THE NIGHTMAREA Film by Rodney Ascher
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THE NIGHTMARE WILL BE RELEASED IN THE UK & IRELAND ON 9 OCTOBER. SLEEP TIGHT.
‘THE NIGHTMARE shows truth more frightening than fiction. Knowing that this happens to real people is almost too gruesome to bear, especially because it
could very well start happening to you..."★★★★, The Guardian
“Playful, probing, and terrifying… One of the most intriguing — and most discussed — films at Sundance” Vulture
“One of the Scariest Documentaries Ever. THE NIGHTMARE will freak you out."Indiewire
“THE NIGHTMARE is an off-beat horror tale that rides the line between reality and fiction. There’s a good chance it’ll make it hard for you to sleep.” Slashfilm
“As scary as anything in a fictional horror movie” A.V.club
“Ascher treats the subject with respect, combining a primal horror movie with an existential terror in the lines between reality and the imagination” Black
Book
“This is the rare sort of film that really gets under your skin and stays there” Libertas Film Magazine
“THE NIGHTMARE goes beyond the realms of a mere documentary. It's brilliant, probing, gorgeous, weird and one of the scariest movies of the past decade, made all the more terrifying because it's real. More people should be talking
about this movie; it's a one-of-a-kind masterpiece”. Moviefone
"Terrifying! THE NIGHTMARE is one of the most frightening films I've ever seen."
Vice
"Devastatingly chilling."Wired.com
"You've been warned: THE NIGHTMARE may give you actual nightmares."Complex
"I’ll say this right now, this film is genuinely terrifying."Bloody Disgusting
"The scariest movie of the decade."Bad Ass Digest
Welcome to the most terrifying place on Earth…
A documentary-horror film exploring the phenomenon of 'Sleep Paralysis' through the eyes of eight very different people. These people (and a shockingly large number of others) often find themselves trapped between the sleeping and waking worlds, helpless, totally unable to move but aware of their surroundings while being subject to frequently disturbing sights and sounds.
A strange element to these visions is that despite the fact that they know nothing of one another, (and had never heard of sleep paralysis before it happened to them), many see similar ghostly 'shadow men.' This is one of many reasons many people insist this is more than just a sleep disorder.
THE NIGHTMARE digs deep into not only the particulars of these eight people's uncanny experiences (through elaborate, sometimes surreal dramatisations), but it also explores their search to understand what they've gone through and how it's changed their lives.
This film was inspired by the director's own experiences with Sleep Paralysis and how startled he was to discover that he wasn't the only person pinned motionless to their bed while being menaced by a living, three-dimensional shadow. He writes…
“About a week before graduating college I woke suddenly from a deep sleep and was horrified to realise I was frozen in bed, unable to move, unable to speak. But I could somehow sense movement outside. Beyond the battered, peeling walls of the four bedroom ‘chicken shack’ I shared with three roommates something was watching the house through a thick patch of trees.
“Watching and judging.
“It silently walked through the backyard and effortlessly passed through the wall into my room and that’s when I could first see the figure. It had the silhouette of a slender man but was entirely black and featureless, sort of a three-dimensional shadow. Then it was over me, peering straight into my eyes and I was held fast as if stuck in amber.
“I have no idea how long I was stuck like that but eventually my senses blurred and time passed and then I was able to wrench myself awake as if peeling my skin out of a glue-trap.
“For years I had no idea what this experience was (or whether it was a genuine supernatural experience) but then I discovered the phenomenon of Sleep Paralysis and it all made sense.”
“Although I was personally comforted by the scientific explanation of Sleep Paralysis (partly because it fit into my world view), it’s notable that this person rejected it. Although a lot of these people wonder what the hell is happening to them, some of them have very firm ideas. And as compelling as these ideas are to each of them, they present radically different world views.”
As the team traveled both around the world (and into the bottomless pit of the world wide web) they were constantly amazed to discover strange similarities in people's experiences as well the amount of radically different interpretations about what was really going on.
In a way THE NIGHTMARE is two very different horror movies at once; there's obviously the primal terror of being helpless in the face of a mysterious intruder, but then there's a subtler, existential terror in the lines between reality and the imagination.
BIOGRAPHIES
Rodney S. Ascher (director) is an American filmmaker; his first feature was ROOM 237 (which debuted here at Sundance in 2012). Other work includes the short documentary THE S FROM HELL (2010), and segments of the anthology films ABC’S OF DEATH 2 (2014) and HOT CHICKS (co-directed with Syd Garon, 2006). He edited the posthumous (?) Andy Kaufman comedy album 'Andy and His Grandmother' (2013) and used to teach sometimes too.
Glen Zipper (producer) is a founding partner with Zipper Brothers Films and formerly the Head of Documentary Features for Exclusive Media’s Spitfire Pictures.
In addition to producing the Academy Award®-winning documentary UNDEFEATED, Glen is currently producing A FASTER HORSE for director David Gelb (JIRO DREAMS OF SUSHI), THE UNTITLED HERBALIFE DOCUMENTARY for director Ted Braun (DARFUR NOW), and DEEP WEB for director Alex Winter (DOWNLOADED). Glen is also executive producing Colin Hanks' directorial debut ALL THINGS MUST PASS and Natalie Avital's THE THREE HIKERS.
