Runtime: 90 minutes
Directed by: Harry Kirkpatrick, mostly, although Umberto Lenzi was on set
Starring: Nicolas de Toth, Sarah Buxton, John Saxon, Michael Parks, Lance LeGault
From: Overseas Filmgroup
A relevant movie for me to discuss today, it was. I mention that as a key plot point to this nonsense set at Spring Break in Florida was that the lead male is a college football quarterback who blew it in the national championship game in Miami by throwing 5 interceptions. Well, tonight is the college football national championship… the game will be held in a Miami suburb. Hopefully either Fernando Mendoza or Carson Beck don’t throw 5 INT’s in the game; they’ll be a total wet blanket during Spring Break and be a drag for their horndog wide receiver friend that is ready, willing & able to engage in the bacchanal that is Spring Break on a beach.
When I was in college way back when, I never went to Spring Break in Florida, thus I did not witness or even participate in the binge drinking, unprotected sex, wet t-shirt contests, and other debauchery all day & night. On the other hand, I also did not have to worry about the scenario presented in this Italian horror movie… a biker who was executed but is hinted at being resurrected as a killer in black biker leathers and a helmet who is indiscriminately killing people during the college rite of passage in Florida. At least for these people, they have John Saxon as a loose cannon aviator shades-wearing badass cop named… STRYCHER. Of course, the movie is easy to criticize or even scoff at if you aren’t entertained by incredibly silly genre movies and goofball young adults.
The acting aside from old pros like Saxon and Lance LeGault is spotty at best, terrible at worst. The logic of the plot shouldn’t be scrutinized too hard. Yet, I was entertained by this trash. The 80’s clothing, hair, and music throughout always made me chuckle. There are some absurd deaths-thankfully, the effects were decent-red herring characters that include a weird-looking creep that’s a Peeping Tom, and side plots that entertained me… both men and women, solo and in groups, people steal the money of the poor saps that are visiting for Spring Break. Another good reason for me not regretting going there!
Like with many Italian genre pictures for at least a 10 year period, they filmed in the Miami region of Florida; nice scenery was presented, and I’m not referring to the pretty ladies in the cast… or handsome men, if that’s your bag instead. The film was a good time. Note that Umberto Lenzi (someone I am a fan of) was the original director but he abdicated that position because he found the plot too similar to an earlier film he did… I won’t reveal which one as it could be deemed a spoiler. Instead, he stayed on in an advisory role and screenwriter Harry Kirkpatrick directed instead. From a mutual’s review, when he met Saxon at a comic con, he confirmed this to be the case.
Nightmare Beach was fun, especially as something different from the typical 80’s slasher.
No comments:
Post a Comment