Nightmare in a Damaged Brain (1981) is everything I imagined it would be. It runs that gamut of madness, bloodshed, cliche, and violent indulgence a slasher fan might hopefully anticipate. A deeply troubled trauma sufferer with psycho-sexual hangups and this unyielding repetitious nightmare seems to be considered "rebuilt" and rehabilitated by his doctors...but we all know he's far from well.
Sex triggers a savage inside him that is encouraged no matter how much he wants the psychotic urges to stay away. Medication and the rehabilitative tricks of the mind can only do so much to halt the noise of the psychopath who wants out to play. And does that bad boy want to play.
The uncut version is the way to go if you want to see a severed head at the end of the bed opening her eyes, surrounded by chopped body parts and blood splatter as the killer is reminded of his responsibility for why her presence torments him. There's the pointy end of a hammer mutilating a babysitter. There's an ax murder that decapitates a woman and spreads blood all over a bedroom while her sex partner (tied up after their plans of kink are interrupted) begs for the gruesome murder to stop, himself receiving the weapon right in the forehead. There's involvement in a child both wielding an ax and shooting a handgun and rifle. So shocking violence rules the day in this blunt force object of a movie that gives Pieces a run for its money.
Don't worry as the killer takes a walk into the XXX district of The Big City, and some "strip room" dancers offer their naked treats for the viewer as he gazes inside from the position of a little window while the gradual psychosis renders its ugly head. And it has that giallo-Fulci "let's go crazy extreme" vibe and total disregard for taste, particularly in its presentation of sanity lost and how sex is a driving force in the violence.
There certainly is those films that bridged the giallo of the 70s and slasher of the 80s. Nightmare in a Damaged Brain is such an example.
Sex triggers a savage inside him that is encouraged no matter how much he wants the psychotic urges to stay away. Medication and the rehabilitative tricks of the mind can only do so much to halt the noise of the psychopath who wants out to play. And does that bad boy want to play.
The uncut version is the way to go if you want to see a severed head at the end of the bed opening her eyes, surrounded by chopped body parts and blood splatter as the killer is reminded of his responsibility for why her presence torments him. There's the pointy end of a hammer mutilating a babysitter. There's an ax murder that decapitates a woman and spreads blood all over a bedroom while her sex partner (tied up after their plans of kink are interrupted) begs for the gruesome murder to stop, himself receiving the weapon right in the forehead. There's involvement in a child both wielding an ax and shooting a handgun and rifle. So shocking violence rules the day in this blunt force object of a movie that gives Pieces a run for its money.
Don't worry as the killer takes a walk into the XXX district of The Big City, and some "strip room" dancers offer their naked treats for the viewer as he gazes inside from the position of a little window while the gradual psychosis renders its ugly head. And it has that giallo-Fulci "let's go crazy extreme" vibe and total disregard for taste, particularly in its presentation of sanity lost and how sex is a driving force in the violence.
There certainly is those films that bridged the giallo of the 70s and slasher of the 80s. Nightmare in a Damaged Brain is such an example.
I rented this as a little kid under the title "Blood Splash," which came in a video box that showed a blood-drenched woman being axed in the head right on the front cover! Subtle. I do always remember this one though because I think it's grittier than most others made during this time.
ReplyDeleteIt is. Your blog is destined to feature this film!
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