MY CALL: Another lesser semiprecious stone to throw in the mining pile during your search for hidden 80s gems. This is totally okay. A few decent gore gags, a neat enough story, toying with reality… but it just isn’t enough for me to give a real recommendation to anyone but an 80s horror completist.
Diana is to wed a locally famous war hero. Her upcoming nuptials have earned her the attention of some nosy reporters (incl. Timothy Spall; Gothic, The Bride, Grizzly II, Wake Wood) and some pre-wedding jitters in the form of vivid nightmares.
When slapping her groom in the face results in a gory decapitation and a blood-soaked wedding dress, Diana (Jemma Redgrave; The Beekeeper) realizes her nightmares are getting the better of her wedding anxiety. She dreams of giant beetles, maggots emerging from an evil-looking doll, Hellish pits, distressed angels and other such lovely imagery.
Diana’s new friend Jenny (Kathleen Wilhoite; Fire in the Sky, Witchboard, Ratboy) agrees to stay with her until the wedding to ease her distress. Around this time, Diana’s nightmares seem to be invading her waking reality. But these dreams also begin to afflict Jenny and her reality; the two are sharing these manifested nightmares via some sort of psychic connection. The more they try to investigate and challenge these dreams’ reality, the more real they indeed prove to be.
Gory highlights include a messy punch straight through a face and skull (always a fun visual), and the ghoulishly gross reporter-turned demon, who seems get uglier with each appearance.
This movie goes to some creative efforts—even if quite derivative of the Nightmare on Elm Street sequels. But it never reaches any significant levels of excitement or shock. Once we are introduced to reality-crossing dream ghouls, things rather stagnate.
This was just okay. The trailer is much more interesting than the movie and some screen grabs may lure you. Just make sure you know you’re really just seeing this because you are an 80s horror completist—not that there’s anything wrong with that!