Nightmare Man (2006)

User Rating:

4.2/10   

Director:

Rolfe Kanefsky

Writer:

Rolfe Kanefsky (writer)

Genre:

Horror | Thriller

Plot:

After receiving an African fertility mask as a gift Ellen tells her husband William that she's been...

Plot Keywords:

Nightmare | Woods | Mask | Paranoia | Clothes Ripping

Cast

Tiffany Shepis	...	Mia
Blythe Metz	...	Ellen
Luciano Szafir	...	William
James Ferris	...	Jack
Jack Sway	...	Ed
Hanna Putnam	...	Trinity
Robert Donavan	...	Dr. Evans
Richard Moll	...	Captain McCormac
Aaron Sherry	...	The Nightmare Man
Victor Kanefsky	...	Officer Val
Alice Glenn	...	Officer Kan
Gwen Davis	...	Officer Wendy Simmons

MPAA:

Rated R for horror violence, gore, some sexuality/nudity and language.

Runtime:

89 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Certification:

USA:R | UK:18

Filming Locations:

Big Bear Lake, California, USA

Company:

Paradign Pictures

Goofs:

Continuity: After Tiffany Shepis lowers the blinds, the are up again in the next scene.

Quotes:

[Mia is loading a crossbow]
Trinity: What are you doing?
Mia: Uh... it's called protection.
Trinity: I meant before. Ed's "two girls" question?
Mia: [laughs] It's an inside joke. Don't worry. Nobody caught on. Unless, you told him.
Trinity: Never. Got it? Never.
Mia: That's what you said in college.
Trinity: Well... uh... this time I really mean it.

Movie Connections:

References The Exorcist (1973)

Hazing director works wonders with a tiny budget.

Rolf Kanesky is becoming the most interesting director working in low budget horror. Lord knows there are enough terrible hand-held efforts clogging up the rental shelves, although it's cool that people are getting out there and trying. Anyhow, Rolf seems to have a much lower budget on this one than on The Hazing, be he economises well and the make up and effects are good and it works to the films benefit that they are sparingly used until the climax.

Story concerns an unstable young woman who uses a wacko ancient fertility mask to try and improve her sex life with her husband only to end up having horrific visions of a spirit contained within the mask. The demon seems to come to life while she's stranded in the woods on a ill-fated road trip and ends up running for her life. In to the the mix is Kanefsky regular Tiffany Shepis and her gang of buddies hanging out in a remote cottage. They have their own complicated relationship issues. Shepis is a good actress who seems naturally uninhibited and doesn't look down upon B-movie roles and just has fun with it. She's great here, and has a sexy tough and funny role. Sure, there's nudity and gore, but who would want to see her as, say, Ashton Kutchers girl in a sucky comedy. The rest of cast are variable with the lead actress overplaying at times but improving as the film goes on and her responses look more appropriate.

I digress, sorry, violence and weirdness abound as the "nightmare man " descends upon the cottage, and the newly arrived guest ain't feeling herself. Some odd, surprising twists happen before the climax. Think the The Mask meets The Exorcist and you're there. Kind of..

I was lucky enough to have caught this on The Horror Channel and it's one of their best recent acquisitions. I'm not saying Nightare Man is a stone-cold classic but it is a gem and well executed considering the low budget and resources. I do feel this director will improve with each movie. Kanfesky knows how to be ambitious whilst giving the horror fans what they want.