‘In your dreams, no-one can hear you scream’
Nightwish is a 1988 American paranormal horror film written and directed by Bruce R. Cook.
The movie stars Clayton Rohner, Alisha Das, Jack Starrett, Robert Tessier and Elizabeth Kaitan.
Art director Robert A. Burns worked on Re-Animator; Tourist Trap and The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, among many others. KNB handled the special effects.
Nightwish was released on Blu-ray and DVD on August 13, 2019, by Unearthed Classics. Extras include:
Exclusive detailed booklet
Trailers
Alternate slipcover
Audio commentary by Paul White and Stephen Biro
Plot:
A professor and four graduate students journey to a crumbling mansion to investigate paranormal activity and must battle ghosts, aliens and satanic entities…
Reviews:
” …features absurd dialogue, hot chicks, and an entertaining albeit non-linear plot. I’d say give a watch for Thompson and Kaitan alone. Nightwish features roadkill, alien cocoons, a dude that p*sses his pants, zombies, a retarded gatekeeper, severed fingers, and tarantulas.” 80s Horror Central
” …while there is so much going on here, I was never distracted from a completely predictable climax that I knew was coming since the first two scenes of the film. With a couple of scary gore effects and Brian Thompson, Cook’s film is not a complete failure. Trimming some of the fat would have made a leaner, meaner Nightwish.” Charles Tatum
“It’s like the director came up with various ideas and then dropped them. To make up for it, there’s some decent special effects involving alien breeding scenarios, nudity (Elizabeth Kaitan and Alisha Das) … and some interesting visuals bringing to mind some Stephen Sayadian weirdness mixed with something you might see in Night Train to Terror.” Horror Fan Zine
“It’s basically a blend of Flatliners and Invasion of the Body Snatchers with a dash of The Twilight Zone and it’s mainly set in a haunted house. It’s one of those movies that could only happen in the ’80s and it’s pretty damn great.” Tony the Terror
” …Bruce R. Cook obviously mastered enough know-how and control of the camera to give Nightwish some nice atmosphere, but his script is a mixed up mash of a car wreck that can’t figure out exactly what it is, what it wants to say or where it wants to go, and completely lacks any concept of logic, reality, continuity or other such necessary features needed to make a story.” A Wasted Life
YouTube reviews:
Trailer [1080p HD]:
Choice dialogue:
Dean: “The highway’s mine!”
Bill: “There’s only one paranoid in this room. Or is he a schizoid?”
Release:
Nightwish is available to rent or buy via Amazon Prime
Cast and characters:
Clayton Rohner … Jack
Alisha Das … Kim
Jack Starrett … Professor – Family Reunion; Grizzly II; Race with the Devil
Elizabeth Kaitan … Donna – Necromancer; Friday the 13th Part VII; Silent Night, Deadly Night 2; et al
Artur Cybulski … Bill
Robert Tessier … Stanley – Fertilize the Blaspheming Bombshell; Double Exposure; The Velvet Vampire
Brian Thompson … Dean – Flight of the Living Dead; Doctor Mordrid; Fright Night Part 2
Tom Dugan … Wendall
Gayle Vance … Fruit Stand Lady
John Hayden … Fruit Stand Boy
Jared Coulter … Ghost Boy
Kazuko Ohashi … Slug Girl #1
Elizabeth Hegyes … Slug Girl #2
Joanne House … Title Sequence Model
Filming locations:
Los Angeles, California
Technical credits:
1 hour 36 minutes
Audio: Ultra Stereo
