Overview: The gory ghosts of Hollywood’s Golden Era return from the grave craving bloody revenge, in Norman Thaddeus Vane’s Frightmare!

Following the death of legendary horror actor Conrad Radzoff (Ferdy Mayne, The Howling II, Conan the Destroyer), a group of overzealous drama students steal his corpse from his crypt and take it to the decrepit haunted house where his finest fright films were made. As the night goes on, the students lean the true meaning of terror, as Conrad’s vengeful spirit takes them out one by one.

Featuring incredible special effects by Chuck E. Stewart (Critters, The X Files, Bruce Almighty) and early performances by Jeffrey Combs (Re-Animator), Nina Talbot (Night Shift, Puppet Master II), Scott Thomson (Police Academy I-IV) and Donna McDaniel (Hollywood Hot Tub). Frightmare is a bloody terror trip from the Tromatic 1980’s.

Blu-ray Verdict: While a generic, gratuitously blood-lashed, lasciviously top-popping slasher can, on occasion, deliver a little bit of what you fancy, it is certainly no less joyous to discover unconventional horror films that take far greater risks with the material. The sardonic slasher classic Frightmare digs somewhat deeper into the marvelously macabre bag of Gothic horror tropes and rewardingly unearths far less predictable results.

Ably written and directed by, Norman Thaddeus Vane, Horror Star aka Frightmare remains a compelling, enjoyably flamboyant Grand guignol gem. Utilizing a theatrical plot not entirely dissimilar to Theatre of Blood or The House That Dripped Blood, this full-blooded shocker features an arrogantly twist-headed horror star taking their day job a little too seriously! In lieu of Lee or Price, Frightmare stars urbane, Ferdy Mayne, who, entirely to his credit, imbues the washed-up horror ham with all the requisite lip-smacking, overcooked glee the barnstorming role demands.

An ill-considered Weekend at Bernies-style prank by boozy members of a collegiate horror society proves fatal. They borrow the recently interred remains of Conrad Ragzof (Ferdy Mayne) for their increasingly macabre soirée. Not long after they have brought the unlovely corpse of this once venerated actor back to their Adams Family-style mansion/clubhouse, the diabolical repercussions of their morbidly disrespectful jape began in earnest.

On that very same fateful night, monstrously awakened by demonic forces arcane, the devil-possessed, supernaturally endowed Thespian zealously proceeds to chew up more than the scenery! The vengeful, Ragzof luridly dispatching the beleaguered members of The Horror Film Society with theatrically grisly aplomb.

There is a wonderfully visceral pleasure a witnessing wickedly unrestrained, Ferdy Mayne gleefully Todd Slaughtering his sadistic way through the shadowy, cobwebbed confines of his immaculately spooky domain. The much-neglected Horror Star aka Frightmare remains a high camp, eminently entertaining, readily rewatchable, old school 80’s spook show and now that it is out this month on Blu-ray it is most definitely time for ya’ll to revisit it! [W.W.]

Special Features:
Original DVD Intro Featuring Lloyd Kaufman and Debbie Rechon
Archival audio interview with Director Norman Thaddeus Vane
Historical Commentary with David Del Valle and David DeCoteau
The Hysteria Continues (audio commentary from The Hysteria Continues Podcast)
Original Theatrical Trailer
Artwork Gallery
Man With A Camera: Video Interview With DP Joel King
A Gory Lesson From The Set Of Meat For Satan’s Ice Box
INNARDS! Music Video
Radiation March

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