The first few minutes of any horror film are some of the most important. It is here, at the very beginning, where mood is established and tone is orchestrated; elements that can sink films if not done correctly. The artists - which includes cinematographer Stephen Rosenthal, Special Effects Makeup Artist Amanda Damon, Mask Designer Roy Knyrim, and Visual Effects Artist Maxwell Seiler - behind the scenes in House of Screaming Glass understand this and flex their knowledge early on.
And they aren’t afraid of tackling a slow burn horror film on a limited budget either. All of this adds to the ultimate mystery at play here for the audience to ponder. We’re talking psychological vs supernatural here.
And it’s anyone’s guess.
House of Screaming Glass is the real deal when it comes to DIY filmmaking. It starts with a solid script in which the illusive veil between time begins to lift - allowing for a whole lot of camera creativity - and the past comes colliding with the present to create an unknown (or is it unwelcome?) future.
Opening with a slow tilt upwards from a woman’s twitching body on the pavement to another girl watching from the second story of a school building, House of Screaming Glass is a masterclass of establishing an oppressive mood that never once stops, especially when some old school black magic is unleashed, leaving an impression upon the viewer that is hard to shake.
Directed and co-written by David Williams with a script co-authored by Costanza Bongiorni and Tom Jolliffe, House of Screaming Glass stars Lani Call as a young woman who has lived in isolation under the rule of her mentally unstable mother. But, with her mother now dead and an unexpected inheritance of a schoolhouse from her grandmother, a whole lot of wicked weirdness is about to be unleashed.
Elizabeth Cadosia (Call) has never known freedom. She’s never lived in a place where a door doesn’t need to be locked either. Yet now, with this unexpected inheritance, her freedom turns into a surreal nightmare as witchy visions crawl into her skull concerning her grandmother’s past as a witch.
But these forces are real and they want a new vessel in which to live on. And Elizabeth is their target. Be prepared for a surreal journey with this horror film, which manages to combine old school drive-in moments with some arthouse charm on a limited budget. It works and that’s a credit to everyone involved as the past comes out to play in truly terrifying ways.
DeskPop Entertainment is proud to be releasing David Williams' terrifying new indie horror film House of Screaming Glass on VOD and DVD on May 21st. The otherworldly, surreal thriller is packed with powerful performances, witchy weirdness, and a love of classic horror that shines through every frame.
MPAA Rating: Unrated.
Runtime: 106 mins
Director: David R. Williams
Writer: Costanza Bongiorni; Tom Jolliffe; David R. Williams
Cast: Lani Call
Genre: Thriller
Tagline:
Memorable Movie Quote: "Where will I go"
Distributor: Deskpop Entertainment
Official Site:
Release Date: May 21, 2024
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date:
Synopsis: Elizabeth Cadosia (Lani Call) has lived a life of isolation under the shadow of her mentally fractured mother. On the day her mother dies, Elizabeth receives an unexpected inheritance—a timeworn schoolhouse from her grandmother—whom she has never met. Within the schoolhouse, Elizabeth finds herself entwined in a tapestry of unsettling visions and harrowing nightmares.
