*Authors note: I discussed this film on the upcoming episode of Reel Nerds Podcast in our “What we have been watching segment. However, I felt like I wanted to elaborate my thoughts further and talk about a flick I really dug. *
A woman named Samantha (Sarah Elizabeth Withers), furiously walks down a dark and gloomy Los Angeles street and comes upon a the legendary Rialto Theater with a glaring marquee that bears her own name. Curiously she approaches the abandoned box office where a red ticket of yesteryear pops out of the dispenser. Grabbing the ticket, she is shown to her seat by spotlight from above and sits to watch a nightmare unfold.
That’s how the latest Horror Anthology film ‘Nightmare Cinema’ starts, and from that moment you are swept away in a dark world consisting of five twisted imaginations that manage to center around our fears, both unbelievable and believable.
Many years in the works by ‘Masters Of Horror’ creator Mick Garris, ‘Nightmare Cinema’ couldn’t have come at a better time. We’ve needed a solid horror anthology for some time now, and this one delivers in kind. Drawing from an international talent pool of directors, the five segments wrapped in an intriguing blanket that is the cinema itself becomes an experience that gives you variety without any slump. No one is slumming it here. Each of the five segments has a distinct personality, charm, and terror that keep you on the edge of your seat (auditorium or home).
Right out the gate you are treated to a story by Alejandro Brugués (dir. JUAN OF THE DEAD) about a group of kids running for their lives in the clear third act of a slasher movie that then spirals into a hilarious twist that goes for broke in its inventiveness. Then you are immediately taken to the nefarious world of self image with a story by Joe Dante (dir. THE HOWLING, GREMLINS, INNERSPACE) that seems to meld a familiar Twilight Zone episode about plastic surgery with the directors signature subversive nature that provides for some stunning make up work and stark imagery within the walls of a terrifying doctors office. You’re then whisked off again to the world of Ryūhei Kitamura (dir. THE MIDNIGHT MEAT TRAIN, VERSUS), which consists of wildly breaking taboos and creating something for other demonic possession films to aspire to. With a dark and dreary thud, you hit into David Slade’s (dir. 30 DAYS OF NIGHT, HARD CANDY) nightmarish landscape of black and white surrealism that delivers poignant and thought provoking imagery as a woman (Elizabeth Reaser) loses her mind in search of clarity. As all things wind down, you are treated to a sigh of relief that comes with a more emotional terror from Mick Garris (dir. THE STAND, SLEEPWALKERS) that puts a young man Riley (Faly Rakotohavana) into a conflict of whether to remain alive or to move to the next realm of existence.
That’s five stories that 1) never lose the audiences interest, 2) never feels dull or lacking in substance, and 3) manages to elevate and promote the short form narrative in creative ways. The greatest take away from ‘Nightmare Cinema’ is that there is not one of the shorts that you could toss away. It would be impossible, they are all too interesting in their own individual ways. You may have a favorite, but it is highly unlikely you will find one that you could skip in the 2 hours you are enjoying the film. That is a feat that many horror anthologies cannot claim. They also are able to tap into a range of different fears that stand out in today’s troubling world. Outlandish notions, Insecurity, Questionable Authority, Crippling Paranoia, Regret; these segments tackle them with stories that carry healthy weight thanks to refreshing blend of U.S. and international influence that reflects a world needing a good scary time to take the edge off.
All these nightmares are courtesy of an imposing and eerie Mickey Rourke as The Projectionist, who is ” the curator of 100 years of nightmares, trapped in a silver screen that never forgets.” Once those nightmares leave the screen, the viewers themselves leave the world of the living.It is a wrap around that gives a promise for more nightmares to come (god willing we get more of this), but it also delivers a haunting reflection on the decline of the cinema going experience. As I watched the film in a packed theater, I felt melancholic that there were going to be fewer opportunities to watch this film with a community of people screaming in unison like a terrified orchestra. The emptiness of the Rialto and the stated mission of its scary resident employee is a chilling reflection of something is getting ever so close to being lost. Tobe able to pack in 5 stories that manage conquer so many angles and aspects of fear, it was oddly comforting to know that this thematic strain about the state of cinema was addressed without hesitation.
When all is said and done, you are treated to an anthology with a devilishly delightful attitude from its storytellers and its sinister host that leaves you wanting more.
‘Nightmare Cinema’ was originally designed as a concept by Garris for TV as a ‘Masters Of Horror’ follow up that would combine the forces of directors from around the globe to present different perspectives and takes on the horror genre that extend beyond the U.S. If this is just a taste, give me the whole damned meal.
***’Nightmare Cinema is now available on digital. You can find the film on all major VOD platforms today***