Dear Ellen (Blythe Metz) orders a fertility mask to help spice up her sex life (or deal with 'intimacy issues' as her husband delicately puts it) and to perhaps help her and hubby William (Luciano Szafir - horror's answer to Antonio Banderas) to make a baby. All it makes is a mess as the mask turns out to be a demonic artifact bringing only terror and insanity. On the way to the loony bin to deal with Ellen's new mask-related issues, their car breaks down, ultimately forcing Ellen through the woods and into a remote house inhabited by randy young adults looking for a fun, tequila-fueled weekend, rather than the seemingly demon-besieged event they're treated to.

A lightning quick intro - just enough time to sketch believable characters - segues into a simple terror-generating scenario that owes its success to simple ingredients used well. And when the couple's car breaks down, more terror! Part Trilogy of Terror, part Close Encounters, these opening fright festivities don't get all messed up in style, or even substance for that matter, they just present seemingly real people and set monsters on them in the dark. Horror writers and directors starting out should look on and learn; don't try to get cute! Once you've kicked your viewers a few times, you'll have earned the juice you need to make attempts at clever style go over more easily. For instance, at the house in which Ellen eventually seeks solace, vacationers (including the always-fetching Tiffany Shepis) engage in a sexy game of Truth of Dare, which is intercut with Ellen's fight for life in an almost too-slick way that wouldn't have worked without the grace granted by those opening shocks.

It's at this point that things go almost totally out of control. What else could happen when a bloody, hysterical woman screaming about demons lands in your lap? Lucky for us, it's more scary fun. Most notably, Shepis has found her perfect role, cracking wise, appearing believably compassionate, and toting a crossbow in lingerie. And yes, she does eventually writhe around topless. The fun doesn't stop there though, as gory murders and lunacy replace tension, with nods to Friday the 13th, The Prowler, Evil Dead and others wildly attempting to please all facets of the Nightmare Man audience. A pair of twists caps off the raucous riot in 'you can have it all fashion,' that is; the screenplay clearly wants to order from column 'A,' 'B' and 'C,' but only a bit of cheap makeup will disappoint those of us who have bought wholesale into the mania.

Take an off the hook ride with Nightmare Man, a hardly restrained twister that proves you can get away with a lot as long as you know what you're doing. Tossing teen slasher tropes in the blender with genuine scares, dripping gore, sly humor and a solid grasp of its place in the horror pantheon, Nightmare Man doesn't take itself seriously, but still delivers some serious groceries. Horror fans who've been missing the fun and hating all the pandering going on lately (endless remakes and lazy self-referential crap, for instance) will recognize Nightmare Man as a sweet horror update and a return to form.

The DVD

Video:
Presented in16 x 9 widescreen format, (1.78:1 ratio) Nightmare Man looks a little funky - but in a stylized, sort-of neat way. In general the picture is pretty clear and sharp, with daylight and indoor scenes colors looking fairly natural. Extra features talk about lighting issues and tactics, indicating very little lighting was used, usually the minimal required illuminating important elements in a scene. It gives a strong 'indie' (read: low budget) look to the movie, especially in nighttime chase scenes which, combined with the type of cameras used, lends a weird color scheme and some almost solarized looking shots. However, this weirdness, while not enticing to the HD fanatic, certainly fits the vibe of the movie.

Sound:
5.1 Dolby Digital Audio in English is solid and sounds pretty decent. Using the 'surround' setting on my set's speakers, I was privy to some nice 3D sound design, with sudden, jarring thumps from off-screen left and right to make me jump. Lots of creepy silent parts and a good, not overbearing score help accent the action.

Extras:
Starting with English and Spanish Subtitles and English Closed Captions, the After Dark Horrorfest DVD standard extra, about 20 minutes of Miss Horrorfest Contest Webisodes is here. For what they're worth, I'll say I dislike web content editing and filming techniques - too quick, too flashy and too eager to conceal a dearth of content. Personally, I'd like to see more (at least when bandwidth isn't a concern) of these delightfully devious maidens and their stupid trials on their journey to horror stardom. For the most part, they are hot - especially the twins, (or whatever they are) can't get enough, but the webisodes don't deliver. Thankfully, there's a lot more! A Commentary Track with Tiffany Shepis, Director Rolfe Kanefsky and Producer Esther Goodstein keeps the laughs (mostly from the delightfully brazen Shepis) and tidbits coming. It's a thoroughly entertaining listen, with enough behind-the-scenes information to balance Shepis's grandstanding. Extended Scenes of about 16 minutes length are of middling value. 7 minutes of the 'truth or dare' scene gives oglers ample time to enjoy Shepis's striptease, however. "Creating A Nightmare" The Making of Nightmare Man suffers from super-low-rent mastering, rendering much of it comparable to looking through a flat-bottom boat while on acid, but it's a fun 21 minutes or so of lessons in goof-filled guerilla filmmaking. "Flubbing a Nightmare" Gag Reel is 4 minutes of yuks that starts slow but picks up steam. Tiffany's Behind The Scenes features 17 minutes of her mini-DV type adolescent chuckles (plus plenty of that striptease to start things off) as she harasses cast and crew, but shows much love for a raccoon. Lastly, an auto play Stills Gallery blends 5 minutes of behind-the-scenes and production stills. It's a good chunk of extras that will mainly have Shepis fanciers like myself drooling for more.

Final Thoughts:
Nightmare Man not only hits the mark, it slaps it. How else can you explain a movie that top-loads solid scares, maintains a winking attitude without being snide, delivers decent gore and throws in some T&A, all while legitimizing Tiffany Shepis as a scream queen contender? A throwback and a look forward, Nightmare Man shows us how it's done. If (like me) you're thinking of throwing a stink-bomb into any theatre that dares to show the upcoming Friday the 13th remake, take home a copy of Nightmare Man, it's Recommended.

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