Director Christopher Mills forgets to tell the story in the most direct manner for the audience to understand, more of this later. In the 80s and into the 90s filmmakers took their VHS and SVHS cameras by storm, a pricey investment then, but made the SOV (shot-on-video) market and subgenre, many of them became lost to time and swallowed into the black hole of confusing ownership rights. Those which resurfaced often unwatchable due to storage, the tape crinkled, and/or damaged in some manner, and thanks to Intervision Picture Corp Dream Stalker survived ready to terrorize your nightmares. This DVD comes as a double feature with Death by Love a film not listed on IMDb website, as regard to either movie, they likely missed the general horror audience, and perhaps only appealing to the obscure cinema watcher, those which seek the unusual or even wretched conceptual presentation.
Dream Stalker without a doubt plays off A Nightmare on Elm Street [1984] from references to the title, character and even the dreaming doctor, but then also borrowing a little from both Carrie [1976] and Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood [1988]. The primary characters Ricky (Mark Dias) and Brittany (Diane Cardea), well actually Ricky is more dead than alive, and he’s terrorizing his lovely girlfriend. Ricky a dirt bike racer who wins all the races, dies somehow and is never really explained, and prior to his death, he proposes to his girlfriend, Brittany, on a mountaintop giving her a music box. As a newly engaged couple has sex in a jacuzzi but it was merely a dream, actually it’s a dream inside of a dream wrapped uncomfortably in nightmare. As the film progresses Ricky appears more with neon racing gear, partially burnt face and a hairdo reminiscent of the 80s hair metal bands, he terrorizes doctors, family, and several others. Many times, throughout the flick, Ricky tries to kill to Brittany (whose character name appears as Kitty on the credits) no reason clearly given, but her mother insisted on seeing Dr. Frisk a very peculiar gentleman, tells Brittney to stop living in the past – in other words suck it up and forget about the dead boyfriend. Dead Ricky does pay the good doctor a personal office visit, and the viewers might enjoy it.
After 40-minutes of fake dream sequences, jump cuts and random scenes, it all falls in a slideshow of images, strung together with lackluster desire. The biggest issues lie in faulty equipment the sound either containing muffled voices or buzzing from outside sources, a leaf blower drowning important dialogue, thank goodness for subtitles. While Intervision delivers for the first time to DVD Dream Stalker with the best intentions of a crisp picture, it still contains a major flaw, the flesh tone color changes massively, with a switch from normal to green. The music fluctuates far too much, swooping and layering becomes quite annoying and, ruins even more for the final production, though a hint of the music seems eerily similar to a trivia moment on for the most dedicated of fans. As for the gore or blood effects, nicely done, but adding in the other previously mentioned issues, makes it difficult for the viewer in the end. Passion, a true requirement of any filmmaker, but that also means having an understanding of the equipment, story, characters, and of course making sure the final film becomes as interesting and entertaining to the audience, SOV sometimes skips certain items on the checklist.
Death by Love is another movie included in this DVD, by director Alan Grant, one might think why start another film review inside another review, simply, this flick doesn’t exist on IMDb site, and no one who starred in it does either. Grant served as producer, writer, director, and actor in a movie, which contains more T&A and softcore scenes than just slashing and mystery but contains some good twists.
SOV productions, truly are a unique find, their audience is willing to accept the most atrocious conceptual flaws, definitely not for everyone, it is even more isolated than perhaps the torture porn viewers. The ideal viewer likely will find well developed scripts and plots too tedious, and therefore enjoy the moments sexual deviations and blood splatters quite appealing, again it contains a second movie, unheard or unknown to many horror fans, adding in the value of bargain price.
TAGLINES:
- If you’re having nightmares, make sure they’re not real!
- In your dreams no one hears you scream…
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0261662/
IMDb Rating: 5.1/10
Baron’s Rating: 5.0/10
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G01_xvEfQmE