Nostalgia Kinky

Visual Vengeance continues its incredible SOV special edition Blu-ray line with one of its finest releases so far, Jeff Leroy’s fantastic The Screaming (2000). Featuring two cuts of the film, two audio commentaries, a documentary, and more, this Blu-ray edition of The Screaming is outstanding stuff, and the film is among my favorite discoveries of the year.
Order it now over at MVD.

An early feature from SOV legend Jeff Leroy, The Screaming is a fantastic satirical look at a Scientology-like cult with a supernatural slant. What a fun and winning little film this is. Shot for under three grand, The Screaming makes the most of every cent via some wonderful practical special effects, an above-average cast, and fine lo-fi direction by Leroy.

Landing at nearly ninety minutes and never once outstaying its welcome, The Screaming delighted me from the get-go. Scripted by Leroy himself, The Screaming benefits greatly from his sharp satirical viewpoint, making this much more than just a standard no-budget video production.

Cast-wise, The Screaming is filled with very fine performances considering the one-take circumstances under which the film was made. Star Vinnie Bilancio is charming and funny, and scene-stealer Elizabeth Barris does equally memorable work. Best of all is the appearance of former Richard Kern star/performance artist Linda Serbu, who has a small but memorable part in the film’s first half.

Pretty much everything about this little micro-miracle worked for me, so much so that I’d rank this amongst the best SOV works I’ve ever seen. Leroy clearly loves the project as well, even going so far as to revisit it nearly a decade after its release via an alternate cut that Visual Vengeance has also supplied on this excellent Blu-ray.

The bonus feature, The Screaming Reborn, features a fresh edit, a shuffled score, and new digital effects. This shorter cut is Leroy’s final preferred version, but I must admit to loving the original more. A big part of The Screaming’s charm is in its fun, practical gore and creature effects. The cheap digital/CGI work done for The Screaming Reborn takes much of that charm away, damaging the film to my eyes. Yes, the new cut is widescreen and sharper and is well worth watching, but it’s a shadow on Leroy’s fine initial cut.

Visual Vengeance has become one of my favorite labels on the planet. I so appreciate all of these fist in the air independent releases and the care they are putting into packaging, supplements, etc. The Screaming is no different, coming with the usual sticker sheet, poster, reversible sleeve, and slipcover. Beautiful stuff.

Extra wise, we have a director/cast/crew commentary for The Screaming Reborn, which is a very casual, jokey afternoon amongst collaborators. The Screaming comes equipped with an excellent commentary by Weng’s Chop maverick Tony Strauss. Man, I loved this informative and entertaining track so much. One of my favorites of the year. We also get behind-the-scenes footage, interviews, trailers, etc and a bonus CD featuring the soundtrack! Visual Vengeance has pulled out all the stops for the very special The Screaming. This is awesome stuff and a great litmus test to spot the cool kids in the room at your next watch party.

-Jeremy Richey, May 2026-