Scream of the Banshee

For a SyFy movie, then I think that "Scream of the Banshee" was well over the average movies that they produce. This movie was actually well worth watching.

The story, albeit a bit weirdly and hastily tossed together, worked well enough despite it all. There were some really questionable things in the story, such as the coincidence that the ancient map was a map of their basement, and also the reason for Broderick Duncan's dismissal from the school. Just seemed like they needed a quick way to tie the ends together in the movie, and this seemed like the most plausible and best way to do it (insert buzzer sound here)! Despite the flaws in the storyline and events, the story was driven by a constant flow, and you want to see what happens next. So they did manage to do something right with the story after all.

I liked the concept of the banshee, though I had a somewhat other impression of a banshee than what was portrayed here. Yeah, I am damaged from years and years of playing Dungeons & Dragons. I got my banshee knowledge from here. I am not overly familiar with old Irish legends and lore, so I didn't really have much information (aside from the RPG stuff) about the banshee. But still, the end result in the movie turned out to be quite nice.

The cast in "Scream of the Banshee" was actually quite nice, although they did use Lance Henriksen to draw in the viewers, and he didn't have that big a part in the movie. But hey... The movie was in great parts carried by Todd Haberkorn (playing Otto) and also by Lance Henriksen (playing Broderick Duncan). This is not to say that the others in the movie were bad, just that these two were the ones pulling the heaviest load.

Moving on to the creature in the movie; the banshee. They actually managed to portray a really good image of such a creature - if one does believe in them! I especially liked the head in the box, that one looked awesome. There were times when the banshee had materialized that it looked really good as well, but there were also times where it was bordering on being painful to watch. And I am not sure how I feel about the last stage of the banshee, where it had no eyes. That was a bit too "alien" for this type of movie.

Don't be too hasty to write "Scream of the Banshee" off just because it is a SyFy production. It was well worth my time to sit down and watch it, and I was thoroughly entertained throughout the entire movie. Just take heed that even though the movie is labeled as a horror movie, don't expect to get overly scared out of your seat.

Come on now, let me hear you scream...

The cast and concept seemed interesting, but I was dubious seeing that it was low budget and that it was SyFy. As far as SyFy movies go, it is far from their worst, but it is not one of their better ones either. The cast aren't terrible, but the only ones really to come above their material are Lucy Hale and Todd Haberkorn. Marcelle Baer is not bad either, but her character is written poorly, while the casting of Lance Henriksson promised much but mainly because he is only on screen for ten or so minutes his efforts seemed wasted. The banshee was rather fake sadly, though the scream was terrifying, and the choppy editing and artificial-looking effects don't help. Neither do the hackneyed scripting, the dull, predictable and ridiculous story, the lack of any real terror or suspense or the annoying stereotypes for characters. Overall, not a complete waste of time but still pretty lame. 3/10 Bethany Cox

This movie is a complete mess on the execution of it. I like how the movie uses a banshee as its villain because that's an interesting type of spirit that is rarely used. The way she executed here is poorly done because they use her for mostly cheap jump scares, and her backstory isn't that flesh-out. Also, the characters experienced nightmares from her with aren't that interesting or creepy at all. The actual story is nothing too interesting, with the characters being haunted by her after hearing her screams. It's pretty predictable throughout and is not that enjoyable to watch. Also, some scenes feel like they are dragging itself way too long. The climax itself is underwhelming and not that suspenseful at all. The ending mimics the Raiders of the Lost Ark for some reason. Also, the screams from the Banshee get pretty annoying and obnoxious throughout.

Judging from the lack of information available about "Scream of the Banshee" (like budget and such) I expected a B-C class film (regardless to the IMDb rating and complaints by the spoiled snobs who like to whine online). I got exactly what I expected, but nothing less.

First of all, being a Horror fan, I always like seeing such combinations of sub-genres, in this case the supernatural Ghost Story and Monsters sub genres. Second, as a fan of D&D and fantasy RPGs, I was very happy to find a film about a Banshee!

