Clive Barker's Nightbreed

I wouldn't mind seeing it again, watched it along time ago and remember similarly thinking that it was pretty close to the source and had some good makeup work. But it also seemed to wash over some of the darker corners of the story and the lead was pretty unmemorable (ie, I can't even remember who it was!). Didn't they also change the ending, probably in hopes of making a sequel or series.

I remember Cronenberg REALLY creeping me out in this. Beyond that, I just think that this movie suffered from the lack of an adequate budget to bring the city of monsters to life in an interesting way.

I liked the book better, but absolutely dug the hell out of this flick. Watching Pelloquin in action, the final battle at Midian (need to see more Berserker action, though) and a great performance by David Cronenberg as Decker, makes this one of my favorite horror/monster pics.

Did Barker find the missing footage yet for the Directors Cut DVD he wanted to make? I think it's like a half hour of footage or so.

I had an issue or two of the Nightbreed series, same with with the Jihad/Jyhad one. The only thing I remember was the Nightbreed one being pretty violent and featuring monsters that weren't in the movie (a guy who could stretch his mouth and put huge shards of glass in his gums for teeth, some bird lady, a few others). One of the issues also had someone being being cooked and then a guy tore off a rib and started eating it, or something. I thought it was pretty great as a kid.

As far as the movie goes: always kind of loved it, warts and all. It doesn't hurt that the movie takes place in and around Calgary, where I live. I guess Midian is an actual cemetary near town (though most of the movie shots were matte paintings to expand the scale), but I've never gone to check it out.

Cronenberg is fantastic in this; his zipperhead killer is creepy as hell. The home invasion murders at the start are pretty disturbing. Peloquin, the chick with all the poison needles down her back and the chubby guy with the eel things that come out of his stomache were my favorites back in the day (wish I could remember the names, I have the dvd but haven't watched it in ages). I used to quote "you're meat.. for the beast!" all the damn time. For whatever reason, the end of the movie with the priest guy (trying to recall this from old memories) bringing Deckard back to life used to freak me out. Something about the high angle and his crazed chanting and the mask jerking to life all the sudden, I'm sure it's nothing these days but it always stuck with me.

With a bigger budget this movie could have been one of the staples of the genre, but it's pretty admirable for it's efforts nonetheless. Glad to see it getting some love around here.

Love this flick, and own the dvd. Cronenberg should do more acting, as he was just perfect in the role as Dr. Decker. The home invasion scenes were friggin' creepy, just like his mask. Really wish that there was a film sequel.

Also, Danny Elfman's score is excellent, including the main theme.

I watched this again recently and it's aged pretty well. I still prefer the book, though ... it's much better paced. The film moves so quickly that you don't have time to soak up the better character moments.

Great Danny Elfman score, too. Probably his most bombastic score. Elfman fans should check out the Oingo Boingo album Dark at the End of the Tunnel. About half the songs there have some kind of lyrical connection to Nightbreed, and it includes a non-country version of the song "Skin" that appears in the film. I think there might be one or two other soundtrack-related songs there too ... if I remember right, there's a song from Midnight Run at the end of the disc.

That scene is a very cool Videodrome reference.

At Fangoria last weekend Barker said they were lost in the vaults of whatever company owns the film; and that they have no intention of searching for the footage.

I actually prefer NIGHTBREED to HELLRAISER. It's more fun. That Pinhead guy's a real killjoy.

NIGHTBREED introduced me to Barker fiction (Cabal was his 1st that I read). It's got monsters, an Elfman score, and Cronenberg. My kind of flick, from balls to bones.

I watched it last night for the first time and it really didn't do much for me. I think the first half hour is pretty strong, but then I started to lose interest. The characters lost steam once the plot started to reveal itself.

I must say, though, that Cronenberg was awesome and Elfman's score was really cool. I know I've heard that score in trailers before for other films.

When's Barker going to stop writing really GREAT premises for a book series...and the STOP at the first (or in the case of 'Everville', second...) installment.
I reckon he's got 4 or 5 potential series on the go at the moment

Apparently Barker is working on the third book of the art. Although he has said that for years.

I did my part. Let's get this shit going.

http://chud.com/articles/articles/19...ELP/Page1.html

Tell 'em CHUD sent you.

