SILENT SCREAM SYNOPSIS:

During her first semester at college, a co-ed finds housing at a seaside mansion where, following the death of a fellow-student, she becomes entangled in a murder mystery surrounding the property and its secretive tenants.

​

What silent terror lies within the walls of a gloomy old Victorian mansion by the sea? Unable to get housing on campus, young co-ed Scotty (Rebecca Balding, The Boogens) finds a vacancy at the Engels’ mansion, now a boarding house for college students. Mrs. Engels (Yvonne DeCarlo, TV’s The Munsters) and her son seem nice enough, but it soon becomes clear to Scotty that something is not right at her new residence. When her fellow boarders begin to get brutally butchered, two detectives (comedian Avery Schreiber and The Toolbox Murders’ Cameron Mitchell) must solve the mystery of the Engels’ boarding house before the body count rises. Written and produced by Ken and Jim Wheat, the creative team behind Nightmare on Elm Street 4, The Fly II and Pitch Black, and featuring horror icon Barbara Steele (Black Sunday, The Crimson Cult) in an unforgettable role, the bloodcurdling Silent Scream was one of the most successful, stylish and subversive independent horror movies of the slasher era.

​

OUR FILM REVIEW

Silent Scream is a 1979 slasher film that seems to have been forgotten with time — until now. With the resurgence of slashers in the last few years and admiration for slashers of the 70s+ at an all time high, Kino Lorber’s 4K UHD release is the way to view it for the first time. 

With a brand new HDR 10 master from a 4K scan of the 35mm original camera negative, the film looks better than ever. It’s not flawless as the picture, even with the massive improvements does show its age. The sound is quite tense and atmospheric as well, a fine slasher score accompanying the kills - all within a 5.1 surround and lossless 2.0 audio. 

The film may not be a favorite among general audiences or critics that have seen it for the Tomatometer on Rotten Tomatoes, but true horror purists will find something to enjoy here. It’s a beacon of fear from the time and while it may come off as boring to those with the appetite for jump scares, some will be able to travel back in time and enjoy the experience. 

The inclusion of three audio commentaries and a 30 years later featurette are yet another reason to spend more time with the feature and rewatch it in a new perspective with each repeated viewing. 

​

SPECIAL FEATURES ​

• DISC ONE - 4K UHD

  • Audio Commentary by Writers Jim and Ken Wheat with Actress Rebecca Balding

  • Audio Commentary by Actress Barbara Steele, Moderated by Film Historian David Del Valle

• DISC TWO - BLU-RAY

  • Audio Commentary by Writers Jim and Ken Wheat with Actress Rebecca Balding

  • Audio Commentary by Actress Barbara Steele, Moderated by Film Historian David Del Valle

  • Scream of Success - 30 Years Later: Featurette (40:42 SD)

  • The Original Script: Featurette (10:13 SD)

  • The Wheat Brothers - A Look Back: Featurette (12:17 SD)

  • Interview with Actress Rebecca Balding (3:17 SD)

  • Audio Interview with Director Denny Harris (30:04)

  • TV and Radio Spots

  • Theatrical Trailer