Scream of the Banshee

This movie is a complete mess on the execution of it. I like how the movie uses a banshee as its villain because that's an interesting type of spirit that is rarely used. The way she executed here is poorly done because they use her for mostly cheap jump scares, and her backstory isn't that flesh-out. Also, the characters experienced nightmares from her with aren't that interesting or creepy at all. The actual story is nothing too interesting, with the characters being haunted by her after hearing her screams. It's pretty predictable throughout and is not that enjoyable to watch. Also, some scenes feel like they are dragging itself way too long. The climax itself is underwhelming and not that suspenseful at all. The ending mimics the Raiders of the Lost Ark for some reason. Also, the screams from the Banshee get pretty annoying and obnoxious throughout.

Can't say something bad. From beginning till the end it's interesting, but not very entertaining. What makes you wanna see the movie is definitely trailer & in the end it's worth it: not too much blood, some horror, some violence & interesting story. What makes it interesting? - Сourage. I mean courage of conclusions withing the story. Idea: 8 of 10. Trailer: 9 of 10. After watching trailer - you surely wanna see the movie. Esle: 3 of 10. I didn't liked technical side of movie, but I did liked actors performance & musical themes of movie. After watching the movie - you surely wanna see only trailer. Don't judge me, it's my first review.

The cast and concept seemed interesting, but I was dubious seeing that it was low budget and that it was SyFy. As far as SyFy movies go, it is far from their worst, but it is not one of their better ones either. The cast aren't terrible, but the only ones really to come above their material are Lucy Hale and Todd Haberkorn. Marcelle Baer is not bad either, but her character is written poorly, while the casting of Lance Henriksson promised much but mainly because he is only on screen for ten or so minutes his efforts seemed wasted. The banshee was rather fake sadly, though the scream was terrifying, and the choppy editing and artificial-looking effects don't help. Neither do the hackneyed scripting, the dull, predictable and ridiculous story, the lack of any real terror or suspense or the annoying stereotypes for characters. Overall, not a complete waste of time but still pretty lame. 3/10 Bethany Cox

In 1188 Ireland, some warrior horsemen chase and attack a red-cloaked figure. Obviously "Screaming Banshee" of the title, the pursued rider is brutally murdered. Flashback over… In the present, California college professor Lauren Holly (as Isla Whelan) is archiving some old relics. She happens upon an Irish gauntlet, which assistant Todd Haberkorn (as Otto) decides to wear. Also found is a metallic box, hidden behind a wall. The gauntlet opens the box and out pops the Screaming Banshee. Well, she doesn't exactly pop out, at first, but her spirit is released. To stop Screaming Banshee, Ms. Holly and her archivist team must seek out help from hammy old Lance Henriksen (as Broderick Duncan)...

In some early scenes, the Screaming Banshee looks intriguing and frightful. But, by the end, budget constraints have turned her into a very silly-looking monster. There is almost nothing given about the Banshee to make her interesting. Having a good moment here and there, relatively new director Steven C. Miller is either unable to interpret a good story, or improve upon a bad one. Some of the later sets look nice, but this is a hopeless Syfy TV Movie. With nothing much to comment on, daughter Marcelle Baer is most valuable player in the attractive cast sweepstakes. Her boyfriend Garrett Hines has great muscles. Perhaps most noteworthy is the creative pluck of Mr. Haberkorn's eyebrows.

*** Scream of the Banshee (2011-03-04) Steven C. Miller ~ Lauren Holly, Todd Haberkorn, Lance Henriksen, Marcelle Baer

Judging from the lack of information available about "Scream of the Banshee" (like budget and such) I expected a B-C class film (regardless to the IMDb rating and complaints by the spoiled snobs who like to whine online). I got exactly what I expected, but nothing less.

First of all, being a Horror fan, I always like seeing such combinations of sub-genres, in this case the supernatural Ghost Story and Monsters sub genres. Second, as a fan of D&D and fantasy RPGs, I was very happy to find a film about a Banshee!

The screenplay is pretty good, with a worthy enough story - but the script is sometimes amateur to the point of being painful to listen to. The acting is mostly good, except for Lauren Holly who simply lacks the charisma necessary for her character. The effects were mostly good considering the estimated budget (though the Banshee's face was very clearly a mask, and the giant hand coming out of the screen was almost a cartoon).

All in all, if you start watching this and expect a masterpiece, you'll be disappointed, and it will be your own fault. However, if you choose not to be too uppity and try this film expecting a low budget Monster flick - you'll have a pretty good time and enjoy a few well made scares, just as I did.