Born in 1928, Norman Thaddeus Vane was a successful playwright turned screenwriter turned filmmaker whose career spanned several decades. His first play, “The Penguin,” featured a then-unknown Martin Landau and opened Off-Broadway in 1952 to stellar reviews. In 1960, he transitioned from playwriting to filmmaking by directing Conscience Bay, then writing The Fledglings in 1964. Vane mostly stuck to screenwriting throughout the late 1960s into the 1970s before returning to director in the early 1980s. In 1982, his second feature, The Black Room, featuring then-unknowns Linnea Quigley and Christopher McDonald, saw a West German release. Around the same time, he shot a film that combined tropes from horror films old and new. The movie initially saw a 1981 release as The Horror Star, but Troma picked up the distribution rights years later. Subsequently, Troma later released the film under the title Frightmare.
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Synopsis
Conrad Razkoff (Ferdy Mayne) is a once-respected horror star who now has to do commercials to make ends meet. A local film society invites him to their school, but unfortunately, he suffers a heart attack while on stage. Thankfully, he recovers, though knowing that death will be coming soon, he starts preparing his funeral. Following his death, the film students get drunk and decide to exhume his body despite objections from Meg (Jennifer Starrett). Conrad’s wife, Etta (Barbara Pilavin), learns that the body is gone, so she meets the psychic, Mrs. Rohmer (Nita Talbot). Rohmer discovers where the body is, and, through Etta’s chanting, Conrad rises from the dead to exact his revenge. One by one, each of the film students gets picked off in a sadistic fashion, more graphic than the last. Having risen from the grave, Conrad Razkoff has gone from playing a monster to being a monster.
Review
Frightmare is an oddity, bridging the gap between the atmospheric horror of the past and the rising slasher boom. It has the mood of an old black-and-white chiller and the gore and nudity of an early 80s hack-and-slash movie. It also shows how a once-prominent celebrity can lose relevancy over time and try to reclaim their lost status. As Conrad Radzoff, Ferdy Mayne revels in playing such a larger-than-life character, chewing as much scenery as possible. He’s easily the highlight of the cast as, unfortunately, the rest of the actors don’t particularly stand out. Luca Bercovici from Parasite 3D and Jeffrey Combs, famous for Re-Animator and From Beyond, make early appearances here. Also in the cast are Scott Thomson, who later appeared in Ghoulies, and famous character actress Nita Talbot. It’s odd how a Troma movie would have so many connections with Charles Band’s Empire Pictures and Full Moon Features.
The cinematographer was Joel King, whose previous credits include being a camera operator for Carrie and The Beastmaster, which shows. He gives the film a surreal, dream-like quality that makes it feel otherworldly, like something out of a nightmare. For a low-budget production, the gore effects are surprisingly well done, the highlight being a decapitation done in slow-motion. Admittedly, the film’s most unique aspect is what somewhat hurts it, which causes an identity crisis. While the old-school atmospheric elements work, the slasher portions feel almost tacked on, likely to appeal to that crowd. Plus, there are hints of Conrad either screwing people over or people using him, but that’s never fully explored. While I wouldn’t go so far as to call this a forgotten masterpiece, it’s still a lesser-known gem worth watching. Overall, Frightmare isn’t perfect, but it has enough going to give it a mild recommendation.
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