If one thing's for sure I know horror movies and since being propped in front of the television since age 11 while Friday the 13th (terribly edited mind you) was playing on channel 56; I have developed a certain love/hate relationship with them due to the thousands (!) of mixed bags that I have seen. Frightmare (2000-not to be confused with the horror film of the same name from the early 1970's) ranks about slightly above average in the wake of atrociously cheap horror movies that have graced our movie shelves since 'Blair Witch' hit the jackpot (UNdeservedly so-bad bad movie). I mean let's face it everyone with a cheap video camera is getting their 30 cent budgeted film transfered to dvd or video in the hopes that the film will take off. Frightmare does have many many problems mind you..one being the way that it mercilessly rips off Wes Craven's superior Scream (1997) in plot and dialogue. At first I was beginning to sense an homage but it got to the point where it was just plain ripping off plot points and dialogue from the trend-setting horror film. That being said, I found myself jumping at more than one scene in this film as well as respecting some of the filmmakers interesting filmmaking techniques (though many DONT work-but hey it's a learning process), not to mention a dynamic opening credits sequence. The acting was, well, not very good, but it was tolerable enough to be able to get into the film to the point where it could be enjoyed. I could sit here and write an essay that explains how inept this film is and how there are as many plot holes to fit a cruise ship in, but thats not the point..for the most part they don't get into the way of a somewhat enjoyable film. If you can be an indiscriminatory viewer and have an hour and a half to waste, pick this film up, but remember I warned you as much as I informed you. Take from it what you will. I personally already forgot most of it...but that mask is pretty memorable i must say, being sort of a cross between Darth Maul and the little doll from Trilogy of Terror. At least I will remember that...
