Came across this really by accident as something that might be slightly different to watch. It turned out to be one of those 'video nasty' films that we used to rave about on Beta or VHS in the early 80s. At the time (and our age then) we thought these films were pushing boundaries and giving us what we wanted - a new wave of gory horror.These films are all now dated and look cheap, nasty, and plastic. However, some of them still work because of this punk aesthetic. This is one of them and is worth watching. It isn't a classic or must see by any means but is a good watch. This is probably because, rather than despite, the basic amateur nature of the sets, the acting and the story. If you don't compare it with horror films made over the last thirty years and all the advantages those movies have in terms of technology then this is something to still sit back and get scared by.As a side note I often wonder what happened to the people involved in making these pictures. Did the actors think they had a career in film or where they just friends of the director? Where are they now and do the wear their badge of genre horror proudly or would rather that people they know now don't know the sort of film they starred in? then.

From where I viewed the movie, the quality was pretty crappy. Even if the picture was remastered, some parts would probably still look like a home video.Me being the gore freak I am, the movie seemed to just kind of stretch out and not have a lot of gore. There were times where the actual killer wouldn't go for it, or would take forever to do it, and then sometimes where you thought it was the killer but it was actually the lady's son pulling some pranks. So that was disappointing. UNTIL I GOT TO THE END. THE ENDING IS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. Some gruesome flashes that appear early on in the movie play out into a full scene and it completely saved the whole movie. I absolutely loved it. It was very realistic and impressive for its time, just absolutely satisfying. This scene alone is worth the watch, if you are a fan of the slasher genre.

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.

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.