MICHAEL WINNER'S CROWD-PLEASING CINEMATIC ODDITY IS NOW AVAILABLE FOR THE FIRST TIME ON BLU-RAY FROM SCREAM FACTORY!
Few announcements shocked and excited me as much as Scream Factory's declaration that they were adding SCREAM FOR HELP to their catalog at this year's San Diego Comic-Con. (This of course, came just several months after we highlighted this bizarre film in our WANTED ON BLU-RAY column so.... I'll take a bit of the credit. Haha!)
I had first experienced this film several years ago during Exhumed Film's 24-Hour Horrorthon in Philadelphia, where SCREAM FOR HELP energized the audience, and instantly became a crowd favorite! This movie is a must buy for yours truly, but if you're still on the fence, read more about it below!
Synopsis: Terror invades an upper-class New York community as 17-year old Christie Cromwell cleverly uncovers her stepfather's horrifying plot to murder her wealthy mother. She's on to him, yet no one will believe her because she's just a kid: smart, imaginative, maybe she's just taken a crazy idea to the limit. Suspense builds when a series of shocking events confirms her worst fears. Alone, afraid and helpless, terrified Christie and her mother are held prisoner in their own home at the mercy of ruthless killers.
Disc Specs:
Rated R | Color | 89 minutes | Region A
Video - 1080p Widescreen (1.85:1)
Audio - ?
Extras:
NEW! 2K Scan From The Original Film Elements!
NEW!Stepfather Of The Year – An Interview With Actor David Allen Brooks!
NEW!Cruel Intentions – An Interview With Writer Tom Holland!
NEW! Audio Commentary Featuring Justin Karswell
(Hysteria Lives!, The Slasher Movie Book) And Amanda Reyes (Are You In
The House Alone? A TV Movie Compendium)
Theatrical Trailer
SCREAM FOR HELP is currently available wherever Blu-ray discs are sold and is going for $24 - $28 at the moment! If you're a fan of this cult classic, or just super curious, I highly recommend you pick up a copy of this movie ASAP from AMAZON, BULLMOOSE, DIABOLIK DVD, or directly from SHOUT! FACTORY.
UPDATE (09/18/2018): Scream Factory gave SCREAM FOR HELP its Blu-ray debut! CLICK HERE to order a copy!
In October of 2016, at the behest of my friends Chris Alo (of Hudson Horror Show fame) and the late James "Doc Terror" Harris, I attended my first Exhumed Film's 24-Hour Horrorthon! It was awesomely insane to say the least!
I sat in the (sweltering) theater all day, pounding energy drinks, and successfully fought to stay awake through all fourteen feature films! And out of that amazing roster (mentioned HERE), one movie in particular took us all by complete surprise, and became the event's "crowd favorite." I'm speaking of course about Michael Winner's 1984 thriller, SCREAM FOR HELP!
Synopsis: Christie (Rachael Kelly) seems to live an idyllic life with her mother Karen (Marie Masters), and her stepfather Paul Fox (David Allen Brooks) in a beautiful house in New Rochelle, NY. But Christie has recently begun to suspect that her new dad has an insidious plan to murder her mother! And worse yet, no one seems to believe her!
After a series of deadly accidents, Christie begins sleuthing for evidence to prove that Paul is planning to commit uxoricide. Dragging a few friends along for the ride, she skips school to spy on her stepdad, which eventually leads to the discovery that he's having an affair, and in cahoots with some very shady characters. It all builds to a tense home invasion during the climax, where Christie has to use her wits to either escape and get help, or kill the intruders.
Yup, those sheets are ruined.
SCREAM FOR HELP's screenplay was penned by Tom Holland (FRIGHT NIGHT, CHILD'S PLAY), and directed by Michael Winner (DEATH WISH 1 - 3), who took some liberties with the script (much to Holland's chagrin). The film has the bizarre feel of a made-for-TV after school special, but contains a surprising amount of violence, nudity, and awkward teen sexuality. The end result is an outrageous crowd pleaser that is often both funny and sleazy.
Availability: As is the case with the vast majority of films mentioned in our WANTED ON BLU-RAY column, SCREAM FOR HELP is currently out of print. VHS copies are a little hard to find: There aren't any up for grabs on AMAZON at the moment (but you can obtain the film's soundtrack on CD, Vinyl, or Cassette!), and there only a handful of (mostly overpriced) copies on EBAY. Luckily, someone has uploaded a VHS-rip of the full film to YouTube! (You can also watch a much better copy HERE for $2.99.)
