A kinky photographer (Joseph Farrell) makes his sexy subjects pose for controversial pictures. He brings his latest batch of models to a supposedly haunted mansion/former insane asylum for his next shoot. Once on the grounds, the frantic photog sets about playing mind games with the models to mentally torture then so he can capture them in the appropriately frightened state of mind he wishes them to convey. Unfortunately, the models’ fear awakens the malevolent spirit of the sadistic former owner of the house who sets out to torture and kill everyone unlucky enough to be trespassing on his property.
Written and directed by Brett (A Nymphoid Barbarian in Dinosaur Hell) Piper, The Screaming Dead boasts a solid set-up, and the haunted sanitarium makes for an atmospheric location. The inclusion of Seduction Cinema starlets like Misty Mundae and A.J. Khan help add to the fun. However, once the models begin being subjected to the photographer’s mental degradation, things sort of stall. It also takes an inordinate amount of time before the supernatural elements start falling into place. The scenes of the beefy security guard (Rob Monkiewicz) butting heads with the freaky photographer have a tendency to get repetitive too. While there are still a number of neat moments (like when a face gets pushed through a wall), and some of the torture sequences are reminiscent of the old Corman/Poe movies from the ‘60s, the finale ultimately feels rushed and a little unsatisfying.
Monkiewicz makes for a good upstanding square jaw hero. Rachel Robbins is also quite strong as the secretary who puts up with Farrell’s increasingly cruel demands and manipulations. Farrell is a bit grating as the human villain, although I guess that’s kind of the point. Still, a little of his performance goes a long way. Misty is the reason to watch it (of course) as she delivers yet another solid performance and looks great during her various nude scenes.
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