Frightmare on DVD

Every time I watch a direct-to-video horror movie, I end up very disappointed. So why do I keep watching them?

Because every time, I tell myself: "It can't possibly be as bad as the last one."

Live and learn.

Frightmare is the latest atrocity that I had the misfortune of watching. It's about a psycho dubbed the "Conscience Killer" wreaking havoc on a small town.

A group of high school students are putting on a haunted house in hopes of raising enough money for their class trip. But once three teenagers are brutally murdered, the house gets shut down and a curfew is set.

Does this stop the Conscience Killer from going after the main characters? Of course not.

The problem with this, and far too many movies like it, is that it sucks. Plain and simple,it has no redeeming qualities. It's really a shame that there are lots of good movie ideas out there that never get made, yet trash like this at least gets a direct-to-video release.

Anyone with a quarter of a brain could figure out who the killer is. It's pretty obvious, and they don't even try to hide it. It couldn't have been more obvious if he'd said: "Excuse me guys, I have to go and kill a few people."

Everything about this movie is bad. The script is pathetic, the story is clichéd and poorly done, and the acting is even more pathetic. Even for a cheap, direct-to-video horror movie this is bad.

I must say, I'm really looking forward to the next release by director Ash Smith. At least that'll be one movie I won't have to be upset at missing.

The DVD is appropriately poor. Presented in a very grainy, 1.33:1 full frame transfer, the picture quality is pretty bad. It's overly dark and very dusty. Aside from that, it's 1.33:1 full frame (not that this film deserves any better). The sound is done in Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo, and sounds as good as you would expect from trash. There is a lot of screaming in the film, and at those points you're very thankful it's not done in a high quality digital 5.1.

The only extras are some director and cast filmographies, and a Spartan Home Entertainment trailer gallery.

Frightmare, from Spartan Home Entertainment
91 minutes, 1.33:1 full frame, Dolby Digital 2.0
Starring Shanda Besler, Summer Lapan, Shawn Wright and Brandon O'Dell
Produced by Ron Lavery
Written and Directed by Ash Smith

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