Screams of a Winter Night 1979

Horror

Runtime

118 mins

Language

English

Directed by

James L. Wilson

Made by

Full Moon Pictures

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Screams of a Winter Night Plot Summary

Read the complete plot summary and ending explained for Screams of a Winter Night (1979). From turning points to emotional moments, uncover what really happened and why it matters.

During winter, a college student named John, Matt Borel, drives nine friends to Lake Durand for a weekend at his family’s ramshackle cabin. They settle in as snow begins to fall. Elaine, [Mary Agen Cox], tells her boyfriend, Alan, Charles Rucker, that she wishes they had not come. John, meanwhile, shows Cal the nearby graves of the Durand family, who were mysteriously killed at the cabin and found scattered across the property. The police suspect a gas explosion, but Native American locals insist a powerful winter spirit called “Shataba” roams the woods and may have caused the deaths.

That night, as the fire crackles, the friends swap spooky stories. John recounts the Moss Point Man—a dwarf-like creature that haunted a date: after running out of gasoline on a country road, Roger leaves his girlfriend in the car while he walks toward a station; later the woman hears scraping on the car roof and discovers Roger hanging from a tree. The following morning she is found alive, with teeth marks on her ankles. Cal departs with Lauri, [Jan Norton], as the wind begins to rise. Steve, [Gil Glasgow], then shares the “Green Light” legend, in which three fraternity pledges spend a night in a supposedly haunted, abandoned hotel; warned not to venture to the upper levels, the men disobey and wake in a trance-like state, two bleeding and one driven mad. Jookie, [Beverly Allen], grows increasingly unsettled and asks to leave. Harper, [Ray Gaspard], her boyfriend, tries to calm her as the wind grows louder around the cabin.

Inside, John and Steve step out to fetch more lamp oil, but in their absence they terrify Sally, [Robin Bradley], and Liz, [Brandy Barrett], by peering in at the kitchen window wearing a grotesque gorilla mask. Elaine, [Mary Agen Cox], chooses to share a chilling high-school memory: a timid girl named Annie faced a date-rape attempt, stabbed the attacker to death, and afterward struggled with mental balance. Later in college, Annie allegedly murders her dorm roommate for wearing Annie’s shawl without permission. Jookie’s panic grows, and the group debates leaving while the wind rattles the cabin. The storm intensifies, and the group wonders if they should stay or flee.

Suddenly, the window shatters with a forceful gust; Elaine is killed by shards of glass. Cal, Lauri, Harper, and Jookie dash into the woods as the cabin collapses behind them, driven by the relentless wind. In the darkness at the edge of a precipice, the four survivors hear a menacing growl draw closer, leaving their fate uncertain as the night closes in.

Screams of a Winter Night Timeline

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Arrival at the Lake Durand cabin

John drives the nine friends to Lake Durand for a winter weekend and they arrive at his ramshackle family cabin. They begin to settle in as the cold wind bites. Elaine tells her boyfriend, Alan, that she wished they had not gone on the trip, setting a tense mood.

Evening Lake Durand cabin

Graves and local legends

John shows Cal the nearby graves of the Durand family, who were mysteriously killed at the cabin. Police surmised a gas explosion, though Native American locals claim a winter spirit named Shataba roams the woods. The legends loom over the group as they settle in.

Evening Cabin grounds

Moss Point Man story

By the hearth, John begins telling the Moss Point Man tale about a couple on a date who are terrified on a deserted road. After Roger runs out of gas, his girlfriend stays in the car; later she hears scraping on the roof and finds Roger hanging from a tree. The next morning the woman is found alive, with human teeth marks on her ankles.

Night Cabin living room

Newspaper clipping about Lake Durand accident

After finishing the Moss Point Man story, John shows a newspaper clipping about a bizarre 1940s accident at Lake Durand. The clipping hints at strange happenings tied to the place, deepening the sense that something old and dangerous lies below the surface. The group briefly exchanges uneasy glances.

