I give it: 3 out of 5

Okay, so it’s been quite I while since I sat down to watch this baby (my VHS copy is dying a slow and painful tape-wear death so I’m trying to preserve it for now), but since I am rewriting a whole bunch of reviews from a few years back I’ll do my best to remember how this tune goes.

I believe this to be one of the movies that scarred me as a young child. I found the box art to be utterly terrifying and remembered one particular scene which I’m sure would have caused a multitude of nightmares in my youth. However, watching it as an adult, I feel somewhat nostalgic about it, and feel the need to defend it when people call it a bad Nightmare on Elm St 3 rip-off. I know that is both disturbing and sad, and yes, I know it is a Nightmare on Elm St 3 cash in, but *pouts* I like it! Stop picking on it! Seeing as this is a movie that I can remember scaring the shit out of me as a youngin’, I am puzzled as to why I am so fond of it – it’s the complete opposite of my utter disgust with the film Bloodsucking Freaks. That film tattooed it sleazy images on my four year old brain forever more.

So let’s time-warp back to the 1970’s shall we, and Unity Fields is one of those freaked out hippie peace and love communes in full swing. Cynthia is just a young girl enjoying the freedom this kind of life affords her, but when all the inhabitants plan a mass suicide by fire at the urging of Harris, the sinister looking leader, she decides that she doesn’t want to be in a cult anymore and does a runner while her buddies go up in flames.

Caught in the house fire, she is rescued by fire-fighters and remains in a coma for thirteen years. When she wakes up in the hospital, having no living relatives, it is up to the hospital staff and patients to help assimilate her to the late 80’s and fill her in on all that she has missed while comatose. Spunky doctor Alex Karman takes special interest in her case. Does anyone else think it’s weird that she is put in a group of psychiatric patients while she attempts to adapt to normal life?

Cynthia however has a lot of trouble adapting to life outside of the commune. The long dead Harris is haunting her with dreams and hallucinations, telling her that he has come to take her with the rest of them and if she doesn’t comply, he will start to take her new friends as replacements for her. Soon enough, the hospital patients begin dying in horrible accidents. Cynthia tries to tell everyone who is behind the deaths, but no one is willing to listen to her. Perhaps she is crazy as well.

Jennifer Rubin’s character Cynthia is a stark contrast to that of Taryn in Nightmare on Elm St 3. She comes off as very fragile, which serves the role rather well. You aren’t quite sure whether she is crazy or not, and that draws you into the film more. Her interaction with Dr Karvan is great – she really needs someone to believe and listen to her, and let’s face it – Bruce Abbot can take my blood pressure any time! I must also add that I adore Dean Cameron. His quirky sense of humour seems to shine through in all of his roles. It was quite disturbing to see the poor boy so psychotic.

This movie is good on its own merits so I’m urging all of you to not pass it up as just another Elm St clone. It has a great story with likeable characters and just the right splash of gore to keep the bloodhounds satisfied.