silent madness.jpg
SILENT MADNESS
(1984)
(aka THE NIGHTKILLERS
/ BEAUTIFUL SCREAMERS
/ THE OMEGA FACTOR)
2 stars   Cheese Rating: 75% Fierce Fondue!
"The screaming never stops..."

directed by: Simon Nuchtera
starring: Belinda Montgomery, Viveca Lindfors, Sydney Lassick,David Greenan, Solly Marx.

(back of video blurb):
        "Inside your head the screaming never stops...

        The dark descent into Hell begins.

        When Howard Johns is accidentally released from Cresthaven mental hospital he returns to Barrington College, the scene 20 years before of the brutal and vicious murders of a number of young and beautiful girls.

       Dr Joan Gilmore, a psychiatrist, follows him, terrified that the horrific crimes of 20 years before will be re-enacted. Sucked into a vortex of horror Joan fights for her sanity and her life.

        DARE YOU WATCH IT ALONE?..."

choice dialogue:

"Alright girls listen up. This is probably a simple prank. Just to be safe I want you to lock up and stay together."

slash with panache?

        Much slash, precious little panache. This late entry into the original stalk 'n' slash era was originally shot in 3-D and like that other more celebrated slasher in the third dimension, FRIDAY 13TH: PART 3, this has all manner of sharp implements being waggled at the audience, including a laughably naff spinning axe. What may or may not have worked with those funny glasses on at the flicks certainly looks mighty phoney in 2-D and uncovers what is essentially a poorly made but undoutably cheesetastic slice of exploitation.

        Solly Marx plays Howard Johns a particularily uncharismatic psycho, who we are shown in flashback is sent psychotic partially because he had his arse slapped one too many time with a a 'publicity' shotcricket bat by some playful sorority sisters! No sooner has he been accidentally released from the asylum, he returns to the scene of the previous massacre the Omega Sorority house. And wouldn't you know it, the place is full of nubile young teenage girls watched over by the house mother,capable genre veteran Viveca Lindfors. Meanwhile Dr. Joan Gilmore valiantly tries to expose the cover-up at the asylum, instigated by an evily plummy English doctor. Convinced Johns is on his way back to wreak havoc our heroine tries to convince the town folk of Barrington that they have a serious problem on their hands. No one believes her, not least the camp Lucio Fulci look a like Sherrif who frequently comes across as if he is in a John Walters' film. It's not until mutilated teens turn up all over the place that anyone takes her seriously. By which time it isn't only Johns who is after Dr. Gilmore's blood....

Johns claims another victim        SILENT MADNESS has a few effective scenes, but is more likely to garner a rash of guffaws than screams. However, much fun is to be had by the 'enthusiastic' acting (witness one of the orderly's arch laughter) and the abundance of 80's kitsch, I mean how many films have one of their victims murdered whilst playing that hoary old arcade gem 'Dragon's Lair'? The body count too is impressive and suprisingly inventive, but looked to have been heavily censored in the version I saw.


BODYCOUNT 14  bodycount!   female:9 / male:5

        1: Male teenager killed by sledge hammer to the head
        2: Female teen gets a BAD 3-D axe thrown at her, which hits her back
        3: Skateboarding female teen gets her head squashed in a vice
        4: Sorority sister steamed to death
        5: (In black & white flashback:) 4 sorority sisters nailgunned.
        6: Sorority sister stabbed to death whilst playing 'Dragon's Lair'
        7: Sorority sister has a rope put round her neck which is attached to a dum bell and chucked out of the window while she's doing areobics!
        8: Hospital attendant gets a drill through his head whilst trying to rape Dr. Gilmore
        9: Hospital attendant gets a crowbar through his chest
        10: Policeman stabbed in the chest
        11: Man stabbed in the back with a shard of broken mirror

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