Customer Reviews

Deathdream

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

In the horror flick DEATHDREAM (1972/1974), director Bob Clark and screenwriter Alan Ormsby borrow the basic concept from author W.W. Jacobs' famous short story "The Monkey's Paw" and remold it into a low-budget but effective statement against U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War. DEATHDREAM tells the story of a U.S. soldier (Richard Backus) who is killed in Vietnam but nonetheless returns home exhibiting some semblance of life. However, unbeknownst to his family--happily surprised to see him after having been informed by the Army that he was killed--he has become a vampiric zombie who must ingest human blood to maintain the pretense of being alive. The problems that his undead state causes for himself and his loved ones are really intended as allegorical reflections of the devastating effects of the Vietnam War on returning vets and their families.

As a horror film, DEATHDREAM is clearly a product of its time. In spite of the compelling plot and the presence of accomplished thespians among the cast--e.g., actor John Marley, here playing the soldier's father, made cinema history with his Oscar-nominated performance as the businessman who wakes up next to a severed horse's head after refusing Marlon Brando's offer in THE GODFATHER (1972)--the dialog is often inordinately histrionic and the acting therefore very melodramatic at times. To be fair, though, these qualities add a sense of surrealism that mostly compliments rather than detracts from the film's creepiness, and such histrionics and melodrama actually comprise an aesthetic that is common to many horror greats of the '70s such as Tobe Hooper's THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE (1974), Larry Cohen's IT'S ALIVE! (1974), and Richard Donner's THE OMEN (1976), to name just a few. So DEATHDREAM is not really a bad film. But the fact that its primary theme revolves around the era's counter-culture attitudes towards the Vietnam War, in combination with its palpable 1970s cinematic aesthetic, make it a bit dated, and it therefore hasn't aged quite as well as its better-known contemporaries.

Regardless of its trivial flaws, DEATHDREAM's infamously disturbing and graphically macabre climax could alone elevate the flick to its status as a minor genre classic. The unique and grisly scene is arguably as chilling as any in the history of horror cinema, and the imagery stays with the audience long after the closing credits have rolled. DEATHDREAM is also notable for marking the first professional film credit for makeup FX legend Tom Savini--just back from a tour in Vietnam himself--who would later do FX work for George Romero on the legendary DAWN OF THE DEAD (1978) and DAY OF THE DEAD (1985) in addition to many other genre classics.

The DVD release of DEATHDREAM from Blue Underground offers a very good digital transfer, made from a recently discovered negative, in the movie?s original widescreen aspect ratio (enhanced for 16x9 TVs). It has been wonderfully restored, though a few filmic artifacts and some color shift are occasionally noticeable. The film was released at various times over the years bearing several different titles, and though it was more commonly known as DEATHDREAM in the U.S. (hence the DVD title), the negative used for this transfer--which is apparently the only complete copy known to exist at this time--uses the title DEAD OF NIGHT in the opening sequence. Interestingly, DEAD OF NIGHT was the title under which the film originally premiered.

Also on the disc are some pretty cool extras, including two feature commentaries--one with the director; one with the screenwriter--alternate opening titles, a recent interview with actor Richard Backus, a featurette profiling FX man Savini, and more. DEATHDREAM is definitely worthy of a place in the DVD collections of all serious horror fans.

Deathdream is one of Bob Clarks first films from the early seventies, it's an original and interesting take on the zombie genre and one of my personal favorite zombie flicks.
After a family recieves notice that they're son Andy has died in the Vietnam war, you can imagine they're shock when he returns home presumamably normal, but he is far from normal, Andy is now a blood-fiend that must inject himself with blood in order to stay alive. Muhahaha!!!!!..........Muhahahaha!!!!!
Special Effects are handled by Tom Savini and this is some of his earliest work, even though on the box it says that this is his first film doing effects, it was actually his second after his first job on Deranged (come on Blue Underground?!?!). Bob Clark shows his direction skills as always, Deathdream has a great screeplay, acting, and social commentary on the effects of war (that is just as relevant now that it was then) reminiscant of Romero films. Check it out, if you have the balls.

Many of us baby-boomers remember "Deathdream" as a staple of late night T.V. horror flicks like "Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things" and "Psychomania." Many films in this B-Movie horror genre, when released on DVD, get the "Budget Buy" treatment: just the movie, no cool "behind the scenes" or "Movie Trailer" extras.

