Nightmare (1981 film)
| Nightmare | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Romano Scavolini |
| Written by | Romano Scavolini |
| Story by | Romano Scavolini |
| Produced by | John L. Watkins |
| Starring | Baird Stafford Sharon Smith C.J. Cooke Mik Cribben Danny Ronan |
| Cinematography | Gianni Fiore[1] |
| Edited by | Robert T. Megginson[1] |
| Music by | Jack Eric Williams |
| Distributed by | Goldmine Productions 21st Century Film Corporation[1] |
Release date |
|
Running time | 97 minutes[1] |
| Country | United States[1] |
| Language | English |
Nightmare (also known as Nightmares in a Damaged Brain)[2] is a 1981 slasher film directed by Romano Scavolini.[1] Nightmare gained instant notoriety among horror fans when it was banned in the UK as a video nasty and its distributor was sentenced to 18 months in prison for refusing to edit one second of violent footage.[3] The film also garnered controversy for claiming in its press material that Tom Savini had provided the film's special effects, which Savini vehemently denied.[4]
Plot
George Tatum (Baird Stafford) journeys back down to his home in Florida. Along the way, he has recurring nightmares of a violent incident from his childhood, which forces him to kill again.
George's ex-wife, Susan Temper (Sharon Smith), young son C.J. (C.J. Cooke), and Kathy, the family babysitter (Danny Ronan), begin to receive "hang-up" calls, which none of them realize is George making sure his family is home. The closer George gets to his destination, the more gruesome his murders become and the memories of his first childhood-murder intensify.
Donning an old man mask to conceal his identity, George makes his way into his old house with a rock pick, killing the babysitter, and goes after his son and two daughters (Kim Patterson and Tammy Patterson), who have taken refuge in their mother's bedroom on the second floor. Young C.J. manages to shoot George repeatedly with a revolver through a hole hacked into the door, causing him to finally fall down the staircase, killing him. As he lies dying, George has a full recall of his childhood, where upon catching his father (William Kirksey) cheating on his mother (Christina Keefe) with a mistress, he brutally murders both of them with a felling axe. As George is carried off in a stretcher, his wife comes home, identifies her husband, and goes into a screaming fit. Young C.J. is taken in for questioning by the police, and winks into the camera as the final image of the film.
Cast
- Baird Stafford as George Tutam
- Sharon Smith as Susan Temper
- C.J. Cooke as C.J. Temper
- Mik Cribben as Bob Rosen
- Danny Ronan as Kathy
Critical reception
Janet Maslin of The New York Times gave the film a negative review.[5]
References
- ^ a b c d e f Brennan, Sanrdra. "Nightmare:Overview - Allmovie". Allmovie. Retrieved August 26, 2010.
- ^ "Allmovie". Allmovie. Retrieved September 16, 2012.
- ^ "Nightmare (1981)". eofftv.com. Retrieved 14 June 2012.
- ^ Sellers, Christian (2009-07-16). "Scavolini vs. Savini – Nightmare In a Damaged Brain". RetroSlashers. Retrieved 2014-06-18.
- ^ Janet Maslin (23 October 1981). "Bad Dream". The New York Times. Retrieved 14 June 2012.