Nightmare (1981 film)

Scavolini was inspired to write the screenplay for the film after reading articles in Time and Newsweek concerning psychiatric patients who had been administered powerful drugs that altered their behavior.[8][9] He wrote the screenplay while visiting friends in Cocoa Beach, Florida, over a period of 15 days.[8] Scavolini recalled: "[I was] trying to tell a story and not just hit the stomach of the viewers. To hit the spectator's stomach, you need to tell a story that has its roots in reality, not in fantasy. The massacre of the father and mother by the young Tatum is not the explosion of a mental disorder but flows from the inability of him to "understand" that his parents love to have sex through sadomasochistic practices...In my film there is no hope, because the real and final message is that we are all at the mercy of our demons."[10]

The film was also influenced by Scavolini's earlier work in hardcore pornography, which could explain the amount of extraneous nudity and the bare context behind the bloodletting that the film contains.[11]

Nightmare marked the first and only film produced by the independent Goldmine Productions.[2] Principal photography took place in Cocoa Beach, Florida, with additional photography in New York City.[12] According to producer and actor William Milling, the primary shoot in Florida occurred over a twelve-day period, where the cast and crew worked for at least 12 hours per day.[13] Milling stated that the film's production budget was approximately $250,000.[4]

One review published on the film's opening day opined that "the bloodshed has been rendered with loving attention to detail."[1] Tom Savini receives a credit for providing special effects on the film, though during its release he would vehemently deny involvement.[14] According to director Scavolini, artists Daryll Ferrucci, Ed French, Johane Hansen, and Robin Stevens were responsible for prosthetic effects, crafting the dummies used as corpses in the film; they receive credit as "special effects makeup artist" and "special effects makeup assistant."[10] This work was completed in New York City, according to Scavolini.[15] On set, however, Scavolini claims that Savini was present and oversaw the directing of all master special effects sequences, including the beheading scene of George's mother and father.[15] Scavolini stated it was "incontrovertible" that Savini contributed to the film, and added: "I never understood why [he] has denied having worked on the set," though he suggested it may have been a result of a salary disagreement between Savini and Goldmine Productions.[15] Actor Baird Stafford confirmed Savini's presence on the set in an interview produced for the film's Blu-ray and DVD release. Photographs of Savini on the film set also corroborate his presence there.[16]

Cleve Hall, a then-inexperienced local artist, managed the crew of the film's special effects at the Florida locations.[17] Hall's recollection of Savini's connection to the picture was that the filmmakers had initially wanted Savini to oversee all of the special effects; Savini, however, recommended his friend Ed French for the project, but French opted not to sign on.[18]

Film critic Derek Malcolm testified during legal proceedings against the film's British distributors, defending the film for its artistic merit

In the United Kingdom, Nightmare was labeled a "video nasty" and prosecuted for violation of the Obscene Publications Act 1959; of the 72 films named "video nasties," it was the only title to receive prosecution for obscenity.[6] In October 1982, a judge ordered that 212 videocassettes of the film obtained during raids in London and Leeds be destroyed.[23]

In February 1984, David Hamilton-Grant, Malcolm Fancey, and Roger Morley—each executives of the film's British distribution company—were arrested and faced prosecution for releasing the film in a cut unauthorized by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC), which included 48 seconds of footage that the BBFC had not approved.[5] Hamilton-Grant and Fancey were sentenced to 18 and 9 months imprisonment, respectively, while Morley received a fine of £250.[5] Hamilton-Grant's prison sentence was ultimately reduced to 6 months.[3][23] Two film critics testified during the trial, one of them Derek Malcolm, defending the film's artistic merit.[23] Malcolm expressed disappointment over the ruling against the distributors, calling it an "extraordinary decision."[23]

The film remained banned in the United Kingdom until 2001, when an edited version was released.[3]

Janet Maslin of The New York Times gave the film an unfavorable review, noting: "Though everything else about Nightmare is amateurish, and though its surprises are dependably unsurprising, the bloodshed has been rendered with a loving attention to detail. Garotting, slicing, puncturing and chopping are filmed at close range and accompanied by gurgling sounds. Mr. Scavolini, who does nothing here to advance this currently fashionable art form, also favors the trick whereby an ostensible scare turns out to be a practical joke."[1] Bill Carlton of the New York Daily News also lambasted the film, granting it a 0-star rating and criticizing its violence, declaring: "This is the most repulsive, offensive, degrading, gory, depraved and horrifying movie ever made."[24] Stephen Hunter of the The Baltimore Sun described it as "wretchedly filmed" and deemed it a "garish atrocity, a new low in the cinema of depravity."[25]

The Los Angeles Times's Linda Gross compared the film to Taxi Driver (1976) and Halloween (1978), and described it as a "gruesome and vicious movie."[22] Dale Schneck of The Morning Call praised the film for its performances and suspense, summarizing it as "gory, gut-wrenching, nihilistic filmmaking. It is sure to cause some sleepless nights for moviegoers whose most frightening nightmare is the recall of this outrageous new film."[26]

TV Guide was critical of the film, noting: "Given its earnest claims to Freudian psychological complexity, this pretentious gorefest (recipient of a self-imposed X rating) would be laughable if it weren't so repulsive."[27]

Nightmare was released on VHS in the United States in 1982 by Planet Video.[28] The government action brought against the film in the United Kingdom led to a black market for it in the mid-late 1980s, where the cost of video copies reached £100.[29]

Seattle-based home media distributor Code Red released a two-disc 30th Anniversary special edition DVD in 2011, which was reissued as a 35th Anniversary edition in 2015.[30][31] A limited edition Blu-ray was also issued by Code Red in 2014.[32] In May 2018, Kino Lorber announced a reissue of the Blu-ray in conjunction with Code Red scheduled for a July 17, 2018 release,[33] but it did not materialize.

In 2023, Severin Films announced a 3-disc 4K UHD edition, with a 99-minute cut of the film sourced from U.S. and European internegatives.[34] In addition to special features like an interview with Tom Savini, who was erroneously credited as special effects director, the release contained a full-length documentary: Damaged: The Very British Obscenity of David Hamilton-Grant.[35]