Review of Bad Dreams

Originality isn't really Bad Dreams' biggest trump but it sure is an ideal film in case you're looking for a few scares and/or chilling entertainment. The plot involves a spiritual sect with a textbook leader type that performed a mass suicide ritual in the 70's. One girl survived and she awakes from her coma 13 years later. Immediately after, she's haunted by hallucinations and nightmares in which the leader returns comes to tell her she has to fulfill her promise to the group and commit suicide after all. When she refuses, the leader leads other victims into death and he easily finds them among the psychiatric patients of the hospital. As stated earlier, the plot of Bad Dreams isn't very unique and borrows elements from over a dozen other (horror) movies. Mostly from 'Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors' (the image of the horribly burned leader even resembles the Freddy Kruger pizza-face!) and the group session looks inspired by 'One flew over the Cuckoo's Nest'. But who cares? Very few movies are completely original and at least this film offers spectacular amusement. Andrew Fleming's Bad Dreams upholds a good tempo, it has a great soundtrack (including a demented version of 'My Way' and a Guns 'n Roses classic during the end credits) and there's enough blood and gore to satisfy the most demanding horror buff. We see how people are getting burned, stabbed or thrown from high buildings. Two poor bastards even get hacked up in a ventilation system! Is that bloody enough for you? And yes, at some points, Fleming even succeeds in creating tension and eeriness. Especially the sequence where Cynthia has her first hallucination in the broken elevator is memorable. Last but not least Bad Dreams has a terrific B-movie cast filled with familiar faces. Jennifer Rubin plays the lead and she suffered from the same issues before in Nightmare on Elm Street. Bruce Abbott stars as a dedicated shrink and you'll unquestionably recognize him from the one and only Re-Animator. There also are neat supportive roles for Dean Cameron (Summer School), Harris Yulin (Scarface, 24) and even the lovely singer E.G. Daily makes an appearance! I say you better ignore the unusually large amount of negative reviews and give this one a look.