Bad Dreams

Nudity: None

Gore: High on the moderate side

Body count: 15+

From everything I had heard about this movie, I was expecting a straight up A Nightmare On Elm St ripoff, but to my pleasant surprise, this was not the case!  This isn't to say that there weren't a few elements that screamed Nightmare at me - but not in a way that I was turned off by it. 

The movie starts off with the creepy final monologue of a mid-70's cult called Unity Field, which is reminiscent of Jones Town or Heaven's Gate, followed by their trip to "the other side."  One of the cult members, Cynthia, survives and slips into a coma to which she awakens from 13 years later.  She's put into the psych ward of her hospital to help her come to grips with her seemingly overnight transformation from a young teen in the 70's, to an adult in the 80's.

Cynthia begins group therapy, in which she's lumped in with a bunch of weirdos that probably belong in an institution.  After beginning therapy, she starts having flashbacks of Unity Field and begins seeing it's leader in places he actually isn't.  Or is he?  One-by-one, the other patients of the group begin dying off in ways thought to be suicides.  Cynthia then has to decide whether she can stop all of the deaths by taking her own life, to join Unity Field on "the other side."

 "Floor 8, please."

This movie has some pretty good laughs in it.  There were a few moments of whacky humor that only the 80's could produce, that had me laughing pretty hard.  This helps a couple scenes that might otherwise be a little slow - but for the most part, it just makes this movie stand out a bit from the rest and show that they had fun making it.  One particular laugh-out-loud moment is at the end of the final climax.  You'll know it when you see it.  I don't want you to think that this was all unintentional comedy, because it was obviously intended.

Transported from the set of Carrie.

I went through about 40 minutes of this movie thinking it was going to be light on the gore, but they were just holding out on the good stuff.  Once it starts, there seems to be enough to make only gore-porn freaks wanting more.

Here comes the part you have learned to expect from me - not only did it borrow some ideas from ANOES, but also a couple actors: Jennifer Rubin of A Nightmare On Elm St 3: Dream Warriors and Charles Fleischer of the original Nightmare (as well as Back To The Future Part II!).  Then there's Dean Cameron, giving us a lot of the comedic relief, from Summer School, Ski School, and Men At Work.  The always lovely E.G. Daily from One Dark Night and Pee Wee's Big Adventure.  Bruce Abbot from The Re-Animator series.  Veteran Harris Yulin, best known (by me) for his roles in Ghostbusters II and Scarface.  Also another actress from Pee Wee's Big Adventure - Susan Barnes; she played the actress on the movie lot that had the voice of a man.  There are a few other actors you'll recognize, but I always go too overboard with these sections.  I just like linking actors to other movies I love.


Anyway, I'd highly recommend this to any fan of 80's horror; you might not love it like I did, but you'll still probably like it.

7.5/10 skulls - would have been higher had they kept the original ending.