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Nightmares

 Nightmares
type
TVTItem
 Nightmares
label
Nightmares
 Nightmares
page
Nightmares
 Nightmares
comment
Nightmares is a 1983 horror anthology film directed by Joseph Sargent.The film is divided into four different stories: Terror in Topanga: Chain-smoking wife and mother Lisa (Cristina Raines), against her husband's warnings, goes out one night to buy another pack of cigarettes. Meanwhile, TV and radio bulletins have announced that serial killer and escaped mental patient William Henry Glazier (Lee Ving) is on the loose after he recently stabbed a highway patrolman. Things go From Bad to Worse when Lisa's car runs out of gas, and she starts getting paranoid of nearly every man she encounters, believing them to be Glazier. The Bishop of Battle: The most popular of the four stories. Gamer and hustler J. J. Cooney (Emilio Estevez) is obsessed with beating an insanely hard video game at his local shopping mall called The Bishop of Battle. The game is so difficult that not even the best players made it to the 13th level, some people thinking that said level isn't even real. J. J.'s obsession with the Bishop has grown so strong that his grades are dropping, leading his father to ground him. He sneaks out after dark and breaks into the mall to play the game some more, and he actually manages to reach the 13th level. Unfortunately, this results in the game's enemies escaping into the real world, where they can do very real damage. The Benediction: Frank MacLeod (Lance Henriksen), a Catholic priest, suffers a crisis of faith after the pointlessly violent death of a young boy in the parish where he serves. Having lost his belief in the concepts of good and evil, he takes some holy water (which he views as ordinary tap water) and drives off into the desert to do some soul-searching. While driving on a highway, he encounters a black Chevrolet pickup truck traveling behind him. The truck soon disappears, but then begins reappearing more and more frequently, even displaying some supernatural abilities. The truck is revealed be driven by Satan himself, who will stop at nothing to claim the life of the ex-priest. Night of the Rat: The Houstons are a suburban family of three apparently suffering from a rat infestation. Steven (Richard Masur), the father, not wanting his ego challenged or any extra money not going into the swimming pool he has been planning to have built, wants to fix the issue himself. His wife Claire (Veronica Cartwright), eventually gets fed up and calls exterminator Mel Keefer (Albert Kague). Despite thinking that a couple of rat traps can take care of the problem, Steven and his family can still hear sounds of scurrying paws in the walls and the attic. After discovering objects falling off shelves, power cables being chewed, holes gnawed in the walls, and family cat Rosie having been torn to shreds, the Houstons discover that this particular rat is bigger, stronger, and more powerful than they thought.The DVD was released by Anchor Bay Entertainment in 1999, but it's currently out-of-print. However, a Blu-ray of the movie was released by Shout Factory in 2015.
 Nightmares
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2023-08-22T08:58:44Z
 Nightmares
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2023-08-22T08:58:44Z
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DBTropes
 Nightmares / int_143939c1
type
Trailers Always Spoil
 Nightmares / int_143939c1
comment
Trailers Always Spoil: Fortunately, it doesn't spoil the ending.
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Nightmares / int_143939c1
 Nightmares / int_19102429
type
Twist Ending
 Nightmares / int_19102429
comment
Twist Ending: As stated above, based on how the scene was played out, the attendant looks and even initially acted like a serial killer, but the real serial killer turned out to be someone else.
 Nightmares / int_19102429
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 Nightmares / int_19102429
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Nightmares / int_19102429
 Nightmares / int_22cf536c
type
Chekhov's Gun
 Nightmares / int_22cf536c
comment
Chekhov's Gun: The holy water that Frank took with him (he viewed it as mere tap water after his faith was shattered) ends up being the very item that stops the truck.
 Nightmares / int_22cf536c
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1.0
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Nightmares / int_22cf536c
 Nightmares / int_25b4ad2f
type
Surprisingly Happy Ending
 Nightmares / int_25b4ad2f
comment
Surprisingly Happy Ending: The only on-screen character who gets killed is Glazier himself. The police give the relieved Lisa a ride home, where she reunites with her concerned husband. What's even better, she ends up throwing the cigarettes she went to all the trouble to buy in the trash, implying the experience cured her smoking addiction. Or at least, she's working on it.
