Deadly Dreams (1988)

Dreams have always been a popular device in horror films but they were a particularly hot commodity in the 80's. The most obvious example being Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) and its ensuing sequels, however before Freddy Krueger became a pop culture icon there were other genre films centered around the concept of dreams. The homicidal urges of the main character in the exceptionally bleak Italian backed Nightmare (1981) were set in motion due to a reoccurring decapitation based dream and the same year also saw the release of Stephen Sayadian and Francis Delia's avant adult classic Nightdreams (1981), a film which certainty crosses over into horror territory. The following year saw The Slayer (1982), who's main surrealist artist character is haunted by dreams of a murderous supernatural entity that soon become reality. Post-Elm Street dream based horrors included the likes of Dreamaniac (1986) and its offbeat mixture of heavy metal and succubi. One of the more explicitly Elm Street inspired films, more specifically Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987), would be Bad Dreams (1988) which even features Jennifer Rubin of Elm Street 3 in the lead. Standing out in the crowd of 80's dream horror is Deadly Dreams, which saw the feature debut of director Kristine Peterson, one of the most underrated Roger Corman protegees, and a film which puts a unique twist on the idea of dream vs. reality.

As a child, Alex Torme witnessed the murder of his parents when Perkins, a disgruntled businessman whom Alex's father recently put out of work slaughters the Torme's right in front of Alex's eyes. Now in college, Alex is plagued with reoccurring nightmares of being chased down and murdered by a shotgun wielding man wearing hunting gear and a wolf mask, the same worn by Perkins on the night of Alex's parents deaths. Despite reassurance from his brother Jack, best friend Danny and new girlfriend Maggie, that the dreams are just that, dreams, Alex fears otherwise and as the dreams become more intense, Alex's concept of what's real and what's not becomes more obscured as he begins to see visions of the hunter while in a constant state of fearing for his life.

Considering its title and 1988 release, it would be too easy to dismiss Deadly Dreams as yet another Elm Street wannabee which is what several reviewers who either aren't too bright or didn't bother to watch the film have done because the film is far from a Freddy rip-off. Sold as a slasher, Deadly Dreams is a far more psychologically ambitious film than most would give it credit for. While there are some slasher elements to be found, they don't factor in until later in the film. For the most part, Deadly Dreams is concerned with the horrors of the mind and explores them in a refreshing manner. Following an distressing opening that is somewhat reminiscent of a scene out of William Friedkin's Rampage (1987), Peterson wastes very little time in getting inside Alex's head and very quickly lets it be known that anything can be construed as a dream which, as the film progresses, allows for the film to become even more of a mind-trip when the perceptions of other characters, not just Alex's start to become questionable. What's pretty incredible is that despite being Peterson's first film, she masterfully manipulates the audience when it comes to certain character motivations with some cruel and clever twists which wouldn't feel out of place in a giallo. The films imagery is what really makes it stand out, with the wolf mask worn by Alex's tormentor being rather unsettling and the hunting aspect giving way to some unusual visuals such as a dead dear in a bathtub.

Interestingly, one year after completing Deadly Dreams, Peterson returned to her first job as an assistant director working as the 1^st AD on A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child and later was the 1^st second unit AD on Tremors (1990) before directing her own features full time, following up Deadly Dreams with the Roger Corman backed erotic potboiler Body Chemistry (1990) and the masterful psycho thriller Lower Level (1992). She also happened to direct an episode of the steamy USA television series Silk Stalkings in 1992 and coincidentally it happened to be during the previously mentioned Stephen Sayadian's tenure as production designer. The cast of Deadly Dreams is also worth noting, with Maggie being played by genre vet Juliette Cummins who had Friday the 13^th: A New Beginning (1985), Psycho III (1986) and Slumber Party Massacre II (1987) on her resume and Xander Berkeley in the role of Jack would go on to appear in William Freidkin's The Guardian (1990) and Candyman (1992). Despite the eye catching cover art on the original VHS release, its seems as if Deadly Dreams is yet another more than worthy horror title that's fell by the wayside over the years. While it will no doubt frustrate those who prefer their horror to be predictable and one-note, those who appreciate films that attempt something different should find plenty to admire about Peterson and Deadly Dreams.