Nightmare

Businessman Richard Crenna, getting ready for a dinner party in his New York City high-rise apartment, hears two gunshots coming from a nearby complex and sees a shadowy figure in the distant window; after reporting it to the police, Crenna is attacked in his basement by a man he cannot identify. Skeptical police investigator Vic Morrow has him come down to the station to identify guys from a line-up--which hardly seems logical, but never mind. Crenna gets feisty fiancée Patty Duke Astin involved, but when she is attacked through a chain-locked door (!), Crenna takes matters into his own hands. Completely illogical non-mystery steals liberally from Hitchcock's "Rear Window", but hasn't an ounce of the Master's style or wit (not even low-budget style or wit). Cast is rather weak: Crenna is so low-keyed throughout much of the movie that his eventual outburst in a bank seems to come from nowhere, while Astin wears kooky '70s outfits and makes exaggerated faces (both stars are wasted). Henry Winkler and John Travolta have uncredited bits, while Peter Link's score inappropriately--though amusingly--calls up the blaxploitation movies of this era (good for laugh, but totally out of place for a square movie-of-the-week like this). The New York locations seem to be well-captured, though a credit at the end suggests the picture was filmed in California! Either way, it's one lousy "Nightmare".

Richard Crenna is a witness of a crime on the front window (and the killer sees him!). He says the Police it was on the window in the same floor his flat is, but when they go, the flat is empty. What happened? That in the front building doesn't exist 13th floor, so he's wrong! Meanwhile, the killer goes for poor Crenna. Stupid son of Rear Window, with not enough money and brain.

Stupid movie that was churned out seemingly without much effort or thought.

I remember watching this when I was a kid and actually getting scared to death of it. I missed the ending because my parents sent me to bed and that made it worse.

At its heart the film has one frightening idea going for it. It was made very soon after the University of Dallas Texas sniper incident. The thought that you can be going about your business and some nut with a high powered rifle and a telescopic lens can just end your life was truly chilling.

The callous attitude of the police can make it all even worse.