Ignoring an ancient prophecy, evil brother Gregor seeks to maintain his feudal power on his his Tyrolean estate by murdering and impersonating his benevolent younger twin.
In The Nightmare, director Rodney Ascher (Room 237) has done just that. The film explores the condition commonly referred to as “sleep paralysis.” That’s a condition where someone is in bed, but totally physically immobilized. Some who suffer from the condition – including the eight subjects in this documentary – feel they are visited by something evil during these periods. Ascher lets these subjects tell their stories, then we watch them play out on screen. It’s absolutely horrifying, if not wholly rewarding.
飓风后的奥尔良,全城陷入瘫痪。当地的监狱中,所有狱警和囚犯已全部撤离,却有一个囚徒被遗忘在这里。警官特伦斯•麦克多纳(尼古拉斯•凯奇 Nicolas Cage 饰)和同事巡查牢房时发现了他,特伦斯出手相助。这个英勇举动使他晋升为中尉,但他的脊柱也受到严重损伤,从此只能靠药物缓解疼痛。不断加剧的疼痛令各种药物失去效力,特伦斯在这一过程中饱受折磨,他不得以求助毒品,身体和经济状况都接近崩溃边缘,脾气也越来越糟。一个英雄警察逐渐堕落。不久,城内发生一起灭门惨案,大毒枭达费特具有重大嫌疑。特伦斯受命调查此案,在这一过程中,他泯灭已久的良知逐渐复苏…… 本片荣获2009年威尼斯电影节Christopher D. Smithers Foundation特别奖。