Coolest thing I've read all week. I've done my part! Id wound several people quite horribly for a chance to see this restored. It's one of my sentimental favourites. Loved this film as a kid. Had everything in it I could have asked for back then, having Cronenberg in it was like icing on an already overstuffed Cake of Massive Awesome.
Saw this when I was a teenager; the chick with the spines was a challenging turn on, helped cultivate a taste for ferocious, unusual looking broads ever since.

I only saw it recently and it's certainly fun. Cronenberg's outstandingly weird in it too.

There's that whole Cantina/Troll Market moment which must have been just geek candy back in the day.

This is one of my favorites of the genre, and I would most assuredly love to finally see Barker's original Director's Cut. Everything falls into place so well. the atmosphere, the music, the (still) impressive special effects, and Cronenberg should play more roles. The man knows how to ACT.

The only thing that tempers my appreciation for Nightbreed is the enormous love I have for Cabal. This book should have been illegal for socially awkward 16 year olds to read. The part in the jail cell where Boone turns fully into one of the Nightbreed for the first time was a bigger wish fulfillment fantasy for me than ten Star Wars.

I always meant to read 'Cabal'. How different is the movie from the book, Stelios?

Since I was googling some Barker stuff for the Hellraiser thread, this is as good a place as any to quote and laugh:

Interesting!

"The fabled stop-motion leopard woman riding a large dinosaur creature..."
Wow what?

Prompted me to order this book and this book from Amazon.

Wow, Amazon has literally no information whatsoever about those books, not even a picture for the Making Of.

Let us know how they are Mite!

Got "NIGHTBREED Chronicles" in mail today. It's a paperback "Monster Manual". 2 pages devoted to each Midian denizen. Portrait-style pics of actors in makeup in front of backdrops and background details of each character. A Barker intro at front and a makeup behind the scenes section at the end.

Wish it was thicker, but it's neat. Nice pics.

They put the book's ending in again! Great.

I just rewatched this after a long time and holy fuck does Cronenberg have an awesome voice or what?

Thanks for the info and pic sir.

Does that pretty much cover just the main Midian cast then, or do guys like Leroy and Devil Lude get their fair shakes too?

Oh no, it's got 35-40 characters detailed. At 80 pages and 2 pages per monster (w/ atleast1 full page color pic per), it's pretty fair and displays some of the more marginal freaks all with some backstory.

Cabal/Boone
Narcisse
Baphomet
Lylesburg
Rachel
Babette
Kinski
Peloquin
Shuna Sassi
Lude
Leroy Gomm
Beloit Motto
Saul
Mater Q
Scorch
The Thrall
Frick
Giblin & Veale
Mexico
Chocolat
The Beserkers
Ohnaka
Annastasjia
Yilly Katt
Otis and Clay
Radinka
Kolca Threeflies
The Fabilu Family
Lizzie B
Pessoa The Pale
Kushnir Day

We also have Lori, Dr. Decker, Ashberry, William Eigerman (Naturals).

Also includes insert B&W shots of other even marginal creatures. I'd like a book like this for Mos Eisley Cantina or Jabba's Palace. With shipping, I got it for under $10. Well worth that price IMO.

EDIT: I think I'm going to do a double feature with this and it's prequel, WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE, soonish.

I love how Decker is made even more disturbing by the fact that he believes the mask is telling him what to do. One thing I'd like to know is how exactly he came across that mask, or if he made it.

Under $10? Damn, that is a hell of a deal.

I might have to go looking for a copy myself now - creature compendiums are just about the best things ever haha

Thanks for all the info MITE!

The images above in the thread from the book are from google, but here's the text from Baphomet's particular page:

"The origins of Midian's founding God, Baphomet, the spirit in stone, are shrouded in so much confusion that any assessment of his true nature is impossible. This is not, indisputably, the same Baphomet for the adoration of which the Knights Templar were persecuted. Many of the Breed believe he is related to the entity the naturals call the Devil. In essence, it is the assumption of this faction that Baphomet is a fallen pretender to some celestial throne, and that under the guise of gathering the Breed together, the God is in fact assembling an army for storming the citadel he was exiled from.
The God's silence on this and every other matter is perfect proof of his power."

I'll see what I can do about getting a pic up.

