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Devils Advocate #4: The Silent Scream (1980)

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There’s an old song by Crosby, Stills & Nash which sagely urges that “if you can’t be with the one you love, love the one you’re with.” With so many horror films in recent years failing to deliver the sort of thrills that made us genre fans in the first place (Consider the bulk of this year’s theatrical output, if you need proof!), the Schlockfinder General has long labored to heed the advice of those old hippies and try to love even the least lovable of contemporary scare screeners. Of course, some movies are just so awful that they’re destined to be shunned and ignored until they fade from existence. Another old song declares that “you’re nobody until somebody loves you,” and some celluloid stinkers wholly deserve to remain nobodies forever. But often, even the most seemingly indefensible clunker has merits which can be appreciated – and even savored – by an open-minded, fun-loving fright fan. For this reason, I give you THE DEVIL’S ADVOCATE… today’s defendant in this court of public opinion? THE SILENT SCREAM!

THE DEVIL’S ADVOCATE #4: THE SILENT SCREAM (1980)

The Schlockfinder General isn’t psychic, but he’s been around the block a few times. He knows that whenever a “lost” horror classic comes to DVD after years of being unavailable, the palpable pre-release excitement among fans who’ve been waiting for a chance to see the film is always followed by a wave of disappointment when it finally hits store shelves and doesn’t quite live up to their expectations. 80s slasher films are particular vulnerable to this phenomenon, since they are rarely as fast-paced or bloody as contemporary horror fare, yet promised us gruesome sights beyond our ability to endure in their original ad campaigns. When THE SILENT SCREAM hit theaters in 1980, it was touted as “Scarier than FRIDAY THE 13TH!” – a promise which, at that time, was about as lofty as a fright film marketing blitz could make. When the movie hits store shelves on November 24, after nearly three decades in limbo, many horror lovers are going to rush out and buy this obscure slice-and-dicer because they’ve always wondered what they missed. And, indeed, many of them are going to be let down by the film’s measured pacing, relatively small number of kills, limited gore, distracting police cutaways, and tendency toward melodrama. Within days of its release, Bloody-Disgusting will be flooded with reviews declaring this flick a boring, dated waste of time.

I know it’s going to happen. That’s why, as a big fan of THE SILENT SCREAM, I’m taking a cue from the arena of foreign policy and launching what could best be described as a pre-emptive strike.

Cute college student Scotty Parker (Rebecca Balding) arrives on campus too late to secure housing, so she has to look for someplace else to stay for the fall quarter. She can’t believe her luck when she finds a cozy little room available in a beachfront boarding house owned by the Engels family. Sure, Mrs. Engels is a spooky old bat who spends most of her time in her room, and looks a lot like Lily Munster (only in part because she’s played by Yvonne DeCarlo). Sure, her son Mason (Brad Rearden) is a creepy little geek who watches ultraviolent TV shows when he’s not busy watching the nubile tennants. Sure, the house is old and creaky, and someone upstairs insists on playing the same haunting 1950s doo-wop ballad over and over again. Sure, no one seems to know what happened to Mason’s sister, Victoria, whose room Scotty now occupies. But the place has a great ocean view, a handful of fun-loving tennants, and very reasonable rent. Our heroine thinks she’s got it made. Then one of the boarders is found hacked to death on the beach…

It’s true that THE SILENT SCREAM takes a while to get to the wet stuff, and gets just a bit maudlin when the horrible secrets of the Engels family are revealed. It’s also true that this film has excellent production values, great cinematography, a couple of very memorable set pieces, a lot of atmosphere, and, above all, a very appealing and convincing cast. Balding in particular (who is hot in a “young Margot Kidder” – or, for you younger readers, “Robin Tunney on THE MENTALIST” – way) makes an amiable, sympathetic horror heroine, worthy of being remembered alongside more famous scream queens of the period. It’s a pity that her only other fear film role came in another obscure 80s flick, THE BOOGENS (a film I’ll definitely be discussing in a future DEVIL’S ADVOCATE installment!), because she brings just the right measures of innocence, sexuality, and inner strength to her performance here. Rearden (who would later go on to accost a naked Arnold Schwarzenegger in THE TERMINATOR) is certainly credible as the disturbed Mason, DeCarlo could play this sort of role in her sleep, and veteran thespians Cameron Mitchell and Avery Schreiber do their best to make the superfluous cop scenes interesting. The victims are definitely cliches of the genre, but they are well-essayed by Steve Doubet, Juli Andelman, and John Widelock, respectively.

