Dreamscape (1984)

Ah, the memories. I saw this one a long time ago and was much impressed with the scary nightmare scenes and the sensuality of Kate Capshaws dream scene. I'll admit it wasn't that impressive when I saw it again a couple of years ago, but it's still a pretty enjoyable film.It's not very complicated, but it has tempo, the aforementioned Capshaw is still a sight for sore eyes, and Randy Quaid - flanked by the two acting giants Max Von Sydow and Christopher Plummer as rivals - is still an okay maverick of his time. And then there was this other, nasty, 'dreamlinker', played by David Patrick Kelly, who did a similar thing in 'The warriors' (1979)... "He did this to you! He did this to you!"And finally, the dreamscapes. They rather vary, but only the one with the construction worker was truly disappointing. The ones with The President were numerous and pretty cool; the post-apocalyptic red, some zombies or a mushroom cloud or some fine stop-motion stuff - yay! There was too little of it, unfortunately. All in all it was more like a sci-fi TV-movie with a whole lot of unnecessary dialogue.Out of sentimental consideration: 7 out of 10.

There's a fair amount of 80s style imagination and panache to be found in this nifty combination of sci-fi, thriller, and political intrigue. It's got a hell of a good cast and a more than capable director, Joseph Ruben, who'd started out in exploitation films and later turned out the solid sleeper "The Stepfather" as well as mainstream fare such as "Sleeping with the Enemy". Its premise may be too close to "A Nightmare on Elm Street" in some ways, but at least the political element helps it to stand apart.Dennis Quaid, at the peak of his charisma, plays Alex Gardner, a psychically gifted young man who would rather use his gifts for self- gain but reluctantly agrees to help old pal Paul Novotny (ever delightful Max von Sydow) who's developed a revolutionary dream therapy program. It seems that now people like Alex can be inserted into the nightmares of others, and help them to deal with them. However, there's a smooth but cold government man (a chilling Christopher Plummer) who has sinister motives for supporting this program.Wonderful visual design is just one of the hooks of this story; the nightmares each get their own "dream tunnel", for one thing, and for another, the bleak post-apocalyptic landscape of which the President (Eddie Albert) dreams and the skewed images experienced by young Buddy (Cory "Bumper" Yothers) are very well realized. The special effects are eye popping, and things do get pretty grim and gory (a heart is ripped out of a chest). One of the highlights of the movie is the nefarious Snakeman, a monster brought to life through a combination of stop motion and an actor (Larry Cedar) in a costume. The music is cheesy electronic stuff, which is kind of surprising considering that the composer is the great Maurice Jarre. There's some witty dialogue, and a steamy subplot involving Alex and the young Dr. Jane DeVries (Kate Capshaw, who's lovely but sporting some real 80s hair here).The cast couldn't be better; also appearing are the eternally amusing David Patrick Kelly as weaselly little psychopath Tommy Ray, George Wendt as a horror novelist who snoops around, and character actors such as Redmond Gleeson, Peter Jason, Chris Mulkey, Madison Mason, and Brian Libby. Also, Ruben keeps the pacing consistent and the big showdown between Alex and Tommy Ray is a set piece worth waiting for.With all of this going for it, "Dreamscape" is a totally engrossing diversion that may be very much of its time but still does a good job of entertaining the viewer.Eight out of 10.

Dreamscape.A generation before Inception there was Dreamscape. Quaid and other psychics are investigated by a secretive laboratory run by Novotny. The young Quaid has been involved with Novotny before and is wary of becoming a lab rat again, but because of his nefarious activities he is all too easily cajoled into joining the program. Through a computer link up in a controlled environment he is able with his special powers to get inside the mind of another person and influence their dreams. The program is not without risks however, and previous failures have had disastrous consequences, he is however able to save one particularly troubled boy from a terrible, recurring nightmare. Also involved in the program is the menacing Glatman, another psychic and from his demeanor, it is obvious that they will square off before the story is finished. Lurking in the shadows is a smarmy Bob Blair, played by the impeccably dressed Christopher Plummer, who runs the secretive yet powerful government agency that finances the program. This agency is so covert that even the CIA gives it a wide berth. His motives are sinister ones, he wants to develop the psychics into the ultimate weapon for the military, one that can assassinate enemies in their sleep, and leave no trace. He gets his chance to put his theory into practice when the president, racked by feelings of guilt over the atomic weapons threat, seeks help to overcome his nightmares. The basic premise of the story is a good one, but the script needed more much development, and some of the special dream effects look pretty cheap, quite amateurish even for when they were made, even without the use of CGI. Quaid plays Quaid, as cheeky and irreverent as ever. To keep under the radar of Novotny he has been misusing his psychic powers, becoming a hustler and gambler who has really only ever used his gift to stay one step ahead of the people he owes money to. He is not helped by having him parade around in some terrible 1980s fashions complete with Shaun Cassidy hair style. Max Von Sydow, is the serious scientist and humanitarian who runs the program investigating the mind powers, who wants all of those who are troubled in their sleep to benefit. While a young Kate Kapshaw ( looking very much like Julie Christie ), is largely wasted as the token female research assistant and all too obvious romantic interest. Plummer takes the acting honors here, as the immaculately groomed Blair, a shadowy and ruthless figure with his own agenda, who will let nothing stand in his way. Less impressive is David Kelly as the psychotic psychic Glatman, a character it is difficult to take seriously at any stage. Also obvious is the timing of this release on DVD. l admit l had never heard of this movie before, but you don't need to be a psychic to understand why it is being released now, to cash in on the interest generated by Inception. Unfortunately, even for the time it was made, it looks cheap and dated, even though it was a highly probable idea. It has also not aged very well, this is no classic, it looks very much a product of its time, although the president's nightmare scene, where Eddie Albert and Quaid ride a trolley car through the ruins of Hiroshima under a red filter is well done. This is the sort of film that makes you wonder what Hitchcock or the Wachowski brothers could have done with it even though this film is from the wrong era for either director.

