Night Warning (1983)

User Rating:

6.4/10   

Director:

William Asher

Writers:

Stephen F. Breimer (writer)
Boon Collins (writer)

Release Date:

February 1983 (USA)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

She was lonely. He was all she had. No-one would take him from her - and live...

Plot:

An orphaned teenager finds himself being dominated by his aunt who's hell-bent on keeping him with her...at all costs.

Plot Keywords:

Aunt | Death | Psychosis | Slasher Killer | Female Psychopath

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Jimmy McNichol	...	Billy Lynch
Susan Tyrrell	...	Cheryl Roberts (Aunt Cheryl)
Bo Svenson	...	Detective Joe Carlson
Marcia Lewis	...	Margie
Julia Duffy	...	Julia
Britt Leach	...	Sgt. Cook
Steve Eastin	...	Coach Tom Landers
Caskey Swaim	...	Phil Brody
Cooper Neal	...	Frank
Bill Paxton	...	Eddie (as William Paxton)
Kay Kimler	...	Anna Lynch
Gary Baxley	...	Bill Lynch, Sr.
Vickie Oleson	...	Lady Police Officer
Clemente Anchondo	...	Jail Arrestee
Alex Baker	...	Police Officer Westcott

Also Known As:

Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker
Momma's Boy
Nightmare Maker
The Evil Protege (UK)
Thrilled to Death (USA)

Runtime:

96 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:R | Norway:18 | UK:R | USA:R | Iceland:(Banned) | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Trivia:

The film's French title, 'À la limite du cauchemar', translates to 'On the Verge of the Nightmare'.

Quotes:

Eddie: Next time... keep your queer hands off of me, okay?

Soundtrack:

Little Boy Bill

Tongue-in-cheek dark humor, bloody slasher, and melodramatic TV soap opera all rolled into one!

(***1/2 out of *****) I'm surprised this one isn't talked about more (at least, on a schlocky, cult-classic level). It's awesome! Susan Tyrrell ("Flesh & Blood") plays Cheryl Roberts, a frighteningly unstable woman who has to raise her nephew, Billy (Jimmy McNichol), when his parents are killed in a gruesome car accident in the opening scene. Aunt Cheryl's overaffectionate behavior towards her 17-year-old nephew sets the creepy tone for this movie from the first five minutes, but the main plot starts after she stabs a plumber to death for refusing her sexual advances. She claims that he was trying to rape her, so a police investigation starts up that uncovers dark, past secrets and a homosexual love affair between the plumber, Billy's basketball coach (Steve Eastin), and possibly Billy himself. Bo Svenson, acting a little like a gruff, B-movie Nick Nolte, chews up his scenes as the blindly homophobic Detective Carlson. But, Tyrrell is the real star here -- her progression from disturbing, obsessive aunt to all-out, screaming, homicidal madwoman is something to watch. This would probably be a two-star movie or less without her wonderfully tongue-in-cheek performance. On top of that, you get "Newhart"'s Julia Duffy as Billy's girlfriend (if you ever fantasized about seeing Stephanie Vanderkellen topless, here's your chance) and Bill Paxton (credited as `William'), a year after his scene-stealing role in the otherwise-mediocre slasher "Mortuary," in a couple of fun scenes as an a-hole b-ball teammate. My two big complaints with the film are the director's annoying use of slow motion every time someone's about to deliver a killing blow with one sharp weapon or another and a ridiculous textual epilogue (the kind you usually see at the ends of movies based on true stories) that appears before the end credits roll. Also, the front of the video box seems to be referring to a different movie ... ? Otherwise, hunt this one down and watch it with someone you love.

HIGHLIGHT: Everything that happens after Tyrrell cuts her hair short is a highlight, because that's when she goes completely off the deep end and earns her place in B-movie cinema's Hall of Over-The-Top Performances.