Dreamscape (1984)

Director:

Joseph Ruben

Writers:

David Loughery (story)
David Loughery (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

15 August 1984 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Sci-Fi | Thriller | Horror

Tagline:

Alex Gardner has an extraordinary gift. To keep it may cost him his life...

Plot:

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.

Plot Keywords:

Dream | Psychic | Nightmare | U.S. President | Heart

Awards:

1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

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
Kate Charleson	...	President's Daughter
Eric Gold	...	Tommy Ray's Father
Virginia Kiser	...	President's Wife
Carl Strano	...	Edward Simms
Brian Libby	...	McClaren
Bob Terhune	...	Dobbs
Fred Waugh	...	Bill Hardy (as Fred M. Waugh)
Timothy Blake	...	Mrs. Blair
Carey Fox	...	Tech Aide #1
Marii Mak	...	Tech Aide #2
Claudia Lowe	...	Tech Aide #3
Anna Chavez	...	Newswoman
Ben Kronen	...	Train Conductor
John Malone	...	Trolley Conductor
Mindi Iden	...	Waitress
Betty Kean	...	Grandma
Trent Dolan	...	Desk Guard
Andrew Boyer	...	Webber's Brother
George Caldwell	...	Buddy's Father
Ernest Harada	...	Gardener
Tina Greenberg	...	Nurse
Alan Buchdahl	...	Track Announcer
Larry Cedar	...	The Snakeman
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Helen Kelly	...	Girl at the Racetrack (uncredited)
Missy Laws	...	Lounge Customer #1 (uncredited)

Directed by
Joseph Ruben

Writing credits
David Loughery		(story)
David Loughery		(screenplay) &
Chuck Russell		(screenplay) &
Joseph Ruben		(screenplay)

Produced by
Bruce Cohn Curtis	....	producer
Tom Curtis	....	executive producer
Chuck Russell	....	associate producer
Jerry Tokofsky	....	co-producer
Stanley R. Zupnik	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Maurice Jarre

Cinematography by
Brian Tufano		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Richard Halsey

Casting by
Johanna Ray

Art Direction by
R. Clifford Searcy		(co-art director) (as Clifford Searcy)
Jeff Staggs

Costume Design by
Linda M. Bass

Makeup Department
Richard Arrington	....	assistant makeup artist
Greg Cannom	....	special makeup
David Robert Cellitti	....	special makeup effects artist
Francesca Maxwell	....	makeup artist
David B. Miller	....	special makeup effects
Craig Reardon	....	special makeup
Brian Wade	....	special makeup effects artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Michael Daves	....	first assistant director
Robert J. Doherty	....	second assistant director (as Bob Doherty)
Jerry Ketcham	....	additional second assistant director
Thomas Lofaro	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Ed Callahan	....	set dresser
Elliot Ellentuck	....	construction coordinator
Bob Fox	....	lead painter
Leslie Fredrickson	....	carpenter
Mike Fredrickson	....	lead carpenter
David L. Glazer	....	property master (as David Glazer)
Mark 'Digger' Green	....	assistant props (as Mark Green)
Richard K. Hummel	....	set dresser
Jeff Knight	....	construction foreman
Len Morganti	....	visual effects art director
Escott O. Norton	....	set construction
Christof	....	set constructor (uncredited)

Sound Department
John K. Adams	....	sound editor
Max Bell	....	sound stereo consultant: Dolby
Barbara J. Boguski	....	sound editor (as Barbara Boguski)
Gary C. Bourgeois	....	sound re-recording mixer
Neil Brody	....	sound re-recording mixer
Joseph D. Citarella	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Joe Citarella)
Kirk Francis	....	sound mixer
Devon Heffley Curry	....	adr supervisor (as Devon Heffley)
Hudson B. Marquez	....	boom operator (as Hudson Marquez)
Hoppy Mehterian	....	adr recordist
Troy Porter	....	sound recordist
John Post	....	foley artist
Steve Rice	....	dialogue editor
Richard D. Rogers	....	foley recordist (as Richard Rogers)
Charles Ewing Smith	....	sound effects editor
David E. Stone	....	sound editor
Kendrick Sweet	....	sound editor (as Ken Sweet)
Susumu Tokunow	....	sound mixer (as Susumu Tokonow)
Douglas Vaughan	....	boom operator
David Lewis Yewdall	....	supervising sound editor (as David Yewdall)

