JinRoz For all the hype it got I was expecting a lot more!

Konterr Brilliant and touching

CrawlerChunky In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

Dana An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

Michael_Elliott Nightmares (1983) ** 1/2 (out of 4) 'Terror in Topanga' has a crazy killer escaping prison but housewife Lisa (Cristina Raines) needs cigarettes so she decides to go out. Of course, you know what happens. In 'The Bishop of Battle' a teenager (Emilio Estevez) obsessed with getting to the thirteenth level of a video games gets more than he bargained for. 'The Benediction' has a Priest (Lance Henriksen) walking away from his faith and on a journey through the desert he runs into a mysterious black truck. 'Night of the Rat' has parents (Richard Masur, Veronica Cartwright) trying to protect their daughter and home from a giant rat.As with any anthology film, NIGHTMARES is a mixed bag but overall it's worth watching if you're a fan of this type of film. With that said, there's no question that the best film is the first one. It's based off a fairly popular urban legend and I must admit that I found it to be quite creepy at times. Director Joseph Sargent really does a great job on this number and we've got a terrific performance from Raines that helps sell it. The entire sequence is the shortest of the lot but it really hammers home the tension and the twist is quite effective as well.The following three stories aren't nearly as good and all of them are rather disappointing in their own way. I'd argue that the third one was the next best as Henriksen at least delivers a nice performance but the religious overtones never really work and what we're left with is a cheap copy of DUEL. The second story with the teenager playing video games probably belonged in a different movie. It's not creepy enough to fit with the rest of the film and I'd argue it would have been better in something else. It's just too bright and the special effects just don't ring a horror film.The fourth and final story is without question the weakest and it's too bad because both Masur and Cartwright give very good performances. This type of story had already been done in several other films including stuff like THE FOOD OF THE GODS. The story runs way too long and I'd argue that the ending is more silly than anything else. In fact, I'd argue that stories two through four all ran way too long and none of them could compare to the first so that made them even more of a letdown.

Vomitron_G I just love anthology movies, especially in the horror-genre. And this one was one of the first ones I ever saw ("Twilight Zone: The Movie" was the first one). So those two started it all and I must say: I would love to rate it a bit higher than 6/10 (maybe for nostalgia reasons). Even though the 4 stories presented here were fairly original for that time ("Urban Legend" even stole the first segment's basic plot element), it's a bit strange that all (but one) episodes have a surprisingly happy ending (not very common in horror anthologies). And also it lacks a bit in bloodshed and, well, gory stuff. But still, every story has a nice twist at one point or another and the overall atmosphere is quite creepy & scary at times. Because of the lack of bloodshed and nudity, "Nightmares" can also be recommended to the younger viewers. I'm sure they will have a blasting time with this one, especially with the "Bishop of the Battle" segment (even if it looks hopelessly dated).

Skutter-2 This eighties horror anthology isn't near as much fun as one might hope. It is on the whole a rather dull affair. As with most anthology movies the quality varies from segment but none of the ones showcased here are particularly good.The first segment is rather dull and perfunctory. It is simply a reworking of an old urban legend you will have heard a thousand times before and you'll see the end coming from a mile away. It is at least reasonably well executed and is quick enough to be over before it becomes too boring. It also contains a lame anti-smoking message.The second segment 'The Bishop of Battle' is easily the best and probably the only one people will remember from this movie. It isn't anything special but it is fun to watch a young Emilio Estevez as an arcade game obsessed hustler who bites off more than he can chew. There are no real surprises but is a somewhat interesting story of obsession and the clunky and instantly dated computer graphics are fun too watch- very, very eighties.The third segment 'Benediction' is like the first dull and perfunctory. A priest loses his faith and leaves the priesthood and ends battling a satanic black land rover (No, really). Despite one or two cool but cheesy bits with the evil vehicle and the presence of the always good Lance Henriksen this one manages to be really boring even in its short running time. The whole crisis of faith aspect to the story comes across as very simplistic and puerile.The last segment is the longest and most boring as a suburban family deals with a mystical giant rat from Germanic mythology. Again it sounds like it should be fun bit it seems like a lot of build-up with little payoff- the ending is truly lame. The characters are annoying and unlikable and really grate on the nerves, even in the short running time- Veronica Cartwright seems far too good at playing whiney, unstable housewife types.Ultimately the whole thing seems like it should be a lot more fun that it is.

Scarecrow-88 Four tales with no wraparound story titled TERROR IN TOPANGA, BISHOP OF BATTLE, THE BENEDICTION, & NIGHT OF THE RAT inside a movie structure consecutively.The first is about a housewife who, despite her husband's warnings to stay in because of an escaped loony who murdered a police officer with a knife, goes out for a pack of cigarettes. Guess who she perhaps bumps into when she unfortunately runs out of gas? This one has a nice build-up, but goes absolutely nowhere which is a shame because it has lots of potential..it simply lacked inspiration by the writer.The second tale is about an obsessive arcade nerd who just can't rest until he reaches the prestigious Level 13 of a very difficult game called "The Bishop of Battle". When he does, he's thrusted into a new kind of game where the stakes are his very life. To be honest, this one was a bit hokey..the result when he reaches 13 I mean.My favorite of the anthology has a Priest(Lance Henriksen, with conviction), who has lost his faith because of the frequent human suffering he sees on a regular basis, being terrorized by a psychopathic trucker, whose face is never revealed thanks to darkened tinting on the windows. We do get an indication who the driver might be..an upside down crucifix is hanging from the rear-view mirror. And, the weapon the Priest uses against the trucker also is telling in perhaps who this evil driver is. Tense, well developed little episode with little spiritual elements which aren't too heavy-handed which is a plus.An unhappily married couple(Richard Masur and Veronica Cartwright)have a MAJOR rat problem. Their house cat finds that out first hand. It has been leaving a path of destruction throughout their house yet the husband wishes to fix the rat problem on his own without paying someone else. The wife, having had enough of her kitchen being demolished, calls a specialist(Albert Kague)and after studying comes to the conclusion that this big rat might be a Devil Rodent, the type from ancient German myth. He says they are indestructible. I know one thing, as presented here, when it lets out a roar it must measure on the Richter scale. The final scene where the couple come face to face with it might be a little too cheesy to fully scare, but I feel the episode overall works quite well.None of the stories can claim complete originality, but the last two, I believe, are thrilling & creepy enough to rise this anthology as a whole slightly above mediocrity.