So imagine how jazzed I was to pick up this DVD expecting only the bare-bones movie, and found a cool mountain of extras including Commentary by Director Bob Clark, Commentary by screenwriter Alan Ormsby (who also wrote and starred in the abovementioned "Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things"), a Tom Savini feature, an interview with lead man Richard Backus, not to mention the cool theatrical trailer.

Just hours after learning that Andy has been killed in Vietnam, his family is pleasantly shocked to find their lost beloved show up at their doorstep, looking very much alive, albeit a bit shell-shocked. With vampiric needs and zombie mannerisms, the horror ride begins!

Of the bonus features, I enjoyed the interview with Richard Backus the most. When I read that the interview length was 12 minutes, I thought it would be low key and trivial, but the crew wound packing a lot of cool information into that 12 minutes! Richard Backus has aged really well, and its hep to see that he has fond memories of his campy first film role. He is even good-humored enough to recreate one of his more over-the-top moments in the film! Backus went on to appear in a number of movies and several Soaps, including "As the World Turns" into the early 1990s.

As for the film itself, what trips me out about "Deathdream" is that while it has a low budget and campy feel, the performances, direction, and editing are quite exceptional. Also starring in the movie are John Marley (who is probably remembered best for waking up next to a horse's head in "The Godfather."), and Lynn Carlin (in my opinion, one of the most underrated actresses from the 60s & 70s. She was exceptionally good as an unstable mother in the almost forgotten 1973 film "Baxter"). The majority of actors in this flick went on to get a healthy dose of work in the TV and movie industry, and even the folks whose only role was in "Deathdream" did a good job.

Aside from the horrid looking bloodbath in a doctor's office that looks more like a botched interior paint job, the make-up and effects are impressive. Andy's deteriorating appearances, be they subtle or excruciating, look cool!

For those of you who remember "Deathdream" from the Land of Late Night TV Past, this movie plus the extra features will be a fun trip down memory lane. If you have never seen this before and are a connoisseur of campy horror, this is essential for your collection!

Aside from another rediscovered cult classic - LEMORA, A CHILD'S TALE OF THE SUPERNATURAL - DEATHDREAM has always been my favorite horror film from the 1970's that haunted me on numerous late-night TV showings. I've watched this cult classic countless times and have come in contact with numerous bad quality prints on VHS, complete with extremely cheesy box artwork!!! For years I've hoped for a DVD remastering of this special film, and now, thanks to Blue Underground, we have the definitive edition. DEATHDREAM is now in anamorphic widescreen, from a remastered negative and accompanied by juicy extras to please hardcore fans like me! Although there are times when a bit of grain is still noticeable in a few sequences, this is THE version to own.

For the 'virgin viewer,' you're in for a treat. DEATHDREAM is a grim, low-key, and extremely eerie film that benefits from great performances by John Marley, Lynn Carlin, and especially Richard Backus as Andy; a chilling AND moving script by Alan Ormsby; an unsettling music score by Carl Zittrer; grisly makeup effects by Orsmby and a young Tom Savini; and screw-tightening direction by Bob Clark. The overall effect is tragic and haunting.

The film was one of the first to address the cataclysmic after-effects of the Vietnam war when veterans returned to their families. Andy plays one such veteran, a young man whose parents receive the awful news that their son has been killed in action. The night they receive this information there's a knock at their front door. It is Andy, although they are shocked at his pale, sunken face and expressionless demeanor. At first they are elated by his appearance, but as Andy is encouraged by his loved ones to resume where he left off before going off to war, his family begins to realize that something isn't quite right about Andy - something's missing, both physically and emotionally. Eventually they discover that Andy is indeed dead and has come back to them as a bloodthirsty corpse!

The film manages to move and provoke the viewer as well as frighten him/her. There are several truly disturbing sequences, and if you are squeamish about needles (like me) I will warn you that they are Andy's prefered method of obtaining blood! Horror films like these don't appear that often, especially in these irony-addicted times where film-makers seem incapable of taking their subject matter seriously. Despite a low-budget, DEATHDREAM takes itself very seriously and manages to hold up well alongside scare flicks today! Rediscover this long-lost classic ASAP. I recommended viewing this with Bob Clark and Alan Orsmby's other gems - CHILDREN SHOULDN'T PLAY WITH DEAD THINGS, DERANGED and BLACK CHRISTMAS. All are similarly atmospheric and way creepy, although DEATHDREAM, in my opinion, is their masterpiece!

