Watch Scream Bloody Murder

Scream Bloody Murder, a horror-thriller from 1972, follows the story of Matthew, a disturbed young man who blames his parents for his missing arm. After being released from a mental institution, he returns home only to find his parents have moved and start to develop a pervasive obsession with tracking them down. Along the way, he meets a young girl named Vera who he becomes fixated with.

The film opens with a shot of a young boy's hand being chopped off with an axe by his father while his mother looks on. This gruesome scene sets the stage for the film's tone and sets the viewer up for the chaos to come.

Played by Fred Holbert, Matthew is a damaged and deeply disturbed individual who is convinced that his parents abandoned him and left him for dead after the accident that took his arm. In reality, his father did everything in his power to save him after the accident, but Matthew's fragile psyche is unable to cope with the trauma. After escaping the mental institution where he was being held, Matthew embarks on a mission to find his parents, whom he blames for everything he has suffered.

One of the most notable aspects of Scream Bloody Murder is its use of very little dialogue. The majority of the story is carried by the visual narrative and the film's intense score which helps create an atmosphere that can only be described as unsettling. It's the type of movie where the silence is just as terrifying as any of the screaming or bloodshed.

Once Matthew locates his parents, his obsession begins to manifest itself in increasingly violent and gruesome ways. Leigh Mitchell plays the character of his mother with a sense of vulnerability and fear that perfectly encapsulates the character's struggle to understand her son's terrifying behavior. Her husband, played by Robert Knox, is more straight-forward in his portrayal, but the two actors work well together to create a sense of unease that permeates through the entire film.

Along the way, Matthew meets Vera, a young girl who becomes fixated on him, desperately trying to help him in his mission to find his parents. Vera's infatuation with Matthew is a key plot point, as it provides the catalyst for the film's final act. Although the film's portrayal of Vera as a sexualized character is certainly problematic by modern standards, it's worth remembering that the film was made in a very different time and context.

Throughout the film, the use of close-ups and extreme close-ups of Matthew's face add to the sense of unease that permeates the narrative. The camera lingers on his expressions, providing an intimate view into his twisted psyche, and making it impossible to look away despite the terrifying events unfolding on the screen.

It's worth noting that Scream Bloody Murder is certainly not for the faint-hearted. Although the violence is not particularly graphic by today's standards, the suspense and tension are palpable throughout the film. The use of an axe as the primary weapon is particularly effective, and there are scenes that will make even the most jaded horror viewers squirm.

The cinematography is also notable, with director Marc B. Ray utilizing a range of techniques to heighten the atmosphere of the film. Low-angle shots, extreme close-ups, and point of view shots are all employed to keep the viewer on their toes, never quite sure what's lurking around the corner.

Overall, Scream Bloody Murder is a tense and unsettling horror-thriller that is guaranteed to make its audience squirm. The narrative is sparse but effective, and the performances from the three leads help elevate the film above its low-budget roots. Fans of classic 70s horror will find plenty to enjoy here, and the film's ability to create suspense and tension without relying on gore or jump scares is a testament to its enduring legacy.

Scream Bloody Murder is a 1973 horror movie with a runtime of 1 hour and 26 minutes. It has received mostly poor reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 4.7.