American Nightmare

The fact that this one isn't easy to catch over here I was able to find me a copy. I thought it would be so creepy as Visiting Hours 'cause Ironside was involved, but he just plays a copper and nothing more. Is it scary, sometimes it has his moments but overall it's more about naked girls. But here the girls are in it for the nakedness and nothing more. Both main actresses have their strip act (eat your heart out Demi Moore) and that's the reason most viewers want to see this one. I watched it and after a few days i was already forgotten the plot of this movie, watchable, yes, gore or bloody, not that many. And don't do it for the sake of Ironside, you will be disappointed.

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 ****

"American Nightmare" is one of the better eighties slashers out there, featuring a funny, enjoyable cast, good suspense, and a fun, if not predictable take on the generic stalk-and-slash scenario. After the disappearance of a young girl (played by a young Alexandra Paul), the girl's brother (Day) comes to town looking for her, only to find out she was a dancer and hooker at a strip club. With the aid of his sister's roommate and co-worker (Staley), they begin the search for his sister. Meanwhile, the beret-wearing, razor-toting man who did in the sister begins stalking the other girls she worked with, one by one. A real sense of sympathy is felt for the unfortunate victims, who are good-hearted characters, regardless of their poverty or unfortunate lifestyle. The rich people in the movie are the loathsome characters. Slasher movie veteran Lenore Zann is quite likeable as the lovely 'Tina', and has a great chase sequence with the killer, while Aubrey supports comic relief as the hilarious wise-cracking transvestite 'Dolly'....great movie...check it out!

Wealthy pianist Eric Blade (Lawrence Day) tries to locate his missing runaway sister in an unnamed (and presumably US) metropolis. His journey takes him to seedy sex shops and strip joints. Of course, the police (include a detective played by one "Mike" Ironside) aren't really interested in a missing hooker until they find out she is the daughter of a wealthy businessman. Even then they spend their time following the "obvious he didn't do it" guy while the quick audience members have already correctly guessed the real culprit 10 minutes in. Despite being a tad predictable, this is still worth watching for the the sleaze factor. This ranks right up there with films like MANIAC and NEVER PICK UP A STRANGER in terms of on screen skank. I'm just saddened that my Northern neighbors think so lowly of us that they called this American NIGHTMARE. I guess Canadian NIGHTMARE didn't have that ring to it.

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.