Glen’s additional prior credits include Billy Joel’s THE LAST PLAY AT SHEA, the Grammy Award®-winning FOO FIGHTERS BACK AND FORTH and the Formula 1 documentary ONE narrated by Michael Fassbender. Glen was also the Executive in Charge of Production on Martin Scorsese’s Emmy Award®-winning GEORGE HARRISON: LIVING IN THE MATERIAL WORLD.
Ross M. Dinerstein (producer) is the founder and CEO of Campfire; a film, television and digital development and production company. Over the last few years, Dinerstein has focused his producing efforts on creating elevated “midnight movies” including THE PACT, MR. JONES, THE DIVIDE, and THE DAY. THE PACT premiered in the Park City at Midnight Section at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival. IFC Midnight acquired the film in North America and released it theatrically in July 2012. The film was distributed theatrically in the UK by eOne where it grossed over $4M at the box office. Dinerstein also served as an Executive Producer on the hit documentary JIRO DREAMS OF SUSHI and the television pilot THE REBELS for Amazon Studios. Dinerstein is currently in post-production on THE DIABOLICAL starring Ali Larter.
Before founding Campfire, Dinerstein produced or executive produced and arranged production financing for nine films across a variety of genres that starred actors such as Forest Whitaker, Jessica Biel, Woody Harrelson, Ray Romano, Ray Liotta, Laurence Fishburne, Antonio Banderas, and Greg Kinnear, including the 2009 Sundance official selection THE KILLING ROOM directed by Jonathan Liebesman and THE GRAND directed by Zak Penn.
Dinerstein began his career in 2001 working in the Acquisitions Department at Miramax Films. He has a Master’s Degree in Motion Picture Producing from the USC School of Cinema and Television’s Peter Stark Producing Program and an undergraduate degree in Economics and Film Studies from Vanderbilt University. He was born and raised in Houston, TX and currently resides in Venice, CA with his wife Liz, daughter Lucy Jane, and son Abbot.
Tim Kirk (co-producer) is a filmmaker and writer living in Los Angeles. He recently produced the mind-bending documentary ROOM 237 and the webseries "Tom Explores Los Angeles." His latest film is DIRECTOR’S COMMENTARY: TERROR OF FRANKENSTEIN, a collaboration with Rodney Ascher and MacDowell Fellow Jay Kirk. His novel, "Burnt,” will be published this spring.
CREDITSCONTENT MEDIA CORPORATION PRESENTSA ZIPPER BROTHERS FILMS / CAMPFIRE PRODUCTIONin association with HIGHLAND PARK CLASSICS / WAKE MEDIA / NEW CITY ROADA RODNEY ASCHER FILMTHE NIGHTMARE
Directed by RODNEY ASCHERProduced by ROSS M. DINERSTEIN GLEN ZIPPERExecutive Producers JAMIE CARMICHAEL KEVIN IWASHINACo-Producer TIM KIRKAssociate Producer ANDREW SCHWARZCo-Executive Producer BEN SPIEGELMANDirector of Photography BRIDGER NIELSONProduction Designers BEN SPIEGELMAN EVAN ROSS MURPHYEditor RODNEY ASCHERCo-Editor SAUL HERCKISMusic and Sound by JONATHAN SNIPESCostume Designer COURTNEY ARTHURCasting by JEFF OLANSound and Music by JONATHAN SNIPESAdditional Music by WILLIAM HUTSON
Music performed by;Viola EZRA BUCHLAPercussion CHRISTOPHER FLEEGERVoice ELIZABETH HAYHURSTSynthesisers, psaltery, autoharpWILLIAM HUTSONSynthesisers, percussion, electric piano JONATHAN SNIPES
CAST:Forrest (adult) MAXWELL SCHNELLERForrest (baby) TREVOR LaZELLEForrest (child) MALACHI CASSELChris (adult) SIEGFRIED PETERSChris (age 5) BRANDON BERMANChris (age 12) KEVIN RILEYAna ANNALEE CAILINGStephen MICHAEL MATHISJeff JESSE SWATLING-HOLCOMBKorinne MADISON BLUEConnie (adult) LONI KLARA KIMConnie (age 5) KAYLANEE ERICA DAVISJeff's Girlfriend JOLENE ANDERSENOld Man MICHAEL BARGOLD
Forrest's Girlfriend NICOLE BOSWORTHForrest's Dad CLIFF CHRISTIEStephen's Girlfriend ESTRELLA CRISTINATicklers SAMUEL CRUZBlue Shadow Woman JAMEELAH EL-SHABAZZDanny BRODY FLYNNShadow Man ROBERT FROELICHShadow Man STEPHEN M. JOSEPHCloak Man STEPHEN M. JOSEPHNewscaster KELLY KAMINSKIChris' Other Girlfriend JESS LANEHair Dresser ANDREA McPHERSONRedheaded Man GARRETT McSHERRYChris' Mom ROZALIA MUZSNAIAna's Mom PAT O'CONNORStage Manager RONALD PILARSKIChris' Girlfriend ELISE ROBSONHomeless Man REGAN SENTERRollerblader PATRICK TARNAWSKIConnie's Roommate YATOYA TOYForrest's Mom ELIZABETH VISICKHat Man LEROY WELLINGTONHood Man LEROY WELLINGTONHomeless Man ADRIAN WILSON"You Know Who I Am" Men CHARLES DAVENPORTBERNIE FINKELSTEINPAUL MEIXNERInsect of the Month ANDREA THE TARANTULABlack Cat SMUCKERS
