The four part horror anthology Nightmares (1983) was originally produced for the ABC series Darkroom. Universal decided they were too intense for broadcast television and instead repackaged these episodes as a theatrical release.
It was directed by Joseph Sargent, a prolific television director who also helmed some notable films, such as 1974s The Taking of Pelham One Two Three or the 1973 Burt Reynolds vehicle White Lightning.
As with any anthology, the different segments are somewhat uneven. The first, "Terror in Topanga," is my favorite. It details a woman's late night cigarette run while a serial killer is loose in the area. Watch for appearances from William Sanderson and Lee Ving in this segment. The second story, "Bishop of Battle" often gets the most attention, with Emilio Estevez as a teen who gets sucked into a video game. While playing, he often cranks up his Walkman with music from FEAR, Negative Trend, and Black Flag. Next "The Benediction" features Lance Henriksen as a priest who's faith is tested in a Duel style confrontation. The final story "Night of the Rat" details a man versus rat battle.
At the time of its release, I was already a fan of the Darkroom series so when I read in Fangoria about this film's connection I was curious. Don't remember it playing theatrically, but I rented the vhs as soon as it showed up in the new release section.
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