Special Effects by
Jim Doyle	....	mechanical effects
John Eggett	....	special effects coordinator
Craig Reardon	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Jim Aupperle	....	stop-motion visual effects supervisor
James Belohovek	....	miniature constructor
Beverly Bernacki	....	optical lineup
Stephen Czerkas	....	stop-motion crew
Linda Drake	....	stop-motion crew (as Linda Obalil)
Ernest D. Farino	....	stop-motion crew
Rocco Gioffre	....	matte artist
James Hagedorn	....	optical printer operator (as James R. Hagedorn)
Pete Kozachik	....	stop-motion crew
Peter Kuran	....	visual effects creator
Kevin Kutchaver	....	special photography
R.J. Robertson	....	rotoscope animation
Jerome Seven	....	effects stage photography
Susan Turner	....	miniature supervisor (as Susan K. Turner)
Jacqueline Zietlow	....	production administration: VCE (as Jackie Zietlow)
Layne Bourgoyne	....	animator: VCE (uncredited)
Stephen Czerkas	....	snakeman model builder (uncredited)
Rick Taylor	....	animation designer: VCE (uncredited)

Stunts
Bobby Bass	....	stunts
Gary Combs	....	stunts
Justin De Rosa	....	stunts
Richard Elmore	....	stunts
James W. Gavin	....	stunt pilot (as Jim Gavin)
James M. Halty	....	stunts (as James Halty)
Chris Howell	....	stunts
Jeff Imada	....	stunts
Dan McCoy	....	stunt driver
Bobby Porter	....	stunts (as Bobby Parker)
Mic Rodgers	....	stunts (as Mick Rodgers)
Jan Michael Shultz	....	stunts (as Jan M. Shultz)
Frank James Sparks	....	stunts
M. James Arnett	....	stunt double: Eddie Albert (uncredited)
Gary Hymes	....	stunts (uncredited)
Mic Rodgers	....	stunt double: Dennis Quaid (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Ray Bilger	....	electrician
Scott Buttfield	....	electrician
Bruce Byall	....	grip
Stephen Crawford	....	electrician (as Steve Crawford)
Peter Davidian	....	electrician
Cicero De Moraes	....	electrician
Paul A. Edwards	....	additional assistant camera (as Paul Edwards)
M.J. Elliott	....	still photographer
Paul Elliott	....	first assistant camera
Michael Everett	....	best boy electrician
Steven Finestone	....	second assistant camera (as Steve Finestone)
Robert Fischer	....	best boy grip (as Bob Fischer)
Warren Burke Gerrard	....	electrician (as Warren Gerrard)
James J. Gilson	....	gaffer: second unit (as James Gilson)
Aloma Ichinose	....	still photographer
Jack Johnson	....	key grip
Matia Karrell	....	electrician
Jordan Klein Sr.	....	underwater director of photography
Joe C. Maxwell	....	electrician (as Joe Maxwell)
Kory Mills	....	lighting technician
Roland Parra	....	electrician
Ben Roscolene	....	key grip
Ward Russell	....	gaffer
Gary Thieltges	....	camera operator: second unit
Ron Veto	....	camera grip
Ron Veto	....	dolly grip
Lynda Weinman	....	animation camera (as Linda Weinman)
Jonathan Woolf	....	best boy grip
Jeff Zimmerman	....	additional assistant camera

Animation Department
Stephen Berg	....	assistant animator
Chris Casady	....	animator
Ann Ducommun	....	assistant animator
Ed Manning	....	chief animator (as Edward Manning)
Bruce Woodside	....	animator
Kevin Kutchaver	....	animator (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Susie DeSanto	....	wardrobe supervisor
Elizabeth C. Grudzinski-Seal	....	wardrobe: second unit (as Liz Beth Gower)
Randon Meyn	....	wardrobe assistant

Editorial Department
Lorenzo DeStefano	....	associate film editor
Julie Feiner	....	assistant editor
Michael Fottrell	....	post-production coordinator
Mary Nelson-Duerrstein	....	negative cutter (as Mary Nelson)
Barbara Slifka	....	post-production coordinator

Music Department
David Angel	....	musician
John Elizalde	....	music supervisor (as Jon Elizalde)
Craig Huxley	....	music recording mixer (as Craig Hundley)
Craig Huxley	....	musician (as Craig Hundley)
Michel Mention	....	musician
Charles Paley	....	music editor

Transportation Department
Steve Hellerstein	....	transportation captain
Larry White	....	driver: honeywagon

