Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.5
Overall		3.0

Nightmare City Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov September 25, 2015

Umberto Lenzi's "Nightmare City" a.k.a. "Incubo sulla città contaminata" (1980) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Arrow Video. The supplemental features on the disc include an original trailer for the film; new video piece with video interview, director/actor/producer Eli Roth; video interview with Umberto Lenzi; audio commentary with Chris Alexander; and more. The release also arrives with a 20-page illustrated booklet featuring John Martin's essay "Fade Away and Radiate: Umberto Lenzi's Nightmare City" and technical credits. In English or Italian, with optional English subtitles. Region-Free.

One of the infected

A plane lands unexpectedly at an unnamed airport in an unnamed European city. Moments later, a large group of very angry passengers with deformed faces attack the soldiers and members of the media that are standing around. TV reporter Dean (Hugo Stiglitz) and his assistant manage to capture some of the chaos on film and then warn the authorities that the passengers are as crazy and dangerous as they look.

Far away from the airport, top military experts conclude that the passengers are infected by a mysterious virus that might have transformed them into violent zombie-like creatures. (There is a long interview with director Umberto Lenzi on this release in which he clarifies that even though the passengers may look like zombies they are only infected crazies that are attracted to fresh human blood because it allows them to regenerate their bodies with it). While different strategies to deal with the infected crazies are discussed, all hell breaks loose.

Nightmare City, which was once distributed in the United States under the alternative title City of the Walking Dead, is a very silly and very violent Italian horror film that should appeal primarily to hardcore horror junkies who have a soft spot for period Italian genre films that go overboard with the red paint and do not care much about logic. Tom Savini, a big fan of the film, is currently working on a remake of Nightmare City which is expected to be completed in 2016.

The film’s biggest strength -- and arguably its biggest weakness -- is Lenzi’s determination to deliver as many thrills as possible during a fixed period of time. The action literally never stops. There are a few short sequences here and there in which Lenzi attempts to give the film a structure -- the sequences in which the reporter phones his wife at the hospital and the generals discuss the chaos basically frame the plot -- but the rest is essentially a big collage of repetitive graphic killings and intense shootouts. Needless to say, the dialog is very basic and kept to a minimum.

The acting and the direction are mediocre at best. Some of the mass sequences, for instance, appear to have been shot very quickly and without much attention to detail, and it clearly shows. In fact, the improvising is so awful that it makes many of the supposedly intense sequences look amateurish even by the low standards set by these types of Italian genre films. (See the big melee in the hospital where people keep running in circles).

The atmosphere, which is what frequently makes these films enjoyable, also fails to impress. Stelvio Cipriani‘s score gives the action a bit of that unique flavor Lucio Fulci’s work is known for, but the kitsch quickly overwhelms it.

There are a few notable cameos. The great Spanish actor Francisco Rabal (L'Eclisse, Goya in Bordeaux) and Mel Ferrer (Blood And Roses) play two of the military experts. Manuel Zarzo (The Delinquents) also has a small role in the film.

Nightmare City Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Umberto Lenzi's Nightmare City arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Arrow Video.

The screencaptures that are included with this review appear in the following order:

1. Screencaptures 1-14: Negative Transfer (2K Restoration).
2. Screencaptures: 16-24: Dupe Reversal Transfer.

The release is sourced from a recent 2K restoration of the film. However, there are two different transfers of the film on it. The first uses as a foundation a new scan of the original negative elements, which according to information provided by the distributors were badly damaged. As a result, while detail and clarity are frequently excellent there are also numerous areas of the film where large chemical stains are quite easy to see (you can see examples in screencaptures #7 and 8). Additionally, there are color pulsations and flicker, as well as various density fluctuations.
The second transfer comes from a reversal dupe negative. While there are some basic improvements in stability, this transfer actually has more significant native limitations. Indeed, detail, clarity and especially depth are far less convincing (large areas of the film actually look disappointingly flat). Naturally, even though the first transfer does not have the consistently pleasing appearance one would rightfully expect, it actually has a much more convincing organic appearance. You can test both, but the first transfer is clearly the one you should choose for your first and complete viewing of the film. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location. For the record, there is no problematic PAL or 1080/50i content preceding the disc's main menu).

Nightmare City Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 1.0 and Italian LPCM 1.0. Optional English subtitles are provided. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.

I viewed the film with the English track and thought that it was very good. It is easy to tell that post-production overdubbing was done because some minor sync issues remain, but depth and clarity are quite wonderful. The music is also well balanced and as a result there are no sudden spikes or drops in dynamic activity. There are no audio dropouts or distortions, but there are a few sequences where some extremely light buzz is present in the high-frequencies.

Nightmare City Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - original trailer for Nightmare City. In English, with optional English subtitles. (4 min).

• Alternate Opening Titles - here the film is presented as Attack of the Zombies. Music only. (3 min).

• The Limits of Restoration - this featurette quickly highlights some of the technical issues Arrow Video faced while restoring Nightmare City. Music with text. (5 min).

• Eli Roth on Nightmare City - in this video interview, director/actor/producer Eli Roth explains what makes Umberto Lenzi's films special, how some of them were altered after they crossed the Atlantic, and why Nightmare City is one of his favorite genre films. In English, not subtitled. (11 min).

• Maria Rosaria Ommagio Interview - in this video interview, Italian actress Maria Rosaria Omaggio (Sheila) discusses her contribution to Nightmare City and explains how specific sequences from the film were shot. In English, with optional English subtitles. (8 min).

• Umberto Lenzi Interview - in this video interview, Umberto Lenzi explains how he reworked the initial script for Nightmare City and discusses popular myths about his film (such as the rumored casting of Fabio Testi), Quentin Tarantino's incorrect assumption that the infected people in the film are zombies, the casting process and the funding the film, the film's success in the United States and its marketing (include the use of alternate titles), etc. In Italian, with optional English subtitles. (29 min).

• Audio Commentary - in this exclusive new audio commentary, Fangoria editor in chief Chris Alexander talks about his admiration for Nightmare City and discusses some of the film's key plot points, what makes the film enjoyable (and why critical opinions that dismiss the film do not matter), some of the more recent films that were inspired by it, etc.

• Booklet - 20-page illustrated booklet featuring John Martin's essay "Fade Away and Radiate: Umberto Lenzi's Nightmare City" and technical credits.

• Cover - reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Graham Humphreys.

Nightmare City Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Umberto Lenzi's Nightmare City is as bad as advertised. It follows a familiar route and it clearly struggles to create and sustain the type of atmosphere that makes these genre films so unique. If you enjoy them, consider picking up copies of Lucio Fulci's Zombie Flesh Eaters and Ken Wiederhorn's Shock Waves. These films will not only entertain you, but will leave a lasting impression on you. If you have already seen Nightmare City and like it, then you can pick up Arrow Video's release. Despite some obvious source limitations, the new 2K restoration of the film is very good.