Movie Review: And Now the Screaming Starts! (1973)
Synopsis: In 1795, Catherine marries Charles Fengriffin and moves into his family estate. Almost immediately after arriving, she begins having strange encounters, including being attacked by a severed hand on her wedding night and seeing the apparition of a horribly disfigured man. She becomes convinced her life is in danger, especially after she becomes pregnant. However, her husband, who clearly knows something, won't answer her questions and anyone who tries to help her winds up dead, slowly driving her insane.
Who's in it? The movie stars Stephanie Beacham, Peter Cushing, Ian Ogilvy, Geoffrey Whitehead and Sally Harrison.
Review: I added And Now the Screaming Starts! to my library a couple weeks ago, mostly because it sounded intriguing. I finally got around to watching it this morning and, while it wasn't quite what I was expecting it to be, it still ended up being a halfway decent choice.
From the description about a sentient severed hand, I figured this would be a horror film. However, while I think that is what it was supposed to be, I didn't really find it all that scary. The various "horror" themes were a bit too slow paced and predictable to really have any impact in that regard.
That said, I did find I enjoyed watching this movie from a mystery standpoint. It was clear something was going on in that estate and it wasn't just in Catherine's (Beacham) head. Her husband (Ogilvy) clearly knew that too and his silence made it hard to tell if he was someone who truly cared for his new wife's health and was powerless to help her or was in on it from the start. When he learned she was pregnant, I took note of the fact he was more sad than happy and figured that was important.
There was also the mystery surrounding the woodsman (Whitehead) and his role in all of it. While he definitely put off a creepy vibe, he also didn't seem to want to do Catherine any harm and even rescued her at one point (without her saying "thank you," by the way). Yet, at the same time, he seemed like he was central to the plot as well, either actively involved or as someone who knew what was happening to the new bride and expectant mother.
The ending of the movie is a little confusing at first because it took a few moments for what really happened on her wedding night to sink in. Once it did, I think I can describe the ending as weird, creepy and most definitely unique, ending the movie with a bit of a shock twist. Whether her husband suspected that would happen remains a mystery, but it certainly made the rest of the movie make a lot more sense.
Final Opinion: The movie's pacing could have been a bit better and, as I said, it wasn't a film I considered particular scary, just a little creepy. However, it does a good job building up both the suspense and the mystery and has an ending that does stick with you, making it worth watching.
My Grade: B
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