NIGHTMARES
US, 1983, 84 minutes, Colour.
Emilio Estevez, Cristina Raines.
Directed by Joseph Sargent.
Nightmares is a collection of four short stories, terror films rather than horror films. They relate to situations that audiences can identify with the fulfilment of one's worst dreams. In themselves, the stories are effective enough but pale in comparison with many episodes of popular television series from Thriller, The Evil Touch to Twilight Zone.
Direction is by Joseph Sargent, director of a number of telemovies and of many feature films including The Taking of Pelham 123, The Forbin Project, Macarthur. The films are entertaining and competent with some good effects in the video games story and the satanic van, especially in its erupting from the earth to attack the priest.
1. The appeal of this kind of short story? The difference between horror and terror? Terror nightmares? The importance for audiences to be able to watch and cope with nightmares? Audiences identifying with the basic situations?
2. The popularity of the film collecting short stories? The comparison of these stories with episodes in television series? How well did they rate? The interrelating of the stories? Their being presented as chapters? The importance of the visuals, location photography? The quality of the special effects? Atmospheric score?
3. The prologue and the violence of the death? The ominous touches in the credits sequence?
4. The atmosphere of terror in the first chapter: the violent murders, the night, the situation with the murderer on the loose, the husband and his relationship with his wife, the touch of family life, the wife and cigarettes, her not being persuaded to stay at home, her driving, listening to the news, the atmosphere of fear, the shop and the owner with the gun, the gas attendant and audiences assuming he was the killer, his attack on the wife to defend the real murderer? The plausibility of this kind of story? The perennial headlines about such killers?
5. The Bishop of Battle: the youth nightmare, the visual presentation of the video games, the initial con, the clash with the gangs, the young lad and his need for money, friendship? His know-how in video games, his skills? The growing obsession, the confrontation with the Bishop of Battle? His going out at night, the various levels of competition and competence? The background of the friend, family, bets? His winning the games, the eruption of the machine, the loosing of the spirit of the machine, the special effects with the video game attacking and possessing him? The confrontation, his being caught in the video game? Anxiety of parents, the friend, the final sequence in the wrecked game parlour and the hero caught in the game? A nightmare for adolescent audiences?
6. The Benediction: the opening nightmare, the priest working, the deer and the snake killing it, the burnt hand? The priest waking up and the transition to reality, his drinking, the reaction of his curate? The parish priest with the loss of faith (the flashbacks and the conversation with the bishop about loss of faith)? The parish group, the celebration of the Latin Mass. the Hispanic congregation? The powerlessness of the priest to speak (and the later significance of the flashback to the death of the child and his having to intervene)? Packing, leaving, the farewell to the curate? The civilian clothes, the car, taking the holy water? The drive through the desert? The appearance of the van, black and malevolent? The chase, the hitting, the pursuit? The playing of deadly games? The priest's fear, the unknown, the lack of control?
7. The horror of stories about rats? The legend? The domestic atmosphere, tension between husband and wife, the husband preoccupied about business, the neglect of his wife? Her anxiety? Money, the building of the swimming pool? The daughter? The house, affluence, toys, the cat? The nights and the sounds? The wife's worry, the disregard of the husband? The holes in the wall? The death of the cat? The exterminator and his search of the house, advice, phone call in the night about the legend? The eruption of the giant rat? The house shaken. terror for the wife, the husband. the daughter? The rat seeking its dead offspring? The little girl communicating? Its escape? The transformation of the family's life? Comparisons with other stories about rats and fear?
8. The effectiveness of the film as terror stories, horror stories? Dreams, moral fables?
