Nightmare Cinema

This article is about the 2018 horror film. For the band, see Dream Theater.

Nightmare Cinema
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Alejandro Brugués Joe Dante Mick Garris Ryuhei Kitamura David Slade
Written by	Sandra Becerril Alejandro Brugués Lawrence C. Connolly Mick Garris Richard Christian Matheson David Slade
Produced by	Mark Canton Mick Garris Joe Russo Courtney Solomon
Starring	Mickey Rourke Richard Chamberlain Patrick Wilson Eric Nelsen Mariela Garriga Elizabeth Reaser Sarah Withers Adam Godley Ezra Buzzington Stephanie Cood Annabeth Gish Faly Rakotohavana
Cinematography	Andrew Russo Matthias Schubert Jo Willems
Edited by	Tony Kearns Mike Mendez
Music by	Various
Production companies	Cinelou Films Cranked Up Nice Guy Productions
Distributed by	Cranked Up Films
Release date	July 13, 2018 (2018-07-13) (Fantasia)
Running time	119 minutes
Country	United States

Nightmare Cinema is a 2018 American horror anthology film featuring work by directors Alejandro Brugués, Joe Dante, Mick Garris, Ryūhei Kitamura, and David Slade.

Plot

Five strangers converge at a haunted movie theater owned by The Projectionist (Mickey Rourke). 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, 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, 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, Adam Godley, Ezra Buzzington, Bronwyn Merrill, and Patrick Wilson.
• Dead (D: Mick Garris), an adolescent piano prodigy dies, is revived, and is under attack from supernatural forces. Starring Faly Rakotohavan, Annabeth Gish, 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 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, Nightmare Cinema holds an approval rating of 77%, based on 44 reviews, and an average rating of 6.2/10. 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, the film has a weighted average score of 59 out of 100, based on 8 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 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.

External links

• Nightmare Cinema at IMDb
• Nightmare Cinema at Rotten Tomatoes