Screams Of A Winter Night

Screams of a Winter Night (1979)

Runtime: 91 minutes

Directed by: James L. Wilson

Starring: Matt Borel, Gil Glasgow, Patrick Byers, Mary Agen Cox, Robin Bradley

From: Dimension Pictures

Despite what Shudder says, what they're streaming is not the theatrical cut but rather the two hour (!) Director's Cut. That was one of a few surprises I had when this was picked for viewing last night. Continuing the winter theme due to how frigid the United States still is at the moment was the chief reason... of course, it wasn't until I started watching this did I realize the setting was northern Louisiana which can get chilly yet wasn't a frigid snow-covered landscape of a Vermont or Idaho that I envisioned beforehand. Early on I had to hit pause, where I discovered that what Shudder was showing wasn't the 91 minute theatrical cut but rather the 118 minute cut that has another anthology segment-does the shorter version feel as tedious and was a cure for insomnia like what I experienced?

I hate to bag on a low-budget regional horror oddity that tried to do the anthology format but I don't want to BS anyone here either. A bunch of asstagonists in a SWEET 70's Chevy van travel to a cabin in the (swampy) woods, stopping at a podunk gas station first. Besides it riffing hard on Deliverance in that scene, a character you only see briefly in that scene is (no kidding) William Ragsdale, in his first acting credit. At the cabin, the leader of the gang tells others that the area has the local legend of “an Indian spirit” and that's as cliché as you'd expect. After a half hour (!!) the introductory framing story finally ends so we can get the anthology tales, which are literally around a fireplace.

I understand there's a tiny budget and they try to go the atmosphere route (although that occasionally goes awry... you often hear wind but it's barely seen in the background foliage... whoops) but not a lot happens in those stories & the wraparound saga is a bunch of dumb young adults acting rude to each other and/or like dumbasses. Now, this isn't entirely dire and worthless; like I said, they at least tried although such a lengthy wraparound story wasn't the best idea. There is the novelty of those in the framing story also appearing as different characters in the anthology stories. Not all of the acting comes across as incredibly amateurish. Be that as it may, I wish this could have charmed me more than it did; it does have its fans... when Code Red put out both cuts on Blu a few years ago the release was apparently financially beneficial for them.

One surprising moment: at the gas station, you get to see a green barrel by the front door. It said: MONSANTO. Insert your own comments if you wish.