Nightmare Cinema
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''Nightmare Cinema'' is a 2018 American horror
anthology film An anthology film (also known as an omnibus film or a portmanteau film) is a single film consisting of three or more shorter films, each complete in itself and distinguished from the other, though frequently tied together by a single theme, premise ...
featuring work by directors
Alejandro Brugués Alejandro Brugués is an Argentinian-Cuban director and writer known for directing ''Juan of the Dead'', which has been credited as Cuba's first zombie movie. Biography Brugués received his education at San Antonio de los Baños School and made ...
,
Joe Dante Joseph James Dante Jr. (; born November 28, 1946) is an American film director. His films—notably ''Gremlins'' (1984) alongside its sequel, ''Gremlins 2: The New Batch'' (1990)—often mix the 1950s-style B movie genre with Counterculture of th ...
, Mick Garris, Ryūhei Kitamura, and
David Slade David Aldrin Slade (born 26 September 1969) is an English film and television director and actor. His works include the films ''Hard Candy (film), Hard Candy'', ''30 Days of Night (film), 30 Days of Night'' and ''The Twilight Saga: Eclipse''. ...
. The film marks the final film role of actor
Richard Chamberlain George Richard Chamberlain (March 31, 1934 – March 29, 2025) was an American actor and singer who became a teen idol in the title role of the television show '' Dr. Kildare'' (1961–1966). He subsequently earned the title "King of the Mini- ...
before his death in 2025.


Plot

Five strangers converge at a haunted movie theater owned by The Projectionist (
Mickey Rourke Philip Andre "Mickey" Rourke Jr. ( ; born September 16, 1952) is an American actor and former professional Boxing, boxer who has appeared primarily as a leading actor, leading man in drama, action, and thriller films. In a Mickey Rourke filmogra ...
). Once inside, the audience members witness a series of screenings that shows them their deepest fears and darkest secrets over five tales. * ''The Thing in the Woods'' (D: Alejandro Brugués), a postmodern sendup of slasher thrillers, involving a killer who is not what he seems. Starring
Eric Nelsen Eric Nelsen (born June 26, 1991) is an American actor and producer. He is known for his work as an actor in the Paramount+ western series ''1883 (American TV series), 1883''. On stage, Nelsen portrayed Brett Sampson in the original Broadway pro ...
, Sarah Withers, Kevin Fonteyne, and Chris Warren. * ''Mirari'' (D: Joe Dante), a woman with facial scars seeks plastic surgery at a sinister clinic. Starring
Richard Chamberlain George Richard Chamberlain (March 31, 1934 – March 29, 2025) was an American actor and singer who became a teen idol in the title role of the television show '' Dr. Kildare'' (1961–1966). He subsequently earned the title "King of the Mini- ...
, Zarah Mahler, Mark Grossman, and Belinda Balaski. * ''Mashit'' (D: Ryūhei Kitamura), Catholic schoolgirls become possessed by a demon of child-suicide. Starring Maurice Benard, Stephanie Cood, Calista Bess, and Mariela Garriga. * ''This Way to Egress'' (D: David Slade), a woman waiting for a doctor's appointment experiences disturbing shifts in reality. Starring
Elizabeth Reaser Elizabeth Ann Reaser (born July 2, 1975) is an American film, television, and stage actress. Her work includes the films '' Stay'', '' The Family Stone'', '' Sweet Land'', '' Against the Current'', '' The Twilight Saga'', ''Young Adult'', and '' ...
,
Adam Godley Adam N. Godley (born 22 July 1964) is an English actor. He has been nominated for two Tony Awards and four Laurence Olivier Awards for his performances on the New York and London stages, including ''Private Lives'' in 2001, '' The Pillowman'' i ...
, Ezra Buzzington, Bronwyn Merrill, and
Patrick Wilson Patrick Joseph Wilson (born July 3, 1973) is an American actor. He began his career in 1995, starring in Broadway theatre, Broadway musicals. He received nominations for two Tony Awards for his roles in ''The Full Monty (musical), The Full Mont ...
. * ''Dead'' (D: Mick Garris), an adolescent piano prodigy dies, is revived, and is under attack from supernatural forces. Starring Faly Rakotohavan,
Annabeth Gish Anne Elizabeth "Annabeth" Gish (born March 13, 1971) is an American actress. She played roles in the films '' Shag'', '' Hiding Out'', '' Mystic Pizza'', '' SLC Punk!'', '' The Last Supper'' and ''Double Jeopardy''. On television, she played Spe ...
, Daryl C. Brown, Lexy Panterra, and Orson Chaplin.


Production

The project was announced in September 2017 with the five directors attached and Rourke as the storyteller. Filming took place in the United States in November and December 2017. Bruno Kohfield-Galeano provided his voice for an uncredited ADR loop group session and voiced Mr. Stitches and was also given special thanks in the credits.


Release

The film had its world premiere at the
Fantasia International Film Festival Fantasia International Film Festival, also known as Fantasia Fest or simply Fantasia, is a genre film festival that has been based mainly in Montreal since its founding in 1996. It focuses on fantasy, horror, sci-fi and cult genre films. Regular ...
in Canada on July 13, 2018. It received a limited release in the United States on June 21, 2019.


Reception


Critical response

On review aggregator
Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...
, ''Nightmare Cinema'' holds an approval rating of , based on reviews, and an average rating of . Its consensus reads, "Admirably eclectic yet more consistent than most horror anthologies, ''Nightmare Cinema'' should entertain viewers in the mood for a good old-fashioned creepshow." On
Metacritic Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...
, the film has a weighted average score of 59 out of 100, based on eight critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Dennis Harvey, writing for Variety, gave the film a favorable review and called it an "uneven but fun compendium of scare tales." RogerEbert.com's Nick Allen provided a mixed review, praising certain segments for their creativity and execution but criticizing others for lacking coherence and impact. He noted that the film "offers a little something for every type of horror fan, but it can be a bit of a mess. Noel Murray from
The Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper in the U.S. and the larges ...
also gave a mixed review, appreciating the anthology format and the nostalgic appeal but mentioning that "some segments work better than others, leading to an uneven overall experience.


References


External links

* * {{Ryuhei Kitamura 2018 films 2018 horror films 2010s American films 2010s slasher films Films about alien invasions American black-and-white films American comedy horror films American horror anthology films American science fiction horror films American slasher films American splatter films American supernatural horror films Cinelou Films films Films about spiders Films directed by David Slade Films directed by Joe Dante Films directed by Mick Garris Films directed by Ryuhei Kitamura Films produced by Mick Garris Films set in a movie theatre Films scored by Richard Band Films with screenplays by Mick Garris Films with screenplays by Richard Christian Matheson American religious horror films Supernatural slasher films