Vincent Price, Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing, three major genre icons, were what drew me into seeing Scream and Scream Again. But I was left feeling disappointed at the end result. By all means it is not a terrible film but it never seems to really come together. It is not without its good points though, the film does look good and the score is jazzy and doesn't intrude with the atmosphere too much. The ending is also intriguing and actually makes sense, which unfortunately is more than I can say for the rest of the movie.
The three stars themselves don't disappoint, though they deserved much more screen-time than they did(as well as he played it you do question the point of Peter Cushing's character) and the fact that they are barely together- apart from Price and Lee briefly- is something that fans will consider a cheat. Christopher Lee is fine in his role, his voice not as distinctive as usual but he does very well in a role quite different to the other ones he's done in his long career. The best of the three though is Vincent Price, while in more straightforward role he still manages to bring a great deal of dignity and class to the film.
Alfred Marks though was just alright, for me this said alright is not enough to carry a movie, particularly how he and his character were so abruptly written out. And sadly, I can't praise Scream and Scream Again any further. Gordon Hessler directs in a rather routine fashion, while the characters are not written or developed enough to really shine or make us care for them. The gore to me looked very tacky and cheap, and while with the ending the high points of the story the chase and fight sequences could also be seen as on the cartoonish and artificial side. The script is also a bunch of nonsense, with some of the more humorous parts jarring with the tone.
Where Scream and Scream Again is particularly hurt is in its story, an example of an intriguing idea executed poorly. The constant jumping around from one genre theme to another and the numerous plot strands that are all over the place make it structurally incomprehensible with the sense that it doesn't know what kind of film it wants to be. I'll give you this much and say that the film is never dull. Overall, redeemed by Price and Lee(Cushing is good as well but his character is pretty useless) as well as the look of the film, score and ending, but because of the nonsensical script and unfocused story Scream and Scream Again never really came together for me.
4/10 Bethany Cox
The three stars themselves don't disappoint, though they deserved much more screen-time than they did(as well as he played it you do question the point of Peter Cushing's character) and the fact that they are barely together- apart from Price and Lee briefly- is something that fans will consider a cheat. Christopher Lee is fine in his role, his voice not as distinctive as usual but he does very well in a role quite different to the other ones he's done in his long career. The best of the three though is Vincent Price, while in more straightforward role he still manages to bring a great deal of dignity and class to the film.
Alfred Marks though was just alright, for me this said alright is not enough to carry a movie, particularly how he and his character were so abruptly written out. And sadly, I can't praise Scream and Scream Again any further. Gordon Hessler directs in a rather routine fashion, while the characters are not written or developed enough to really shine or make us care for them. The gore to me looked very tacky and cheap, and while with the ending the high points of the story the chase and fight sequences could also be seen as on the cartoonish and artificial side. The script is also a bunch of nonsense, with some of the more humorous parts jarring with the tone.
Where Scream and Scream Again is particularly hurt is in its story, an example of an intriguing idea executed poorly. The constant jumping around from one genre theme to another and the numerous plot strands that are all over the place make it structurally incomprehensible with the sense that it doesn't know what kind of film it wants to be. I'll give you this much and say that the film is never dull. Overall, redeemed by Price and Lee(Cushing is good as well but his character is pretty useless) as well as the look of the film, score and ending, but because of the nonsensical script and unfocused story Scream and Scream Again never really came together for me.
4/10 Bethany Cox