Starring - Susan Kiger (The Happy Hooker Goes Hollywood, Hot Nasties), Martin Tucker (Maximum Overdrive, Traxx), and William T. Hicks (A Day of Judgement, The Midnight Man)
Release Date - 1982
Genre - Horror
Tagline - "The last scream you hear...is your own"
Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)
Rating (out of 5):
If I was able to travel to different moments in film history I would be torn between the mid-70s drive-in craze and the early 80s slasher boom. The drive-in double features of the 70s looked like an absolutely blast to attend while the early 80s slasher boom was one of the defining moments for the genre. There was so many slasher getting produced that a good bit of them flew under the radar while titans like Friday the 13th, Halloween, and A Nightmare on Elm Street took all the glory. I love when a boutique label like Vinegar Syndrome, Arrow Video, Severin Films, and so on releases some of the more unknown or obscure film on blu. Several months back Arrow Video announced the release of the 1982 slasher Death Screams on blu. Coincidentally, this is one of the few Arrow releases that I had seen prior to their announcement. I had actually watched this one during my high school years. I remembered that it wasn't a bad movie. In fact, it was enjoyable but it was very forgettable. I was looking forward to revisiting it so I reached out to MVD who was handling the release and they were kind enough to send a copy my way for review.
The film follows a small town who is bustling with excitement as the carnival rolls into town. Many of the locals are turning it into a major event but what they don't know is that nearby some of their own was murdered by a machete wielding maniac and now that same maniac is walking the fairgrounds looking for their next victim. A group decides to go down by the river to hand out during the night and the killer seizes the opportunity to add to their body count.
Death Scream is like one of the hundreds of slashers that was released in the early 80s that isn't necessarily a bad film but it is painfully generic and easily forgettable. Like I said, it's not a bad film and I do enjoy it but everything from the acting to the story and deaths are all the generic with nothing that really stands out to the viewer. The acting in this one isn't bad. The cast really does go all into their roles. However, the characters are not that well written and extremely cliched but the cast does the best with what they had before them. Other slashers have some characters with memorable or fun personalities along with a killer that makes the film fun but Death Scream does not take that approach. The story for this one is a lot of the standard slasher tropes without the flair. I love a slasher with a memorable killer with some sort of backstory. Death Screams completely skips that and focuses more on the carnival setting and the deaths. Ironically, the deaths lack imagination as well. The movie and the story just plays out without anything to actually stick to your teeth. I've heard the term "faceless slasher" before and that is exactly what this is. Finally, the deaths are bloody and very fitting for a slasher but they lacked practical and make-up effects and didn't really pack a punch. They fit the film but if you are looking for gore and memorable deaths you will be very disappointed. Overall, Death Screams may not be the most iconic slasher but it's not one that should be slept on. I enjoyed it but it is one that I'm still struggling to remember even though I just watched it. It's one I would recommend if you are looking for a late night slasher while you down some light beer. The Arrow release is fantastic as well and collectors will want to snag this one for their collection.
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