[yasr_overall_rating]
A female scientist performs experiments on three college girls that turn them into drooling, murderous mutants.
Vinegar Syndrome is a distribution company that is focused on releasing exploitation films of the ’70s and ’80s. I recently received 2 movies from them to review, “Nightmare Weekend” and “The American Dreamer” with Dennis Hopper (you can read that review here). As a filmmaker and film lover who grew up in the ’70s and ’80s, I have to admit, I had never heard of “Nightmare Weekend” and coming from Europe I saw a lot of exploitation horror movies back in the day. But that in a way, is a good thing because instead of watching the movie on a dilapidated old VHS tape, I was able to view it in all its high definition glory on blu-ray.
The movie was shot in 1984 in Florida by a mainly French crew and the outcome was, how shall I put this nicely, compelling, to say the very least. The fact that the actors hired for the film had to say their lines initially in French and then later dub them back into English, is just mind boggling. Why not just say them in English since that was the market the filmmakers were aiming for? I could go on and on but why ruin it?
A scientist has developed a super computer that can transform the personalities of loathsome and undisciplined people. One weekend, his partner, who is secretly stealing his information behind his back, invites three young, beautiful but promiscuous women to their mansion in the country so they can perform their experiments on them. We are told that the experiment is supposed to modify them from their wicked ways but being a 1980s exploitation horror skin flick, things don’t go according to plan. Instead, they are turned into homicidal deviants who want to tear their victims apart.
The ’80s were a great time for horror movies, especially the low-budget kind and “Nightmare Weekend” is no exception. Of course you could rate the film as an abomination and a complete waste of time but why even bother when the movie does nothing but entertain on every level? Mad scientist? Check. Conniving partner? Check. Sexy young immoral women who only want sex? Check. Deranged hand puppet with intellect? Check. Cuban studs with manly Tom Selleck moustaches? Check. Cuban stud with personal walkman stuffed down his crotch? Check. The list goes on and on so why ruin it for something as trivial as quality?
The extras include an interview with Dean Gates, the man in charge of the film’s make-up effects and he actually talks about the movie with high regard. He was just starting out in the business and he states that it gave him his first real experience working in the movie industry, having assisted Tom Savini on “Friday the 13th.” Most people associated with a movie as terrible as “Nightmare Weekend” would distance themselves from it but Dean embraces it as it helped him get his foot in the door which led to him working on such high profile projects such as “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” “Day of the Dead,” “Maximum Overdrive” and “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.”
“Nightmare Weekend” is pure exploitation, make no mistake there but as I watched it, I couldn’t help but hear the guys at Mystery Science Theater 3000 in the background, making fun of every single frame in the movie. If you have a hankering to see something old school accompanied by random scenes of softcore sex, possessed hand puppets, studly Cuban guys and mutated hormonal women, then “Nightmare Weekend” is the film for you but believe me when I say, once you have watched it, there will be no unseeing it!
Available now on Blu-ray/DVD Combo
