Greetings And Salutations, and welcome to my review of Nightmares; here's the breakdown of my ratings:
Story: 1.00 Direction: 1.25 Pace: 1.00 Acting: 1.25 Enjoyment: 1.00
TOTAL: 5.50 out of 10.00
Nightmares smacks of a money-making project. The stories the writers give you were antiquated when the film was released. That doesn't mean they aren't entertaining or enjoyable. It simply means you know what's coming. And to be honest, it might be worth your while checking out the better full-length movies first.
The first story is about your fundamental lunatic killer on the run and how fear of the unknown can affect a person. We ride along with Lisa in her quest for a pack of cancer sticks. Her loving husband has warned her about the murdering madman at large. Who appears to be heading into their neighbourhood. But her craving is too powerful and beats her common sense into oblivion. Once in the car, her anxiety mounts as she listens to the radio reports. Luckily she manages to grab her smokes and heads home only to notice the fuel level on her car. Will she make it home, or will the screwball slasher get to her first? Though the story is predictable, as is the ending, it's still engrossing as Lisa is a credible individual and her ongoing developments are all too believable. It allows you to place yourself in her driving seat, and you can feel your own tension growing. The second story tells of a teenager obsessed with getting to the fabled thirteenth level of his favourite arcade machine. The narrative isn't as good as the first, as the characters are less substantial, and the plot is pretty simple. Worse still, is that you can see the conclusion a mile away. It's virtually a cheap Tron meets The Last Starfighter - both of which blast this short into another cosmos. The third, however, is my favourite of the four. It tells of a preacher man who's doubting his faith. Leaving his parish, he drives away to start a new life. His decision doesn't sit well with his masters, and he soon finds himself pitted against a jet-black pick-up truck that is intent on killing him. Could this be a sign from God, or is the Devil looking to add another dog collar to his truck's front wing? The characters are stronger here, and the addition of religion adds a deeper stimulus, especially with the Doubting Thomas - Father MacLeod. Lastly, we get the Killer Rat's tale. The story isn't too bad as the characters are sturdy and tenable. A household finds itself under siege from a large rodent. Wanting to save money and face, the husband orders his wife to leave everything to him. No sooner has the trap in the loft snapped a rat's neck than he's all sarcastic and lording his victory over her - there's is not a marriage made in heaven. Predictably, this is only the start of their problems. The major problem with all four stories is their endings. They are supposed to be nightmares, and I don't know about you, but all my nightmares end badly. Regrettably, that's not the case here - and their Happy Endings give the whole thing a juvenile feel, making the movie less scary overall, especially the phenomenally awful and silly conclusion to Ratty.
Another drawback is Joseph Sargent's direction. There is some excellent cinematography on show. But sadly, Sargent fails to produce much in the way of scares or tension. His best and most concrete efforts are the first and third stories. Even then, it never gets to the strength the audience requires to get them on the edge of their seats. The second story is mediocre. It has the feeling of just being there. All the money in the budget appears to have gone into the CGI, which for the time is excellent. However, computer graphics do not a story make. And the Rat's tale is, by far, the worst film of the bunch. After spending the cash on suped-up Space Invaders, the viewers have to suffer through a badly super-imposed rodent.
I felt for the cast as some first-rate actors and actresses battle their way through the quagmire of story and direction. On the whole, everyone does well in their roles. However, Emilio Estevez gets a tad wooden when he has to get angry with his Pa. But Lance Henriksen shines as the disbelieving priest. And it was a pleasure to see Albert Hague as the pest controller, Mel Keefer - though his role is too short.
If you've nowt better to do on a lazy Sunday afternoon, you could contemplate watching Nightmares. It's an easy watch, and if you snooze - so be it - you're not missing much. If the stories had been more robust and the direction more atmospheric, this collection of shorts would have been pretty decent, even with the rehashed tales. As it stands, one watch would be enough.
Now, leave that rodent alone and take a gander at my Absolute Horror and Killer Thriller Chillers lists to see where I ranked Nightmares.
