Dreamscape (1984)

A young psychic on the run from himself is recruited by the government to save the US president whose mind is trapped inside the dreamworld.

Director:

Joseph Ruben

Writers:

David Loughery (story), David Loughery (screenplay),

Stars:

Dennis Quaid, Max von Sydow, Christopher Plummer

1 win & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Dennis Quaid	...	Alex Gardner
Max von Sydow	...	Doctor Paul Novotny
Christopher Plummer	...	Bob Blair
Eddie Albert	...	The President
Kate Capshaw	...	Jane DeVries
David Patrick Kelly	...	Tommy Ray Glatman
George Wendt	...	Charlie Prince
Larry Gelman	...	Mr. Webber
Cory 'Bumper' Yothers	...	Buddy
Redmond Gleeson	...	Snead
Peter Jason	...	Babcock
Chris Mulkey	...	Finch
Jana Taylor	...	Mrs. Webber
Madison Mason	...	Fred Schoenstein
Kendall Carly Browne	...	Mrs. Matusik

Storyline

A government funded project looks into using psychics to enter people's dreams, with some mechanical help. When a subject dies in his sleep from a heart attack Alex Gardner becomes suspicious that another of the psychics is killing people in the dreams somehow and that is causing them to die in real life. He must find a way to stop the abuse of the power to enter dreams.

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Plot Keywords:

dream | psychic | nightmare | u.s. president | heart | 

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Taglines:

Who in hell has peace of mind..?

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Genres:

Adventure | Sci-Fi | Thriller | Horror

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 August 1984 (USA)

Also Known As:

El túnel de las pesadillas

Filming Locations:

1320 Miller Drive, West Hollywood, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Zupnik-Curtis Enterprises, Bella Productions, Chevy Chase Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Originally there was a love scene involving Alex and Jane that was supposed to have taken place in the middle of the film involving nudity, but it was deleted for pacing issues and also because of the MPAA's new PG-13 rating guidelines. The love scene was featured in the film theatrically and on its original video release, but for its "Image" dvd release a PG edited cut print or TV version of the film was used for the transfer.

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Goofs

As Alex is sneaking back into the facility at the loading dock doors, 2 armed Government agents walk by on patrol with a dog (a Doberman Pinscher). Alex hides behind a nearby bush, while the agents and the dog walk past without noticing him. Obviously, the agents are using the dog to foil anyone simply 'hiding' from them, yet the dog does not notice Alex.

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Quotes

Alex Gardner: Nice place you got here. Who's your decorator? Darth Vader?

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Connections

References Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)

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Soundtracks

"Lip Service"
Composed and Performed by Craig Huxley

User Reviews

Uneven but enjoyable psychic thriller

I just saw Dreamscape on television. Despite some flaws, it's not a bad movie at all. It's very well-acted (though George Wendt is wasted in a thankless plot-device role) and features some very impressive, CONVINCING effects. If you want gratuitous computer-cartoon crap, look elsewhere. The "snake man" is impressive, and the actual dreamscapes themselves feature some inventively bizarre set design.

Of course, I must mention the flaws. Though Dennis Quaid and Kate Capshaw have appeal, their characters are only partially developed, and the romantic angle of their relationship is quite standard and seems a bit forced. The motivations of several characters seem muddled, and the film tries to be too many things (horror, political conspiracy drama, Raiders of the Lost Ark-inspired adventure) for too many audiences. Also, despite creepy bits, it does seem to pull some punches. It's too explicit to be purely psychological, yet it stops just short of being a visual nightmare. Basically it lacks a hard edge...of course, as I said, I saw it cut for TV.

Still, despite the problems, it's worth watching if you run across it. It's well-made and effective, with engaging performances and some sufficiently eerie passages.