Here’s a Troma film unlike any I’ve ever seen. Rufus Butler Seder’s Screamplay (1985) is an homage to the cinematic expressionism of films like The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari, Nosferatu and Les Vampires that really captures the look and feel of those classic excursions into the world of dream and nightmare.

Shot in gorgeous black and white, Screamplay is a murder mystery that succeeds not so much in its plot line as it does in its accomplished visuals and surreal atmosphere. Its a really original and exciting work from a director who only made one feature length film before devoting his creative life to “optically animated public art installations.”

The blurb from Troma: “Edgar Allen must confront old actresses, rock stars, and the police in the bleak setting of broken dreams in Hollywood.”

Enjoy Screamplay in its entirety. Its stunning.