 Nightmares / int_25b4ad2f
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Nightmares / int_25b4ad2f
 Nightmares / int_2c9e262
type
Catapult Nightmare
 Nightmares / int_2c9e262
comment
Catapult Nightmare: This story begins with Frank having a nightmare where a serpent attacks and poisons a baby deer that he was looking after. He grabs the snake and throws it through the air, where it vanishes, and then begins screaming that it bit his hand before it went, causing him to bolt out of bed clutching his hand.
 Nightmares / int_2c9e262
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Nightmares / int_2c9e262
 Nightmares / int_2e8441c9
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The Bad Guy Wins
 Nightmares / int_2e8441c9
comment
The Bad Guy Wins: See Downer Ending below.
 Nightmares / int_2e8441c9
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Nightmares / int_2e8441c9
 Nightmares / int_3130e2c6
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Uplifted Animal
 Nightmares / int_3130e2c6
comment
Uplifted Animal: The Devil Rodent is shown to have pretty powerful psychic abilities. She's also intelligent to the point that she is capable of differentiating between Claire's other dolls and a stuffed rat, and also telepathically communicate her thoughts to her.
 Nightmares / int_3130e2c6
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Nightmares / int_3130e2c6
 Nightmares / int_31a2a33c
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Stuff Blowing Up
 Nightmares / int_31a2a33c
comment
Stuff Blowing Up: The truck blows up MacLeod's car after ramming it several times.
 Nightmares / int_31a2a33c
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1.0
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Nightmares / int_31a2a33c
 Nightmares / int_40cc0c7e
type
Bittersweet Ending
 Nightmares / int_40cc0c7e
comment
Bittersweet Ending: A minor case. Rosie the cat was killed, and the family's house was damaged from the conflict, but the family themselves are left safe and sound, without any other injury or death.
 Nightmares / int_40cc0c7e
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1.0
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Nightmares / int_40cc0c7e
 Nightmares / int_41eab669
type
Daylight Horror
 Nightmares / int_41eab669
comment
Daylight Horror: This the only story in the film to occur during the day.
 Nightmares / int_41eab669
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1.0
 Nightmares / int_41eab669
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Nightmares / int_41eab669
 Nightmares / int_479d4e5a
type
Would Hurt a Child
 Nightmares / int_479d4e5a
comment
Would Hurt a Child: The incident that led to Frank's crisis of faith was the death of a young boy, who was pointlessly and cruelly shot by robbers.
 Nightmares / int_479d4e5a
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Nightmares / int_479d4e5a
 Nightmares / int_4e3d253b
type
Downer Ending
 Nightmares / int_4e3d253b
comment
Downer Ending: The Bishop seems to trap J. J. inside his game and turns him into the new player avatar.
 Nightmares / int_4e3d253b
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1.0
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Nightmares / int_4e3d253b
 Nightmares / int_7131e4c9
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Rodents of Unusual Size
 Nightmares / int_7131e4c9
comment
Rodents of Unusual Size: The Devil Rodent is about the size of a young human child.
 Nightmares / int_7131e4c9
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Nightmares / int_7131e4c9
 Nightmares / int_79372d59
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The Game Come to Life
 Nightmares / int_79372d59
comment
The Game Come to Life: When J. J. finally succeeds in reaching level 13 (after breaking into the arcade afterhours), he discovers that reaching this level causes the enemies within to enter the real world, where they can do very real damage.
 Nightmares / int_79372d59
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Nightmares / int_79372d59
 Nightmares / int_79a60aec
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For Want of a Nail
 Nightmares / int_79a60aec
comment
For Want of a Nail: Lisa is driven mad with fear and seemingly nearly killed by an escaped serial killer all for a pack of cigarettes. When she reunites with her husband, she throws the pack away, having decided to quit and save herself the trouble.
