Scream and Scream Again (1970)

Scream and Scream Again (1970), directed by Gordon Hessler.

An awkward mashup of science fiction, police procedural and spy thriller. The funky score tries to get "with it" via surf guitar and action bongo riffs. The sadism and crimes against women is strong in the first section, less so thereafter when we follow confusing plot lines and have a long car chase segment and battle with a serial killer super-soldier.

It holds the viewer's interest, in the sense of "Who are these people and where in the hell is this going?"

Second of three films Vincent Price made with director Hessler (The Oblong Box (1969), Cry of the Banshee (1970)) and the first film featuring all three of Price, Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing. Problem: American International just wanted their names; giving them good roles would have cost more, so they are each secondary characters with little or no interaction.

Available on Blu-ray from Twilight Time. Two horror film scholars give an excited, informative and funny commentary. They really like this bad film and everyone involved.

One has read the book and brings order to the plot chaos: it's aliens. They are going to take over by creating superior beings engineered from the best available parts. Vincent Price's operation has gotten out of hand and one of his creations has become a serial killer, running wild and drinking blood. The chief baddie is a Cleaner come down to halt all that and dispose of the evidence.

The title comes from the novel: the kidnapped jogger who wakes up each time to find another body part missing. "He screamed and screamed again..."