Steve Beck (Vince Martin) is a Karate instructor, Robby Mason (Tom Jennings) his prize student. Beck is using drugs to give him an edge. Guy Duncan (Craig Pearce) is Beck's drug connection t... Read allSteve Beck (Vince Martin) is a Karate instructor, Robby Mason (Tom Jennings) his prize student. Beck is using drugs to give him an edge. Guy Duncan (Craig Pearce) is Beck's drug connection that threatens to expose Beck as a user then Beck kills Duncan, but Robby was witness to th... Read allSteve Beck (Vince Martin) is a Karate instructor, Robby Mason (Tom Jennings) his prize student. Beck is using drugs to give him an edge. Guy Duncan (Craig Pearce) is Beck's drug connection that threatens to expose Beck as a user then Beck kills Duncan, but Robby was witness to this. Robby confronts Beck about the killing, during the karate championship. Beck tries to ... Read all
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Featured reviews
Violence and murder ensue.
NIGHTMASTER is a fairly forgettable made-for-TV action film. The plot is absurd and disjointed, with no real direction. If it weren't for the presence of Ms. Kidman, there would be no reason to watch it...
That is what this movie is like. I couldn't tell if the characters were at their school, martial arts gymnastics dojo or some big boiler room or if they were all the same place. At one point I got the distinct feeling that I was in the Cobra Kai dojo from the Karate Kid.
The lack of any plot, it seems, makes this movie totally uninteresting in even the slightest manner.
I do realize that this review doesn't make much sense, but that is because this movie makes no sense either. It's just hard to explain.
I did, however, watch a young Nicole Kidman pretty closely. She looked so different and yet, still just as recognizable. She definitely has "It", even at such a young age. She is the only thing that kept this movie from being unwatchable.
Even despite Kidman, I give this movie 3 stars out of 10. Not recommended at all.
Actually, the Australian Teenage Movie has become one of my favorite bad movie genres. OK, we got kids involved in dangerous secret stuff at night, but also involved with "good" activities at school. Of course there's a caring female teacher who reaches out to help a troubled young man (and the ensuing titillation). And we must also have the bad mentor, showing the kids the wrong way.
Best of all, Nicole Kidman running around in a dark factory in a Ninja suit! Also hysterical is the way they keep referring to the frumpy schoolteacher as a real looker! Wait till she shows up on her motorcycle. Also featuring painful 80's rock at local club, and sudden dream sequences.
The pacing of this movie is pretty good, and with a little more care, could have been a better film. Nonetheless very entertaining. If you like this, you'll gotta see the Aussie teen flick, Street Hero.
Tom Jennings is very convincing too, not seen him in any-thing else at all actually which is a shame. If any-one has any more info on him would be grateful.
The film is set within a school where kidman and jennings are both members of what seems to be a martial arts club. They're both trained by their master who much to their dismay a drug dependent loony who in anger kills one of their fellow pupils. Yes extreme but subtly done - as it is quite randomly fragmented. (ie His dream sequence) However for a unique Australian gemstone of a film you have to watch it - the dubbing of the martial arts sequences are pitiful but to see kidman and jennings running about in ninja suits is truly priceless
Did you know
- TriviaOriginally screened as part of a series of tele-movies called "Tomorrow's News".
- Alternate versionsIn the UK, the film is cut by the BBFC for the 1989 video release titled "Watch the Shadows Dance" and 2002 DVD release titled "Nightmaster".
- ConnectionsEdited into Tela Class: Cu de Campeão (2008)