The summer of '84 was the world-class geek summer of such heavy-hitters as Ghostbusters, Gremlins, and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (who wouldn't give to have a summer like that this year?) but my personal favorite was Dreamscape. It wasn't hyped that much and I'm not sure how well it did at the box office but I took to it instantly.
As one of the first PG-13 movies, Dreamscape embodied the purpose of that rating and it was truly the perfect movie to see as a young teen. It wasn't so intense that it freaked me out but it was certainly edgier than a kid's film. It was pretty scary in parts (with some rad FX!) and it even had some mild sexual content that was satisfyingly risque to my eyes then. If your parents were going to drop you off at the mall to see a movie with your pals, Dreamscape was a perfect choice. After Dreamscape, I wasn't going back to PG movies. No sir!
Curiously, it's never really taken off as a big league cult film (just for David Patrick Kelly's pitch-perfect turn as evil dream linker and would-be presidential assassin Tommy Ray Glatman, I think Dreamscape earns its place in cinematic history - nobody rocked neon nunchucks like he did) but for those who caught it in theaters in '84 or who saw it on its endless airings on HBO back in the day, Dreamscape remains the stuff of fond memories.For my full review, click over to Shock Till You Drop.
