Due to the success of Nightmare of Elm Street, a huge wave of dream themed horror films were released in the 80's. Bad Dreams, Dreamaniac, and Nightmares to name a few. Kind of ironic, since most studios that read the initial NOES script allegedly didn't find it scary. Deadly Dreams unsurprisingly falls into this popular sub-genre.
Alex is haunted by the memory of his parent's brutal murder when he was 10 years old. Now a college a student, he continues to have nightmares about the wolf masked killer, Norman Perkins (Nice Psycho reference.) After becoming romantically involved with an attractive young woman named Maggie, his nightmares start to appear more and more real. What is a dream and what is reality?
One thing I find really effective about this film is it's blending of dreams and reality. NOES is the first film to really execute this and did it to perfection. Other dream horror films don't really blur the lines quite as effectively. Deadly Dreams had me questioning what was actually a dream and what was really taking place.
The production, acting, and direction are all very mediocre. The characters are very simple, but I found myself invested in them. The gore is surprisingly decent though nothing spectacular takes place. Maybe a bullet wound here and there, a stab, a neck slit. While nothing will stick out to a seasoned horror viewer, everything was well executed and looked good.
Deadly Dreams maintains interest through several dream sequences and a rather short run time. The story seemingly goes nowhere for almost an hour. But at least there is some action. Finally when the climax arrives we're treated to a not totally predictable twist.
Despite showing promise in several areas Deadly Dreams never exceeds mediocrity. It's an enjoyable film. But it's nothing that will be looked back on as a hidden gem. Don't go out of your way to watch Deadly Dreams. If you have nothing else however, there are definitely worse films that could occupy your time.
Body Count:5
Side Note: I'm a huge fan of synth horror scores. The final chase scene has a pretty cool background theme.
No comments:
Post a Comment