Scream at the Devil

source: Scream at the Devil

Mirium Jones (Shari Shattuck) is in Venice and prays claiming she would do anything to have a baby and looks like she has a slight case of demonic possession. However we don't know that for sure as she is a bit schizophrenic. Her husband Gabriel (Eric Etebari) likes old cars, the bottle, and women who aren't certifiable. We see Mirium going mad and hallucinating, or not, as the audience doesn't know what is real or not real. Tony Todd has a minor role and appears 73 minutes into the film which sets up for a sequel where his role could expand. I liked the selection of the names. There are women who look like they are part of a Rosemary's Baby coven, including the token hot Asian chick (Jane Park Smith). The DVD cover picture doesn't appear in the film. We get to watch a drama of a failed relationship, that wasn't that great and then we watch a woman do crazy stuff as she walks around at night with a gun and a flashlight because she lives in a nation that allows crazy people to be armed with flashlights. She also likes to wake up in the tub and run around in a top and panties. However that was not enough to carry the film. Had potential. Guide: F-word, rape. No nudity other than side-breast.

This is a strangely disjointed film directed, written and co-produced by Joseph P. Stachura. Shari Shattuck stars as Mirium, and Eric Etebari as Gabriel, who reunite after Mirium takes a break in Venice (where the film opens) after suffering a miscarriage. After praying for another baby, Mirium, who is not taking her medication for schizophrenia, suffers a series of strange hallucinations and scary moments. During one such episode, Gabriel, who likes a drink, disappears. This appears to be a kind of variation of 'Rosemary's Baby (1967)', but quite oddly paced. The initially amusing Camio, Lilli and Amy (Jennifer Lyons, Amy Argyle and Corina Boettger), together with elderly Bella (Teddy Vincent) and Raven (Jane Park Smith) from 'nearby' appear to form some sort of unspecific - possibly vampiric - coven that knows more about Mirium than anyone. After the strong opening scenes in beautiful Venice, things settle, if that is the right word, into a series of scenarios that could be real/could be fantasy. After a while, it is difficult to care. Shattuck attacks her role with gusto, sometimes over-reacting to various occurrences. As if to heighten that, some of the directorial touches are sometimes heavy-handed. After a while, you get that sinking feeling that what you are watching is sadly flawed. The two cops we meet late in the film might well be my favourite characters. Played by Candyman Tony Todd and Kiko Ellsworth, they have great chemistry and humour. Events lead up to - although they don't, really, they just 'happen' - the set-up for a sequel. A quick look at IMDB reveals 'Scream at the Devil' to be Joseph P. Stachura's most recent filmic project, so such a concept is possible.

This movie could have been really good. It had all the elements of a great horror film; a pact with Satan, a main character who may or may not be hallucinating the horrible things in the home, creepy neighbors who seem to be demons at times (like actual demons, not like your regular annoying neighbor-type jerk demons), a Rosemary's Baby-esque Hell-spawn producing scene, etc. But, somehow all of those ingredients were mixed together and baked, and it turned into something.....not cake. Even the final scene, which should have tied up the loose ends and drove the whole train home, just caused some eye rolling. I didn't take away all the stars, because this movie isn't completely beyond redemption. The lady who played Belah was pretty convincing as her role changed from hapless sweet old lady next door to the evil crone who knows more that she lets on. And, the two cops at the end, while they seem like belonged in different movie, had a pretty good chemistry. The reason they seemed like they didn't belong in this movie is because they didn't. They belong in a *better* movie.

After about the 4th or 5th "is she dreaming or not " scenario,, you just don't care any more..!!!! Movies based on constant "fooling" the audience are just cheap shots at film making, especially in the horror/thriller genre... It means you the viewer are meaningless in their whole process.. They don't care about you,,, as they don't need to have reason, continuity or plot development.,, they can just cruise to an end with the old "is it real or not" nonsense.... Love Shari as she always made a vulnerable heroine... shame she just didn't have more to work with here.. Hopefully will she in another starring role soon....

Scream at the devil... More like scream at my mother for making me sit through five minutes of this before I decided to leave the room, pack my bags and flee the country. This movie had me more confused and turned off than ever. I'm flabbergasted this made it to picture... Like nobody thought... Wait what were making is garbage and the effects are not building suspense but making the viewers laugh? 2.5 is not a low enough rating and I wish I could rate lower than 1 because I have no words.

It's easily the worst movie I've ever seen in my life. It doesn't make any sense, it's poorly executed, the plot is not clear at all, and some scenes are extremely awkward, both because of the dreadful acting and because of how silly the dialogue is. The plot felt uncoordinated, some shots are way out of place (i.e. unnecessary slow motions), the scene where this diabolical fly chases her, the music felt out of place sometimes, some of the effects were really cheap and/or crappy. I'd love to find something redeeming about it, but I just can't. It's not worth the time unless you want to know how a really bad movie looks like. I'd choose The Room over this one any day.

Well it wasn't all terrible. There were some creepy scenes to be honest, but the over all plot had a lot to be desired. The main character was interesting, but wasn't done well. I'm not sure if it was the writing or acting or both. Either Shari Shattuck over acted, a lot, or the writing was bad and her reactions were often too much for the scene. They never really developed characters much in the movie either. Not that you have to have that, but here it would have been helpful. It was obvious you aren't supposed to like the husband, and they elude to some affair, but never expound upon it at all. He acts like a jerk a few times to make sure you don't like him, but that's pretty much it. The main character plays crazy well enough, but I don't know, it just lacked something. Oh and Candyman makes an appearance to show people how acting works.

SCREAM AT THE DEVIL is an awful and pointless independent horror production. The cover has been designed to make it look like your standard possession flick, but this is nothing like. Instead it's the humdrum tale of your ordinary housewife who begins to suffer from mental illness and finds herself assailed by weird, demonic visions and other phenomena. I'm not sure what the market is for a film like this, which so obviously must have been a non-starter for those making it. It lacks a single sympathetic character in the whole cast and for 90% of the running time the viewer is saddled with the below-par acting of Shari Shattuck, an ageing former TV star who fails to hold the attention at all. Oh yeah, and Tony Todd cameos as a cop, but he's no reason to tune into this silly and pointless production.

I'm watching the last of the movie as I'm typing this. I just can't take anymore of this pile of garbage...and believe me...I want to use much worse language, but I'm trying to be classy. First clue was putting it into the DVD and seeing it go straight to PLAY MOVIE. No trailers of any kind. RED FLAG. A movie is like a new book. If the first chapter doesn't grab you, the rest of the book never will. I kept an open mind, but after the first 45 minutes...and let me remind you that this movie is only 98 minutes long...I kinda gave up. Like in looking around and wondering how much longer I'd have to endure this. I also wondered how this piece of dung was green lighted in the first place. How does something like this ever make it to a group of people who put their money into something that if the screenplay is read out loud that they don't leave the room at that very moment! The only reason I gave it a 1 is that they don't have a zero! I DID see one person I knew in the film...the guy who played in the film Canyman. God...he MUST be on hard times if he actually said yes to this steaming pile of....manure. Sorry. Tried not to use that kind of language, but every man has a limit. Don't watch this trash. Don't rent this trash. Try to not look at it when you see it in the Redbox. It isn't worth your time. It's 98 minutes and a $1.60 I'll never get back. I'm gonna go get drunk and try to kill the brain cells that carry the memory of this movie!