"I Heard What You Said But Can You Say It in a Different Way?" - Runaway Nightmare (1982) - Film #184

I must point out the axiom that films intended by their filmmakers to be quirky "cult" movies generally do not rise to the level of high-quality films we discuss here on Senseless Cinema. Runaway Nightmare (1982) is a rare exception to that axiom, however. Although the filmmakers clearly aim for a whimsical, comedic, unusual effect, their work rises to a higher level than that of a mere "comedy." Runaway Nightmare is, in fact, an almost pure distillation of a nightmare captured on film.

Many of your universe's distinguished critics find the film to be either "bad" or "weird." For example, reviewer Michael_Elliott writes, "For my money this was one of the worst and most boring films I've ever seen. I mean, you've pretty much got nothing happening throughout the 93-minute running time. You keep watching the movie expecting something of interest to happen but it never does. The film continues to drag along and there's still nothing." Reviewer EyeAskance describes the film as a "thoroughly uncategorizable whatever-the-hell-it-is is far and away one of the most aberrant gonzo visions ever committed to celluloid." And reviewer Hey_Sweden writes, "Runaway Nightmare" is not going to be for people who prefer lots of action and explosions every few minutes. It's a very sedately paced and quirky little oddity."

Read on for a more objective view of this serious, shocking motion picture...

"You Don't Need Dinner in That Foggy City" - Warlock Moon (1973) - Film #184

It is time to consider another film in that classic category of works whose titles are questionably related to their content. In this case, 1973's Warlock Moon mentions neither warlocks nor moons, but it is a fine proto-slasher and precursor to The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) (though it was released after Tobe Hooper's film).

Some of your universe's critics, as usual, choose to look down on Warlock Moon. For example, reviewer Gafke writes repetitively, "This film plods along for a very long time and keeps plodding on." Reviewer nogodnomasters writes dismissively, "Sorry, but this is not a cult classic or drive-in classic." And reviewer  arion1 writes tediously, "Sometimes it seems as though the actors themselves are deliberately moving slowly so as to use up time blocks."

For a more accurate description of the seminal film Warlock Moon, please read on...