 Nightmares / int_79a60aec
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Nightmares / int_79a60aec
 Nightmares / int_9203bf6
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Arc Number
 Nightmares / int_9203bf6
comment
Arc Number: The game has 13 levels. Guess what happened to J. J. when he reaches the final level.
 Nightmares / int_9203bf6
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1.0
 Nightmares / int_9203bf6
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Nightmares / int_9203bf6
 Nightmares / int_a8a04f6f
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And I Must Scream
 Nightmares / int_a8a04f6f
comment
And I Must Scream: J. J. is implied to be trapped inside the game as its player avatar, ready to be controlled by other players.
 Nightmares / int_a8a04f6f
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Nightmares / int_a8a04f6f
 Nightmares / int_ab3b6852
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The Most Dangerous Video Game
 Nightmares / int_ab3b6852
comment
The Most Dangerous Video Game: One of the earliest examples.
 Nightmares / int_ab3b6852
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Nightmares / int_ab3b6852
 Nightmares / int_acf33d00
type
Nice Job Fixing It, Villain
 Nightmares / int_acf33d00
comment
Nice Job Fixing It, Villain: Frank was suffering a crisis of faith and was well on his way to a self-exile. If the driver of the devilish truck is truly Satan, he should've left Frank alone, especially since losing one's faith in God constitutes as a win for him.
 Nightmares / int_acf33d00
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Nightmares / int_acf33d00
 Nightmares / int_aed65980
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All for Nothing
 Nightmares / int_aed65980
comment
All for Nothing: Steven wanted to kill the Devil Rodent as a means of boosting his ego. In the end, he puts his gun down and the creature leaves the house, harming no one.
 Nightmares / int_aed65980
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 Nightmares / int_aed65980
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Nightmares / int_aed65980
 Nightmares / int_b58b4e3c
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Too Dumb to Live
 Nightmares / int_b58b4e3c
comment
Too Dumb to Live: J. J. leaves his gun behind when he enters the mall parking lot. The Bishop himself comes out of nowhere and begins closing in...
 Nightmares / int_b58b4e3c
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Nightmares / int_b58b4e3c
 Nightmares / int_b645829b
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 Nightmares / int_b645829b
comment
"Stop Having Fun" Guys: In-universe, with every player determined to beat the titular game, J. J. included. It doesn't end well.
 Nightmares / int_b645829b
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Nightmares / int_b645829b
 Nightmares / int_bb30b9e9
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Danger Takes a Backseat
 Nightmares / int_bb30b9e9
comment
Danger Takes a Backseat: It turns out that the backseat of Lisa's car was where Glazier was hiding.
 Nightmares / int_bb30b9e9
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Nightmares / int_bb30b9e9
 Nightmares / int_c04b1231
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Jump Scare
 Nightmares / int_c04b1231
comment
Jump Scare: At one point, the truck bursts out from the ground, complete with a the deafening roar of its engine.
 Nightmares / int_c04b1231
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Nightmares / int_c04b1231
 Nightmares / int_c2d978fe
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Car Fu
 Nightmares / int_c2d978fe
comment
Car Fu: The truck is responsible for damaging and destroying Frank's car.
 Nightmares / int_c2d978fe
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 Nightmares / int_c2d978fe
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Nightmares / int_c2d978fe
 Nightmares / int_c3bafbce
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Satan
 Nightmares / int_c3bafbce
comment
Satan: The driver of the truck, as implied by the inverted cross hanging on the truck's mirror.
 Nightmares / int_c3bafbce
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Nightmares / int_c3bafbce
 Nightmares / int_ce85ca00
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Gas Station of Doom
 Nightmares / int_ce85ca00
comment
Gas Station of Doom: Lisa hears over the radio that William Henry Glazier, an escaped serial killer, is on the loose in her area. Naturally, she goes out to get a pack of cigarettes and stops at a deserted-looking gas station that's open all night. The attendant happens to perfectly match Glazier's description and she gets worried. The attendant drags Lisa out of the car, pulls out a gun and shoots...the real Glazier, who was hiding in her backseat.
