.Nightmare Symphony — Nightmare Symphony( Blu Ray/ DVD)
Nightmare Symphony is a modern thriller/ horror film that blends together elements of giallo, slasher, and uneasy chiller. It focuses on an ageing American horror director trying to get his new film completed, while someone in a creepy/ tight face-fitting peacock face mask is killing those connected to him. The film mixes effective air of disquiet & creepiness, with mostly night-time set brutal murders. Here from Germany’s 8-films is a media book release of the film- taking in both Blu-Ray, DVD, and glossy central booklet.
The two discs come presented in a glossy hardback media book- with each disc set in either side of the cover. Inside we get a glossy page fifty page booklet- this features German texts, loads of great still from the film, and behind the scene pics, etc. I only understand a smattering of German- but the book texts are seemingly a blend of write-ups about the film and interviews.
Nightmare Symphony is a 2020 Italian production featuring both English and Italian dialogue. It was co-directed by Domiziano Cristopharo and Daniele Trani. Cristopharo has thirty feature-length credits to his name taking in the likes of sleazed arthouse horror House of Flesh Mannequins (2009), bizarre softcore meets horror film Bloody Sin (2011), brutal torture porn Xpiation (2017), and cyberpunk horror Blue Sunset (2021). Nightmare Symphony is Trani's first feature-length film, though he has sixty-one Cinematographer credits.
The film opens in a decidedly jarring & brutal manner- as we see a woman having a shower to laid-back smoky jazz. Suddenly the lights go out. And in walks a person dressed in a face-hugging peacock mask, who is also wearing white fur-edged rubber gloves. They force the woman to floor, and with a razor blade slash both of her nipples, her eyes, and then crave her a Glasgow smile. Before placing a Peacock feature on the body.
As we get into the film we meet ageing US director living in Italy Frank(Frank LaLoggia) whose making his way unspecified European country. He gets on a train, having a sinisterly staring woman with her two bruised face children sit next to him- this understandably puts him on edge, so when a young man is sent by the ‘company’ to pick him up he’s very jumpy. He’s taken to a just-off-the-street apartment- climbing the stairs he meets a drunken man raving in a language he can’t understand.
The next day he makes his way through a small European shopping centre, he comes out the other end- and a woman is seemingly vaguely smiling at him leaning on a car- this again unnerves him somewhat, as he climbs a staircase to an editing studio to meet the darkly boded Isabella(Antonella Salvucci)- who he clearly has a history with Frank, and here over the film's length the pair discuss/ edit the film, with other contributors pop in
After the first very brutal murder the film settles into a more creepy thriller vibe- as Frank makes his way between his decidedly eerier apartment, the editing room, and a few outside shots of the unnamed city. This part of the film has some great moments of disquiet and unease- with some (largely) suggested stalking. At around the forty-five-minute mark, our killer reappears again for some more brutal and razor-blade-edged murder.
LaLoggia is believable as the ageing filmmaker- with him having both moments of cynicism and troubled emotion. Salvucci is severable as the mysterious Isabella. With the rest of the cast rather shifts throughout the film, and are largely passable.
On the whole, the one hour and twenty-minute film is a rewarding mix of its tropes- yes, those looking for gory murder-after-murder will be somewhat disappointed, as there’s only the opening murder(which is the most intense of the kills here) and then you have to wait for another forty or minutes or so. But I felt the more atmospheric thriller elements were effective and compelling done. Though the film does end with more than a few questions, and reoccurring characters suddenly stumbled out before we find who/ what they were. So it felt rather like some scenes had been removed/ edited- nevertheless, I enjoyed what Nightmare Symphony had to offer, and I’d say if you enjoy blends of giallo, slasher, and creepy thriller, then this will appeal.
Both the Blu-Ray ( region B) and DVD( region 2) feature the same content. First off the scan of the film is, as you’d expect for a modern film very clean and crisp. On the extras side we get- Behind scenes/ bloopers (8.42), an onscreen interview with director Domiziano Christopharo (13.48), onscreen interview with screenwriter Antonio Tentori(6.15), the soundtrack, trailer and image gallery
Nightmare Symphony is certainly one of the more coherent and wholly entertaining neo-giallo films. Sure it might have been nice if the killings were a little bit more evenly placed, but the atmospheric elements are most effective. I do hope this isn’t the last we’ve seen of the Peacock masked killer- as I can see there is still mileage in the character. And this 8-films is another nicely presented media book. to pick up a copy drop in here