There are a few horror films from the 70's and 80's that I've heard of that I've never seen, films whose names instantly jump out at me for one particular reason; they were all Video Nasties. For those either not in the know, or not from the backwards United Kingdom, there was a time in Britain where censorship demanded that certain films be banned, that their distribution became a crime that would land people with fines or prison time (and older people complain about trigger warnings when they were literally throwing people in prison for certain films). Nightmare, or Nightmare in a Damaged Brain, was one of these films; and was the film that got two of its UK distributors sent to prison. But now horror fans, and those with an interest in this bizarre era of UK film culture, get the chance to experience the film in a brand new Blu-ray release thanks to Severin Films.
Nightmares in a Damaged Brain tells the story of George Tatum, played by Baird Stafford, an incarcerated mental patient suffering from nightmares of murders, who had been locked up after mutilating and murdering a family in Brooklyn. Despite being diagnosed with a series of disorders, including schizophrenia, George is released following an experimental drug procedure designed to cure him of his violent urges. The doctor in charge is certain that George has been turned into an upstanding citizen. However, when he goes missing, the authorities are worried that he may have returned to his murderous ways.
George journeys away from New York, heading down the coast towards Florida; killing a woman along the way in order to get hold of a new car. Arriving in Myrtle Beach, he begins following a single mother and her three children, watching them from afar. As the family deal with their complicated life, the youngest son CJ pulling horrible pranks on people that leads to problems with the police, and mother Susan trying to fit her new relationship into her home life, George closes in on the family, killing more people along the way.
The trailer for Nightmares in a Damaged Brain, and the film's title, doesn't really help to sell the kind of film this is. The trailer is somewhat disjointed, jumping around a lot, and shows pieces from all across the film with little indication of what the narrative might be. As the film starts things are also somewhat hard to follow, with scenes of murders cutting to George asleep at home having nightmares, to him then waking up screaming in a mental hospital. The film starts confusingly, presenting things in a disjointed manner that made me start to think that I was going to be watching a somewhat surreal and bizarre horror film.
However, the film then soon settles into what is a fairly standard 80's slasher structure. We follow a family, watching their everyday lives, getting to know them. Meanwhile, George stalks them from a distance, hiding in the neighbourhood, occasionally killing someone who gets too close to him, whilst the authorities try to figure out where he might be. It's a lot closer to the structure of a film like Halloween than the trailer or start of the film makes you think, and once it does settle into this structure it becomes a much more enjoyable and engaging watch.
The acting is about what you'd expect for a small budget horror film of the era, as in middling at best. Despite that, there are some genuinely enjoyable moments, some where the acting becomes so bad you can't help but laugh at it. There's a moment in the film where CJ, who's just seen George outside the house, stumbles inside, clutching his stomach and covered in blood saying that the man attacked him. And the acting isn't the best, so I ended up questioning if this was one of CJ's tricks, or if it was just bad child acting. It made the scene a lot of fun as I hunted for more clues to try and reveal the truth.
Where the film does well, and something it's known for, is the special effects. Nightmares in a Damaged Brain was advertised as having the special effects done by screen legend Tom Savini. Savini, however, did not work on the film, and even threatened to sue the makers if they didn't remove his name. Savini did, however, advise for the effects on the film, and visited the set, and it's easy to see why some could think it's a Savini film as there are some great 80's gore effects on offer in the film, particularly a spectacular beheading scene that gets shown a few times across the movie. One of the extras on the disc is a fun little interview with Savini where he talks about the miscredit on the film.
Speaking about extras, the new set has some great special features including two audio commentaries packed with behind the scenes info on the movie, and the impact that the films had, as well as trailers, deleted scenes, and a feature length documentary about British censorship laws that led to the video nasty era that's almost worth the price of admission alone.
For those trying to seek out a little known horror film that's an enjoyable and entertaining experience this latest release is one worth having a look at. However, if you've an interest in the video nasty craze, censorship, and films of the 1980's this new blu-ray is one that will appeal all the more.
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