Take Care & Stay Well.
Story: 1.00 Direction: 1.25 Pace: 1.00 Acting: 1.25 Enjoyment: 1.00
TOTAL: 5.50 out of 10.00
Nightmares smacks of a money-making project. The stories the writers give you were antiquated when the film was released. That doesn't mean they aren't entertaining or enjoyable. It simply means you know what's coming. And to be honest, it might be worth your while checking out the better full-length movies first.
The first story is about your fundamental lunatic killer on the run and how fear of the unknown can affect a person. We ride along with Lisa in her quest for a pack of cancer sticks. Her loving husband has warned her about the murdering madman at large. Who appears to be heading into their neighbourhood. But her craving is too powerful and beats her common sense into oblivion. Once in the car, her anxiety mounts as she listens to the radio reports. Luckily she manages to grab her smokes and heads home only to notice the fuel level on her car. Will she make it home, or will the screwball slasher get to her first? Though the story is predictable, as is the ending, it's still engrossing as Lisa is a credible individual and her ongoing developments are all too believable. It allows you to place yourself in her driving seat, and you can feel your own tension growing. The second story tells of a teenager obsessed with getting to the fabled thirteenth level of his favourite arcade machine. The narrative isn't as good as the first, as the characters are less substantial, and the plot is pretty simple. Worse still, is that you can see the conclusion a mile away. It's virtually a cheap Tron meets The Last Starfighter - both of which blast this short into another cosmos. The third, however, is my favourite of the four. It tells of a preacher man who's doubting his faith. Leaving his parish, he drives away to start a new life. His decision doesn't sit well with his masters, and he soon finds himself pitted against a jet-black pick-up truck that is intent on killing him. Could this be a sign from God, or is the Devil looking to add another dog collar to his truck's front wing? The characters are stronger here, and the addition of religion adds a deeper stimulus, especially with the Doubting Thomas - Father MacLeod. Lastly, we get the Killer Rat's tale. The story isn't too bad as the characters are sturdy and tenable. A household finds itself under siege from a large rodent. Wanting to save money and face, the husband orders his wife to leave everything to him. No sooner has the trap in the loft snapped a rat's neck than he's all sarcastic and lording his victory over her - there's is not a marriage made in heaven. Predictably, this is only the start of their problems. The major problem with all four stories is their endings. They are supposed to be nightmares, and I don't know about you, but all my nightmares end badly. Regrettably, that's not the case here - and their Happy Endings give the whole thing a juvenile feel, making the movie less scary overall, especially the phenomenally awful and silly conclusion to Ratty.
Another drawback is Joseph Sargent's direction. There is some excellent cinematography on show. But sadly, Sargent fails to produce much in the way of scares or tension. His best and most concrete efforts are the first and third stories. Even then, it never gets to the strength the audience requires to get them on the edge of their seats. The second story is mediocre. It has the feeling of just being there. All the money in the budget appears to have gone into the CGI, which for the time is excellent. However, computer graphics do not a story make. And the Rat's tale is, by far, the worst film of the bunch. After spending the cash on suped-up Space Invaders, the viewers have to suffer through a badly super-imposed rodent.
I felt for the cast as some first-rate actors and actresses battle their way through the quagmire of story and direction. On the whole, everyone does well in their roles. However, Emilio Estevez gets a tad wooden when he has to get angry with his Pa. But Lance Henriksen shines as the disbelieving priest. And it was a pleasure to see Albert Hague as the pest controller, Mel Keefer - though his role is too short.
If you've nowt better to do on a lazy Sunday afternoon, you could contemplate watching Nightmares. It's an easy watch, and if you snooze - so be it - you're not missing much. If the stories had been more robust and the direction more atmospheric, this collection of shorts would have been pretty decent, even with the rehashed tales. As it stands, one watch would be enough.
Now, leave that rodent alone and take a gander at my Absolute Horror and Killer Thriller Chillers lists to see where I ranked Nightmares.
Take Care & Stay Well.