Dream Demon

British Working-Man Film-Maker Harley Cokeliss has a Frenzied Touch for Glossy Visuals.

But has a Tendency Here to Beat-the-Drum One Too Many Times Echoing the Samo-Samo Reveals Over and Over.

You Will Lose Count of the Number of Times Doors are Opened and the Fake Surprise of the 2 Heroines Enter the Identical Maze of Rooms, Stairs, and Mirrors Again and Again.

By the End it is an Irritant Prolonging the Movies End and is Just Puzzling in its Insecurity that the Audience Needs More and More Repeated Information or Another Similar Trope.

The Girls (Jemma Redgrave and Kathleen Wilhoit) are Fine but the "Comedy Relief" of (Jimmy Nail and Timothy Spall) again Outstay Their Welcome Going Over the Same Ground and Makes You Want it to STOP!... End the Damn Thing Already.

The Scare Resonate the First Time, as Does Yucky Vomit Wearing Timothy Spall the 1st Time He Shovels Food in His Mouth, but Wears the Upchuck Suit Way too Long and the "Humor" Beaten to Death's Door Until YOU may Do Your Own Purging.

Despite Returning to the Same Gags and the Same Mystery...it's Still...

Worth a Watch

Note...For the Fans who insist on claiming a "Nightmare On Elm Street" (1984) Rip-Off...let's be kind for all the effort and call it a "Homage".

It might be strongly argued that one of the more unique British Genre films produced in horror's heady 1980s heyday was imaginative writer/director Harley Cokeliss's demonically eccentric, visually inventive, playfully outlandish, generously practical Fx-laden, deliciously unpredictable 'Dream Demon' that proved to be a Big Box VHS knockout horror-hit upon its initial release, but, sadly, the grisly, gut-churning shocker slipped into relative obscurity, and the luminous, considerably more than welcome Arrow Video 2K restoration highlighting many of the nightmare-inducing film's eye-poppingly audacious, brain-fizzingly bonkers set-pieces, pleasingly exposing a wickedly warped wealth of devilish detail once lost in the frightful fug of fuzzy analogue video. Prim, beautiful, and upwardly docile Diana (Jemma Redgrave) is a sheltered, privileged, overly timorous young debutante anxiously awaiting her imminent marriage to no less picture perfect war hero partner Oliver (Mark Greenstreet) who, perhaps, hides a nefarious secret to rival that of the delightfully ominous abode Diana has been given by her wealthy socialite parents. The wonderfully torrid text by talented Hammer alumnus Christopher Wicking & Harley Cokeliss is a zesty, neo-Gothic delight, boldly eschewing most of the misogynistic stalk and slash tropes for a richly maniacal mine of mentally tormented maleficence! The giddy grand Guignol grandeur of 'Dream Demon' succeeds where all too many other low-budget Horror Films fail, being more imaginative, and forward-thinking, not merely utilizing talented actors Kathleen Wilhoite, and Jemma Redgrave as mere glamorous knife-fodder, but as spirited, 3-dimensional characters one can empathize with, their greatly imperilled, demon-infested journey of Diana & Jenny ( Kathleen Wilhoite) making for a deeper, more rewarding experience than e might initially expect. While 'Dream Demon' clearly gleans a smidgen of inspiration from 'Nightmare on Elm Street, and 'Bad Dreams' it has a searingly sinister singularity all of its own, in an increasingly monotonous era of enervating jump-scares, and tawdrily uninspired horror remakes, its majestically malign lustre shines ever brighter today!

An interesting but old idea for a film is unfortunately a mixed bag. The director didn't know how to stage the scenes and the acting. The two leading ladies are certainly capable of better performances. This needs a better director with more expertise and a better written script. There are many good and spooky scenes in the film but they are interspersed with poor scenes and reactions that are clearly uncertain. Half of the movie is suspenseful but the other half lollygags due to dark humor and poor direction. As it is, the film might be improved with more crisp editing. There are too many things seen that make no sense or are old tired cliches. You are left with many questions about what you have seen at the end.

"Dream Demon" follows Diana, a Londoner about to be married to a prominent man, who is suffering from disturbing nightmares after having moved in to her new house. She soon meets Jenny, a tourist from Los Angeles who claims Diana's new home was her biological parents' last address; she has no memories of her parents or her early years spent there, but feels drawn to them. Diana's powerful and terrifying dreams begin to impact reality, and the two women begin to delve into the home's history and Jenny's connection to it.

A relatively unknown British-set offering by American director Harley Cokeliss, "Dream Demon" is in the same league as a number of over-the-top supernatural horror films from the late 1980s, such as "Night of the Demons," "Mirror, Mirror," and "Witchboard" (the latter of which Kathleen Wilhoite, portraying Jenny here, also appeared in). The distinction with "Dream Demon" is that the film has a particularly English bent to it that borders on gothic at times.

Another distinguishing element here, and perhaps the film's most interesting feature, is that it toys with narrative quite cleverly as Diana's grasp on reality begins to tunnel in on itself, to the point that she (and eventually Jenny) cannot discern waking life from Diana's lethal slumber. There are elements redolent of "A Nightmare on Elm Street" in this case--Diana's dreams begin to impact her physical environment, endangering those around her (including a pair of crude journalists harassing her). Though not the most original idea, it is orchestrated nicely here, and keeps the viewer on their toes as the two characters venture through a topsy-turvy world.

Jemma Redgrave turns in a solid and understated performance here as the tormented Diana, and Kathleen Wilhoite offers a spunky performance as the mouthy California punkster who joins her. Things start to coalesce in the final act of the film, and the fragments from Diana's dreams begin to paint a picture of why the two women have been united in the first place. Though not really a twist per se, the revelation feels appropriate and I left the film satisfied despite a few loose ends.

Overall, "Dream Demon" is worth a viewing for fans of late '80s supernatural films, as it features a similar aesthetic and premise to its peers. The English bent adds a distinct flavor, while the screenplay is clever, if not entirely perfect. Recommended for genre fans. 8/10.

The musical scores reminded me of Hellraiser. There was a lot of effort put into making the movie look and feel like a nightmare which I thought was great. Almost a crossover between Hellraiser (1987) and A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984).

The lead character Diana played by Jemma Redgrave reminded me a lot of the character Kirsty from Hellraiser who was played by Ashley Laurence. The similarities where uncanny.

Dream Demon could easily fall into the category of weird horror. There is a lot of strange imagery through out the movie a lot of which ends up making sense at the end. Fun and enjoyable.