Scream of Fear

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Allan C Nov 30 Uncharacteristically classy Hammer Horror flick Scream of Fear (1961) **** Hammer Horror films were known for being more graphic, sexual, and violent compared to other films of the 60s and 70s, but SCREAM OF FEAR is an uncharictarically restrained psychological horror film that I didn’t even realize was a Hammer picture until the credits rolled. Susan Strasberg, daughter of famed Actors Studio and method acting founder Lee Strasberg, plays a young woman confined to a wheelchair who returns to her father’s estate after 10 years away. She’s told her father is traveling, but when she begins to suspect he’s dead, is she uncovering a murder, is she losing her mind, or is she being gaslit by those around her? I’m unfamiliar with director Seth Holt, but he has crafted some truly eerie and suspenseful scenes, acompanied by moody black and white photography that is factasic (shot by director of photography Douglas Slocombe, who’d go on to work with everyone from Joseph Losey to John Huston to Ken Russell to George Cukor and even Steven Spielberg), and recalls the best of Hickcock or Henri-Georges Clouzot, particularly DIABOLIQUE. It’s also fun to see Christopher Lee, Hammer’s very own Count Dracula, in a fairly straight, small supporting role and not playing one of his more flamboyant villainous roles, particularly in a Hammer production. Lee (Christopher, not Strasberg) has gone on record saying, "In my opinion, the best film Hammer ever made," adding that Seth Holt was "one of the best directors Britain ever had." Holt only directed a handful of other films, but I plan on watching them. I’m also interested to see more films with Strasberg, who’s not only gorgeous, but delivers a fantastic performance as our troubled heroine. Looking at her credits, I think I’ve only ever seen her in PSYCH-OUT and THE DELTA FORCE, neither of which made much of an impression, but she was good in PICNIC. She looks like she mostly appeared in episodic TV, though she was in the Vincente Minnelli film, THE COBWEB, which I’m adding to my watchlist. Overall, SCREAM OF FEAR is not as great as DIABOLIQUE, but it’s arguably one of the best Hammer pictures.  CAPSULE REVIEW: SCREAM OF FEAR is an unusually classy and restrained entry in the Hammer Horror canon, trading gore for tense, psychological suspense. Susan Strasberg delivers a compelling performance in a moody, Hitchcock- and Clouzot-esque thriller elevated by Douglas Slocombe’s gorgeous black-and-white cinematography. It’s not quite Diabolique, but it’s easily one of Hammer’s strongest and most atmospheric films. See more Kam P 05/14/2024 An excellent, on the edge of your seat movie with unrelenting suspense. The twist at the end of the movie was really unexpected. See more nick s 02/28/2024 Great camera work and pacing. Very good acting, particularly Susan Strasberg in the main role. An intriguing, competently directed film. See more Ken R 04/03/2021 Scream Of Fear – Serves Up Classy Thrills (A No Spoilers Overview) Rarely has a Hammer film production looked so visually superb – as stylish thrillers go, it didn't get too much better than this. Master Director of Photography Douglas Slocombe (‘Jesus Christ Superstar '73) works perfectly with Director Seth Holt to create dazzling fluid camera moods, featuring classic compositions of their above-average cast - right down to the bit players. Master production designer Bernard Robinson (Shadow Of The Cat, also '61) and art director Thomas Goswell create the impressive sets and weave a spellbinding atmosphere. Jimmy Sangster's eerie story has more twists than many in this genre might otherwise contain, and keeps the audience guessing as it rolls out (yes, a couple of needless red herrings could have easily been done away with). Lovely American, Susan Strasburg (daughter of Lee Strasburg) is perfect as the helpless Wheelchair-bound victim, while the always reliable Ann Todd, along with Christopher Lee (less hammy than usual – in his own personal favourite) and Ronald Lewis add layers of suspicion to the mysterious proceedings. Prolific composer Clifton Parker's somewhat lush music score adds the final touch of class to this most suspenseful offering (maybe not one to watch on your own) The Columbia ‘studio' DVD9 transfer offers nice images and sound quality. A better than average Hammer outing. See more 07/07/2020 Scream of Fear is a brilliantly crafted thriller that deserves more attention. Perhaps it has flown under the radar for decades because it has a relatively unknown cast, aside from Christopher Lee in a supporting role. (He’s great as always, but a tad underused.) For whatever reason, this film has not garnered a large following and that is a shame, because it deserves some recognition. I love how this script builds the story, and creates tension. We are puzzling through things with the main character, and must work to piece together what exactly is going on, and who is involved. I’ll admit that I was fairly confident I had guessed the truth early in the film, because the plot does have some similarities to other movies I’ve seen in the past. Yet even though I was right about some things, there were still details that I didn’t know and that made for a good surprise in the end. Susan Strasberg is wonderful as Penny Appleby, and she brings a level of nuance that is sorely needed for this kind of role. She is great at playing the terror that comes from this ordeal she is going through, yet she brings more than just being a screaming damsel in distress. She also has smarts, and appears in control of some situations. Ronald Lewis is also great as the main confidante for the protagonist, and Ann Todd is perfect as the step-mother who appears nice at first but seems to have something to hide. Between the well-written story, and the great work from the cast, Scream of Fear is a marvelous film. It’s also one of those movies that is instantly worth watching a second time because the entire movie is recontextualized when you know all the mysteries. I would highly recommend everyone take a chance on Scream of Fear, it’s a winner. See more 03/29/2019 A noirish thriller with crisp black and white cinematography, Scream of Fear (aka Taste of Fear) is creepy, atmospheric, and well made. Its well thought out soundscape includes intentional silence, soft nature sounds, and frightening, unexplained thumps and crashes, which draw the vulnerable protagonist toward scenes of horror - only then does the dramatic music strike, as well as the title scream. Almost completely free of blood and gore, Scream of Fear relies largely on technical artistry to create a chilling mood around a convoluted, twisting, giallo-like plot, which meanders toward an abrupt but fairly satisfying ending. See more Read all reviews

Scream of Fear

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