| Nightmare Cinema | |
| Director: | Alejandro Brugués Joe Dante Mick Garris Ryuhei Kitamura David Slade |
| Producer: | Mark Canton Mick Garris Joe Russo Courtney Solomon |
| Music: | Various |
| Cinematography: | Andrew Russo Matthias Schubert Jo Willems |
| Editing: | Tony Kearns Mike Mendez |
| Studio: | Cinelou Films Cranked Up Nice Guy Productions |
| Distributor: | Cranked Up Films |
| Runtime: | 119 minutes |
| Country: | United States |
Nightmare Cinema is a 2018 American horror anthology film featuring work by directors Alejandro Brugués, Joe Dante, Mick Garris, Ryūhei Kitamura, and David Slade.[1]
Five strangers converge at a haunted movie theater owned by The Projectionist (Mickey Rourke). Once inside, the audience members witness a series of screenings that shows them their deepest fears and darkest secrets over five tales.
The project was announced in September 2017 with the five directors attached and Rourke as the storyteller.[2] Filming took place in the United States in November and December 2017. Bruno Kohfield-Galeano provided his voice for an uncredited ADR loop group session and voiced Mr. Stitches and was also given special thanks in the credits. [3]
The film had its world premiere at the Fantasia International Film Festival in Canada on July 13, 2018.[4] It received a limited release in the United States on June 21, 2019.
On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, Nightmare Cinema holds an approval rating of, based on reviews, and an average rating of . Its consensus reads, "Admirably eclectic yet more consistent than most horror anthologies, Nightmare Cinema should entertain viewers in the mood for a good old-fashioned creepshow."[5] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 59 out of 100, based on 8 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[6]
Dennis Harvey, writing for Variety, gave the film a favorable review and called it an "uneven but fun compendium of scare tales."[7]
RogerEbert.com's Nick Allen provided a mixed review, praising certain segments for their creativity and execution but criticizing others for lacking coherence and impact. He noted that the film "offers a little something for every type of horror fan, but it can be a bit of a mess.
Noel Murray from The Los Angeles Times also gave a mixed review, appreciating the anthology format and the nostalgic appeal but mentioning that "some segments work better than others, leading to an uneven overall experience.