- For the episode, see MST3K 604 - Zombie Nightmare.
Zombie Nightmare is a 1987 supernatural horror film directed by Jack Bravman and written by John Fasano. It is a starring vehicle for musician Jon Mikl Thor.
Plot[]
In the mid-20th century, a little boy named Tony Washington watches his father William play in a local baseball game. On the way home Tony, William, and Tony's mother Louise see a young girl about to be raped by two teenagers. William saves the young girl from being raped but is killed when one of the rapists fatally stabs him.
Adam West in Zombie Nightmare
Years pass and Tony, now a musclebound teenage baseball player, is leaving a small grocery store where he had helped disrupt an attempted robbery. As he steps out of the store and into the road, he is run over by a gang of reckless teenagers and is killed. His mother contacts one of her neighbors, a voodoo priestess named Molly, to save her son. Molly explains to Louise that although she is unable to restore her son back to life, she can keep him between a state of life and death long enough for him to avenge himself. After Louise agrees, Molly resurrects Tony as a zombie. She then uses her powers to aid him in his revenge.
"Think I'll walk down Certain Doom Lane"
The next night, the now zombified Tony is able to track down two of the teenagers in a gym and kills them. The night afterwards, he kills another one of the teenager who was attempting to rape a waitress. Police detective Frank Sorrell investigates these incidents and initially agrees with a coroner that a large drug-fueled man must be responsible. Sorrell brings his suspicions to his boss, police captain Tom Churchman and is told that the police already have a suspect that matches Sorrell's description. The case is considered closed.
Unconvinced, Sorrell investigates photos that show Molly at both incidents and suggests to Churchman that they bring her in for questioning. The captain quickly dismisses her as a "batty, voodoo palm reader" and sends Sorrell home to rest. Churchman contacts Fred, the father of one of the murdered teens. Churchman informs fred of Molly's involvement in his son's death. Before Fred can leave his home, he sees Tony approaching and shoots him with a rifle. Tony quickly recovers and breaks Fred's neck, killing him.
Knowing that they will be next, the two remaining teenagers decide to leave town. When they attempt to get money at a garage, Tony finds them and kills them.
Tia Carrere in Zombie Nightmare
While monitoring Tony's actions, Molly is held at gunpoint by Churchman and forced to show him where Tony is going. The zombie makes his way to a cemetery with Sorrell following him. Molly and Churchman arrive, both telling Sorrell that Molly resurrected Tony to avenge not only himself, but also Molly.
Molly reveals that Churchman and Fred were the two that tried to rape her years ago, and that Churchman was the one who had killed Tony's father. Having learned that a zombie will lose its energy once it has avenged itself, Churchman shoots and kills Tony, then Molly as well. Before Churchman can shoot Sorrell (thus eliminating him as a witness), a second zombie rises out of a nearby grave and drags Churchman into the ground with him, presumably to Hell. A shocked Sorrell inspects the grave and realizes the second zombie was Tony's father.
Cast[]
- Adam West as Capt. Tom Churchman
- Jon Mikl Thor as Tony Washington
- Tia Carrere as Amy
- Manuska Rigaud as Molly Mokembe
- Frank Dietz as Frank Sorrell
- Jesse D'Angelo as young Tony
- John Fasano as William Washington
- James Rae as Fred
- Shawn Levy as Jim Batten
Notes[]
- This is the film debut of Tia Carrere.
- Director Shawn Levy (Real Steel, Night at the Museum, The Pink Panther, Free Guy, Stranger Things) also made his film debut here.
- This film was a direct-to-video release, and was never exhibited in theaters.
- The opening song is "Ace of Spades" by Motörhead.
- Dean Hagopian (the crusty Medical Examiner) was in a band called the Staccatos. After he left the band, they changed their name and went on to fame as the Five Man Electrical Band.
- Top-billed Adam West does not appear in the first 45 minutes of the film.
- The soundtrack list includes bands called The Things and Knighthawk. They also include Jon Mikl Thor.
- A band called Battalion has a song in this film called “Out For The Kill.” This was a New York City-based band that existed; they even had a comic book. Their debut album was co-produced by Jon Mikl Thor. Later, Thor revealed that the Battalion guitarist committed suicide by jumping off a 35-story building in New York City. The band was set to release their album and start a U.S. tour when this happened. The album and tour were subsequently canceled, and the band disbanded.
- A band called Deathmask (reportedly one of the first speed-metal bands) recorded a song for this film called “I’m Dangerous.” This is another band that Jon Mikl Thor was involved with, and he put a lot of time, money, and effort into the band, assisting them in obtaining a record deal and afterwards working with them to co-produce the album. For unknown reasons, the group declined to go on tour, and without the help of a live tour to bolster album promotion, Deathmask vanished into oblivion.
Critical Response[]
- Michael Weldon stated in The Psychotronic Video Guide, "This old-fashioned (minimal sex and blood) horror movie looks like it's from the early 70s. Muscular singer Jon Mikl Thor stars as a good Samaritan killed by hit-and-run would-be rapist teens. He returns from the grave as a green-faced instrument of revenge and kills one guy with a baseball bat through the stomach. Tia Carrere costars and Manuska Rigaud is pretty offbeat as a Haitian voodoo priestess. Adam "Batman" West is a police captain who figures in the bizarre (surprise!) ending. The soundtrack is heavy metal, and the filmmakers had the right idea using Motörhead's "Ace of Spades" for the opening theme."