6/12/08: Scream and Scream Again (1970)Number of people disappointed that we now only post twice a week: 0. Number of people disappointed that we made the announcement using a
Scream and Scream Again graphic without writing about the movie: Well, enough of them that we’re writing about it now.
There’s a source novel, but
Scream and Scream Again plays like an anthology film that pools its plots at the end. The credits set up the recurring tale of a jogger who collapses in public, and keeps waking up in a hospital with different limbs missing. We also spend time in a fascist country that boasts a major fashion influence from the Nazis. A guy named Konratz is in charge of the government’s interrogation rooms, and his methods are pretty disturbing. Fortunately, Konratz ensures his career path by continually killing his superiors with some kind of Vulcan Death Grip.
Over in London, a government figure named Fremont (Christopher Lee) is dealing with a downed spy plane whose pilot has been captured by that unnamed fascist government. The city is also troubled by a killer who rapes and brutally murders young women. The psycho’s very neat, though. The victims are completely drained of blood.
His second victim is the former secretary to researcher Dr. Browning, who’s played by Vincent Price. The studio made a big deal out of promoting this film as a teaming of Lee, Price, and Peter Cushing. Don’t get too excited about that. Cushing only makes a brief appearance as one of Konratz’s unfortunate bosses.
Most of the screen time is taken up by the police looking for the psycho killer. There’s a young coroner named Sorel along for the ride. It turns out that the murderer hangs out at London’s most swinging nightclub. The house band is the Amen Corner, who was a decent enough soul act. They get to perform a song here called “Scream and Scream Again.”
We’re getting close to the political content, and, ergo, SPOILERS. The murderer is revealed to be a handsome young lad who looks a lot like David Bowie. He’s quite mod. He also has super strength and escapes from the cops by ripping off his hand after being handcuffed to a police car. The psycho then runs over to Dr. Browning’s residence, and jumps into a vat of acid that’s kept out back.
Browning explains to the police that maybe the psycho used to date his secretary. She might have mentioned that vat of acid to him. The chief inspector finds that to be plausible, and the case is closed.
Meanwhile, Konratz has negotiated with Fremont to return the downed pilot in return for all the files and evidence on what the police had labeled as the Vampire Murders. Let’s think about that. We’ve got a fascist government taking a keen interest in a sociopathic sex fiend who’s able to thrive in the post-60s freedoms of Swinging London. Could there possibly already be a connection? Should Jonah Goldberg just go ahead and hold an official Liberal Fascism Film Festival?
Let’s look at how Dr. Browning explains things to Sorel—after the mad doctor captures the amateur sleuth snooping around his home laboratory. First, we’ll reveal that Browning is creating an army of artificial men and women. That unfortunate jogger was providing body parts; the psycho killer was one of Browning’s inventions.
We don’t know the real story behind Browning. A lot of
Scream and Scream Again seems to have been edited out or never filmed. Some people think the movie’s really about aliens. What the movie is really, really about is Browning’s explanation of why it’s so important that his army of Young Mods—including a cute nurse—is set out upon the world. First, Sorel notes that Browning is living the ol’ mad scientist’s dream of playing God:
BROWNING: My dear young man, you know as well as I do that God is dying all over the world. Man invented Him, but doesn’t need Him anymore. Man is God now. As a matter of fact, he always was. Overpopulation, pollution, famine, nuclear holocaust, war—this civilization is driving us into the sea of extinction. The keynote is control.
SOREL: But that’s the province of politicians, not scientists.
BROWNING: Yes, but we’re the only ones who are trying to combat the problem now. In 20 years time, we will be in positions of power, and we will be ready to act for the good of humanity.
SOREL: “We?”
BROWNING: You didn’t think I was in it alone, did you? You think I could do all this alone?
SOREL: There are more of you?
BROWNING: Not many—but more, yes. We’re like a slowly growing organism. Now in its infancy, but gradually maturing.
SOREL: A super-race?
BROWNING: Well, yes, but not an evil super-race. Still, in the future, there won’t be any room for imperfection. In medicine, as you know it, your organ transplants are forcing a choice. I mean, who should have another heart: the mental deficient or the great philosopher? Or an artist, or some great statesman? Don’t tell me you’d choose the deficient. You see, your society is taking the first baby steps we took years ago.
SOREL: You seem to forget, doctor, you have to murder them.
BROWNING: Well, my dear young man, we are for the future.
Sorel will later discover that Browning is a robot himself. (“Composite” seems to be the politically correct term.) No wonder the doctor thinks so highly of those types. Then the film ends with a parade of more guests to Browning’s laboratory. That’s just about the only way to wrap up this rambling tale. It’s a lot of fun, though, and a perfect film for people who like to fill in their own plot holes.
Make it your own: Scream and Scream Again is available
on DVD as part of the MGM Midnite Movies series, paired with
The Oblong Box. You can also pick up
an old VHS tape pretty cheap. There are a lot of cheap Amen Corner compilations out there, but
this one has the film’s title track.
