From a Whisper to a Scream
Director: Jeff Burr
Cast: Vincent Price, Clu Gulager, Terry Kiser
Reviewed by Brian M. Sammons
I love horror anthology movies. They’re like a buffet, no matter what your taste, unless it total garbage, you’re going to find something you like, and the best ones, well those you can stuff yourself on. Tales from the Crypt, Vault of Horror, Asylum, and all the other Amicus anthologies, Creepshow and Creepshow 2 (avoid the third movie like the plague), Trick ‘r Treat, V/H/S 2 (much better than what came before or after it), Twilight Zone: The Movie, Tales from the Darkside: The Movie, and on and on the hit parade goes. But there is one anthology from 1987 that never got anywhere the recognition and respect that it deserved. Maybe that’s because the nonsense with the title? Filmed as From a Whisper to a Scream, it was released under the boring title of The Offspring before, many years later, getting re-released back with the original title. Whatever the cause, I have talked to many horror fans who have never even heard of this film. Well thank the dark gods for the amazing Scream Factory for not only remembering this under the radar classic, but releasing it with an amazing HD transfer, and on a Blu-ray loaded with extras. So if you like to go into a movie knowing as little as possible about it, the best way to watch a movie in my opinion, stop reading here and go get this movie. If you’re a horror antho fan like me, you’ll love it.
Still here? Okay, either you have already seen this movie and know how good it is, or you don’t mind slight spoilers. Either way, come with me and let me give you a tour of Oldfield, one of the most haunted little towns you’ve never heard of.
The wraparound of this collection of tales has a reporter going to the small, southern town of Oldfield, looking into the back story of a female murderer who was just put to death in prison. She meets the town librarian, played to creepy perfection by the legendary Vincent Price, who begins to regale the reporter with tales of Oldfield’s twisted history. The first story stars Clu Gulager as a weird little man who loves a woman, perhaps a bit too much, even after she dies, and what happens next. The next story is about a carnival sideshow attraction, a razor/glass eater, and what happens when he chooses love over his odd career. Next there’s Terry Kiser as a crook on the run who gets mortally wounded before falling into the swamp. He wakes up, sometime later, not dead and in the care of a wise old hermit with a secret or two that the bad guy is will to do anything to know. Last there is the Civil War beginnings of Oldfield and how that bloody war shaped the founders of that terrible town.
From a Whisper to a Scream is well shot, well-acted, and downright scary at times. Sure there is some cheesiness here and there, especially at the end of the Clu Gulager segment, but I like cheese if it’s not too over the top, and the cheese found here is so very, very good. And all the segments are dark as all hell. Each one deals with a taboo, or two or three, and unlike many other anthology movies, it’s not winking or tongue in cheek. It’s fun, but not meant to be funny, and that is fine with me. This movie is horror first and foremost and I could not be happier about that.
On to the new Blu-ray from Scream Factory. Not only does this movie look great in HD but it comes loaded with some nice extras that are well worth screaming about. There are two commentaries, one with writer/director Jeff Burr, and the other with writer/producer Darin Scott and writer C. Courtney Joyner. There is a making of documentary called “Return to Oldfield” that’s nearly two hours long. Yes, that’s longer than the actual movie it’s about. There’s another doc called “A Decade Under the Innocence” that runs one hour and seventeen minutes that’s about making movies with the old 8mm cameras and how young independent people got to fulfill their filmmaking dreams, and in some cases, get their start in the biz. A still gallery, trailer, and TV spots bring this excellent collection of extras to the end.
From a Whisper to a Scream is one of those forgotten films from the golden age of fright flicks, the 1980s, and that’s a travesty. This movie is a ton of fun, well made, and good and creepy. If you have already seen this movie, then you know that. Go get this movie as it looks great and comes with lots of love in the form of special features. If you’ve never seen this movie, then you have missed out. Rectify that oversight and pick up this new Blu-ray. You won’t be disappointed. This release is highly recommended.
