Italian filmmaker Umberto Lenzi left an unforgettable mark on cinema during his three plus decade career. Whether it be in Thrillers (with films like 1974’s Almost Human), Action (with the likes of others like 1975’s Manhunt), or Horror… where it seemed he made the most significant impression. Not limiting Lenzi’s unique talents to the Horror world, it would be dishonest to deny that most associate him with features such as 1980’s Nightmare City, of course, 1981’s Cannibal Ferox, but also 1972’s Seven Blood-Stained Orchids.
These select titles mentioned, it seems by the time the ‘80s arrived, Lenzi had hit a comfortable stride in the Horror world. The truth is he made a list of Horror films in that period, and at the tail end of the decade was called to work on a film called Nightmare Beach. Nightmare Beach, a slasher of sorts, was to have Lenzi handle the direction, but in fact, he had little to do with it at all.
Ironic, considering his name has forever been attached to Nightmare Beach, the story goes that Lenzi felt the film was too similar to his own film Seven Blood-Stained Orchids, thus he opted to bow out of taking on the project. Really a personal decision based on his own creativity, the real reason Lenzi name remains associated with Nightmare Beach at all is because Screenwriter Harry Kirkpatrick (also known as James Justice) convinced Lenzi to remain on as an advisor. An agreement which would have Lenzi wishing to remain uncredited, the humorous part is that for years many thought Harry Kirkpatrick was actually an alias for Lenzi. Obviously not the case, Kirkpatrick was indeed a real person, and some may recognize him under the aforementioned name James Justice, who co-wrote 1988’s Sci-Fi/Horror flick Primal Rage.
Fascinating tidbits of detail emerging years after Nightmare Beach’s release in 1989, the film actually has a ton of other intriguing aspects outside the actual story itself. Among these, you have a pretty cool cast that includes the legendary John Saxon (who starred in everything from 1961’s Portrait in Black to 1973’s Enter the Dragon, as well as 1984’s A Nightmare on Elm Street), Sarah G. Buxton (from films like 1985’s The Sure Thing and 1987’s Less Than Zero), Michael Parks (in everything from 1994’s Death Wish V to a ton of Quentin Tarantino films), and Lance LeGault (known for a load of television roles, especially as Colonel Roderick Decker in The A-Team). Beyond this, the soundtrack is crafted by Goblin’s Claudio Simonetti, and many of the other songs featured in the film are Hard Rock/Metal leaning; including tracks from Derek St. Holmes and Rough Cutt.
If this is all not enough, for the real easter egg hunter, look out for a group of bikers in Nightmare Beach sporting jackets with the same logo as Lamberto Bava’s 1985 fan-favorite Demons, plus a scene with a wet t-shirt contestant announced by an uncredited Paul Gleason (famously known for 1983’s Trading Places, 1985’s The Breakfast Club, just to name a few).
All in all, there is a lot behind Nightmare Beach for true movie fans even before you even find out what it is all about. That in mind, what is it all about? Well, as alluded to, it is a bit of a slasher type flick where you have an unidentifiable biker roaming around the beaches of South Florida seeking careless college kids on spring break, hungry to knock them off. Simply enough, this motorcycle helmet wearing killer does not just do that… but does so in some interesting ways. Is it obvious what is going on, or is it something that will keep you guessing into the final act?
Not at all a bad plot, the film moves along at a decent pace and has enough charm to keep you interested all the way through. Something you would thoroughly enjoy as a late-night viewing with some popcorn, now for the first time ever Nightmare Beach is available in 4K Ultra HD. Made possible through Kino Lorber (as part of their Kino Cult collection), Nightmare Beach arrived in 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray as of July 23, 2024. With this you get the film on a 4K Ultra HD disc, plus a Blu-ray disc, and the quality is rather impressive. A 4K Scan of the 35mm original camera negative, the image is extremely rich and sound is quite good as well (offering you the dialogue either in Italian or English). This aside, you also get audio commentary from Film Historian Samm Deighan, plus an interesting interview with Claudio Simonetti.
Overall, Kino Lorber has put together a lovely package for a lesser-known film that is especially enjoyable if you are a John Saxon fan. That is why Cryptic Rock gives the 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray release of Nightmare Beach 4.5 out of 5 stars.
){kind=link}
No comment