Nightmare (1981)** (out of 4)A man is suffering from horrible nightmares that have him waking up screaming in fear. He gets out of a mental hospital and visits a few nudie bars before suffering a breakdown and begins killing people.NIGHTMARE was a somewhat notorious slasher from the early part of the boom period for the subgenre. It was released unrated like MANIAC and it's pretty much in the same mood as that William Lustig film. This film got into some trouble before it was released as the filmmakers were selling it as a Tom Savini picture and he even gets credit for the special effects but he threatened to sue them because he actually only worked as a consultant. The film ended up getting released and made a pretty good name for itself but it's notorious release in Britain is what sealed the deal.As for the film itself, it's mainly known for the gore effects that are in the film and these are a mixed blessing. If you like slashers that contain non-stop killing and a lot of blood then you're going to love this film as it certainly lives up to its reputation. The film features various death scenes including some with an axe and there are various body parts that get chopped off or poked. While there's plenty of blood it's easy to see why Savini didn't want them selling the picture under his name because they are nearly up to his level. A lot of the times you can tell the effect is fake so this is certainly a lower quality work but the gore is still there.I must admit that while I enjoyed the gore there really wasn't much else that I liked. The performances are all pretty much wooden as you'd expect and I was bored by the time the ending came. I honestly can't remember how many times I was looking at the clock during the 98 minute running time, which was just way too long. There's a lot of character development and that's never a bad thing unless it's just boring like it is here. I appreciate the filmmakers trying to do something more with their killer but it just doesn't work.Still, NIGHTMARE is a film that gore fans will want to watch at least once.

Once again, in a slasher movie, the people behave like nobody else would in that situation, unless they knew they were in a movie and they knew it was their job to act dumber than roadkill. Check this lot out:1. Would you REALLY leave an adult patient who, as a child, hacked up his father and the woman he was having an affair with using an axe, alone as soon as he was released... regardless of what 'experimental drug' he was on?! 2. If you received a phone call which told you your kid had been stabbed by a mysterious stranger and was bleeding to death, wouldn't it be wise to inform the caller to contact the hospital FIRST, rather than wait till you got off a private boat with your beau, got dressed and rushed home in your car?3. Your nine year old son is suspected of the murder of his best friend and a teenage girl. I would suggest that a) You as his mother would not be able to go out the following evening and have a great time at a party and b) The chances of finding a babysitter for this potentially psychotic tyke would be slim to none.4. ALWAYS aim for the head with a gun. Bullets to the chest don't work... they only slow down your pursuer. When will they learn?!Yep, this is a disjointed effort indeed, with a meandering story full of weird goings-on. The best entertainment value can be found in unintentional laughs, like the bubble bath foam that emits from the mental guy's mouth whenever he has a 'fit', or the horrendous acting you can find in most scenes.If you can hold on though, it delivers the goods in the final reel, with decapitations and bloody stabbings aplenty. It's just that the rest, well... it's a bit crap, isn't it? 4/10

I've heard a lot about this movie that made me want to see it & when I finally got to watch it I never felt a greater sense of disappointment. I believe all the reviews are overrated this movie isn't that gory or creepy, the story is very slow, and I lost interest very early in the movie but waited for it to pick up & was very upset when it didn't. I don't recommend this to any die hard horror fan. This is more for the easily scared & grossed out or the easily amused seeing how the plot wasn't too interesting. The highlights of the movie are the little bit of gore & nudity it has but even that is not enough to bother going out of your way to track this movie down.

in 1981 i remember seeing this either at the cinema (doubtful) or on a VHS tape.due to its nature these types of films-video nasties-proved very popular amongst me and my horror film loving friends.here in the uk some of these films were easier to get hold of than others.this was a film i only vaguely remember seeing and its notoriety was not known to me at the time.so its been almost 30 years since i last saw it and last night i sat down to watch it once more..film stock is not very good so the picture is not perfect,in fact in some places its pretty awful....which just about sums the film up..the box has a quote on the front which reads.."the most repulsive,offensive,degrading,gory,depraved and horrifying movie ever made"..HAH !! only if you are a five year old child.like the evil dead and driller killer,its just terrible.it strives for horror but instead it bores you rigid.bad acting,some OK make up effects and hardly any gruesome deaths just make it tiresome...why this was EVER banned really is beyond me...