"Nightmare Beach a.k.a Welcome To Spring Break" is an interesting addition to the 80's slasher genre in many ways, firstly the beginning where we have a guy executed for the murder of a local girl, then swearing revenge that he'll return to punish everyone involved, is certainly interesting. Then shortly after a leather glad biker is randomly picking off youngsters on spring break by mainly electrocution, is certainly quite different to the usual stalk and slash deaths of this decade and could have offered something fresh and original, but it doesn't and rather quickly becomes standard and by numbers, which isn't a bad thing but it does border on bland at times.
But given the fact that this movie was done by an Italian director, who is known for over the top kills and thrills, and adding in sleaze, this movie doesn't really have any of that. Instead it seems rather unfocused and there are just too many sub plots that don't go anywhere and the deaths of random characters that aren't very memorable in the first place to care about. The first half of the film is very underwhelming and light on momentum, and by the time the gore rolls in is a saving grace and the mystery element does work, as there are a few suspects to choose from and some of the deaths are quite nasty and inventive, but the endless scenes of college kids getting drunk just isn't interesting enough and gets tiresome rather quickly.
It's always nice to see a familiar face in these movies though and that is John Saxon who does give an interesting and menacing turn as the local policeman, but seems rather bored at times and going through the motions, but despite all that he does give by far the best turn, but his earlier work is far better (Black Christmas, A Nightmare On Elm Street & Tenebre). But the same cannot be said of the two main leads Nicolas De Toth who's about as fun as a wet fish and very wooden and Sarah Buxton who's very beautiful but shows no range.
All in all "Nightmare Beach" comes nowhere near to becoming a slasher classic, but it's still okay and it does have some tense moments that make it better than the usual late 80's slasher movie.
But given the fact that this movie was done by an Italian director, who is known for over the top kills and thrills, and adding in sleaze, this movie doesn't really have any of that. Instead it seems rather unfocused and there are just too many sub plots that don't go anywhere and the deaths of random characters that aren't very memorable in the first place to care about. The first half of the film is very underwhelming and light on momentum, and by the time the gore rolls in is a saving grace and the mystery element does work, as there are a few suspects to choose from and some of the deaths are quite nasty and inventive, but the endless scenes of college kids getting drunk just isn't interesting enough and gets tiresome rather quickly.
It's always nice to see a familiar face in these movies though and that is John Saxon who does give an interesting and menacing turn as the local policeman, but seems rather bored at times and going through the motions, but despite all that he does give by far the best turn, but his earlier work is far better (Black Christmas, A Nightmare On Elm Street & Tenebre). But the same cannot be said of the two main leads Nicolas De Toth who's about as fun as a wet fish and very wooden and Sarah Buxton who's very beautiful but shows no range.
All in all "Nightmare Beach" comes nowhere near to becoming a slasher classic, but it's still okay and it does have some tense moments that make it better than the usual late 80's slasher movie.