Night Cabin

Green Light tale

Steve tells the Green Light legend about three fraternity pledges who stay overnight in a supposedly haunted hotel. The men venture to the upper levels despite warnings; in the morning two bleed and the third is driven mad, leaving the memory of the night haunt the survivors. The tale adds to the growing sensation that the woods and town are haunted.

Night Cabin

Jookie wants to leave; wind begins

Jookie grows unnerved and asks to leave as the wind begins to howl more violently. Outside, the wind knocks and the cabin shakes, amplifying the fear. The group wrestles with the idea of aborting the trip.

Night Cabin

Gorilla mask prank in the kitchen

John and Steve go to town to buy more lamp oil, but the men prank Sally and Liz by making grotesque gorilla masks appear in the kitchen window. The prank backfires, heightening tension and urgency among the friends. Jookie’s fear grows as eerie laughter echoes through the cabin.

Night Cabin kitchen

Elaine’s Annie story

Elaine shares a high school story about Annie, a timid girl who survives a violent date-rape attempt but becomes mentally unsettled after murder. Annie later kills her dorm roommate over a shawl, leaving a trail of guilt and paranoia. The grim tale unnerves the group and blurs the line between rumor and danger.

Night Cabin

Group contemplates leaving

Jookie’s terror intensifies while Harper tries to calm her, and the group debates whether they should leave the cabin. The wind rattles the windows and the walls, turning every sound into a threat. The decision to stay or go weighs heavily on them.

Night Cabin

Cal departs with Lauri

Fearing that the Shataba legend might be real, Cal takes Lauri and heads into the woods. The others watch in uneasy silence as the couple disappears into the storm. The night shifts from claustrophobic dread to cold, uncertain danger.

Night Exterior near cabin

Elaine dies as the window shatters

A violent gust shatters the living room window, and Elaine is killed by shards of glass. Debris fills the room as the others scramble for cover and safety. The cabin’s structure groans under the wind, and the danger becomes painfully immediate.

Night Cabin living room

Cabin collapses; survivors flee

Cal, Lauri, Harper, and Jookie flee into the woods as the cabin collapses from the force of the wind. They stumble through the snow and timber, trying to escape the deadly storm and the collapsing structure. The remaining friends realize their escape is far from safe as night presses in.

Night Woods and cabin edge

Final growl in the woods

In the woods at the edge of a precipice, the four survivors hear a growl approaching through the trees. They push onward into darkness, uncertain of what hunts them and where the path will end. The scene ends with a palpable sense of an unseen threat closing in.

Night Woods edge near precipice

Screams of a Winter Night Characters

Explore all characters from Screams of a Winter Night (1979). Get detailed profiles with their roles, arcs, and key relationships explained.

John

A college student who drives his friends to the weekend trip and acts as the group's primary storyteller. He introduces the Moss Point Man legend and harbors a confident, sometimes reckless fascination with scary tales that push the others to confront their fears.

🎓 College student 🗣️ Storyteller 🧭 Leader

Cal

John’s companion who accompanies Lauri on the trip; pragmatic and cautious in the face of escalating dread. He chooses to depart with Lauri when the storm worsens, seeking safety away from the haunted cabin.

🧭 Realist 💬 Voice-of-reason

Lauri

Cal’s girlfriend, a wary participant who ultimately leaves the cabin with Cal. She remains a steady presence among the group’s decisions as fear mounts.

💃 Survivor 🧭 Supportive

Elaine

Elaine is assertive and contributes a high school murder anecdote before joining in with the group’s storytelling. Her brutal fate comes when shards of glass kill her during the cabin's collapse.

🗣️ Confident 🧪 Narrator

Alan

Elaine's boyfriend and a reserved member of the party who witnesses the unfolding fear but receives little screen time beyond that.

🧩 Supportive 🧊 Reserved

Steve

One of the storytellers who recounts the Green Light legend, contributing to the mood of dread and the sense that the night’s events might be preordained.

🎤 Storyteller 🧠 Knowledgeable

Sally

A friend in the group who is unsettled by the night's terrifying stories and becomes part of the tension that intensifies as the wind rises.

