one of my absolute favorites!

Boring

I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

I finally got the chance to watch Nightmare thanks to Amazon Prime, and boy was it a treat for anyone who likes classic slasher films. The film follows a mentally ill killer as he escapes from an experimental mental hospital and travels down the US coast to Florida, killing many people along the way. Its a very simplistic plot, which is common among 70's/80's slasher films. But thats ok because nobody in their right mind would see a movie like this for strong story telling and intelligent writing. We come to this film for the gore.When I saw that Tom Savini did the practical effects for the film, I instantly knew that this would be a bloody roller coaster ride, and it sure was. Ferocious, violent, and brutal, this film will be a true treat for any fan of gory slasher films from the 80's. Enough gore to satisfy the majority of splatter film fans. The film also delves into the character of the killer, which is less common among films like this of the time. He feels bad for killing but still has the uncontrollable urge to kill. The acting is moderate, not as bad as many other films like it. But again, I didn't come here for the acting.In all, this film is an absolute must-see for horror movie fans and people who enjoy a blood fever dream of a film.

Guys, guys GUYS! People get a grip, please. There's a thing called The Spoiler, whereby commentators on films will spoil the fun of getting to see the movie for other people by carelessly revealing a pivotal development, revelation, or secret held by a movie. The fun for viewers is to get to encounter that revelation on their own without having the moment ruined by knowing about it in advance."Nightmares" has such a revelation and it only comes in the very last minute of the film. The payoff was fantastic, and thank goodness I had not sought out reviews of the film beforehand or the fun would have been ruined. Almost every review, post, or synopsis of the movie contains that revelation which viewers should have to earn after sitting through the rest of it. By knowing in advance the potency of the scenes which lead up to it is diluted and there were some very potent scenes here which would have suffered from advance knowledge of the revelation. Best way to sum up the story is to say that a patient from a secret drug treatment program for the criminally insane is released prematurely, goes off his personality modifying meds, and embarks on a journey through the seedy side of America's east coast during which he commits several gruesome killings. That's the extent of what should be revealed. Anything more would spoil the mind- screw of that last minute, and reduce the meaning of the film to a checklist of slasher movie components pieced together by an oblique story which will only serve to distract genre viewers from the horror of it all.And hence the film's current status: Regarded as a classic by some but dismissed by many more as boring & derivative. Because without coming upon that revelation on your own it is sort of a 2nd rate overly arty if competently made slasher-type horror movie rating just about 5 out of 10: Covers the bases, constructed with skill but not really having anything too spectacular with a comparatively modest body count (I believe it is eight, if you count the big flashback scene). The gore effects may or may not have been "supervised" by Tom Savini, it doesn't really matter, they serve the film well enough. The extra notoriety the controversy generated only means more opportunities for reviewers to spill the beans for audience members who could care less.I'm glad I ignored it all. With that spoiler intact I give the film a 7 out of ten, with very tight plotting that is only revealed as being more thorough than usual once that revelation takes place. The film is very well made from a technical standpoint with an interesting use of film speeds and droll, non-sensational music. But who watches slasher movies for their plotting, technical work or soundtracks? They are traditionally a series of gruesome set pieces connected by some sort of story which may or may not hold up to the light of day when evaluated separate from the gore. This one does and that alone is somewhat remarkable. Just don't read any more reviews until after watching it or you too may be tempted to dismiss the results for being something different than the usual brainless mayhem.

I saw this film on its initial release in Norfolk, VA. I found it to be one of the most nauseating and evil film ever made. How anyone could justify allowing anyone with a penchant for raw carnage loose in society is not qualified to be in the medical profession.George Tatum is not just a delusional killer, he ENJOYS the act of murder. If you look at the scene where he, albeit allegedly kills his father and a hooker as a young boy, he did so with malice afore thought. Let's not forget the scene where a young woman is assaulted by a stranger as she goes into the backyard, he laughs. Obviously, a seriously disturbed individual. What's worse, no one seems to notice until the deaths of his father.How he manages to become lucid as an adult is ludicrous at best. Giv-ing LSD or whatever drugs they used to degrade a penchant for delus-ions and murder, to a child is just bad medical practice; especially for someone who is obviously a dangerous psychopath.This film is sleazy and repugnant. Romano Scavolini obviously has a qualm with women on top. Anyone who enjoys this piece of bilious trash must, also, have a deep rooted hatred of anyone with a soul.

Nightmare/Nightmares in a Damaged Brain (also known as Blood Splash and Schizo) is a video nasty that was banned in Britain and released only after they took out three death scenes (a total of 62 seconds).Looking at the full film, it is easy to see why they wanted those cuts, as it is extremely bloody. In fact David Grant, Britain's "King of Sexploitation," released the film uncut when the soft-core porn business slowed down, and spent a year in jail for doing so.George (Baird Stafford) cuts off a head as a child, and is committed. The story picks up when he is an adult and released as "cured." Well, any horror aficionado knows what will happen next.It is a race between George, who is after some retribution in Florida where everything started 25 years ago, and the doctors who realized their mistake and want him back.What adds to the excitement is this nine-year-old kid (C.J. Cooke) who likes to go around scaring his mother (Sharon Smith), which makes him a suspect in a later killing. Mom had to pay a premium for the babysitter (Danny Ronan), who picked the wrong night to watch little C.J.Special effects by Tom Savini (Dawn of the Dead, Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter). I wonder if he did the work on Candy (Candy Marchese). She was really slashed up good.What an ending!