“Night Screams” starts with a film-within-a-film motif. A young woman is disrobing in a locker room and possibly being stalked by an intruder. But then—quelle surprise!—we find out that what’s actually happening is a married couple is watching this scene on the television. That couple is then stalked and killed within their home. Oh, the irony!
After the opening credits, the film’s focus moves to an entirely different situation. Several high schoolers are celebrating a football win and preparing for graduation. At the same time, a pair of criminals right out of “In Cold Blood“ are going on a killing spree. When the teenagers decide to throw a house party and the killers end up in the same house, well, you can see this is headed straight into a wacky good time!
Except, there are a few twists, and what you expect may not be what happens. (I hate to talk obliquely, but is necessary to preserve the surprises.)
Overall, “Night Screams“ is pretty standard slasher fare. Some of the teenage characters—all clearly played by adults—are entertaining enough. One actor seemed familiar, and I eventually realized he was in the original Cobra Kai team in “The Karate Kid” movies. There’s also a kind of goofball, chubby, comic relief character, who was amusing.
The first 15 minutes are action-packed. A car is blown up, a few people killed, and there’s a window-shattering fistfight.
The movie’s vibe reminded me of the novels of Richard Laymon. He was an author who always seemed to present his brutality with a knowing smirk, and that attitude is very much at play here.
From what I gather, the film was a passion project for the producer Dillis L. Hart. He saved up money he earned as a Hollywood accountant, then went back to his hometown of Wichita Kansas to make the film. Respect.
“Night Screams“ is nothing earth-shaking, but there are worse ways to pass your time.
