Nightmares (1983)

Anthology of four horror tales with a supernatural twist based on urban legends.

Director:

Joseph Sargent

Writers:

Christopher Crowe, Jeffrey Bloom

Stars:

Cristina Raines, Joe Lambie, Anthony James

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Cristina Raines	...	Lisa the Wife (segment "Terror in Topanga")
Joe Lambie	...	Phil the Husband (segment "Terror in Topanga")
Anthony James	...	Store Clerk (segment "Terror in Topanga")
Clare Torao	...	Mori the Newswoman (segment "Terror in Topanga") (as Clare Nono)
Raleigh Bond	...	Norman, a Neighbor (segment "Terror in Topanga")
Robert Phelps	...	Newsman (segment "Terror in Topanga")
Dixie Lynn Royce	...	Little Girl (segment "Terror in Topanga")
Lee Ving	...	William Henry Glazier (segment "Terror in Topanga") (as Lee James Jude)
Emilio Estevez	...	J.J. Cooney (segment "The Bishop of Battle")
Mariclare Costello	...	Adele Cooney (segment "The Bishop of Battle")
Louis Giambalvo	...	Jerry Cooney (segment "The Bishop of Battle")
Moon Unit Zappa	...	Pamela (segment "The Bishop of Battle") (as Moon Zappa)
Billy Jayne	...	Zock Maxwell (segment "The Bishop of Battle") (as Billy Jacoby)
Joshua Grenrock	...	Willie (segment "The Bishop of Battle")
Gary Carlos Cervantes	...	Mazenza (segment "The Bishop of Battle") (as Gary Cervantes)

Storyline

A collection of short stories. In one a woman who leaves her house late at night to drive to the store while a killer is loose encounters some problems. In the second an arcade whiz kid's obsession with a game leads to deadly consequences. In the third a small town priest loses his faith and decides to leave town, but in the desert is stalked by a mysterious black pick-up truck. In the final story, a family's problem with a rat is larger than they think.

---

Plot Keywords:

anthology | close up of eyes | close up of eye | close up of lips | close up of mouth | 

---

Taglines:

Just shut your eyes . . . and scream.

---

Genres:

Horror | Sci-Fi

---

Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

Lee Ving, the lead singer of punk band Fear, appears in the segment "Terror in Topanga." One of the songs that J.J. (Emilio Estevez) listens to in the segment "Bishop of Battle" is actually "I Don't Care About You" by Fear. Also on this episode is "Let's Have a War" by FEAR.

---

Goofs

In "The Benediction," just after the demon truck leaps out of the ground and begins to chase Frank again, the shooting lights on the camera tracking truck are reflected on the side of Frank's car and are clearly visible for several seconds, despite the brightness of the day.

---

Quotes

Zock Maxwell (segment "The Bishop of Battle"): JJ. Don't you get it? Thirteenth level doesn't even exist. It's just a scam to get suckers to spend their money.
J.J. Cooney (segment "The Bishop of Battle"): It exists. I heard some kid out in Jersey made it twice.

---

Connections

Referenced in Screaming in High Heels: The Rise & Fall of the Scream Queen Era (2011)

---

Soundtracks

I Don't Care About You
(uncredited)
Performed by Fear

User Reviews

corny, dated but still fun cult horror anthology from Universal

Directed by Joseph Sargent, it's split into 4 unconnected stories: 1) "Terror in Topanga" offers up that old chestnut about a dark night and an escaped killer on the prowl. Featuring Christina Raines and William Sanderson. 2) "The Bishop of Battle" stars Emilio Estevez as a video game expert determined to get to the final level on a new arcade game. Careful what you wish for! Also with Moon Unit Zappa. 3) "The Benediction" is a Duel take-off with Lance Henriksen as a priest who has lost his faith and may have run into the devil in the form of a menacing black truck on the highway. 4) "Night of the Rat" features a suburban family terrorized by, you guessed it, rats. With Richard Masur and Veronica Cartwright.

The effects are chintzy (including some very early computer effects), and a lot of it is one-note. But there's a camp charm to it, and it makes good viewing for those in the mood for some cheesy but not ghastly frights. Featuring some early 80's punk music by the likes of X, Black Flag, and Fear.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 September 1983 (USA)

Also Known As:

Terror in Topanga

Filming Locations:

The Rock Store - 30354 Mulholland Highway, Cornell, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$6,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$6,670,680

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$6,670,680

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1