Silent Scream - alternative ending

Discuss the 13 episodes
Post Reply
andy_pagin
Posts: 47
Joined: Wed Sep 14, 2011 5:27 pm

Silent Scream - alternative ending

Post by andy_pagin »

I've just re-watched Silent Scream for the first time since it was on TV, and I reckon Hammer re-wrote the ending part way through filming.

Let me explain. When I worked at Hampden House in the 1990s power failures were a regular part of life, the power lines in rural Buckinghamshire are (or were) terribly unreliable, especially in winter. Now near the beginning of Silent Scream there's a scene in Chucks' house where the lights go dim during a storm, why? what's the significance? None that I can see in the movie as released. I think that the original ending was the couple having given up all hope of escape, are released by a power failure, note the rickety overhead power line shown near the last scene, wouldn't take a lot for that to fail now would it? On the other hand our nasty little pet shop owner would have the benefit of a decent national grid supply in town!

It could just be that Hammer wanted to subliminally suggest a possible escape route to the audience with the dimming light, but that would have been lost on anyone not used to rural life.

Thoughts anyone?

warrenfuk
Posts: 18
Joined: Sat Sep 01, 2007 1:50 pm

Post by warrenfuk »

Maybe, but an escape would not have fitted in with the trend of downbeat endings which typifies the series.
No doubt if it had been made in the US such an ending would have been used just if they had made the Wicker Man we would have seen helicopters arriving at the last seconds to rescue the burning Ed Woodward.

SGodrich
Posts: 40
Joined: Wed Jul 05, 2006 7:38 am
Location: Swansea, UK

Post by SGodrich »

I agree. Downbeat endings are great. In the show "Alfred Hitchcock Presents", Alfred Hitchcock had to give an explanation along the line of "Our hero did manage to escape, inform the authorities and the villian got the electric chair" or something along those lines because of the US audience being parylised with fear. What utter nonsense!