Bad Dreams (1988)

"Great Freakin' Movie"

I would definitely have 2 say, i expected alot less from this film, but I'm glad i did... It was "GREAT", very gorey & lots of action! I may have dozed off for a couple of minutes, but when i think of it... I was drunk outta my mind & it had to be at least 4 in the morning!! ENJOY!!!
LMAO
>:D January 8, 2009

Bad Dreams

WOW, never thought I would ever find this movie Thank You Amazon I will be buying from you again. A lot of my freinds that I have showen it to , say that its one the best there have seen. THANKS December 2, 2008

You'd be Stupid to Fall for the Marketing of "Bad Dreams"

So what do I do; I BUY THE MOVIE!!! Luckily for me, this movie isn't nearly as bad as I had feared. The prominent feeling surrounding this flick is deception. Heck, even the cover art is misleading; that picture never happens in the film. People who hate "Bad Dreams" wanted a "Nightmare on Elm Street" monster/slasher. I was open for anything since buying this was an after-thought. When this finally ended, I was pleasantly surprised. But before I deceive you into thinking this is cinematic brilliance, we should look deeper...

(I don't know if I can review this without spoiling it in some way, even though I will never say anything specific about anything that happens in the movie)

-AN AMALGAM OF SUB-GENRE
That's my favorite new word; "amalgam". It happens to work well here. You see, what you see is not exactly what you get, but what you get is worth seeing. At one point in this film you might sneer at the attempt at a "Freddy Krueger" re-hash. When the various modes of killing start, you might suspect a twist of `The Omen" has been tossed in. However, when it's all said and done, you were completely deceived and surprisingly, it all makes sense.

-DEATH BE NOT PROUD.
If that last bit sounds intriguing, don't get too excited. I'm going to temper things a bit. Yes, there are some unusual modes of death, but you don't really get to see them all and they aren't particularly creative. Usually, the gore is saved for the aftermath. There are some graphic gore moments but they're not what you'd expect or are accustom to. Regardless, there is a lot of blood and some very uncomfortable violence that is disturbing even if it's not all that realistic. And as long as we are in the gore mode, I should let you know there is no nudity at all. You will probably be thankful for this since most of the characters wouldn't do it for you anyway.

-MOSTLY UNREMARKABLE.
The actors in this film are ok. Nobody stands out. They dutifully do their jobs without adverse or advantageous affect. They simply move the plot along in convincing enough fashion. The camera work is standard fare with no groundbreaking or note worthy shots. It looks a lot like other movies made in the late 80s; very clean and unremarkable. Visually, the story is told in a very straightforward way. I didn't notice the music, which isn't a bad thing. It mostly stays out of the way while still preserving an uneasy mood. The story, however, was different and a complete surprise. I wasn't sure it started that way, but that's where it ended up.

-HANG ON SLOOPY!!
And hang and hang and hang. Perhaps the thing that bugged me most about "Bad Dreams" other than the really bad title was the ending. Not necessarily how the story played out, but how the action played out. We get some human stamina and endurance plausibility issues as well as shirking the laws of physics. As it is done in this film, it has been done in dozens of other films. I never liked when it happens, ever. I can only forgive this to a certain level as a bad choice. An endless number of other scenarios could have put plausibility in a better position without changing the plot at all. Despite this, the ending is a stunner for those with an open mind and a huge disappointment for those with the wrong expectations.

-WHAT EXPECTATIONS MIGHT THOSE BE, EK?
Don't go into this film looking for a monster/slasher. This is a psychological mystery in the most literal sense. It has plenty of creepy moments but is not particularly scary. The blood and gore is present and a bit overdone at times, but still amps up the fun a little bit since the pace is just a little slow. Even though it's not a mile-a-minute horror film, "Bad Dreams" was always interesting for me. My recommendations are very specific for this film.
-you're not looking for the typical 80s slasher.
-You don't mind a slightly slow pace and moderate character development.
-You don't expect any ground breaking visuals.
-You like to be surprised by the story.

Though not a great film, the story is unique for the time it was made and may surprise you even today. A good rental for sure.

-Story.....4.5 Stars
-Acting...3.5 Stars
-Gore......3.5 Stars
-Visuals...3.5 Stars
-E=MC2..2.5 Stars

Average= 3.5 Stars (amazon really needs more stars)
October 13, 2008

a good dream for horror fans

Well anyone out there who loves a great old horror film need not look further than bad dreams. A well scripted horror film made by great production company and a great director in Andrew flemming.
This is a sleeper of a horror missed by many but a must have in any horror collection along side great horrors such as Near dark, Vamp, the Third Exorcist film, the burning and Rosemarys killer that many horror fans may have missed.
If you liked Elm st 3 you will love this title
July 14, 2008

Actually quite interesting...

For a movie that doesn't have any 'major' stars in it, Bad Dreams is actually quite well acted & made. The storyline is a little more original than most 1980s horror movies; it involves a psychopathic cult leader (played by Richard Lynch) who ordered a suicide by fire. Only one woman - Cynthia (Jennifer Rubin) survives, and 13 years after the suicides she wakes up from a coma. Unfortunately, the ghost of Harris - the cult leader - begins to appear, and several of her fellow patients die terrible deaths. Cynthia must find a way to stop him before he strikes again...

Richard Lynch - known for playing villains - is especially good as the diabolical psychopath Harris, leader of Unity Fields and the monster behind the mass suicide. Jennifer Rubin as sole survivor Cynthia and Harris Yulin as a psychiatrist also turn in fine performances.

In addition to the trailer this DVD also has some interesting behind-the-scenes features. About time this one was released! October 21, 2007

More reviews at Amazon.com ...