American Nightmare (1984)

Don't listen to the negative reviews

A lot of fun.

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

This movie "American Nightmare" is one of the countless early 80's B thriller films that involves murder and sex mixed in to make it a watch. Something to watch to pass a little time anyway it's a note that Page Fletcher has a guest spot here this was just before he got his most memorable role on HBO's terrific "Hitchhiker" series. Anyway this is typical 80's B horror sex drama a man arrives in a city looking for his missing sister only to find that she was caught up in a world of underground staples like drugs, strip clubs and peep shows and even a sadistic murder who wants all of the girls dead. Along the trail of blood and scum dark secrets are revealed behind club doors and office doors. Look for Michael Ironside's turn as a cop overall good to pass time if you like early 80's B horror thrill films.

American Nightmare is a very unusual movie. It's not like your usual slasher where it's some guy in a mask killing a bunch of high school kids. But the movie plays out kind of like a slasher. This is sort of a cross over between a slasher and a mystery. A young girl goes missing and her older brother starts looking for her but the only people who can help him are a group of strippers (who are shallowly thought of as degenerates) who shared an apartment with her. The strippers start to get picked off one by one until the older brother, a girl named Louise, and a whole lot of red herrings are left standing.For such a low budget movie, American Nightmare is actually really good. I would even say it tops the more popular B-movies from this time such as Hell Night and maybe even Terror Train. The acting in this movie isn't too bad, I think the only person who is really that bad would be the killer when their identity is revealed. Another thing is that American Nightmare is pretty scary. The murders are pretty violent and suspenseful, and the creepiest part is some people you think are going to survive end up being murdered. There are two really good chase scenes in the middle and the end of the film between Louise and the killer between an apartment complex and a huge office building. For anybody who enjoys a slasher movie, a horror, or simply just a mystery this is obviously a huge recommendation.

A pianist is searching for his sister who has become a prostitute.A sadistic killer is preying on prostitutes.He kills his victims with a razor.Police hunt for the girl and the killer."American Nightmare" by Don McBrearty is a Canadian giallo with some slasher elements.The look of the film is dirty and grimy and there is enough sleaze and nudity to satisfy even the most demanding smut-peddlers.There is one extremely surprising twist involving the pianist's father that truly knocked me out of my seat.It's nice to see Michael Ironside in a small role as the cop.He was really believable as the killer in another overlooked Canadian slasher "Visiting Hours".Finally I must say that the killings are fairly brutal and effective for example one stripper is drowned in a bath-tub and the killer cuts her wrists.The water becomes red with her blood.So if you are a fan of Canadian exploitation cinema you can't miss "American Nightmare".7 out of 10.

I agree with the earlier "user comment" that described this film as a "Canadian Giallo." Having recently watched a number of Italian Giallos from the 1970s and 1960s, I find many of the characteristics of this film match up neatly with those of traditional giallos. (In particular, I can think of a number of similarities between this film and the giallo classic "Seven Blood-Stained Orchids.") For example, this film presents us with a murder mystery which really can't be called a "Whodunnit." Like many giallos, this movie has a gloved killer whose motivation for murder is revealed at the end. And as with many giallos, the police are largely ineffectual, so it is ultimately up to the protagonists to deal with the killer.The acting is also pretty good for a low budget feature. In particular, Lora Staley, the female lead, turns in a very good performance as does Larry Aubrey, who plays a transvestite named Dolly. The male lead, Lawrence Day, is generally good though somewhat wooden in some scenes. The rest of the cast is, at least, competent.The main negatives regarding this movie are a result of its low budget. Because of budget constraints, this movie was filmed in 16 mm format rather than 35 mm. The result is rather dull and dark looking images and rather washed out colors. Other users have complained that while there is much nudity in this film, it is not very erotic. I found most of the women in this movie to be very attractive, but the poor film quality simply does not do them justice. Aside from film quality, you also the common slasher film flaw of characters seeming to go out of their way to get themselves killed. In the case of this film, after becoming aware that the killer is targeting people within their group, characters continue to travel by themselves to areas where the killer has appeared previously and where -- surprise, surprise -- the killer tracks them down and kills them! All things considered, the positives outweigh the negatives with respect to this film. It is easily worth a rental. For those who like to collect slasher/giallo flicks, it is a must-have to such a collection. For all others, it is worth buying if you can find it at a decent price.