Too much of everything

This is How Movies Should Be Made

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

B-movies typically come in two categories: Unwatchable Garbage and Entertaining Garbage. This one falls in the latter category. It's got the goods: Over-the-top action and violence, snappy corny dialogue, fun performances, and a darkly humorous tone. Aside from a couple of scenes that drag on a little too long, It's quickly paced. Once things get going, they keep going, so it never really feels boring.

B movie god Wings Hauser and the always amusing Bo Hopkins are the heroes in this follow-up, of sorts, to the 1984 infection-horror flick "Mutant" (a.k.a. "Night Shadows"). A creepy albino villain (the great screen heavy Brion James) is conducting an insidious experiment on a remote Southwestern town called Canyonlands, contaminating the water supply and turning the citizens into maniacs who attack others and spew green acid instead of blood. Wings is a big city entertainment lawyer who teams up with loner Bo, local sheriff George Kennedy, and Kennedy's hottie daughter / deputy Kimberly Ross to save the day.Co-written and directed by celebrated cult filmmaker Nico Mastorakis, "Nightmare at Noon" is less of an outright horror film than its predecessor, concentrating mainly on action. And it delivers action in spades: gunfire, explosions, human torches, vehicle stunts, you name it. Overall, it's pretty derivative, but it's also pretty damn entertaining for this sort of low budget fare. It's filmed using gorgeous Utah scenery, has some enjoyably nasty violence, and its story moves along more than adequately. Future "name" composer Hans Zimmer contributes to the score, along with Stanley Myers, and it's good stuff. The final helicopter chase does go on for an absurdly long time, though.Wings plays a guy who is rather insufferable at first, but he becomes more engaging as he moves into heroic mode. Bo is as watchable as he's ever been. Ever-likable Kennedy, the adorable Ross, "Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter" final girl Kimberly Beck gets to chew up some scenery as Wings' victimized wife, and Neal Wheeler is a hoot as local old codger Charley, one of the first on-screen victims of the infection who goes psycho in a diner. James, who never has to utter a word, is a true sight to behold, especially when the albino and his henchmen go on horseback towards the end of the story.A fun movie with a strong Western influence, "Nightmare at Noon" shows B flick enthusiasts a fairly rousing time.Seven out of 10.

At first this direct to video (I am assuming) zombie/conspiracy/western seems to have a lot going for it. I have a great B-movie cast from Wings Hauser (In full alcoholic meltdown. The actor mind you, not the character. He had to be bailed out during shooting after putting his brother in law's head through some drywall). Bo Hopkins in full southern drawl mode. (Playing a drifter/sheriff no less). George Kennedy in his Police Squad finest. That guy who is always in those Bruce Willis films who plays a silent albino (Brion James). And finally, we have Kimberly Beck (Guest star of every TV show from 1978 to 1986) who plays cleavage with a side of Mom jeans. The movie has some decent action with some many exploding cars one would think it is some sort of poorly thought out promotion for President Obama's Cash for Clunkers. It also has a decent Maximum overdrive/ The Happening vibe as the townsfolk go crazy from drinking poisoned water (Including… gasp…. coffee.) Alas the film is let down from some horrible pacing and direction especially in the second half as it really starts to wear out its welcome. The film also seems to be very light on the gore/nudity for the genre Seeming more like an A-team episode with lots of swearing.I watched the Rifftrax version (So perhaps it was edited?) and I found the boys a touch disappointing on this one. Do you remember when they riffed Laserblast on MST3K and told that Monday Night Football joke about fifty times? Yeah, they do that here with a microwaved croissant joke that goes over about as well. Outside of soggy pastries, their comments are often spot on but even they have trouble keeping the excitement going as the film drifts into Red Zone Cuba pacing in the second half. A fun romp for a while but don't be surprised if everyone is snoring on the couch before the credits roll.

"Nightmare at Noon" is a very uneasy mixture of high tech sci-fi and standard western shoot em up. Brion James is visually impressive as the albino mute villain, but that's about it. Bo Hopkins and Wings Hauser act like they are in a mismatched buddy cop movie, while George Kennedy plays the local sheriff. There is some dark humor that slightly elevates things, but overall this is simply a B movie. Lots of green goo, gratuitous big explosions, nice scenery, a great number of "F" bombs, and a goes on forever helicopter battle, which incidentally seems like it belongs in a completely different film. Not totally bad, but not even borderline good. - MERK