Nightmares (1983)
Due to the commercial success of George A. Romero’s Creepshow in 1982 and the Twilight Zone: The Movie in 1983, there was a resurgence of anthology horror films in the eighties and nineties. Nightmares is one of many “portmanteau movies” that followed and is neither the worst, or the best that the genre has to offer. Originally conceived as a pilot for a NBC TV show, the completed film was deemed too “intense” for television and eventually released theatrically with an “R” rating. Judged by today’s standards, it is not especially violent and the strongest content is in the first chapter of the four part story. Written by Jeffrey Bloom and Christopher Crowe, both of whom have a background in popular seventies television, Nightmares has the look and feel of a TV production.
The first story, Terror in Topanga, follows a homicidal patient who escapes from a mental institution and attacks a police officer. Meanwhile, chain smoking housewife Lisa (Christina Raines) drives to the local store to buy cigarettes. Will their paths cross? The second chapter, The Bishop of Battle, follows teenager J.J. (Emilio Estevez) obsessive battle to reach the mysterious thirteenth level of a video game in his local arcade. J. J. learns that all is not quite as it appears. The third chapter, The Benediction, stars Lance Henriksen as priest Frank MacLeod, who leaves his parish after a crisis of faith. He is stalked on a remote desert road by a black pickup truck that has murderous intent and potentially supernatural origins. The final chapter, Night of the Rat, features a suburban family (Richard Masur, Veronica Cartwright and Brigette Andersen) being menaced by a particularly large and intelligent rat.
Nightmares is efficiently directed by veteran filmmaker Joseph Sargent. However, the inherent problem with portmanteau films is ensuring that all stories are equally engaging. Sadly that is not the case here. Terror in Topanga is the most efficient of the four chapters. It sets out its stall and delivers a suitable climax to its story arc. But the next instalment, The Bishop of Battle is a major tonal shift from horror to fantasy and an obvious and uninspired tale. The Benediction offers a variation on an established theme (see Duel or The Car) but is carried by the presence of Lance Henriksen. Night of the Rat, which was intended to be the bravura ending to Nightmares, is somewhat stilted due to a weak script and an unlikeable lead character. Yet despite these inconsistencies Nightmares doesn’t out stay its 99 minute running time. It manages to get its pacing right. Something other anthologies often fail to do.
When viewed with a contemporary eye, Nightmares has some interesting points of interest. Setting aside the trope of the escaped murderer, Terror in Topanga uses smoking as a central plot device. Something that seems somewhat archaic today. The Bishop of Battle provides a window not only on arcade culture from the eighties but touches upon hardcore punk, with songs by Black Flag and Fear. The Benediction features a truck stunt that was used heavily in the marketing of the film. Such a thing would nowadays be done digitally, but here it is a physical effect and more impressive for it. Overall, Nightmares now serves mainly as a nostalgic reminder of the popularity of the anthology genre during the horror boom of the eighties. It is an amusing diversion for those well disposed towards such material and may play better to those who grew up during this era.
