Bloodtype Online

    I’m a big fan of the Amicus studios that created some very entertaining genre films in the 60s and 70s.  So it was with great anticipation that I sat down to watch And Now the Screaming Starts.  The year is 1795 and a newlywed couple returns to the groom’s ancestral home to start their lives together.  Almost from the moment that they arrive the bride starts to have visions and dreams about a mysterious man and a severed hand that moves around the house causing mayhem.  On the advice of his local doctor the groom calls on Dr. Pope, portrayed by Peter Cushing, who specializes in mental disorders.  As Dr. Pope begins his investigation people begin to die and he soon comes to the conclusion that something more than a mere mental disorder is going on.  In fact that good doctor believes that the family may be cursed and that the new bride may be in danger!   

    There is quite a bit to like about this movie.  The cast is really great in this film, from Peter Cushing, who delivers an excellent performance as usual; to Stephanie Becham portraying the tortured bride the cast is top notch.  Herbert Lom is also quite good as the groom’s sinister grandfather in the flashbacks that are used to setup the plot.  In addition to a great cast the film looks and sounds great.  The lighting and musical score are excellent, as I’ve come to expect from an Amicus production, which really add to the atmosphere that they are trying to create.  But even with good production values and a great cast the film has it’s issues. The movie has several very slow spots during its 90-minute runtime.  It appears to me that the filmmakers were very proud of the house and grounds they were using for the movie.  We get many very nice shots of the house, interior and exterior, as well as a fairly nice look at the grounds but this only serves to slow the film down.  In addition to that the script fails to generate any real sense of dread.  The conclusion is fairly obvious and somewhat of a disappointing attempt at a “twist” ending.  All in all a very nicely shot movie with great cinematography without a story ends up being little more than a waste of an hour and a half.  Unless you are an Amicus completist I recommend skipping this one.   

Rating - *1/2

John "El Juan" Shatzer