😨 Fearful 👥 Friend

Jookie

Elaine’s spirited friend who tries to calm the group and reacts with panic as the night spirals.

😱 Frantic 🧭 Survivor

Liz

One of the women in the group who participates in the night’s storytelling and shares in the tense atmosphere.

🗣️ Social 🗺️ Group-member

Harper

Harper tries to keep calm and soothe Jookie; he participates in the night’s events and flees with Cal and others when danger escalates.

💬 Calm 🚶 Survivor

Screams of a Winter Night Settings

Learn where and when Screams of a Winter Night (1979) takes place. Explore the film’s settings, era, and how they shape the narrative.

Time period

Winter

The events unfold over a single cold winter weekend. The relentless wind and snow heighten the sense of confinement and danger. The cabin becomes a fragile shelter as the outside world seems to close in.

Location

Lake Durand, Durand Cabin

A ramshackle cabin sits on the frozen shore of Lake Durand, surrounded by dense winter woods. The setting is defined by biting winds and snow that blanket the landscape, creating a claustrophobic sense of isolation. Local legends speak of a violent past at the cabin and a winter spirit named Shataba that supposedly roams the woods.

❄️ Winter 🪵 Cabin 🗺️ Lake Durand

Screams of a Winter Night Themes

Discover the main themes in Screams of a Winter Night (1979). Analyze the deeper meanings, emotional layers, and social commentary behind the film.

🌨️

Isolation

A group of friends is cut off from help by the remote lake cabin during a fierce winter. The confined space amplifies fear, secrets, and paranoia as the night wears on. Attempts to leave are thwarted by the storm and the encroaching darkness.

🗺️

Folklore

Legends of Shataba and other spectral tales drive the characters’ fear more than any real threat. The stories told around the fire blur the line between myth and danger. Local myths lend the night a haunted, predestined feel.

🧠

Trauma

The group’s storytelling exposes past traumas, including a deadly dormitory incident and a disturbing high school tale. Elaine’s blunt storytelling triggers uneasy reactions and heightens tension. As fear escalates, trust frays and relationships strain under pressure.

🪓

Survival

Wind shatters windows and the cabin buckles, forcing the group to confront life-or-death choices. Escapes and near-misses test loyalty and resilience as danger seems to close in from all sides. By night’s end, only a subset of the group remains to face whatever comes next.

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Screams of a Winter Night Spoiler-Free Summary

Discover the spoiler-free summary of Screams of a Winter Night (1979). Get a concise overview without any spoilers.

In the stark, moon‑lit chill of a winter weekend, ten college friends gather at an isolated cabin on the frozen shore of Lake Durand. The snow‑drifted landscape wraps the property in a hushed silence, while the aging structure—once a family retreat—holds onto the faint echo of its own forgotten stories. The group arrives eager for an escape from campus life, unaware that the wilderness around them watches with an ancient, indifferent stare.

Whispers among the nearby Native American community speak of a winter spirit known as Shataba, said to wander the woods when the cold is deepest. Legends of the cabin’s original owners, whose mysterious deaths still linger in local memory, mingle with the modern skeptics in the group, creating a subtle undercurrent of unease. This folklore forms the backdrop for a night where the line between imagination and something far older begins to blur.

John leads the drive up to the cabin, his easy confidence setting the tone for the gathering. Elaine, anxious yet curious, shares a nervous smile with her boyfriend Alan as they settle in. Cal arrives with his own quiet resolve, while Steve revels in swapping urban myths around the crackling fire. Jookie feels the cold seep into her bones, her growing discomfort contrasting with Harper’s attempts to keep the mood light. As the wind intensifies and shadows lengthen, each character’s personality surfaces—some eager to laugh, others to listen, and a few to simply retreat from the growing darkness.

The film sways between the intimate dynamics of friendship and the oppressive, glittering winter night that surrounds them. The cabin’s creaking walls, the howling gusts, and the ever‑present tale of Shataba create a mood that is both mesmerizing and unsettling, promising that the night’s stories may awaken something that has long lain dormant beneath the snow.

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