But the real star of THE SILENT SCREAM is legendary horror siren Barbara Steele. Ordinarily when I devote a full paragraph of THE DEVIL’S ADVOCATE to an actress, it’s because I’m enamored with her anatomy. If I ever mount a spirited defense of I STILL KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER (and if I do, Mr. D, it’s probably time to cancel this feature!), it will be for two reasons and two reasons alone – Jennifer Love Hewitt. In this case, however, it’s not Miss Steele’s bewitching beauty that I must gush over, but rather her manic ferocity. Without giving too much away, let me just say that the First Lady of Fear is so intense and terrifying here that when she’s on-screen, the film almost lives up to its promise to out-shock the first installment of the Crystal Lake chronicles. Steele has always lent an air of class and quality to every project she does, and in this already very polished production, she gives a bonafide star turn. I’d stack her few, unforgettable scenes in THE SILENT SCREAM up against those of Donald Pleasance in HALLOWEEN or Betsy Palmer in FRIDAY THE 13TH (whose “Jason was my son” monologue is my favorite scene in cinema history, bar none) for crazed, bone-chilling intensity. I can’t watch her blood-curdling performance here without wondering just how this film got lost in the shuffle of so many inferior slasher flicks of its day. That GRADUATION DAY and FINAL EXAM were available on DVD before this superior, Steele-showcasing shocker is simply a crime.

I don’t want to spoil the movie’s best moments for those of you (which, I suspect, is most of you) who haven’t had the chance to see it yet, so I’ll have to keep this edition of THE DEVIL’S ADVOCATE brief. Suffice it to say that if you can put aside your ADD and your need for instant gratification, you’ll find plenty to love about THE SILENT SCREAM. It’s a well-made, atmospheric chiller, featuring eminently likable characters played by even more likable actors. It also has a few genuine shocks, presented with a degree of technical and artistic skill generally absent from films of this type made in the immediate wake of the original FRIDAY THE 13TH. Most importantly, it features a bravura performance by arguably the greatest horror actress of all time. I’m looking forward to replacing my “unlicensed” copy with the upcoming DVD release, and I highly recommend that fans of the Golden Age of slasher flicks at least add it to their Netflix queue or pick it up from their local Redbox. It might just be the perfect cure for your post-Halloween, horror deprivation blues.

NEXT ON THE DOCKET: The Schlockfinder General takes some Dramamine and opens up the BOOK OF SHADOWS: BLAIR WITCH 2.

READ THE DEVIL’S ADVOCATE – HALLOWEEN: RESURRECTION (2002)
READ THE DEVIL’S ADVOCATE – JASON X (2002)
READ THE DEVIL’S ADVOCATE – FRIDAY THE 13TH: A NEW BEGINNING (1985)

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The 10 Scariest Moments in the ‘Ghostbusters’ Movie Franchise

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scariest Ghostbusters

WARNING: The following contains mild spoilers for the Ghostbusters franchise. 

Yes, Ghostbusters is a horror movie – gateway horror to be exact. Setting aside the fact that the title literally contains the word “ghost,” a foundational element of the scariest genre, the franchise follows a group of paranormal researchers who battle entities attacking from beyond the grave. After countless rewatches, the classic films and newer sequels may not scare us much anymore, but how many times have we as genre fans asserted that a film does not have to be “scary” to be considered horror?

Genre classification is nebulous and any film that centers on ghosts has a place in the sprawling house of horror. Yes, it’s true that most viewers over the age of thirteen will find more to laugh about than scream while watching a Ghostbusters film, but each entry contains a handful of terrifying moments. With Gil Kenan’s Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire uniting three generations of the parascientific warriors, perhaps it’s time to highlight the most frightening moments from each phase of this legendary franchise. 


Ghostbusters (1984)

A Haunted Library

scariest Ghostbusters movie

Ivan Reitman’s original film begins with a campfire tale come to life. We follow an unsuspecting librarian as she ventures deep into the stacks to reshelve a book. With her hair blowing from a spectral breeze, we watch a hardcover float across the aisle to the opposite shelf. A second book follows, but the librarian remains unaware. She finally notices the disturbance when card catalog drawers open on their own spewing cards into the air like literary geysers. She flees through the maze of narrow stacks only to come face to face with a mysterious force who blows her back with a powerful roar. We won’t see the Library Ghost (Ruth Oliver) until a later scene, but this introduction firmly positions the film that follows in the world of horror. On first watch, we can only speculate as to the ghost’s malevolence and whether or not the librarian has survived the encounter. It’s the perfect introduction to a world in which ghosts are not only real, they will pounce on unsuspecting humans at the drop of a … book. 

Shaky Ground

The original finale may not be the film’s most terrifying moment, but it has become the franchise’s most iconic image. When faced with choosing a form for Gozer (Slavitza Jovan), Ray Stantz (Dan Aykroyd) inadvertently conjures up an image from his childhood. Moments later, a set of once-cheery eyes peer through the skyscrapers. The Stay Puft Marshmallow Man towers over the city, stomping and destroying everything in its path. While there’s definitely something terrifying about a jovial mascot turned deadly killer, what happens moments before is arguably scarier. 

