Oct '17
Watched Nightmares (1980) the other night. A sleazy slasher (naked death!)/acid humour combo that must be among the wildest of vintage Ozploitation. Jenny Neumann (Hell Night) plays Helen, an aspiring actress who as a young girl called cathy caused the grisly car accident death of her adulterous mother. She gets a part, a role in a local theatre production of a curious play of dubious merit, a comedy about death. Also begins a romance with a fresh faced and friendly young co-star plucked from a soap. But then the nightmares come. Nightmares!!! Is this the right place for Helen? The cast sure is dropping. Nightmares!!!
There's some really enjoyable stuff here. The film is substantially a satire of the ineptitude, pretension and highly strung and self absorbed people of local theatre. They aren't good with their lines, the director recognises that the play is literally nonsense but insists that the words themselves are what's important, the cadences and juxtapositions, and still acts a big rude big-shot. Everybody's too busy bitching to realise the killer in their midst, and even when the killing becomes clear the show must go on, because apparently co-workers are just expendable. Lots of the dialogue is a hoot, I'm sure more intentionally so than just the obvious parts, and the pace is fast, with Brian May's (different one) relentless score bringing high drama even to quieter moments.
The performances are lively, and I particularly enjoyed Max Phipps as director D'alberg and John Michael Howson as sleazy critic Bennet Collingwood. Jenny Neumann is capably freaked out in the lead too. The killings are memorable and good in number. Steadicam, flashing broken glass, bloody slashes through naked flesh (this is one of those few slashers that's all about the slashing), blow after blow after blow. I was put in mind of the style of some of more outre gialli, though Nightmares generally owes more to the American psychotronic proto-slasher than anything European.
It could all have worked out as a classic, but unfortunately can't quite make it. The plot is crap, about the thinnest possible line to string events on. Everything feels artificial, and there's a lack of balance, of light and shade in characters and events and pace to build up real suspense or connection. And the killing is repetitive, the excitement draining after a few. Not enough imagination. So the film is initially thrilling, but by the end just ok. Would not recommend to most serious horror fans. But, you know, lots of nudity and blood and laughs and crude style. Sleaze horror enthusiasts should have a good time.
There's some really enjoyable stuff here. The film is substantially a satire of the ineptitude, pretension and highly strung and self absorbed people of local theatre. They aren't good with their lines, the director recognises that the play is literally nonsense but insists that the words themselves are what's important, the cadences and juxtapositions, and still acts a big rude big-shot. Everybody's too busy bitching to realise the killer in their midst, and even when the killing becomes clear the show must go on, because apparently co-workers are just expendable. Lots of the dialogue is a hoot, I'm sure more intentionally so than just the obvious parts, and the pace is fast, with Brian May's (different one) relentless score bringing high drama even to quieter moments.
The performances are lively, and I particularly enjoyed Max Phipps as director D'alberg and John Michael Howson as sleazy critic Bennet Collingwood. Jenny Neumann is capably freaked out in the lead too. The killings are memorable and good in number. Steadicam, flashing broken glass, bloody slashes through naked flesh (this is one of those few slashers that's all about the slashing), blow after blow after blow. I was put in mind of the style of some of more outre gialli, though Nightmares generally owes more to the American psychotronic proto-slasher than anything European.
It could all have worked out as a classic, but unfortunately can't quite make it. The plot is crap, about the thinnest possible line to string events on. Everything feels artificial, and there's a lack of balance, of light and shade in characters and events and pace to build up real suspense or connection. And the killing is repetitive, the excitement draining after a few. Not enough imagination. So the film is initially thrilling, but by the end just ok. Would not recommend to most serious horror fans. But, you know, lots of nudity and blood and laughs and crude style. Sleaze horror enthusiasts should have a good time.