Current Rights Holder: After its theatrical run in July of 1984, SCREAM FOR HELP came to VHS in 1986 from Lorimar. Three years later, Warner Communications purchased Lorimar, who continued to produce films and television programs until 1993, when they were engulfed by Warner Bros. Television. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that SCREAM FOR HELP is currently owned by Warner Bros. Entertainment, and hopefully a future candidate for the Warner Archive Collection!
An employee at Warner Bros. searches the vaults for an elusive print of SCREAM FOR HELP.
Blu-ray Wishlist:
A remastered 2K transfer made from an original print.
Original 2.0 Mono & newly created 5.1 Surround Sound audio tracks.
Audio commentary with screenwriter Tom Holland and lead cast members!
A new making-of featurette containing interviews with stars Rachael Kelly, Marie Masters, David Allen Brooks, Lolita Lorre (aka Lola Lesheim), and/or Rocco Sisto! Also Tom Holland, Producer Irwin Yablans, Composer John Paul Jones, and special effects artist David H. Watkins!
Poster & Still Galleries
Original Theatrical Trailer
SCREAM FOR HELP has built up a large cult following over the years, and is long overdue for a new home video release! If you're a fan of the film (or just super curious about it) then we must work together to hound Warner Bros. on social media! Let's make some noise and tag the WB on Facebook and Twitter, and tell them that we want SCREAM FOR HELP ON BLU-RAY!
THE GOOD GUYS AT SCREAM FACTORY GIVE "CHILD'S PLAY" A BLU-RAY RELEASE TO DIE FOR ON TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18TH!
CHILD'S PLAY is one of the all-time greatest Horror films to come out of the 80s! Chucky became a household name, and his feature film debut spawned five sequels (with one more on the way)! Even if you already own this movie in any format (because let's face it, you do) an upgrade seems unavoidable this time around!
Film Synopsis: The "chills come thick and fast" (Los Angeles Times) in this riveting, jolt-a-minute thriller about an innocent-looking doll inhabited by the soul of a serial killer who refused to die. From the director of FRIGHT NIGHT (Tom Holland), CHILD'S PLAY comes complete with "excellent special effects" (Leonard Maltin) and a slew of special features that make this Blu-ray your "friend to the end!"
In this "clever, playful thriller" (The New York Times), only six-year-old Andy realizes that Chucky is responsible for a spate of gruesome murders, including that of his unsuspecting babysitter. But the real terror takes hold when the deranged doll becomes determined to transfer his evil spirit to a living human being... Andy!
Disc Specs:
Rated R | Color | 87 minutes | Region A
Video - 1080p Widescreen (1.85:1)
Audio - DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Extras:
DISC ONE
NEW! 2K scan of the interpositive.
NEW! Audio Commentary with director Tom Holland.
Audio Commentary with Alex Vincent, Catherine Hicks and "Chucky" designer Kevin Yagher.
Audio Commentary with Producer David Kirschner and Screenwriter Don Mancini.
Select Scene Chucky Commentaries.
DISC TWO
NEW! Behind-the-Scenes Special Effects footage from Howard Berger. (60 minutes)
NEW! Howard Berger: Your Special Effects Friend ‘Til The End - Interview with special effects artist Howard Berger. (40 minutes)
NEW! Life Behind the Mask: Being Chucky – An interview with actor Ed Gale. (40 minutes)
Evil Comes in Small Packages featuring interviews with Don Mancini, David Kirschner, John Lafia, Chris Sarandon, Brad Dourif, Catherine Hicks, Alex Vincent, Kevin Yagher. (24 minutes)
Chucky: Building a Nightmare featuring Kevin Yagher. (10 minutes)
A Monster Convention featuring Catherine Hicks, Alex Vincent and Chris Sarandon. (5 minutes)
Introducing Chucky: The Making of Child's Play Vintage Featurette. (6 minutes)
Original Theatrical Trailer
Still Photo Gallery
Scream Factory's Collector's Edition of CHILD'S PLAY hits stores and online retailers on Tuesday, October 18th! You can order it from AMAZON.COM, or directly from SHOUT! FACTORY, which will net you this disc before its release date. Plus, it'll come with a free 18 x 24 poster of this disc's newly commissioned cover art! (While supplies last.)
Also, there is a DELUXE Collector's Edition available. It comes with a NECA Good Guy Doll action figure, TWO 18 x 24 posters, and two slipcovers with new artwork! This release is limited to 2,000 units, and can be ordered immediately HERE!
The Deluxe Collector's Edition comes with everything seen here
* Batteries not Included.
