Dreamscape [Collector's Edition] [Blu-ray]

Overview

Great special effects do not always make for a great film, but Dreamscape comes awfully close. Dr. Paul Novotny (Max Von Sydow) and Dr. Jane Devries (Kate Capshaw) run a clinic for the study of dreams. Hoping to alleviate the pain of those plagued with recurring nightmares, Novotny hires a team of psychics to "inhabit" the subconsciouses of the patients. Alex Gardner (Dennis Quaid), a small-time hustler who uses his ESP gifts for financial gains, is hired to work at the clinic. He helps to disperse the fears of a young nightmare-plagued boy, then reverts to type by "raping" the thoughts of the lovely Dr. Devries. Things come to a head when one of the patients, the American president (Eddie Albert), decides to purge himself of his apocalyptic dreams by making a lasting peace with the Soviets. Bob Blair (Christopher Plummer), the political reactionary who finances the clinic, decides to assassinate the president by acting upon Dr. Novotny's pet theory: if a person dies in his or her dream, he/she will die in real life. The finale pits Gardner against psychic assassin Tommy Ray Glatman (David Patrick Kelly).

Product Details

Release Date:	12/13/2016
UPC:	0826663171976
Original Release:	1984
Rating:	PG-13
Source:	Shout Factory
Region Code:	A
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround]
Language:	English
Time:	1:39:00
Sales rank:	15,198

Special Features

English SDH subtitles; 1080p High-Definition ; NEW 2K scan; NEW "Dreamscapes and Dreammakers" retrospective including brand-new interviews with director Joseph Ruben, producer Bruce Cohn Curtis, co-writer David Loughery, actor David Patrick Kelly and other key members of the special effects team and crew; NEW "Nightmares and Dreamsnakes" looking back at the snakeman with Craig Reardon, David Patrick Kelly and others; NEW in-depth conversation between Bruce Cohn Curtis and co-writer/producer Chuck Russell; Audio commentary with Bruce Cohn Curtis, David Loughery and Craig Reardon; Still gallery; Theatrical trailer

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Dennis Quaid	Alex Gardner
Max von Sydow	Dr. Paul Novotny
Kate Capshaw	Jane DeVries
Christopher Plummer	Bob Blair
Eddie Albert	The President
David Patrick Kelly	Tommy Ray Glatman
George Wendt	Charlie Prince
Larry Gelman	Mr. Webber
Cory Yothers	Buddy
Redmond Gleeson	Snead
Peter Jason	Babcock
Chris Mulkey	Finch
Jana Taylor	Mrs. Webber
Madison Mason	Fred Schoenstein
Kendall Carly Browne	Mr. Matusik
Kate Charleson	President's Daughter
Kate Charleston	President's Daughter
Carl Strano	Edward Simms
Virginia Kiser	President's Wife
Brian Libby	McClaren
Bob Terhune	Dobbs
Fred Waugh	Bill Hardy
Timothy Blake	Mrs. Blair
Carey Fox	Tech Aide
Marii Mak	Tech Aide
Claudia Lowe	Tech Aide
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

Technical Credits

Joseph Ruben

David Loughery

Chuck Russell

Bruce Cohn Curtis	Producer,Executive Producer,Producer
Peter Kuran	Special Effects
Craig Reardon	Special Effects
Joseph Ruben	Director,Screenwriter
Richard Taylor	Special Effects
Jerry Tokofsky	Producer
Stanley R. Zupnik	Executive Producer,Producer
David Loughery	Screenwriter
Chuck Russell	Screenwriter

Editorial Reviews

This tidy little B-movie never fully capitalizes on the full potential of its novel premise but remains good fun in a "Saturday matinee" vein. The script is occasionally overwhelmed by its own ambition but moves fast enough to gloss over its weaker elements: the cold-war angle of the story hasn't dated well, and a subplot with a Stephen King-like horror novelist goes nowhere, but there's always an inventive nightmare scenario or a fun bit of action to keep things moving along past any bumps in the plot. Director Joseph Ruben wisely plays to the film's genre-based strengths, maintaining a taut pace and effectively using veteran actors like Christopher Plummer and Max Von Sydow to lend the film's conspiracy angle some dramatic weight. The film further benefits from some strong lead performances: Dennis Quaid uses his down to earth charm to make Alex Gardner a hero that is easy to relate to, and David Patrick Kelly is both scary and darkly witty as Gardner's eccentric (and psychotic) rival. Dreamscape's appeal is cemented by its creative dream sequences; the larger-scale special effects show their seams due to the low budget, but all the effects exhibit an expressionistic sense of imagination that makes them truly captivating (the most stunning is a train ride through a post-nuclear-war Washington). All in all, Dreamscape is a light but entertaining film that offers plenty of solid B-movie fun for genre enthusiasts.

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