 Nightmares / int_ce85ca00
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Nightmares / int_ce85ca00
 Nightmares / int_d1b4f0ef
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Everybody Lives
 Nightmares / int_d1b4f0ef
comment
Everybody Lives: None of the characters are killed on-screen. The only shown death was that of a boy who was killed off-screen by a pair of burglars robbing the local store.
 Nightmares / int_d1b4f0ef
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Nightmares / int_d1b4f0ef
 Nightmares / int_d2c0e2ed
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Schmuck Bait
 Nightmares / int_d2c0e2ed
comment
Schmuck Bait: If you're planning on playing a few rounds of The Bishop, it's better to lose on level 12.
 Nightmares / int_d2c0e2ed
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Nightmares / int_d2c0e2ed
 Nightmares / int_d6dc2b5f
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Animate Inanimate Object
 Nightmares / int_d6dc2b5f
comment
Animate In Animate Object: Averted. The truck is driven by Satan, though he never appears on-screen.
 Nightmares / int_d6dc2b5f
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Nightmares / int_d6dc2b5f
 Nightmares / int_dbbaed55
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Monster Is a Mommy
 Nightmares / int_dbbaed55
comment
Monster Is a Mommy: The normal-sized rat killed early in the segment was the Devil Rodent's baby, and she herself is none too happy to find out her child is dead.
 Nightmares / int_dbbaed55
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Nightmares / int_dbbaed55
 Nightmares / int_dbca2c99
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Red Herring
 Nightmares / int_dbca2c99
comment
Red Herring: The attendant, as well as every other man Lisa meets on her journey, is not Glazier; the real Glazier is hiding in Lisa's back seat, and he's killed by the attendant.
 Nightmares / int_dbca2c99
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Nightmares / int_dbca2c99
 Nightmares / int_e13156e1
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Mama Bear
 Nightmares / int_e13156e1
comment
Mama Bear: The Devil Rodent starts wrecking the Houstons' house when she couldn't find her baby.
 Nightmares / int_e13156e1
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Nightmares / int_e13156e1
 Nightmares / int_e303d198
type
Whole-Plot Reference
 Nightmares / int_e303d198
comment
Whole-Plot Reference: Considering that our protagonist is hounded by a truck that has Satanic origins, this story is essentially a mashup of Duel and The Car.
 Nightmares / int_e303d198
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Nightmares / int_e303d198
 Nightmares / int_e8b0f099
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Dark Is Evil
 Nightmares / int_e8b0f099
comment
Dark Is Evil: The truck is pitch black in color, and it's strongly implied to be driven by Satan.
 Nightmares / int_e8b0f099
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Nightmares / int_e8b0f099
 Nightmares / int_f14264e9
type
DeFictionalized
 Nightmares / int_f14264e9
comment
Defictionalized: Still a demo version. Hopefully, the final version won't come to life or harm you physically in the thirteenth level.
 Nightmares / int_f14264e9
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Nightmares / int_f14264e9
 Nightmares / int_f64a9cf7
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Earn Your Happy Ending
 Nightmares / int_f64a9cf7
comment
Earn Your Happy Ending: Frank manages to destroy the demonic truck hounding him, and it's strongly implied that his faith was restored following the incident, as he requests the paramedics take him to the hospital in his parish..
 Nightmares / int_f64a9cf7
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Nightmares / int_f64a9cf7
 Nightmares / int_f7257495
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Hustling the Mark
 Nightmares / int_f7257495
comment
Hustling the Mark: What J. J. did for a pocket money before going to the mall with Bishop of Battle.
 Nightmares / int_f7257495
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Nightmares

The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.

 Nightmares
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Danger Takes a Backseat / int_a731886e
 Nightmares
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Gas Station of Doom / int_a731886e
 Nightmares
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Rodents of Unusual Size / int_a731886e
 Nightmares
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Self-Healing Phlebotinum / int_a731886e
 Nightmares
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The Game Come to Life / int_a731886e
 Nightmares
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The Most Dangerous Video Game / int_a731886e
 Nightmares
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Video Arcade / int_a731886e
 Nightmares
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Win to Exit / int_a731886e