Bad news* on the additional footage:

http://www.clivebarker.info/morenightbreed.html

Morgan Creek: “So I have a bit of sad news to relay. After MUCH digging, hunting and trying our best to unearth where (if at all) the missing Nightbreed footage might be, we’ve come up empty handed. Therefore, that VHS that was screened at the convention is the ONLY footage that exists of a director’s cut.”

Revelations: “Wow, that's tough news! A year ago we had no idea whether or not the footage still even existed and it was only when we heard the company knew exactly where it was that we and Clive even got up hopes to be able to construct an extended cut of the movie. Sounds like the initial comments to Mark were unduly optimistic?”

Morgan Creek: “Unfortunately yes – we were wrong about this one.”

There’s not much that can sweeten a blow like this when so many hopes have been so raised…

We’ve given the news to Clive and will be talking more with him about whether this might be a final death knell for a true extended Nightbreed. In the meantime, again prompted by your visible and vocal support, Morgan Creek have offered us access to all the Nightbreed material they have and have granted us permission to pull this together into a comprehensive illustrated anniversary book about the movie. We’ll draw on this as well as on unpublished material in Clive’s archive and we’ve started discussions on whether this package might gain permission to include a release of the workprint too…

* Submitted as news on 8/14

I just ordered the only copy of The Nightbreed Chronicles that was under 10 dollars from Amazon. Really looking forward to reading it. Thanks for bringing it to the attention of the rest of us Nightbreed fans, Darkmite!

Also, I can't believe that the soundtrack c.d. is so expensive. I got it for a few bucks a few years ago.

God fucking dammit.

Yeah, I found mine pretty cheap at a used CD store years ago. I think I probably held it over my head like Link in Legend of Zelda.

Well, as someone who was at the actual screening last year, I can tell you this news is stupid.

The cut we saw, while being a workprint, was near completed. Just a lack of sound effects and score. Just about all of the effects were done. With all of the scenes added it made the film a near literal adaptation of the novel, with more insane monsters, gore, and a bigger crazier finale at the battle for Midian. They could just do some minor work on the footage we saw and release it on the dvd and that would be just fine...

So weird. I was eyeing a copy of that a couple of weeks back on Amazon. Remembered seeing it advertised in the back of Fango and other horror/sci-fi mags around the time the film came out but never got around to ordering it.


Hate hearing that news from Morgan Creek.

Got this one today. Paperback, 230 (or so) pages. First 40 pages devoted to Foreword and making of info. The rest of the book is "The Screenplay". Not sure if it's the shooting script or if there are other versions. I'll have to do some reasearch. Havn't read Cabal in a few years, so I might have to revisit and compare. Interior of the book is all black and white. There is a mix of onset pics, movie stills, storyboard thumbnails and character/costume/set sketches all throughout the book.

The cool surprise: despite being a tad worn around the edges, my used copy of the book's autographed by Clive Barker on the title page.



Introduction : Nightbreed Introduction by Barker

"A movie is a two hour experience, but if an image or a character touches some nerve in the audience, its effect may last a good deal longer. Some sixty years after they were made King Kong and Bride of Frankenstein - two of my favourite dark fantasy films, both focussed as much on their fantastical stars as on the human - exercise considerable fascination for audiences. Karloff and Kong are recognisable images the world over, despite the fact that the films in which they appeared are technically far inferior to those of today. It would be overweening of me to claim (or even hope) that our Breed will join that elevated league of icons, but I'd like to think we're producing images that will at least remain in the audience's head longer than a few hours."

This will probably give you a good idea what "version" of the screenplay is printed in the book, as it goes over and compares the ending in Cabal to the first draft, mid production, reshoot(s) and final finished ending of the movie. It's also just a fascinating read on all accounts.

It's the filmed version in the Making Of book then. Thanks.

The foreword's cool as it was written while the film was being made.

FYI, that B&W shot above was from the deleted sex scene, if you didn't already know.

I think in the comics, Baphomet's origin is a bit different. If I remember correctly, there was a time when the Breed lived in the world of Naturals and were the source of all our myths and legends about fairytale creatures. Some among them were very powerful and Baphomet was one who protected the vestiges of their kind when humans started killing them off en masse. I think Baphomet was supposed to be characterized by humans as some kind of demon, but is really just the last of the more powerful Breed.