Nightmare (1964)

Let's hear it for Hammer, 17 September 2005

I recently wrote a review of Hammer's Paranoiac and, for the most part, I feel like I could change the name and delete references to Oliver Reed and post it as an original review for Nightmare. Oh, sure, there are differences between the two when you start talking about specific plot points, but the general theme is the same. Like Paranoiac, Nightmare is the story of a young woman who is either going insane or being driven insane as part of a fiendish plot. The girl has visions of a woman roaming the halls of her house. When she follows the woman, she inevitably finds her lying on a bed with a knife stuck in her chest.

If Nightmare excels at anything it's acting and atmosphere. The cast of non-Hammer regulars is wonderful. I've read that Jennie Linden was a last minute replacement to fill the role of the insane young woman. She's wonderfully believable in one of her first roles. I doubt that someone with considerable experience could have pulled it off so convincingly. As for atmosphere, I've always been of the belief that solid atmosphere is essential for an effective horror/thriller. And director Freddie Francis creates some very effective atmosphere. Everything from the sets to the cinematography to character reactions appears to have been designed to wring every last drop of atmosphere out of the script.

I couldn't be happier with the recently released eight-movie Hammer Horror Series. While most fans will surely purchase the set for the better known Frankenstein, Dracula, and Werewolf movies, I hope that most are as pleasantly surprised by the lesser known B&W Hammer films as I am.

7/10