When Fanny Pierce (Jeanne Crain) witnesses members of a religious cult crucifying her 'false prophet' minister husband Willis (Alex Nicol), she finds herself paralysed with fear, unable to act until the killers have left. Her subsequent testimony in court sees the cult's leader, Billy Joe Harlan (Michael Sugich), and several of his followers sent to death row, but many of his flock remain free and they vow to take revenge.
After the trial, Fanny agrees to 'babysit' for Judge Coogan (Stewart Bradley), ensuring that his four teenage children remain at home for the weekend; however, not long after the judge and his wife have left the house, Fanny receives threatening phone calls and notes, and fears that the cultists have come a-calling.
With such a great set-up, The Night God Screamed had potential to be a really gritty slice of '70s exploitation, but for reasons that become clear in the final act, the film is fairly restrained in terms of nastiness. Director Lee Madden cranks up the tension throughout, but with the whole thing serving to set up a rather predictable twist (followed soon after by a second twist), it just isn't all that satisfying. I would have preferred it if the makers had done away with the 'clever' surprise and just concentrated on giving us a brutal siege film with lots of gnarly violence (like Assault on Precinct or Straw Dogs).
My rating: 6/10.
