cameron Mitchell) and Manny (Avery Schreiber), who are pulled into the macabre details of Peter’s case, trying to crack the code of a brutal murder occurring on a gorgeous beach, leading them to question the history of the house, discovering things that are best left alone. There’s little procedural might to “Silent Scream,” and a veteran actor like Mitchell adds some professional focus to the endeavor, generating a bit of tension as the investigator tries to locate a suspect. Hilariously, death doesn’t really stop Jack, who’s ready to paw at Scotty less than a day after his friend is stabbed to death, fearing that giving in to shock isn’t truly living life. Such horndog ethics are wildly amusing, but Harris isn’t aiming for camp, playing everything quite seriously, making room for a sex scene between the characters, hoping to give the picture some heat while its fear factor gradually declines.

Silent Scream Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Billed as a "Brand New 2016 HD Master created from the Original Inter-Positive," "Silent Scream" does well with its HD graduation, offered a comfortable position of clarity during the AVC encoded image (1.78:1 aspect ratio) presentation. Cameras favor close-ups and facial surfaces retain their textured appeal. Housing interiors also keep their creepy appearance, with wispy cobwebs and grime on view. Costuming handles colors appealingly, with period hues emerging with authority, along with beach excursions, which preserve blue waters and sun-kissed sands. Skintones are natural. Delineation is acceptable. Some mild judder is detected, along with a few single-frame blemishes.

Silent Scream Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 5.1 DTS-HD MA sound mix sustains the strong orchestral presence found in the picture, with deeper strings handling suspense clearly, presenting pleasing instrumentation to assist in the horror aspects of the movie. Dialogue exchanges are defined to satisfaction, maintain control with surges in panic, never slipping into distortion. Surrounds aren't active, leaving the listening experience mostly frontal but wider, fitting the film's needs. A 2.0 DTS-HD MA track is also included, which covers the basics with greater volume power.

Silent Scream Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary #1 features writers Jim & Ken Wheat and actress Rebecca Balding.

• Commentary #2 features Barbara Steele.

• Audio Interview (30:04) with director Denny Harris is also his last, recorded a week before his 2007 death.

• "Scream of Success: 30 Years Later" (40:42, SD) returns to Jim & Ken Wheat and Rebecca Balding, who sit down to discuss the strange production experience of "Silent Scream." The Wheats tend to dominate the conversation, explaining how they were brought in to critique Harris's disastrous original cut of the picture, sharing ways in which it could be saved. The writers reworked the material, treating the whole endeavor as a massive puzzle that required careful placement of new pieces, triggering a reshoot where most of the movie was reimagined. Casting achievements are itemized, with the stars of the feature only around for a few days, requiring doubles to help fill out scenes, and actor peculiarities are shared. The Wheats remain on technical challenges, proud of their problem solving on "Silent Scream," which turned a faulty project into something profitable.

• "The Original Script" (10:13, SD) carry on with the Wheats and Balding, who describe the differences between the original version of "Silent Scream" and the one they came up with in a hurry.

• "The Wheat Brothers: A Look Back" (12:17, SD) examines the career of Jim & Ken Wheat, who share tidbits from their time on "Pitch Black" (mentioning how the Riddick character was originally scripted as a woman before the producer brought Vin Diesel on), "Ewoks: The Battle for Endor" (George Lucas wanted the film to have elements from "Heidi" and include a study of death), "A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master" (they used pseudonyms to avoid WGA strike issues), "The Fly II" (Mel Brooks loved screaming at 20th Century Fox executives), and "The Birds II: Land's End."

• Interview (3:17, SD) is a brief chat with Balding, who talks about her time on "Silent Scream," her dismissal from the T.V. show "Lou Grant," and her contractual obligation to do nudity for "The Boogens."

• Radio Spots (2:30) include four promotional clips.

• T.V. Spot (:30, HD) is offered.

• And a Theatrical Trailer (1:18, HD) is included.

Silent Scream Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Silent Scream" aims to replicate a classic horror mood, with the Hitchcock tributes coming fast in the second half. Unfortunately, there's not enough of the suspenseful stuff, as most of the climax features characters exploring the house in glacial detail, with Jack personally inspecting every room in real time. The slackness of the picture is a bit strange, with major lulls between major explosions of violence, which is mixed with a lot of strange family business. It leaves "Silent Scream" uneven, missing a grand thrust of perversion, but for those who enjoy less animated visions for slasher cinema, this movie certainly takes its time to reach routine confrontations.