American Nightmare

Most of the other reviews of this are pretty much spot on. This movie does have elements of the Italian giallo, but it is much more gritty and realistic than the garish and stylized gialli. It also resembles America slasher movies (many of which, like this movie, were actually Canadian tax shelter productions). It's not a TEEN slasher movie, however, with rutting adolescents being almost metaphorically bumped off by an unreal murderous "boogey man"; this is a more realistic movie, as much crime thriller as horror flick. It resembles gritty, urban films like "Maniac", "Nightmares in a Damaged Brain", or "The New York Ripper" but, for better or worse, doesn't quite attain that level of sordidness. It's more of a downbeat and sleazy but less harrowing film, like "Too Scared to Scream" or "Windows".

In a nod to "Hardcore" (as another reviewer noted) this movie is about a brother looking for his younger sister in the red light district of strippers and prostitutes. In a noirish touch the audience knows from the opening sequence that the sister is already dead, but the brother's search will bring him face-to-face with her killer, a vicious modern-day "Jack the Ripper" who is carving up wayward women with a straight razor.

A young Michael Ironside has a supporting role as police detective, and the murdered sister is played by a young Alexandra Paul. The latter has a long topless scene--and this might be the main reason this film is still sought out by anyone today. As for me though, I have a soft spot in my heart (or perhaps my brain-pan) for this kind of early 80's sleaze. If you feel the same way, you might want to check this one out.

There is a serial killer on the loose murdering young women who all work at a downtown strip club. After the brother of one of the victims shows up to uncover the killer, a stripper joins forces with him to stop the American Nightmare.

American Nightmare is a hard to find gritty 80's slasher filmed in my hometown of Toronto in Canada. The film starts with a young prostitute being viciously murdered by an unknown assailant. We quickly meet her brother Eric who is trying to find out who killed her. Along his journey we meet a very likeable transvestite named Dolly and some of his friends who work at the nearby strip club, one of which is named Louise. Eric takes an instant liking to her and works with her to discover the identity of his sisters killer.

American Nightmare is so filthy of a slasher film, you'll need to take a shower afterwards. We get trashy nudity and a script which includes very homophobic dialogue at times. It definitely feels like the depths of low down Toronto in the 80's. The death scenes (mostly stabbings) are extremely realistic and not just because of the special effects and blood. There is a brutality to them which makes it feel very real. The identity of the killer was shocking to me and there was backstory told that felt a tad rushed and a little nonsensical. That was a weak point for me for sure.

The acting is nothing great in this one, mostly unknown Canadian actors. Most notably include scream queen Lenore Zann and well known actor Michael Ironside who have very small parts. For people who know Toronto, you'll see some very familiar filming locations such as the CN Tower, downtown Yonge Street, and some office buildings around the CNE/Exhibition Grounds.

I appreciate American Nightmare for what it is. A cheap Canadian slasher flick from the 1980's that has some extremely tense moments with the killer and their victims. It isn't a must see horror film, but I would watch it if you get the chance. It gets a 6/10 for me for it's chase scenes involving the killer and it's overall decaying/depressing atmosphere.

6/10

The son of a powerful entrepreneur receives a post from his sister, pleading for him to rescue her from an unspecified danger. With only the letter's return address as a lead, he begins a dot-to-dot descent into the seedy urban underbelly, gathering bits of information from one sleazy miscreant after another.

Along the way, a good-natured stripper comes to his aid, and love blooms between the two. Meanwhile, hookers, exotic dancers, and various other reprobates are dropping dead, the victims of an unseen madman.

This is a better-than-expected film, one that joyfully wallows in the sleaze of its urban environs, but manages to rise slightly above the lowbrow caliber of gratuitous exploitation cinema. Fine performances and steady pacing catapult American NIGHTMARE above the average for films of its type, but the tawdriness of the subject matter at hand should keep the grindhouse crowd pleased, as well.

6/10...reccomended.

While the 1981 slasher film AMERICAN NIGHTMARE is not a classic by any means, it stands out from most of its contemporaries. This is because it seems to be much more influenced by the Italian "giallo" films (mystery-thrillers featuring flashy gore sequences) than by the teen-oriented slasher films which were produced in great numbers in Canada and the United States during the late 1970s and early 1980s. If you're simply looking for dumb teens getting killed off by masked madmen, you should stay away from AMERICAN NIGHTMARE. The film's plot concerns musician Eric Blake (Lawrence Day), who is trying to find his runaway sister who has disappeared into the sleazy world of stripping and prostitution in Toronto. At the same time a slasher is on the loose, targeting those involved in Toronto's sex industry in a twisted scheme to rid the world of "moral degenerates."

This film was obviously made on a very low budget, and that limits its ability to look like a giallo. It is poorly filmed and dimly lit in most scenes. While the gore scenes are competently done, they lack the visual style that is the hallmark of the giallo. Simply stated, AMERICAN NIGHTMARE lacks the vivid colors and visual flair that are typically found in the best giallo films by directors such as Dario Argento and Lucio Fulci.

At the same time, AMERICAN NIGHTMARE is not worthless either. The film has a serious, grim tone, which I think is appropriate given the unpleasantness of the material. The acting is competently done. The low budget and on-location filming in Toronto also gives the film a gritty, realistic feel. Also, despite the fact that this film is extremely obscure, there are some notable cast members. Veteran character actor Michael Ironside, seen most recently in THE PERFECT STORM, portrays a detective investigating the murders in one of his earlier film roles. And oddly enough, this is the feature film debut of Alexandra Paul, who at barely age 18 appears nude in the film, in what surely is not one of her prouder moments.

This film is worth a look for fans of slasher films, but it must be noted that it is very hard to find. I believe the film is best viewed as a mild companion piece to Fulci's superior THE NEW YORK RIPPER.

** out of ****

Despite what the title states, the movie actually takes place in Toronto. Though like most Canadian movies, it is hesitant to say where it's actually taking place - you have to look for clues, such as seeing part of the CN Tower in the background during the final sequence.

As for the movie itself, it's pretty poor overall. It's relentlessly padded, with only a few turns in the story itself. Much of the movie consists of people talking, or to showcase the abundant nudity. Though that latter element may sound like it makes the movie worth watching, it's actually drearily presented, without it being the least erotic.

In fact, every location in the movie comes across as degenerate and filthy - never have I seen Toronto bathed in such an unflattering light. Actually, it's a change of pace for a Canadian movie, and with the movie taking place in a sleazy part of society, it seems somewhat appropriate. Though I'm sure this wasn't intentional, because this was a really low budget movie (only a $200,000 budget - Canadian dollars!), and the production values certainly show it, most notably the lack of adequate lighting.

To be fair, the slasher sequences aren't that bad - the squalid locations and the dark lighting actually give them some atmosphere, and the direction of these sequences show a little imagination (unlike the hopeless direction elsewhere.) And the movie does give B movie fans a chance to see Michael Ironside in not just an early role, but one that gives him the rare opportunity to play a good guy. Aside from those things, the movie is probably only of interest to people interested in Canadian tax shelter movies of this era.