And Now the Screaming Starts!
| And Now the Screaming Starts! | |
|---|---|
 United States cinematic release poster | |
| Directed by | Roy Ward Baker |
| Produced by |
Max Rosenberg Milton Subotsky Gustave Berne |
| Written by |
Roger Marshall (screenplay) David Case |
| Starring |
Peter Cushing Herbert Lom Patrick Magee Stephanie Beacham |
| Music by | Douglas Gamley |
| Cinematography | Denys Coop |
| Edited by |
Peter Tanner Tony Curtis (addl) |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Fox-Rank (UK), Cinerama Releasing Corporation (USA) |
Release dates | April 27, 1973 |
Running time | 91 mins |
| Country | British |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $500,000[1] |
And Now the Screaming Starts! is a 1973 British gothic horror film. It is one of the few feature-length horror stories by Amicus, a company best known for anthology or "portmanteau" films.
The screenplay, written by Roger Marshall, is based on the novel Fengriffen by David Case.[2] It stars Peter Cushing, Herbert Lom, Patrick Magee, Stephanie Beacham and Ian Ogilvy, and was directed by Roy Ward Baker. The large gothic house used in the film is Oakley Court, near Bray village, which is now a four star hotel.
Plot
In 1795, newlyweds Catherine (Beacham) and Charles Fengriffen (Ogilvy) move into Charles' stately mansion. Catherine falls victim to a curse placed by a wronged servant on the Fengriffen family and its descendants.
Cast
- Peter Cushing as Dr. Pope
- Herbert Lom as Sir Henry Fengriffin
- Patrick Magee as Dr. Whittle
- Stephanie Beacham as Catherine Fengriffin
- Ian Ogilvy as Charles Fengriffin
- Geoffrey Whitehead as Woodsman / Silas
- Guy Rolfe as Lawyer Maitland
- Rosalie Crutchley as Mrs Luke
- Gillian Lind as Aunt Edith
- Janet Key as Bridget
Reception
The film received a lukewarm reception in Britain and America on its release. In the UK, And Now the Screaming Starts! went out on a double bill with the American horror film, Dr Death, Seeker of Souls. Jonathan Rosenbaum of Monthly Film Bulletin praised Denys Coop's camerawork and the acting performances, yet felt the film never quite realised its potential.[3] A. H. Weiler reviewing the work in The New York Times commended Cushing's contribution, deeming it superior to the rest of the cast's, although considered its plot contrived.[4] Mark Burger, reviewing a home video release for the Winston-Salem Journal in 2002, similarly noted the strong cast though found the muddled screenplay led to a merely "watchable" film.[2]
Citations
- ↑ Ed. Allan Bryce, Amicus: The Studio That Dripped Blood, Stray Cat Publishing, 2000 p 102-109
- 1 2 Burger, Mark (17 May 2002). "Video View". Winston-Salem Journal: p. 3.
- ↑ Rosenbaum, Jonathan (1974). "Feature Films". Monthly Film Bulletin, 41:480/491: p. 243.
- ↑ Weiler, A H (28 April 1973). "Screen: A Creepy Legend". The New York Times: p. 21.
Further reading
- Chibnall, Steve; Petley, Julian (ed.) (2005). British Horror Cinema. Oxford: Taylor & Francis, pp. 132–134. ISBN 0-203-99676-3
- Mayer, Geoff (2004). Roy Ward Baker (British Film Makers). Manchester Univ. Press. ISBN 0-7190-6354-X
External links
- And Now the Screaming Starts! at AllMovie
- And Now the Screaming Starts! at the Internet Movie Database