(1981)
Dir - Romano Scavolini
Overall: WOOF
An overly pretentious trash film with amateur production qualities, Italian writer/director Romano Scavolini's Nightmare, (Nightmares In a Damaged Brain), became one of the most notorious video nasties of the early 80s. It was the only film on the U.K.'s naughty list during its time of being enforced where the distributor was actually jailed, garnishing it a place in film history whether the movie's quality or lack-thereof is deserving of such a thing or not. Further controversy exists as to whether or not the legendary Tom Savini was involved with the special effects, a claim that the director and others involved insist on but one that Savini himself has consistently denied. Scavolini, (who comes from a hardcore pornography background), tries desperately to match his story ambitions about a schizophrenic mental patient with his meager budget, bad actors, bad script and an overabundance of sleaze and gore meant to convey something more psychologically profound than it can ever hope to. The movie is just more of a mess than anything, bouncing between laughable incoherence, annoyance, and (lots of) boringness from scene to scene.
(1982)
Dir - Mark Rosman
Overall: MEH
Stacked up against the gallons of other slasher films to emerge in the early 80s, Mark Rosman's The House on Sorority Row, (House of Evil), is still mostly a hum-drum offering despite its small handful of divergent aspects. From a gore perspective, it is relatively restrained, but packs a few memorable visuals when it indulges in such things, (a severed head in a toilet is of particular note). It is shot rather well by prolific cinematographer Tim Suhrstedt, (Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, Office Space), and at least none of the characters are annoying stereotypes even if they are still a combination of horny, nerdy, noble, and bitchy college girls on paper. It is by-the-books slasher nonsense everywhere else though. Psyche-outs and red herrings, jump scares, victims practically with giant red targets on their faces when they are about to be killed, a masked bad guy who withstands bodily damage that would kill Hercules, a final girl, etc. The usual problem with such films that are so derivative in style is that all moments of supposed tension-building are rendered boring and predictable. Case in point here. It is not as seedy or insulting as the title would suggest, but you are not likely to remember much of anything after finishing it either. For what it is worth though, the band you never heard of 4 Out of 5 Doctors does make an appearance for extra, 80s power pop nostalgia.
(1986)
Dir - Stephen King
Overall: MEH
It was somewhat a wise move that Stephen King had the good sense to realize his short story "Trucks" about machinery coming to life and murdering people would probably work better as a comedy if brought to the big screen. Now whether or not King has the directing or even screenwriting chops to make his lone effort behind the lens in Maximum Overdrive actually work as a comedy is another matter entirely. Arguably the most infamous stain in King's entire career and one of the 80s "so bad it's...still bad" novelties, the world's most famous horror author was by his own admittance coked out of his mind while behind the lens. The finished product easily supports this claim. On the plus side, the movie is easy to laugh at with hilariously terrible dialog right out the gate, ("This machine just called me an asshole!"), goofy action set pieces, and a nonsensical plot every step of the way. Unfortunately though, King's filmmaking inexperience also leads to frequent interruptions of stagnancy. Basically, when people are not yelling profanities in bad southern accents at trucks that are trying to kill them, the movie becomes an embarrassing snooze. That said, it ends up having a lot of people yelling profanities in bad southern accents at trucks that are trying to kill them anyway and AC/DC provided the soundtrack for some reason so all things considered, it could be a lot lamer.
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