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Dark Dreams
An Obsessive Look at Romano Scavolini's NIGHTMARE
by Nick Cato
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Book Presentation:
Institutionalised as a child for a gruesome double murder and having undergone experimental psychiatric treatment into adulthood, George Tatum is finally released into society … only to kill again.
Of all the slasher films to appear in the 1980s, none were as brutal or would elicit as much controversy as Romano Scavolini’s Nightmare. From round-the-clock screenings in New York City to becoming a popular VHS rental, the film was quickly championed by gorehounds thirsting for onscreen blood while alienating many others.
Onscreen carnage was only the beginning. Critics found the film offensive and its moral tone ambiguous. The gruesome special effects were subject to fierce debate. The UK distributor served a prison sentence for releasing the film uncut, provocatively retitled as Nightmares in a Damaged Brain. It became one of the most notorious of the so-called ‘video nasties’.
Author Nick Cato first experienced Nightmare as part of a double feature in 1983. He is not alone in considering it one of the most intense horror films of all time. He is alone in having spent over forty years amassing material on the film, sifting through countless reviews (mostly negative) and magazine articles, attending dozens of theatrical screenings, and conducting many interviews. This book is the result.
Dark Dreams ― a fan obsessed. Nightmare ― a slasher film that refuses to die.
About the Author:
Nick Cato is the author of SUBURBAN GRINDHOUSE: FROM STATEN ISLAND TO TIMES SQUARE AND ALL THE SLEAZE BETWEEN (2019 Headpress). He has also written two novels and nine novellas, which include the cult favorites THE LAST PORNO THEATER, DEATH WITCH, and UPTOWN DEATH SQUAD. His latest novella (co-written with Andre Duza) is AT MIDNIGHT WE POSSESS THE DAMNED. Nick is currently working on his third film book, a look at post-1982 midnight movies and their resurgence.
Press Reviews:
"After over four decades, it seems like horror fans have scoured every single detail about their most beloved slasher films. As it turns out, there's still a wealth left to explore when it comes to Nightmare, one of the most reviled of the decade's unrated splatter shockers. It's a grungy, haunting, mean mongrel of a film that's never let go of author Nick Cato, and in Dark Dreams he uses that to deliver a compelling mixture of in-depth research, personal experience, and a meticulous eye for detail. There's no way you can read this book and avoid watching the film right away, whether it's your first time or your twentieth." ―-Nathaniel Thompson, mondo-digital.com
"A book on Nightmare? Now we're talking! Nick Cato never disappoints, and his exploration of Romano Scavolini's much maligned masterpiece is about as exhaustive (and entertaining) as it gets. Add this book to your library now!" ―-John Szpunar, editor-in-chief Deep Red magazine
"In Dark Dreams, Nick Cato takes us on a journey through a cult horror film that is one challenging, stylish, emotionally impactful, and disturbing masterwork. He delves into the very roots of this unsettling and grue-filled work of sleaze-cinema-art and, lucky us, we get to go along for the ride." ―-Heather Drain, esoteric culture writer
"Nightmare is a film that works against the odds, and Nick Cato’s book gets to the heart of that unlikely affective quality. Written from the thorough and obsessive perspective of a true fan, Dark Dreams is a perfect companion to a notorious film." ―-Vincent A. Albarano, author of Aesthetic Deviations
See the publisher website: Headpress
See Nightmare (1981) on IMDB ...
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