The screenplay is pretty good, with a worthy enough story - but the script is sometimes amateur to the point of being painful to listen to. The acting is mostly good, except for Lauren Holly who simply lacks the charisma necessary for her character. The effects were mostly good considering the estimated budget (though the Banshee's face was very clearly a mask, and the giant hand coming out of the screen was almost a cartoon).

All in all, if you start watching this and expect a masterpiece, you'll be disappointed, and it will be your own fault. However, if you choose not to be too uppity and try this film expecting a low budget Monster flick - you'll have a pretty good time and enjoy a few well made scares, just as I did.

Having a cool title and premise does not excuse a filmmaker from those making decisions that weaken their movie. Overzealous editing, camerawork, and lighting are no substitution for judicious storytelling or direction; cheap jump scares are altogether gauche. Scene writing and plot threads still need logical through lines from A to B, or at least through B to C, to tie a picture together. I'm given to understand that director Steven C. Miller wanted to make a darker feature than the intended television premiere would allow, and also that he took inspiration from mid-century genre flicks. I can see glimpses of both these elements in his thinking - in some of the practical effects including blood, gore, and props; in the narrative advancement that drops kernels of supernatural horror piecemeal as the tale comes together. Unfortunately, the end result doesn't particularly measure up in any capacity: despite all due earnestness in the production, 'Scream of the banshee' mostly just falls flat.

I don't think anyone's efforts were outright bad; I see the hard work that was put into this. I see what Miller wanted to do. But in one way or another every contribution just ended up being misguided. While practical effects look great, digital creations are, shall we say, less than seamless. The first time we see the titular creature it looks fantastic, but the special makeup and costume design somehow seem increasingly inauthentic as the length draws on; why change what didn't need to be? Andrew Strahorn's cinematography and Miller's editing are technically proficient, but exercised to wrong ends, trying to artificially heighten the horror violence but instead only overcooking it. Ryan Dodson's score is enjoyable in and of itself, but is employed in ways here that make it seem over the top. The production values are weirdly inconsistent; from one scene to the next the fundamental image before us might bear a different look and feel - sometimes exactly on point, at other times bearing the appearance in different ways of having been filmed in front of a green screen even for simple exterior shots, if not having been computer-generated outright. Miller's intent as director was true, but he takes cues from other genre flicks of the early 2000s, including TV movies, that severely reduce the best potential. The cast give the best performances they can to realize the material, but the combined effect of every other facet is to force them into a corner that strips away nuance and tact. Poor Todd Haberkorn seems to have suffered the most in this regard.

For all this, however, Anthony C. Ferrante's screenplay is surely the chief weakness. There are some genuinely good ideas in the writing, but by and large Ferrante's work is sadly a scattered mess. Characters should have been more than just empty shells; dialogue is mostly terrible, and sometimes cliched. In both these regards, I feel bad for Lance Henriksen, because his part has the dubious distinction of representing the worst writing of anything in the whole feature. Scene writing (and Miller's realization of it) is too often ham-handed and overdone, sometimes testing the limits of good sense or suspension of disbelief (example, watch for an early scene in which three characters obliviously walk past something on the floor). Like an old house that needs to be remodeled, the plot has good bones - yet the meat between those bones is in desperate need of revitalization. Some individual story beats are questionable; threads between beats and scenes are sometimes thin and falling apart. There is, after all, a complete story told herein, but it struggles to feel cohesive or even coherent as a substantial amount of Movie Magic is involved to weave everything together. It's a lot to try to take in.

I don't altogether hate 'Scream of the banshee.' I see what was put into it; I see what it could have been. As it stands, however, nothing quite fits together; the efforts of all involved are just slightly mismatched from what they should be. I wish Ferrante only the best, and I trust that he has grown in his skills as a writer since this was made, but his screenplay needed significant rewrites. I don't absolutely regret watching this film - I'm just disappointed. Good ideas; no major success in any fashion. My kindest regards to all who had a hand in this, and I hope to see more of what they can do elsewhere. 'Scream of the banshee,' however, is just not the fun horror romp it might have been.