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The lurid imagination of writer-director Clive Barker (Hellraiser) runs wild in Nightbreed, the horror maven's 1990 tale of undead misfits that is based on his novel Cabal. Craig Sheffer portrays Boone, a psychologically disturbed young man who ends up joining an oddball subterranean community of mutant dead known as the Nightbreed, with his persistent girlfriend Lori (Anne Bobby) and evil psychiatrist Philip Decker (David Cronenberg) on his trail. As is typical of Barker's work, Nightbreed has enough plot and back-story for ten movies, all jam-packed into rapid-fire scenes, almost all of which involve violence. Barker employs a smorgasbord of horror legends in Nightbreed, with aspects of vampire and werewolf myths mixed freely with tropes of his own design. The acting is hardly subtle, but it suits Barker's purpose perfectly. Horror auteur Cronenberg is a standout, however, offering a creepy, low-key performance that can stand as the archetype of the Mad Shrink. But Nightbreed's greatest achievements are the extravagantly conceived creatures of the night, as garishly bizarre as any array of characters you're likely to find. Gregory Baird

All Movie Guide

Multimedia horror maven Clive Barker followed the success of his feature directorial debut Hellraiser with this equally surreal effort, based on his novella Cabal. The story involves the plight of Aaron Boone Craig Sheffer, a young man tormented by visions of monstrous, graveyard-dwelling creatures. Seeking the aid of his clinically cold therapist Dr. Decker (played by Canadian horror auteur David Cronenberg) in deciphering his nightmares, Boone becomes convinced that his frequent blackouts are linked to a recent spate of mutilation murders in the area. His frantic search for the truth leads him to the subterranean city of Midian, the dwelling place of a mythical race of undead nocturnal monsters known as the "Nightbreed." But it is only after he is cornered and shot dead by police that Boone's real journey begins -- he finds himself resurrected as one of the Breed and initiated into Midian's inner circle, where his latent supernatural powers are unleashed, leading to his realization of Dr. Decker's sinister role in the murders for which he was framed. Though Barker's unique and graphic vision is somewhat blunted by choppy editing (thanks to relentless tampering from the studio), this is nevertheless a fine sophomore project from a talented storyteller; the central conceit of presenting the monsters as the "good guys" -- at least compared to the gun-and-bible-toting lunatics who hunt them -- is handled with verve and originality. Cavett Binion

Product Details

• UPC: 085391853725
• Source: WARNER HOME VIDEO
• Region Code: 1
• Presentation: Wide Screen
• Sound: Dolby Digital, stereo
• Language: English
• Subtitles: English, Français, Español
• Time: 1:41:00
• Sales Rank: 25,529

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