The Ghostbusters arrive at the luxury apartment building to throngs of adoring fans. Peter Venkman (Bill Murray) plays into this hero-worship and promises an easy solution to a supernatural problem. But before they can enter the building, lightning strikes the upper floors sending massive chunks of brick and cement raining down on the barricaded street. The ground begins to shake and a giant fissure swallows the entire team. It’s a destabilizing moment made all the more terrifying by its shocking reality. Speculation about the existence of ghosts may vary from person to person, but there’s no doubt that sinkholes are very real. It’s entirely possible that the ground we’re standing on right now could spontaneously begin to crumble, sucking us down into a seemingly bottomless void beneath the earth. 


Ghostbusters II (1989)

Runaway Baby

Ivan Reitman’s sequel begins with a sly update on the life of a beloved character as Dana Barrett (Sigourney Weaver) pushes a baby carriage containing her infant son Oscar (Henry and William Deutschendorf). When last we saw the attractive cellist, she was kissing Venkman in the wreckage of Gozer’s demise and the thought of this loveable lady’s man becoming a father may be more nerve-wracking than anything contained in the first film. We never learn much about Oscar’s real father, but we do discover that fate has a sinister plan for the adorable child. While Dana chats with her landlord, Oscar’s carriage rolls a few feet away. Dana reaches for the handle, but the buggy begins speeding down the sidewalk careening through the busy crowds. As if guided by unseen hands, the carriage twists and turns, then abruptly swerves into oncoming traffic. Cars honk and veer out of the way, but the racing carriage marks a collision course with an approaching bus. The wheels screech to a halt moments before what would surely be a deadly crash and Dana rushes to embrace her vulnerable child. This harrowing scene is likely to terrorize any parent who’s experienced the fear of trying to protect a baby in an unpredictable world.  

Sewer Screams

scariest Ghostbusters scene

While investigating the second film’s primary villain, Vigo the Carpathian (Wilhelm von Homburg), three of the Ghostbusters venture into the sewers hoping to find a growing river of slime. Ray, Winston (Ernie Hudson), and Egon (Harold Ramis) trek down an abandoned subway line while speculating about the hordes of cockroaches and rats they hear scurrying behind the walls. These vermin may be scary, but there are more malevolent monsters lurking in the dark. Ray and Egon both amuse themselves with the tunnel’s echo but Winston’s “hello” goes unanswered. Moments later, a demonic voice bellows his name from the dark end of the corridor. Waiting behind him is a severed head floating in the empty tunnel. As he tries to retreat, the team finds themselves surrounded by dozens of ghoulish heads that disappear faster than they materialized. Moments later, a ghostly train hurtles towards them, swallowing Winston in its spectral glow. Egon theorizes that something is trying to keep them from reaching their destination with effective scares designed to frighten the Ghostbusters and audience alike.  


Ghostbusters (2016)

Haunted Basement

Like its predecessor, Paul Feig’s remake opens with a spooky vignette. Garrett (Zach Woods) gives a tour of the Aldridge Mansion, a 19th century manor preserved in the middle of the busy city, and walks visitors through a troubling history of excess and cruelty. Hoping to inject a bit of excitement, he pauses near the basement door and tells the horrifying story of Gertrude Aldridge (Bess Rous), a wealthy heiress who murdered the house’s many servants. Hoping to avoid a public scandal, her family locked her in the basement and her restless spirit can still be heard trying to escape. Garrett triggers a trick candlestick to fly off the shelf, hinting at the spirit’s presence, but a late night incident shows that the deceased murderess may actually be lurking in her ancestral home. While closing up for the night, Garrett hears ominous noises from behind the barricaded door and watches the knob rattle against the heavy locks. An unseen attacker hurls him through the house and eventually drives him down the basement stairs to a sea of green slime pooling on the floor. The stairs crumble leaving the tour guide hanging on to the door frame for dear life as a spectral figure glides toward him with menacing hands outstretched. Once again, we won’t see the fully revealed ghost of Gertrude Aldridge until later in the film, but this terrifying opening sets the stage for a dangerous showdown with an army of the dead.

