dm@BBN-CLXX.ARPA (08/16/84)
From: Dave Mankins <dm@BBN-CLXX.ARPA> Saw ``Dreamscape'' last night. A wonderful science-fiction movie speculating on what would happen if a psychic could enter into a person's dreams (as a participant). Stars Dennis Quaid (one of the astronauts in ``The Right Stuff''), Max von Sydow, and Kate Capshaw (gosh, she really can act, not just scream helplessly, what a pleasant surprise). The dream sequences are especially good, with just the right amount of eerie-dreaminess to them. The characters are good and believable, and the events of the movie, given the premise of "dream-linking", are good. In fact, having seen the movie, I can recall very few flaws, and thinking about the movie afterward, I haven't thought, "Why did they have to do that? Why didn't they just..." And the best part: NO CUTE FURRY CREATURES WITH BIG EYES. The characters in this movie earn your adulation (or distaste) instead of coming with handy labels of "good guy" or "bad guy". There is a cute kid, but he has a real problem, and he's only around to establish the character that Dennis Quaid plays. Go see it. Show those Hollywood executives that a real SF movie can do well.
BRYAN@SU-SIERRA.ARPA (08/21/84)
From: Doug Bryan <BRYAN@SU-SIERRA.ARPA>
In reply to Dave Mankins' message about Dreamscape:
Some who have seen "Dreamscape" seem to think it was a good SF film. I
very much disagree.
The plot was thin; the villain was under-developed and quite simple minded.
In the end the hero was able to defeat the villian and save all only because
the villain came right out and told our hero the secret to 'dream warfare'.
The dream sequences contained very few special effects. The main dream
monster (the snake-man) was nothing more than a rubber suite one could
probably buy at a good costume store. I felt the special effects were
very much substandard for a 1984 film. A number of the dreams had a nuclear
distruction theme and in these you can see film clips from 1950's DoD
tests. These clips were made into 'special effects' by simply adding
color masks and filters. Such techniques would be acceptable for TV or
a feature film make 25 years ago but not in a modern SF film.
Also I felt the film did not nearly enough develope the technical aspects
of dream intervention. In the early parts of the movie all kinds of computers
and electrical equipment are shown to be used to help a person enter another
person dream yet not even a hint as to how this is done is given.
So if you want to see a good SF film, avoid "Dreamscape" at all costs.
Doug Bryan
bryan@su-sierra
facts are temporary...
long live fantasy!
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