Re-visit - SCREAMS OF A WINTER NIGHT (1979)

I recently rewatched this low budget indie horror film and enjoyed it even more this time. Part of that might be because this time I was watching a much better print on the Code Red Blu-Ray meaning that I was seeing an improved image with more sharpness and detail. Shot on location in Louisiana it was inspired by the success of various other regional filmmakers like Charles B. Piece (LEGEND OF BOGGY CREEK, TOWN THAT DREADED SUNDOWN) and Joy Houck (CREATURE FROM BLACK LAKE).

The setup is a classic! On a dark night a group of vacationing college friends tell each other several different stories while at a cabin in the woods. There are the various stereotypes on display from practical joker to lothario to different shades of bland white guy. The ladies are even less well defined with only one of them given much to do but the actress in question really digs into things. The thing is, the stories that they tell are fun. They are mostly variations on the standard campfire tales used to scare people for decades if not centuries and they generally work well. You’ve probably heard a version of at least one of them yourself in your youth but a well done scary story can get the job done regardless of familiarity.

For this viewing though, the real draw for me was that this Blu-Ray has the rare, longer version of the movie that included an entire excised tale. This story is about a couple of guys that encounter some spooky entities lurking in a graveyard after dark. Now, this film is a perfect example of 1970’s PG rated horror in that it is more creepy and fun than frightening or scary. It has its chilling moments but there is little to bother an old horror hound like me. Except…. This new story got to me. And it got me even though the method used is as simple as an old spook show or a cheesy William Castle Emergo stunt. I won’t ruin it for new viewers but there were a couple of moments that actually got under my skin and made me start checking the shadows for stalking creatures! It was so effective I was still creeped out a while later when I went to sleep. “Are those things flitting around the end of the bed? Better check.” How cool! And unexpected.

SCREAMS OF A WINTER NIGHT (1979) isn’t some undiscovered classic but it is a very well-done little movie that has a few surprises up it’s sleeve. It might get to you the way it got to me. Or it might get to you in a completely different way. That’s one of the joys of anthology films – debating which segment is best!