Indie Anthology Worth A Look

December 28, 2010 by Editor
Filed under Film Reviews

Nightmare Alley (2010)

Directed By: Laurence Holloway and Scarlet Fry

Review Written By: Colleen Wanglund
Mondo Film & Video Guide Feature Contributor
IMDb.com Link

Written and directed by Laurence Holloway and Walter Ruether (as Scarlet Fry) NIGHTMARE ALLEY (2010) is a no-budget indie horror film that is actually pretty good. It is a seven story anthology held together with a host who introduces the pieces and adds a bit of comedic commentary. Think CREEPSHOW (1982) if it had been directed by Herschell Gordon Lewis. Filmed in a kitschy Grind-O-Scope its chock full of zombies, cannibalism, stabbing, slashing, and spilling innards. NIGHTMARE ALLEY has something for everyone.

The movie opens with a quick vignette that introduces the viewer to the comic book Nightmare Alley where those who read it are destined to die a horrible death. Then we meet the host played by Ruether. He’s no Cryptkeeper, but he helps to pace the movie. My favorite of the seven shorts is “Death Chat” about a horny guy who can’t keep it in his pants and is caught cheating by his girlfriend. After she leaves he goes looking for a sure thing in an online chatroom. Unfortunately for Mr. Horny he went looking for love in the wrong place. Something I’ll always love is the revenge of the scorned woman and this dude gets what’s coming to him. Another favorite of mine was “Rebellion” about a demon rat that uses mind control on some poor sap to get souls for the rat to eat so he can get bigger and take over the world. It was funny as hell and had a really cool car.

“Slash of the Blade” is another good short about Jack the Ripper returning to kill after an exhibit opens that displays his work. This is one I think could have been fleshed out a little more but it still works for me as a neat little slasher spot. “Meat” was pretty good in that it cracked me up more than grossed me out. A new guy moves into an apartment building and almost immediately hits on one of his neighbors. She brings him home, the husband shows up and the guy splits. Wifey kills her husband and serves him to new guy for dinner. What really had me laughing my ass off was the new guy was a big man who wore nothing but Daisy Dukes the whole time! A bit dopey, but entertaining nonetheless.

Still From 'Death Cheat'

My least favorite short was “The Great Damone” about an artist who kills his nagging wife and adds her to his work, resulting in a sale and a request for more. This one had my interest until he started on the sculpture. The end just didn’t work for me, although the painting of Anton LaVey was a plus. I also wasn’t crazy about “Fistful of Innards” about three outlaws in the old West who stumble upon a UFO that turns the dead into zombies. It started off promising but seemed to lack direction and then ended rather abruptly. Finally “Closet Case” was one I just didn’t see any point to. It felt like an afterthought to me when the time it took could have been used to add to one of the better shorts.

While I didn’t like all of the shorts I did like the overall experience of NIGHTMARE ALLEY and it does have some really good stories. Some of the acting was sub-par but still watchable and it didn’t take too much away from the movie as a whole. The grindhouse filter used worked for some parts but not for others. At times it was a distraction but at other times I didn’t even notice it. I did enjoy the special effects….they were simple but very effective. Holloway and Ruether’s DIY approach to movie-making is definitely headed in the right direction. Each vignette tends to hit like a machete blade….quick and oh so bloody. In my opinion NIGHTMARE ALLEY is worth a watch.