IMDb RATING
5.8/10
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A teenaged girl discovers that her stepfather is trying to murder her and her mother, but when she tells people, no one will believe her.A teenaged girl discovers that her stepfather is trying to murder her and her mother, but when she tells people, no one will believe her.A teenaged girl discovers that her stepfather is trying to murder her and her mother, but when she tells people, no one will believe her.
David Allen Brooks
- Paul Fox
- (as David Brooks)
Lolita Lesheim
- Brenda Bohle
- (as Lolita Lorre)
Antonio Cantafora
- Man at Motel
- (as Michael Corby)
Marlene Marques
- Librarian
- (as Marlene Marcus)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Featured reviews
10Zeegrade
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.
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.
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.
i thought this was a pretty good movie for its time. Its about a girl who knows her step father is trying to kill her and her mother for their money but no one will believe her and finally the step father holds them hostage in their house. Its a pretty good movie the ending makes up for the slow beginning.
ok it may be laughable,and cheesy,but still thrilling in my opinion. the last 20 minutes or so is really good. the score seems so out of place it's not even funny. it looks more like a 70's movie than a 80's movie. but it's still pretty good. i give scream for help **1/2 out of ****
Between Death Wish II and Death Wish 3, Winner made this quickly forgotten thriller with a no name cast. It has the same over the top approach as his much more famous works, with so many memorable scenes and dialogue written by Tom Holland, best known for Fright Night and Child's Play. It's easily one of the most watchable bad movies of the 80's, so it's a huge shame that this is not on DVD. I would buy it immediately and play it for everyone i know. If you like R rated politically incorrect Nancy Drew mysteries that were made by your perverted uncle.... If you like Lifetime Original Movies on crack... If you want to see an even more outrageous version of The Stepfather, then this movie is for you.
Did you know
- TriviaThis movie was to have been the third collaboration between writer Tom Holland and director Richard Franklin (following Psychose II (1983) and Jouer c'est tuer (1984)). With his career on the rise, Franklin ultimately decided it would be unwise to helm such a low-budget film.
- GoofsThe Chrysler is traveling over 60 mph with the accelerator stuck and non-operable brakes when it goes through the Church's Chicken parking lot appears to be going much slower then speeds up when it gets back into the road.
- Quotes
Christie Cromwell: [to Karen] Fine, don't believe me, just wait until he kills you.
- ConnectionsFeatured in 31 Horror Movies in 31 Days: Scream for Help (1984) (2012)
- How long is Scream for Help?Powered by Alexa
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Box office
- Budget
- $3,000,000 (estimated)
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