Scream for Help (1984) Reviews

• Christie Cromwell - Bull in a china shop

  Zeegrade2010-04-25

  Residing somewhere in a parallel dimension called "Scream for Help" where everybody is a scumbag reigns Christie Cromwell. Played with such over-the-top antics and foul-mouthed bombast by Rachael Kelly, this single performance makes this movie one of the sleaziest and most entertaining eighties bad movies I have ever seen. Young Christie thinks that Paul Fox, who has recently married Chrisite's mother Karen, is a conniving philanderer who is only after their money and wants the both of them dead. She's right of course but the problem is getting anyone to believe her since she's such an abrasive little bitch that nobody wishes to come near her let alone listen to her petty conspiracy theories. One morning she follows Paul on her bike until he motors away from her. Not one to be deterred easily Chrisite waits the next day until Paul drives by the spot she lost him at and continues to follow him. This goes on for about a week until she finds Paul's car outside a house. Christie looks into the window to see Paul engaged in a little back door sex with a mysterious woman which she promptly takes a picture of. This escalates the war between Paul and Christie with the dopey Karen caught in the middle trying to make nice with both of them. From here on you might need a shower as the seediness pours through every scene as Christie and Paul try to out scum each other. Along for the ride are Christie's acquaintances, I can't see her having any friends, the extremely large busted Janey (you'll know what I mean) and her boyfriend Josh. When Janey is run down by Paul Christie grieves like any good friend would do by losing her virginity to her boyfriend. This leads to one of the funniest lines when Josh comes over to see her only to be shot down when Christie says that she was looking for anyone to pop her cherry "even the garbage man". Wow! A final showdown ensues as Karen and Christie become hostages in their mansion as Paul, his partner/double crosser Brenda and her husband Lacey battle wits with the vicious teen. This movie is like a Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner cartoon if Road Runner was banging Wile E.'s mom. That's the best way I can describe this. Every time Christie thinks she's got Paul dead to rights he manages to get away unscathed. Plenty of nudity, profanity, and eighties cheesiness to keep even the most jaded of viewers with a smile on their face. "Scream for Help" is the very definition of why a really good "bad movie" trumps the pretentious crap that poses for theatrical fare today. Simply a must see for any fan of B-grade cinema.

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• Fantastic trash

  fertilecelluloid2005-12-05

  This is fantastic trash from one of the most accomplished trash directors, Michael Winner . It is "The Girl Who Cried Wolf" and that wolf is her stepdaddy (David Brooks). Like most of Winner's work, it is loud, as subtle as a sledgehammer, full of nasty expletives and downright mean-spirited. If that's not a hard enough sell for you, it's also filled with sleazy sex and there's a sexual assault. Say what you want about the man, but Winner does deliver. He attacks his genre work with enthusiasm and a healthy dollop of offensiveness. He's not afraid to alienate more sensitive viewers and he never goes for suggestion when a lurid close-up will do. The idea of showing everything from the perspective of a young girl is a good one and it's novel to watch little Rachael Kelly, as Christie Cromwell, riding around on her bike as she pokes her nose into her stepdaddy's sordid affairs. The film's final half hour is a rocket ride of sleaze, violence and brutality and testament to Winner's blazing talent for garish overstatement. You'll be a better human being if you miss this, but a lesser trash monger.

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• "I just wanted to lose my cherry to anybody..even the garbage man!"

  PeteStud2003-12-14

  This film is a trash epic. Non stop laughs and a plot that pre dates the awesome STEPFATHER! Dont believe the wowsers, check this one out!! Disbelievers should check out the scene where Christy is trying to get rid of her boyfriend whilst her capters hide in the background. brilliant stuff! Where is she now?

• i wish i could find some jeans like those...

  gennyhardison2006-11-14

  where do i even begin? this movie, beyond making me pee in my pants from fear, made me question the very roots of humanity. wherever the beautiful christy is now i wish she would come out of hiding and fix all our problems. From the moment the movie begins, you know you're in for something special. between the odd, out of place gore and the gratuitous sex scenes, it was hard to keep in mind the underlying struggle of finding out your stepdad wants to murder your mom. i mean, c'mon, we've all been there. after christy's best friend is gruesomely ran over, i cried when i heard the doctor say, your daughter is dead, until i realized it was the only way to get christy in bed with her dead best friends ex boyfriend. then, how could i cry when such joy was born of her death? wow. all in all this movie left me wondering why anyone ever tried to make a movie again after seeing this one. as the old saying goes, if it ain't broke don't fix it!

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• terrific suspenser

  mcfly-312000-11-09

  Why does everyone bash this movie so much? What's wrong with the acting? What's wrong with the music? I thought it was nicely done, and became one of my favorite thrillers over the years. A teen girl suspects that her step dad is trying to off her mom so he can inherit her millions. The girl turns into a Nancy Drew type and starts tailing him over a period of days to see if she can get some dirt on him. She discovers he's having an affair and becomes the girl who knew too much as the step dad begins to go after her. It all leads to an awesome climax set in the family home, as the step dad and his lowlife cohorts hold the mother and daughter hostage. But the young schemer devises a way to thwart her captors and really turns the final half hour into an exciting finish. Beware though, the film is very graphic, both sexually and violently, but it's kept at a reasonable level (like two shots of Lorre topless, only one shot of Clark's gigantor boobs). As far as all the cast bashing goes, I really don't understand it. To begin with, Kelly is a beautiful, gifted actress whose career really should've taken off with this. Ok, so I had a crush on her, but still she carries the film perfectly. Brooks is sauve enough to pull off the step dad role and when he turns sinister in the end, he's great. Sisto nails his grungy, dirtbag character nicely, and Lorre is a gorgeous manipulator/femme fatale. Your only problem will be obtaining the film, which is very obscure and difficult to track down at video stores. But if you should find it, it should have no problem holding your attention, even if you (for whatever reason) laugh at it like these others have. Though I wont blame you for rolling your eyes at the sappy end credits song.

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