 |  | | Nightmare Man |
Review #569 of 365
Movie Review of Nightmare Man (2007) [R] 94 minutes
WIP™ Scale: $4.25
Where Viewed: AMC Westminster Promenade 24, Westminster, CO
When 1st Seen: 18 November 2007
Time: 6:00 pm
DVD Release Date: 18 March 2008 (click date to purchase or pre-order)
Film's Official Website • Film's Trailer
Soundtrack: order the CD below
Directed by: Rolfe Kanefsky (Jacqueline Hyde)
Screenplay by: Rolfe Kanefsky (Jacqueline Hyde)
Featured Cast (Where You Might Remember Him/Her From):
Tiffany Shepis (Nympha ) • Blythe Metz (The Craving Heart ) • Luciano Szafir (Mulheres do Brasil) • Hanna Putnam (The Sugar Creek Killer) • Jack Sway (Bad Habits) • Aaron Sherry (Dead Wrong) • Gwen Davis (Jacqueline Hyde) • James Ferris (Pirates of Treasure Island)
Click for 'Review Lite' [a 150-word or less review of this film]
Click to read the spoiler points for Nightmare Man
The sponsors of the After Dark HorrorFest deserve some kudos for including Rolfe Kanefsky's Nightmare Man in this year's slate. While the acting is mostly atrocious made worse by dialogue that seems intended to be used by college students in drinking games, the film nonetheless has the following pluses—they no way nearly offset the negatives but then again, this is a campy horror film: (a) a couple of really scary moments, (b) a couple of good twists, and (c) an understanding that this is to be used as escapist fluff not Academy Award®-winning drama. Therefore, as dismissible as the film is in the grand scheme of things, it's still a bit of juvenile fun. It also offsets some of the other more horrifying films of the fest with some laughs (intentionally or unintentionally to be sure). The story begins as so many campy horror films do, with a husband William (Luciano Szafir) and a wife, Ellen (Blythe Metz), on their way to a remote mental hospital in the deep woods where she is to be willingly committed at her psychiatrist's recommendation. She has, for some time, been enduring hellacious nightmares about a man in demonic mask who torments and kills her and her husband. The pills she's been prescribed seem to help a little, but not a lot, in coping. Of course, their car runs out of gas in the middle of no where, and macho William has to leave her alone in the car to get gas from a station he remembers seeing 10 miles back.
"… the twists do keep you guessing and the film in the context of the entire HorrorFest serves its campy purpose "
He tells her she's got company so not to be afraid, before realizing that his joke will not be interpreted well…he's brought the mask that looks like the demon in her nightmares along in the trunk. She freaks out and tosses it down the ravine. For reasons that do not become apparent until later, the story switches to the setting of a mountain home where two couples have gathered for fun and a weekend getaway. Mia (Tiffany Shepis) and Trinity (Hanna Putnam) were apparently quite close in college—use your imagination—but now are fond of their boyfriends Ed (Jack Sway) and Jack (James Ferris) respectively. Jack and Trinity seem destined for marriage, while Ed is more of Mia's boy toy. They are messing around and drinking and about to play truth or dare when the story switches back to Ellen in the car. The car shakes, she gets scared. She has no water to take her pills. Eventually, she gets the courage to get out of the car, and a series of events ends up with her being chased through the woods by the Nightmare Man (Aaron Sherry) who has escaped from her mind and is now real. He tries to kill her many times, failing badly each time. She runs deeper and deeper into the woods to get away; and, of course, she comes upon the home of Mia and company who think they hear something in the woods. Convinced it is nothing, the rest return to their game, but Mia gets her crossbow ready just in case. Not too long later, they hear screams from Ellen and go to her rescue bringing her into the house.
"… James Ferris's and Tiffany Shepis 's performances aren't half bad."
After calming her down somewhat, they lock up the house, and turn off the lights so they won't be so easy to spot from the outside. Jack smartly gets William on the phone who then explains his wife is a nutcase and a potential danger to everyone including herself. This revelation causes Ed to freak out and go outside for some air. Shortly thereafter, he gets nailed to a tree with an arrow through the throat from Mia's crossbow which she accidentally left outside. Now the danger and fear is real. This is no longer Ellen's psychosis or delusion. William says he's on the way and will be there shortly, but Jack decides to call the police as well. You could try and guess what happens next (or you could read the spoiler points) but it's probably not what you would expect as there are those pesky twists yet to come. In a line by line analysis, actually, James Ferris's and Tiffany Shepis's performances aren't half bad. The dialog is so terrible at times it's impossible to blame the actors. Probably second or third year film school students put out better films than this one which would be another good straight-to-You Tube™ film prospect. Even so, the twists do keep you guessing and the film in the context of the entire HorrorFest serves its campy purpose.
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Click for 'Review Lite' [a 150-word review of this film]
Click for 'Review Lite' [a 150-word review of this film]
Other Projects Featuring Nightmare Man (2007)
Cast Members
Tiffany Shepis
• Blythe Metz • Luciano SzafirHanna Putnam
• Jack Sway • Aaron SherryGwen Davis
• James FerrisDirector
Rolfe Kanefsky
Writer
Rolfe Kanefsky
In a line by line analysis, actually, James Ferris's and Tiffany Shepis's performances aren't half bad in Rolfe Kanefsky's After Dark HorrorFest contribution, Nightmare Man. The dialog is terrible as are the effects. Even so, the twists do keep you guessing and the film in the context of the entire HorrorFest serves its campy purpose.
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