Other crew
Julie Ahlberg	....	production coordinator (as Julie Bilson Ahlberg)
Kimberly Bellman	....	craft service
Jessica Biscardi	....	assistant to producer
Michael J. Dill	....	production assistant
Patricia Frazier	....	craft service
Rebecca Greeley	....	production secretary
Joe Hornok	....	animal trainer (as Joseph R. Hornok)
Craig Huxley	....	synthesizer programmer (as Craig Hundley)
Maurice Jarre	....	synthesizer programmer
John Robert Jenings	....	animal trainer
David Kippen	....	craft service
Karen Kuebler	....	assistant auditor
Peter Kuran	....	title designer: main titles
Coni Lancaster	....	assistant production coordinator
Michel Mention	....	synthesizer programmer
Karl Lewis Miller	....	animal trainer
Monique Minyon	....	production assistant
Rip Murray	....	production assistant
Amy Rabins	....	production executive
Daniel Schott	....	assistant to producer
Dale Tate	....	title designer
Cami Taylor	....	production associate (as Cami Dempsey Taylor)
Suzanne Waite	....	production assistant
Kathryn Zatarga	....	script supervisor (as Kathy Zatarga)
Dennis Tracy	....	stand-in: Eddie Albert (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Zupnik-Curtis Enterprises
• Bella Productions
• Chevy Chase Films
• Weintraub Entertainment Group

Distributors

• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation (1984) (USA) (theatrical)
• Thorn EMI (1984) (UK) (theatrical)
• Image Entertainment (1988) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Home Box Office Home Video (HBO) (1990) (USA) (VHS)
• Encore Entertainment (1995) (UK) (video) (laserdisc)
• Image Entertainment (1998) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Image Entertainment (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Image Entertainment (2000) (USA) (VHS)
• e-m-s the DVD-Company (2000) (Germany) (DVD)
• Dutch FilmWorks (DFW) (2002) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Manga Films (2005) (Spain) (DVD)
• Image Entertainment (2010) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray) (special edition)
• Home Box Office Home Video (HBO) (19??) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• VTI Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)

Special Effects

• A&A Special Effects
• Court Wizard Special Effects
• Dream Quest Images (matte paintings) (as Dreamquest Images)
• Special Effects Unlimited
• VCE (effects facilities provided by)

Other Companies

• Consolidated Film Industries (CFI)  titles and opticals
• Dick Brooks Unlimited  publicity
• Dream Quest Images  matte paintings (as Dreamquest Images)
• Nancy Mott Casting  extras casting
• Ryder Sound Services  music re-recorded at

Also Known As:

Runtime:

99 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Australia:M | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Finland:K-16 | France:-12 | Norway:15 | West Germany:16 | USA:R (original rating) | USA:PG-13 (edited for re-rating) | USA:PG-13 | Iceland:16 | UK:15 (cut) | UK:15 (re-rating) (2000) (uncut) | Netherlands:12 | Norway:16 (original rating)

Filming Locations:

1320 Miller Drive, West Hollywood, California, USA

Company:

Zupnik-Curtis Enterprises

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.

Goofs:

Factual errors: When Ms. Matusik has a heart attack, the paddles used to try and revive her are placed in the wrong spots on her chest. One paddle is supposed to be placed on the upper right of the patient and the other on the lower left at the base of the ribs. This allows for proper current travel through the heart. But both paddles are placed on her upper chest at her shoulders. This would do nothing for the patient. Also, you can see the actor jump before she is "shocked."

Quotes:

Doctor Paul Novotny:Bill Hardy has been a good test subject for us before.
Alex Gardner:Oh, he's a steel worker. I'll probably wind up in some bad beer commercial.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Xiao sheng meng jing hun (1987)

Soundtrack:

Lip Service

Could have been a contender

The idea is fantastic. Can you imagine being able to get into other people's dreams, watch them, interact with them. The problem is, the plot is inconclusive and becomes kind of a TV movie along the way. It would make a fantastic remake with a stronger cast and director. However, movies about dreaming are always scary because they touch on something so close and yet inexplicable to all of us. I saw recently a short movie from Italy entitled "Xchange" which is the closest to this one in terms of innovation insofar as the subject is concerned. Not an easy area to tell a long story about. Dreams are often used as omens or hints of psychological discomfort in movies. Instead, it would be great if they could be regarded as something different: a world of their own, a parallel state of mind no less real than real life itself. Someone should redo Dreamscape!