Recent Reviews
DVD Review: Bad Dreams
By HammerFanatic
Apr 28, 2006, 23:58

1988's, Bad Dreams, writer/director Andrew Fleming brought to the big screen, that which to many, made the 80s a wonderful time to be a fan of horror. Stocked with a solid cast that includes; Jennifer Rubin (Cynthia), Bruce Abbott (Dr. Alex Karmen), Richard Lynch (Harris), Dean Cameron (Ralph), Harris Yulin (Dr. Berrisford), Susan Barnes (Connie), John Scott Clough (Victor), Elizabeth Daily (Lana), Damita Jo Freeman (Gilda), Louis Giambalvo (Ed), Susan Ruttan (Miriam) and Sy Richardson (Detective Wasserman).

Bad Dreams opens in the mid-seventies where a cult called, Unity Fields has decided to follow the calling of their leader, Harris (Richard Lynch). Harris has talked his followers into dousing themselves with gasoline and allowing him to strike that match which will send them all to the next level and bring them even closer....all in the name of love. However, one young member of this cult, Cynthia (Jennifer Rubin) isn't quite sold on this idea and manages to survive the inferno that engulfs Harris and the more dedicated followers. Cynthia spends the next thirteen years in a coma and once she awakens, with no family or friends laying claim to her, she finds herself housed in a mental ward along with some very interesting co-patients. Cynthia and her fellow subjects are under the care of Dr. Alex Karmen (Bruce Abbott) and Dr. Berrisford (Harris Yulin) and while Dr. Karmen appears to have the very best interests of the patients under his care, you're never quite sure about Dr. Berrisford. It isn't long before Cynthia begins experiencing some horrific visions where Harris comes to her and is less-than-pleased that she survived and until she agrees to join her 'family', he will lay claim to some other unfortunate soul. Soon, the patients in the group with Cynthia and under the care of Dr. Karmen begin to drop like flies and you begin to wonder who, if any will survive this unfulfilled death promise.Bad Dreams is presented in anamorphic widescreen (1.85:1) and offers an audio option of Dolby Digital (2.0) with no subtitles offered. The disc is packed with more bonus features than I expected and include:-Audio Commentary with Writer/Director Andrew Fleming.

-The Making of Bad Dreams (Featurette)-The Special Effects of Bad Dreams (Featurette)-Behind the Scenes of Bad Dreams (Featurette)-Original Ending

-Original Theatrical Trailer

-Screenplay (DVD-ROM)-Also On DVD: (Original Theatrical Trailers) Warning Signs, Quicksilver Highway, Freaked, The Entity

OK, I'm sure most people that have seen this film or even read about it have heard of the several comparisons or perhaps similarities between this film, released in 1988 and A Nightmare On Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, released one year earlier, Yes, it's true, Jennifer Rubin starred in both films and both films do have some bizarre dream sequences, but in all honesty, Bad Dreams definitely stands on it's own, for my money. Now, I was no teen in late 80s, but the video rental business was flying high and I was always heading to the horror section to check out what might be some gem that could entertain my friends and me during a VHS horror fest. I'll admit it, those damn video covers could pull me in and get me to hand over some of my hard-earned cash almost effortlessly and Bad Dreams was no exception. Just the image of the burned hand covering a screaming mouth had me convinced that this was going to be a decent film. For my friends and myself, it delivered an evening of some fun and some pretty decent effects, too. While I don't think that, Bad Dreams is one of the best of the genre, it certainly didn't disappoint. With some very cool effects and once scene in particular, it really pleased me, some solid acting and some very 80s tunes, this film has plenty to make it worth a rental and it was a fun re-visit for me. I hadn't seen this film since the first viewing all those years ago, when several friends and co-workers and I huddled into a darkened room with some cold beverages, hot pizza and nothing more than a desire to have some fun watching a film and this film delivers. In watching the disc and the original ending, I'm very pleased that the end product was the ending we see on the disc. The original ending was way too long, too far-fetched (even for a horror film) and simply killed the film for me. I'd recommend this to fans of 80s horror without hesitation and if you're in the mood for something just slightly different than what you get in horror, today, this might just be a film for you.

Buy Bad Dreams on DVD at Amazon.com