Scream for Help

If anyone is familiar with filmmaker Michael Winner's work, then "Scream for Help" shouldn't come as a surprise. Made smack in the middle of "Death Wish II" & "Death Wish 3". Those easily offended should steer clear. But then again, this ruthlessly trashy picture does catch you off guard numerous times. You could play a drinking game. Get the shot glasses ready, whenever you hear the word "kill". This is a lot. Yeah, as you can see, it's not one to take too seriously, even though it feels like the entire cast is giving their dramatic all.

Tom Holland's disjointed material is campy despite the context (family abuse) being frightening, but Winner's execution is where the laughs come from. Subtle is not how to describe it. It's so outrageously delirious, excessive and in-your-face making it eye-bogglingly strange and unrealistic. Was Winner sniggering behind the camera? But that's where the fun comes from.

The story creatively follows that of the dogged teenage girl's viewpoint by mixing elements of the boy who cried wolf meets Nancy Drew turned home invasion with exploitative touches. Then there's the odd, if graceless lifetime style coming of age inclusions. It's all over the place, but for some reason it gives it such a frenetic, unpredictable energy after being thrown straight into the action. Helping this out was the spirited performance of Rachael Kelly. Watching her go about her business always in the same manner can get rather humorous when not jarring. Her dialogues and reactions are priceless, but still you got admire her commitment. She would give Terry O'Quinn's "The Stepfather" a real run for his money. David Allen Brooks is perfect as the calculating, sleazebag step-father.

One thing that was hard to admire though, was that loud, obnoxious music score. Winner must be sniggering again? Outside of those intrusive guitar riffs, it felt out-of-pace. Winner's leering, straight-forward style makes use of it b-grade budget where amongst the sordid details he does install some intense passages. And how about that ending?!

Let's see, we got veteran UK filmmaker, Michael Winner, at the helm. A soundtrack by Led Zeppelin's John Paul Jones featuring Jimmy Page and Jon Anderson from Yes, and a script from noted Hollywood fear-meister Tom Holland. What could go wrong? Pretty much everything and gloriously so! I love watching this film because I can never tell if it was made to be a melodramatic satire or just a melodramatic failure. I'm leaning toward failed art. The bad acting is spread across the board but led by the entirely incapable Rachael Kelly, sporting around the screen in a variety of unflattering '80s era outfits. Ms. Kelly never once allows the viewer to lose themselves in the proceedings with her near constant histrionics. No wonder her step-father is trying to kill her! The absurd soundtrack is so over-the-top and out of place that I'm convinced that the producers threw out Jones' original score and substituted cheesy stock tracks instead. There is nothing but camp and unintentional guffawing to be had here...and that's ok. Sometimes you need a movie to riff on with your buddies like MST3K, and Scream for Help (which never received a proper release in the US) is there to help. Nice to see a new blu-ray edition on the market.

This is fantastic trash from one of the most accomplished trash directors, Michael Winner . It is "The Girl Who Cried Wolf" and that wolf is her stepdaddy (David Brooks). Like most of Winner's work, it is loud, as subtle as a sledgehammer, full of nasty expletives and downright mean-spirited. If that's not a hard enough sell for you, it's also filled with sleazy sex and there's a sexual assault.

Say what you want about the man, but Winner does deliver. He attacks his genre work with enthusiasm and a healthy dollop of offensiveness. He's not afraid to alienate more sensitive viewers and he never goes for suggestion when a lurid close-up will do.

The idea of showing everything from the perspective of a young girl is a good one and it's novel to watch little Rachael Kelly, as Christie Cromwell, riding around on her bike as she pokes her nose into her stepdaddy's sordid affairs.

The film's final half hour is a rocket ride of sleaze, violence and brutality and testament to Winner's blazing talent for garish overstatement.

You'll be a better human being if you miss this, but a lesser trash monger.

Residing somewhere in a parallel dimension called "Scream for Help" where everybody is a scumbag reigns Christie Cromwell. Played with such over-the-top antics and foul-mouthed bombast by Rachael Kelly, this single performance makes this movie one of the sleaziest and most entertaining eighties bad movies I have ever seen. Young Christie thinks that Paul Fox, who has recently married Chrisite's mother Karen, is a conniving philanderer who is only after their money and wants the both of them dead. She's right of course but the problem is getting anyone to believe her since she's such an abrasive little bitch that nobody wishes to come near her let alone listen to her petty conspiracy theories. One morning she follows Paul on her bike until he motors away from her. Not one to be deterred easily Chrisite waits the next day until Paul drives by the spot she lost him at and continues to follow him. This goes on for about a week until she finds Paul's car outside a house. Christie looks into the window to see Paul engaged in a little back door sex with a mysterious woman which she promptly takes a picture of. This escalates the war between Paul and Christie with the dopey Karen caught in the middle trying to make nice with both of them. From here on you might need a shower as the seediness pours through every scene as Christie and Paul try to out scum each other. Along for the ride are Christie's acquaintances, I can't see her having any friends, the extremely large busted Janey (you'll know what I mean) and her boyfriend Josh. When Janey is run down by Paul Christie grieves like any good friend would do by losing her virginity to her boyfriend. This leads to one of the funniest lines when Josh comes over to see her only to be shot down when Christie says that she was looking for anyone to pop her cherry "even the garbage man". Wow! A final showdown ensues as Karen and Christie become hostages in their mansion as Paul, his partner/double crosser Brenda and her husband Lacey battle wits with the vicious teen. This movie is like a Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner cartoon if Road Runner was banging Wile E.'s mom. That's the best way I can describe this. Every time Christie thinks she's got Paul dead to rights he manages to get away unscathed. Plenty of nudity, profanity, and eighties cheesiness to keep even the most jaded of viewers with a smile on their face. "Scream for Help" is the very definition of why a really good "bad movie" trumps the pretentious crap that poses for theatrical fare today. Simply a must see for any fan of B-grade cinema.

I like this movie a lot. True, it's not a cinema classic, but as a "B" horror film, it rates a B+. The story, acting, and direction are much better than most films of this sort.

My biggest complaint with the film is the music, which is often out of sync with the film, and at other times shrill to the point of being annoying.

The actors do a fine job, particularly Sisto, in the sleasy, white trash role. The young actress who stars in this film is quite effective, and I have to wonder why she didn't get a career boost, after this one.

I'd like to purchase this film, if it is ever released on DVD.