Fantastic Fest 2026: SCREAMPLAY (1984)
It’s a story we’ve seen before: a young, wide-eyed writer moves to the big city to make his dream a reality. Rufus Butler Seder’s first and only experimental horror-comedy, SCREAMPLAY, takes this premise and runs with it. The restoration, which recently played at Fantastic Fest in Austin and will be on the road throughout the country this year, brings the cult classic to the forefront, and deservedly so.
SCREAMPLAY follows the writer Edgar Allen (played with great, creepy charm by director Seder) as he comes to Los Angeles to pursue a writing career in the movies. He’s immediately greeted by the grimy truth of the city: unfriendly diner waitresses and murderers greet him as soon as he arrives. After he nearly gets robbed by a drag queen, he finds a friend of sorts in the man who killed the would-be thief, Martin (underground filmmaking icon George Kuchar), a sketchy landlord of an apartment complex nearby. Thrust into the underbelly of Hollywood, Edgar Allen decides to take Martin up on his offer of hiding out at the complex and working as the building’s handy man until the heat from the murder dies down. As Edgar Allen tries to adjust to the life of a working writer, dealing with broken appliances and frisky residents, the murders he’s written about in his screenplay start to come to life and the police start getting curious. Finding an agent won’t be the biggest problem Edgar Allen has to face as he’s navigating his new life as a writer in the blinding lights of Hollywood.
Originally released by Troma, SCREAMPLAY feels less goopy and splatter-focused (although there is some gore here and there) than their usual fare. Over the years, the film became harder to find, until eventually the 2005 DVD release became out of print. Thanks to the folks at Muscle Distribution and Matchbox Cine, this unique piece of film history finally has a beautiful 4K restoration and an upcoming tour in theaters across the country. Since its release in 1985, it has become a cult classic, but will now have the opportunity to earn the hearts of a new generation of weird movie lovers, and for good reason. The film doesn’t lean all the way on its influences, opting instead to take the gestures it makes towards other genres and eras of filmmaking and create something that is completely its own.
There is a lot to love about the weird and wonderful SCREAMPLAY, starting with the nods to German Expressionism that are baked into the movie. Inky black shadows of hands reach for Edgar Allen as he’s typing, and any classic Horror film lover who knows their stuff is sure to notice the resemblance between Edgar Allen’s character design as reminiscent of Cesare from THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI. Even Seder’s performance, soft spoken but able to spark a crazed look in the eyes when writing or playing out fictional murders, is heavily influenced by that iconic film.
The screenplay by Seder and Ed Greenberg has the capacity to hold both the absurdity and insanity of trying to be an artist in spite of all the chaos of the outside world. Edgar flits from maintaining his job as the apartment’s handy man, to helping an aspiring actress tap into her darkness, to trying to find an agent with fervor. The image of Edgar Allen sitting at his desk, wild-eyed with creativity and tapping into his darkness to write, in particular, is familiar to anyone who has spent time trying to conjure words onto a blank page. Most of all, though, SCREAMPLAY is funny. It never demures from darker tones, making everything from murder to the useless cops tasked to investigate it a punchline. The way the film combines its influences with affection is incredible, with the aforementioned nods to classic Hollywood films and tropes to the inclusion of Kuchar.
Indeed, the inclusion of a master of lo-fi cinema adds to the film’s lo-fi aesthetics. The use of practical miniatures to bring Edgar Allen’s world to life is charming and compliments the black and white style of the film well. Creativity blooms from every frame here, making the film worthwhile viewing for those that appreciate handcrafted filmmaking that comes from a clear love of the medium.
Newcomers to SCREAMPLAY may take a moment to tune into its specific wavelength, but once you submit yourself to the film’s brand of goofy, horror-adjacent humor, it becomes an unforgettable experience. That’s because SCREAMPLAY feels like it was made with an unhinged kind of joy. Every moment of the film feels unapologetic in its silliness, authentic in its approach, and fully formed. This unique wavelength is what makes it worth seeking out for anyone who loves horror, comedy, or has ever tried to create anything in a new place. Edgar Allen’s misadventures through the bowels of L.A., stumbling towards some kind of living with his work, are sure to resonate with anyone who’s pursued creativity in the face of wild odds. Over 40 years after its release, SCREAMPLAY still has a lot to give to new audiences ready to bask in its zany and singular presence.
