Diagonaldi Very well executed

StyleSk8r At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

Teddie Blake The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

Aneesa Wardle The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

xposipx Billy is your average all=American teenager. He's a basketball star who is about to get a full ride in college. His crazed aunt has taken care of him since he was 3 years old when his parents died in a car accident. As the story evolves, Aunt Cheryl gets crazier and crazier.A few slicings, two stomach stabs, shootings, and a pretty neat beheading. The blood is pretty light, but it doesn't really need it for the kills to be effective.All of the main film making aspects were pretty positive in this one. Good lighting, creepy house sets, and decently creative angles here and there. The best thing technically was the music score. Most of the movies in this era have distracting music and effects in my opinion, but they did manage to keep an eerie and intense feeling in the suspenseful scenes.The acting is the best aspect of the movie. The main actors were all great and did exactly what they needed to do.Jimmy McNichol - Had the lead as Billy. He really didn't have too tough of a role to play. He did what was needed and played the average high school kid.Susan Tyrrell - Played the crazy Aunt. She was absolutely superb at what she did. I'd say she was the female version of Normal Bates in this movie. Never missed a beat whatsoever, and managed to grasp the role perfectly. If this part wasn't played perfectly this movie would have been hell to sit through.Bo Svenson - The homophobic cop. He also did a superb job as the dumb homophobic detective. I almost never like the detectives or cops in horror movies, but he managed to do a really good job with it.Bill Paxton has a pretty brief cameo...that was just funny.Final Thoughts: This is as close as you will get as a female version of Psycho. I don't want to give away much plot, but the Aunt's obsession with her nephew is portrayed perfectly. The scores and greatly written script gave the actors a lot to work with as well. Much props to William Asher and the writing crew. William Asher actually is famous for his 60's cheesy beach movies which I also enjoy.

rixrex This film has a reputation that is really greater than the sum total of the film itself. While it is quite an unusual take on a pretty standard plot idea of a young man who was raised by a domineering mother-figure with a fair amount of sexual tension in the relationship, it doesn't really stand out in any particular way. The unique nature of the film is that the young man, typically the twisted character in other films of this type, is the most normal character here, and other characters around him are more than peculiar.But, other than that, the rest of the production is pretty average, meaning the acting, direction, plot development, effects, editing, etc, are all rather pedestrian and not really interesting. What will keep your interest is the gradual revealing of the main plot point of: What really was the boy's history?Of particular offense is the police character as played by Bo Svenson, a dogmatic, gay-bashing moron, who is less sympathetic than the actual killer, but who gets his just rewards at the end. The final 'epilogue' gives the viewer a feeling that this was based on a true story. It wasn't.Also of note, Julia Duffy, as the boy's girlfriend, has a topless scene, perhaps the only one she's ever done on film.

Sprintbuzz When I first got a hold of this movie last year, I'd heard a little about it. When I first watched it, I thought it was boring. But after watching it a few more times, I grew to love it.Let me tell you, anyone who is a horror fan or a fan of Susan Tyrell MUST see this movie. I has great acting and a great story and a great ending. In the middle there isn't much action but the end easily makes up for that. Bo Svenson as the annoying detective was great. I was so pleased when he got his dues at the end. But Susan Tyrell easily steals the show. Her as the insane aunt was just hilarious! The way she acts is just so funny! Her performance alone is worth the whole movie! This was one of the films labeled as a 'video nasty' in the UK, and it's easy to see why. There are things in this movie like homophobia and incest(!). But this just adds to the fun! If you are a horror fan and have not seen this movie, you need to check this one out. It won't disappoint! And watch out for the crazy Susan Tyrell! 10/10

The_Void Nightmare Maker achieved cult status through it's inclusion on the DPP 'Video Nasty' list, which has also lead to it becoming a 'lost' film. It's somewhat unfortunate that William Asher's film was included on the infamous list, as aside from a couple of gory scenes; there really isn't anything in this film that warrants it's banning. Nightmare Maker focuses on themes of insanity and incest, and the way that the director portrays these themes is bold and uncompromising…although I find it hard to believe that this film was banned for it's themes by the same set of censors who made such decisions as banning 'The Driller Killer' merely for it's artwork. The plot focuses on Billy Lynch; a young man living with his aunt after his parents were killed in an unfortunate car accident. However, his relationship with his aunt isn't how she would like it; as the aunt has designs of a sexual nature on the boy, and does her best to ruin all of his plans; including his relationship with his girlfriend, and his hopes of winning a scholarship. All in all, making his life a nightmare...The film features performances from a few well known actors, including Bo Svenson as a bigoted sheriff and Susan Tyrrell as the maniacal aunt. The film also features a small early role for Bill Paxton; who, as he would in the rest of his career, doesn't appear in the film for long enough. The acting performances overall aren't bad considering the type of film; but it would be unwise to go into it expecting anything brilliant. Susan Tyrrell does get to enjoy herself as the central matriarchal figure, however, and seeing her descend into insanity is a lot of fun. The style of the film is very eighties indeed, and through gritty cinematography; director William Asher ensures that the film feels every bit like the 'Video Nasty' that it would become shortly after it's release. The scenes of gore are short and don't show much blood; although scenes involving a machete, as well as the pivotal scene that sees Billy's parents killed in a car crash are rather bloody and deserve mention. The plot never really gets going properly, which is a shame; although the final fifteen minutes are very good indeed and manage to bring closure to all the plot threads. Overall, this certainly isn't the best film on the Video Nasty list; but it's a good one, and well worth tracking down!