**_A rock band goes to a cabin in the woods, but there’s a killer beast about_**
"Hard Rock Nightmare" (1988) was made by actor-turned-writer/director Dominick Brascia, who had a part in "Friday the 13th V: A New Beginning" three years earlier. His first directing gig was a slasher from two years prior, “Evil Laugh,” which was shot in a single week. He only directed three other flicks with this being his second, which is an improvement over the dull “Evil Laugh.”
Like Jon Mikl Thor’s “Rock ‘n’ Roll Nightmare” from the previous year, it mixes cabin-in-the-woods horror with 80s’ rock/metal, but is thankfully superior to that slapdash flick, although not by much. It takes the “Friday the 13th” template and simply inserts a hard rock band into the mayhem. That iconic slasher is even quoted, as well as referenced a couple of times, such as Jason and “Ki, Ki, Ki, Ma, Ma, Ma.”
Unfortunately, every “Friday the 13th” flick is more entertaining. This one’s hindered by dubious acting even while most of it is serviceable, which isn’t helped by the three main females being subpar by comparison to the F13 films (that franchise excelled in this department). Still, they’re decent and get the job done. In regards to blonde Tina, there’s an amusing after-the-act-in-bed dialogue exchange; however, it isn’t consistent with her character as written up to this point. I guess Brascia reasoned, “Who cares? It’s a fun low-budget slasher.” Then again, perhaps it’s a commentary on her fickleness.
Despite the negatives, the late 80s’ hard rock soundtrack by no-names is energetic and there are some entertaining bits, which are augmented by a quality reveal at the end. While it’s better than "Rock 'n' Roll Nightmare" it’s not as good as the contemporaneous "Black Roses."
The movie runs 1 hour, 27 minutes, and was shot in Los Angeles.
GRADE: C/C-
