Aaron Boone (Craig Sheffer) keeps having dreams about strange creatures and a cemetery. His loving girlfriend Lori (Anne Bobby) stays with him because she loves him. Psychiatrist Philip Deeker (David Cronenberg) is trying to help Aaron...or is he? Aaron is killed and then the nightbreed (a breed of undead creatures) make him one of their own. It all ends up with an all out war.
As everyone knows this film is a disaster. Before it was released the studio (20th Century Fox) cut out almost 30 MINUTES out of the film much to the fury of writer/producer/director Clive Barker. What's left is a very interesting movie which (sadly) has huge gaps in the plot and very choppy editing. I blame the studio for this--not Barker. Also it was horribly advertised and died quickly. It DOES have some glaring faults--there was also a hilarious continuity error in which Lori is being chased in a graveyard and it goes from day to night and back to day again! Also Sheffer is lousy in his role and the ending was just horrible. I caught it in a theatre back in 1990. It WAS confusing and a mess but there was (and is) a lot of good material there to see what MIGHT have been.
The story lacked a real strong back story about the Nightbreed (I attribute this to the editing) but you understand enough to get the plot. The makeup and sound effects are excellent and Danny Elfman provides a GREAT score to the movie. Also there's impressive set designs--especially with Deeker's lair and the Nightbreed's home. Also the movie makes you feel for the Nightbreed at the end and puts the audience firmly on their side--NOT an easy thing to do. Sheffer aside the acting is great by everybody. The actors playing the Nightbreed seem to be having a whale of a time even though they have tons of makeup on. Also Bobby has nothing to do but whine and search for Aaron--but she pulls it off. Also look for Doug Bradley (Pinhead from the "Hellraiser" films), horror authors John Skipp and Craig Spector and genre great John Agar in small roles.
Hopefully we'll see a directors cut one day--but it's been 20 years so I don't think so. What's left is a flawed but very good horror movie. Worth seeking out if you're a horror fan.
As everyone knows this film is a disaster. Before it was released the studio (20th Century Fox) cut out almost 30 MINUTES out of the film much to the fury of writer/producer/director Clive Barker. What's left is a very interesting movie which (sadly) has huge gaps in the plot and very choppy editing. I blame the studio for this--not Barker. Also it was horribly advertised and died quickly. It DOES have some glaring faults--there was also a hilarious continuity error in which Lori is being chased in a graveyard and it goes from day to night and back to day again! Also Sheffer is lousy in his role and the ending was just horrible. I caught it in a theatre back in 1990. It WAS confusing and a mess but there was (and is) a lot of good material there to see what MIGHT have been.
The story lacked a real strong back story about the Nightbreed (I attribute this to the editing) but you understand enough to get the plot. The makeup and sound effects are excellent and Danny Elfman provides a GREAT score to the movie. Also there's impressive set designs--especially with Deeker's lair and the Nightbreed's home. Also the movie makes you feel for the Nightbreed at the end and puts the audience firmly on their side--NOT an easy thing to do. Sheffer aside the acting is great by everybody. The actors playing the Nightbreed seem to be having a whale of a time even though they have tons of makeup on. Also Bobby has nothing to do but whine and search for Aaron--but she pulls it off. Also look for Doug Bradley (Pinhead from the "Hellraiser" films), horror authors John Skipp and Craig Spector and genre great John Agar in small roles.
Hopefully we'll see a directors cut one day--but it's been 20 years so I don't think so. What's left is a flawed but very good horror movie. Worth seeking out if you're a horror fan.