I've always been fond of movies whose topic is about dreams because it provides room for filmmakers to be unpredictable, imaginative, and inventive, both visually and thematically. While Joseph Ruben's Dreamscape carries the oft-used plot of a shadowy government conspiracy regarding a dangerous bureaucrat with powerful ties whose plan is to kill the President of the United States because of fears that he'll weaken our country due to his desires to start nuclear disarmament talks, I thought the movie's bread and butter is the many dream sequences where we go inside the night terrors which plague certain human subjects.Achieving the power to enter the dreams of troubled people who have become so deeply affected they aren't able to function normally in society or in life in general, Dr. Paul Novotny(Max Von Sydow)recruits powerful telepaths to work in his "dream chamber" in an attempt to help those in need of rescue. Alex Gardner(Dennis Quaid) is such a telepath, incredibly gifted and intelligent, but lacks the motivation or care to use them towards the greater good. Reluctantly committing to Novotny's experiments, Gardner finds that helping others recover from the nightmares that haunt them is an exciting, wonderful ability which he gradually embraces and finds rewarding. Meanwhile Bob Blair(Christopher Plummer), responsible for funding Novotny's project, prepares to murder the President(Eddie Albert), believing he's weakening our country due to how he's allowed his nightmares to affect his conduct as the nation's leader. Blair intends to use a psychopathic telepath, Tommy Ray Glatman(David Patrick Kelly in one of his customary smarmy creep roles)to kill the President inside his dream. It'll be up to Alex, and Jane(Kate Capshaw), Novotny's assistant, to stop Blair or else risk equipping a tool of destruction into the hands of dangerous people willing to exploit it's power. A horror novelist, Charlie(George Wendt)risks his life getting vital information to Alex, motivating his cause to upend Blair and his nefarious schemes.I personally found the whole political intrigue rather ho-hum, really enjoying the angle of the ability to enter the dreams to help those in need instead. Alex uses the term "cerebral voyeurs" as their title which I thought was an apt description of us, the viewers, as well. I particularly found the journeys into the nightmares of a little boy tormented by a killer snake man, and the President's nuclear holocaust where the world represents destruction and ruin(..with diseased and dead asking why they were victimized)rather harrowing and thrilling. This, I felt, was where the movie really hums. The sub-plot, however, allows the horrifying idea of how such abilities can be used negatively in the wrong hands, where, initially, the project was for the betterment of the human race. Plummer is the perfect choice to portray a governmental sociopath in a suit and tie, more than willing to kill whoever in order to see that America remains the way he thinks it ought to be. Eddie Albert, albeit a small role, has a pivotal part as the President, particularly when he and Alex are protecting themselves against Tommy, who has become a major threat since being given a place to practice his homicidal tendencies. Quaid is a young hunk, with a charming smile, and has a likable air about him, despite his cocky reckless behavior, with the on-going crisis asking him to grow up and get serious about the developing situation. Capshaw, in a rather thankless role, has the part of attractive love-interest who helps Alex in their mission to stop Blair(..her train car fantasy with Quaid gets quite steamy, interrupted before they get busy). Max von Sydow is the disappointed scientist who thought his work offered the world a benefit, saddened that Blair had other plans for the dream project, with designs on using it to kill instead of heal.When Alex enters the dreams of subjects, we witness a path through a type of multi-colored wormhole. Most of the dreams are shot using soft focus light, with Ruben often incorporating odd angles, creating a disorienting atmosphere that projects a unique universe for which Alex operates within the subjects he wishes to help. The conclusion is nice and tidy, rather predictable, those with malevolent intentions getting their just desserts.You can really see why Quaid became a star, with his looks and talent on display.