Mannequin On the Move

The scariest moment of the 2016 remake is arguably the vicious online hatred sparked well before the film’s release. In response to brutal comments posted to the first official trailer, the cast returned to film an additional scene in which they react to dehumanizing negativity. But another sequence may cut closer to the heart of this upsetting experience. The Ghostbusters respond to a call at a concert venue and split up to cover more ground. Patty (Leslie Jones) enters what she calls a “room full of nightmares” and immediately reverses course to avoid a multitude of mannequins stacked haphazardly in the dark. As she walks out the door, one of the faceless creatures turns its head her way. Walking on its own, this sentient prop follows her down the hall, pausing the moment she turns around. Eventually breaking cover, the mannequin chases Patty down the hall to the rest of the team. They unleash their proton packs and make quick work of the gargoyle-like ghost. Though this connection is surely unintentional, it’s a terrifying parallel to a faceless monster sneaking up to attack a woman simply trying to do her job. 


Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021)

Smoke and Monsters

While Ghostbusters: Afterlife is nowhere near as scary as the horror films playing in the local summer school science class, Jason Reitman’s legacyquel does contain its share of frights. The film opens with a harrowing scene as we join Egon (Oliver Cooper) in the last moments of his life. Racing away from a sinister mountain, Egon’s truck collides with an unseen force and flips upside down in a field of corn. The elderly scientist races back to his crumbling farmhouse with a trap in hand, intent on ensnaring this invisible being. Unfortunately, the power fails and Egon has no choice but to hide the trap under the floorboards and wait. He sits in a comfortable old chair as a horrifying cloud of smoke drifts in behind him, momentarily forming the shape of a fanged beast. Demonic hands grab him from within the chair, likely causing the heart attack that will be listed on his death certificate. But his abandoned PKE meter below the chair activates, reminding us that Egon may be deceased, but he is far from gone.  

The Terror Returns

scariest Ghostbusters moments

Ghostbusters: Afterlife turns out to be a touching tribute to Harold Ramis as his friends and family unite to complete the beloved scientist’s heroic mission. In addition to a tearjerker ending, Reitman also includes a bevy of callbacks to the original film. Not only do the Spenglers square off against the team’s first enemy, Gozer (Emma Portner), the nonbinary entity brings back the Terror Dogs that once possessed Dana Barret and Louis Tully (Rick Moranis). These demonic beasts first rear their ugly heads while Gary Grooberson (Paul Rudd) stops by Walmart to buy a midnight snack. While the horde of mini marshmallow men are eerie in their gleeful self-destruction, the ghostly canine that chases him through the store is the stuff of nightmares. Early iterations of this fearsome creature are hindered by ’80s-era special effects, but Reitman’s version feels frighteningly real. While Gary frantically tries to find his keys, this Terror Dog snarls at him from atop his car dashboard, leaving the endearing science teacher with no way to escape. 


Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024)

Frozen Dinner 

After a film set in a small mountain town, the opening of Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire takes us back to New York circa 1904. We see the fire station in its early years as a horse-drawn carriage responds to a call. Arriving at the scene, a fireman tests the door for heat and watches in horror as his hand instantly freezes. Inside, they find jagged shards of ice surrounding and piercing a frozen dinner party. Guests are posed in various states of ice-covered surprise while an eerie record skips in the corner. A figure covered in brass armor we will come to know as a Fire Master is crouched in the corner clutching a mysterious orb. When the fireman touches this rippling sphere, the frozen diners’ heads begin to explode, an ominous precursor to the chilling threat awaiting the newest Ghostbusting team. 

Lights Out

If Ghostbusters: Afterlife featured the lo-fi gear of the 80s, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire hurls us into the future. Wealthy financier Winston Zeddemore has been surreptitiously building a new containment unit to relieve pressure on the original model along with a secret lab designed to study ghosts and haunted objects. In addition to fancy new gadgets and gear, this facility contains several captured spirits like a fanged Wraith and a speedy Possessor. Lab techs assure the astonished Spengler team that they are perfectly safe, but it seems they’ve overestimated the facility’s security. Lucky (Celeste O’Connor) and Lars (James Acaster) are studying the aforementioned orb when the power goes out, leaving them stranded in the dark with a cache of haunted objects. Not only does the ancient sphere hold a deadly spirit, the proton fields containing the captured ghosts have just been disabled. These terrifying creatures begin to drift through the walls toward the defenseless lab techs, perhaps at the bidding of an evil commander. Thankfully the generator kicks on in the nick of time, drawing the ghosts back into their cells. It’s a tense moment reminding us that no matter how charming the Ghostbusters may be, they still spend their days with evil spirits just waiting for an opportunity to wreak havoc.  


The Ghostbusters franchise excels at mixing humor and fear, practically setting the blueprint for the modern horror comedy. Moments from the original two films terrified a generation of gen-xers and elder millennials and newer iterations are currently scaring their kids. The fifth franchise installment effectively passes the proton pack torch to a new generation of Ghostbusters and we can only hope additional films will continue to induct future generations of Ghostbusters fans into the horror family as well. 

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is now playing in theaters. Read our review.

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