What the hell have I just seen? This is one utterly weird flick! Tobe Hooper, though generally regarded as a capable director, missed more than a few curves with this one. The plot is almost totally incomprehensible and incoherent. You'll practically go nuts trying to figure out this movie. But I must say it is strangely fascinating.
From what I could gather, this is the main storyline: The movie begins with Marquis de Sade (Robert Englund) being tortured and thrown away in a cell, where he swears revenge to a portrait of Madame Beaumont. Then, flash-forward to Alexandria, a desert city in 1993. Eugenie Matteson (Zoe Trilling) arrives to live with her archaeologist father. After a while she meets Paul Chevalier (Robert Englund), who is a descendant of de Sade and seems to believe that Eugenie is the re-incarnation of Madame Beaumont.
Looks like a basic plot line to you? Think again! The fun begins when Eugenie gets invited by the mysterious Sabina (who seems to have had a bondage-thing going with Eugenie's over-religious father) to enjoy the local nightlife. They do some drugs and by the looks of it, it's pretty strong stuff. Eugenie starts hallucinating and having nightmares through-out the entire movie. Those scenes are bizarre and often very atmospheric, though utterly pointless most of the time. But from that point on, the movie becomes fragmented, lacking any form of consistency.
Here are some things you can find in this movie, in no particular order: Drug-abuse, nudity, steamy hetero-sex, torture, a naked Egyptian dude riding a horse, decapitation, lesbian sex, a mermaid-worshiping cult (in the desert, mind you!), a lot of snakes, scales(!?!?), crucifixion, simulated fellatio by a woman with a snake (and a bunch of other things). I won't tell you how all these things fit into the plot, but you can imagine that it's bound to make no sense whatsoever. And the crazy thing is: I kinda liked it.
Robert Englund is pretty good as the eye-poking and occasionally poëtic phrases uttering sadist. Zoe Trilling is decent and definitely hot. The blood & make-up effects are scarce but good. The logic is way out there.
So this is a movie you'll either love or hate. There's nothing in between. I dig it anyway, even if I don't understand what Tobe Hooper was trying to prove with it. However, he seems to be back on the right track with the more than decent slasher-flick the TOOLBOX MURDERS (2003).
If you do decide to see NIGHTMARE (aka NIGHT TERRORS), I'll leave you with the following warning: Even though it might be tempting, I suggest you do NOT see this movie under the influence of drugs, because you might have the most disturbing trip of your life, leaving you fairly dis-orientated (either that or you'll laugh your ass off!). And if you like Zoe Trilling, check out her enjoyable performance in NIGHT OF THE DEMONS 2.
From what I could gather, this is the main storyline: The movie begins with Marquis de Sade (Robert Englund) being tortured and thrown away in a cell, where he swears revenge to a portrait of Madame Beaumont. Then, flash-forward to Alexandria, a desert city in 1993. Eugenie Matteson (Zoe Trilling) arrives to live with her archaeologist father. After a while she meets Paul Chevalier (Robert Englund), who is a descendant of de Sade and seems to believe that Eugenie is the re-incarnation of Madame Beaumont.
Looks like a basic plot line to you? Think again! The fun begins when Eugenie gets invited by the mysterious Sabina (who seems to have had a bondage-thing going with Eugenie's over-religious father) to enjoy the local nightlife. They do some drugs and by the looks of it, it's pretty strong stuff. Eugenie starts hallucinating and having nightmares through-out the entire movie. Those scenes are bizarre and often very atmospheric, though utterly pointless most of the time. But from that point on, the movie becomes fragmented, lacking any form of consistency.
Here are some things you can find in this movie, in no particular order: Drug-abuse, nudity, steamy hetero-sex, torture, a naked Egyptian dude riding a horse, decapitation, lesbian sex, a mermaid-worshiping cult (in the desert, mind you!), a lot of snakes, scales(!?!?), crucifixion, simulated fellatio by a woman with a snake (and a bunch of other things). I won't tell you how all these things fit into the plot, but you can imagine that it's bound to make no sense whatsoever. And the crazy thing is: I kinda liked it.
Robert Englund is pretty good as the eye-poking and occasionally poëtic phrases uttering sadist. Zoe Trilling is decent and definitely hot. The blood & make-up effects are scarce but good. The logic is way out there.
So this is a movie you'll either love or hate. There's nothing in between. I dig it anyway, even if I don't understand what Tobe Hooper was trying to prove with it. However, he seems to be back on the right track with the more than decent slasher-flick the TOOLBOX MURDERS (2003).
If you do decide to see NIGHTMARE (aka NIGHT TERRORS), I'll leave you with the following warning: Even though it might be tempting, I suggest you do NOT see this movie under the influence of drugs, because you might have the most disturbing trip of your life, leaving you fairly dis-orientated (either that or you'll laugh your ass off!). And if you like Zoe Trilling, check out her enjoyable performance in NIGHT OF THE DEMONS 2.