I had read good reports about "Deathdream", but I didn't expect much from this film as the opening soldiers-in-action prologue passed into the credits, and then to a humble family meal, as the atmosphere was too reminiscent of countless low budget, mid 1970's movies that used to show up on TV all the time. But to my surprise the film turned out to be far more effective and well made than I expected.

The rather cheap wartime opening served to introduce that character of Andy, although it is not handled very well at all and the characters are hard to distinguish. Luckily it's not really necessary, as the first important scene is the one that follows, in which the family meal I mentioned above is interrupted by an army officer carrying a telegram...the house visitor that every parent dreads. This important scene is handled surprisingly well, as Andy's mother, father and sister react to the news that Andy won't be coming home again. Luckily, this effective scene is not a mere one off, but just the start of what turns out to be a gruesome and thought-provoking horror/drama. Soon after the tearful telegram scene, the family's grief turns to elation as to their surprise, Andy suddenly turns up in the middle of the night seemingly alive and well...but unfortunately, he's neither.

I think a lot of the power of the film comes from the fact that the acting is all so good. With no big star names, there is still no major weak link anywhere in the film, and everyone seems to behave naturally and believably. The script has been written remarkably realistically and all of the characters act and speak like real people, without having any silly horror movie conventions to wrangle with. In fact the whole screenplay reads like a dream, as the time between Andy's arrival and the suspicions of various people that something is wrong happen about as fast as would naturally be expected. Andy's very first night at home comes at the cost of the life of a truck driver who gives him a lift, and as soon as one of the first characters outside of the main family (the doctor) actually meets him, he immediately suspects that something is wrong and decides to go the police without any hesitation. This refreshing realism does not mean of course that Andy does not get to cause some serious havoc before the end of the movie, and the highlight of his brief rampage is the drive-in movie scene in which Andy's sudden fury and hideous appearance are genuinly shocking.

As I said, the film has a low budget feel which hampers it, but the performances of Andy's mother, father and sister are all very good, and really lift the film up a level. Even the smaller roles are good, right down to the bunch of kids that visit Andy in the family back yard, or the police officers and local doctor. A special mention should also go to the actress playing Andy's former girlfriend who's re-acquaintance with him is far from the happy event she must have dreamed of. Of course it is the performance of Richard Backus as Andy that has to carry the main weight, and he is extremely effective, as he is required to present a character who is subtly not quite right, but still believeable. He's also quite convincingly evil, and the scenes of him constantly rocking back and forth in that damned creaky chair made me wish someone would just punch him!

The story is based loosely on the age-old tale of "The Monkey's Paw", so you don't need reminding that there is no happy ending. A vague anti-war message seems to be in the background, but the general intention seems to be just to to portray the horror of what is happening to one very ordinary family. In this the film succeeds wonderfully. A genuine little gem, rewarding and memorable to watch.

Director Bob Clark will always hold a special place in every horror film fan's heart thanks to "Black Christmas," a terror filled slasher/suspense flick that puts the viewer on the edge of his or her seat. The movie's downbeat tone, sterile yet highly effective cinematography, fleshed out characters, and numerous twists and turns add up to one heck of a rollercoaster ride. Those horrific phone calls alone are worth the price of admission. Clark could have rested on his laurels with "Black Christmas," no problem, but he pushed forward with an eclectic mix of films that find most fans of his horror films shaking their heads in wonderment. Clark made the phenomenally entertaining "A Christmas Story," the Jean Sheperd adaptation that stands as one of the last successful Christmas films released by Hollywood. He also made an engaging Sherlock Holmes picture, "Murder by Decree," starring the venerable Christopher Plummer as the master sleuth. I could go on and on, citing the infamous "Porky's" and "Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things" as further evidence of this director's versatility. All good things eventually pass, however, and now we see Clark helming dreck like "Baby Geniuses" and its vomit inducing sequel.

We can't forget about "Deathdream," a picture that came out around the same time as "Black Christmas." It's a minor Bob Clark entry but an unforgettable experience. The film opens with Andy Brooks (Richard Backus) receiving what looks to be a fatal wound in Vietnam. Is Andy dead? It doesn't look like it since we see him hitching a ride with a trucker over here in the States shortly thereafter. He's trying to go back to see his family--father Charles (John Marley sans horse head), mother Christine (Lynn Carlin) and sister Cathy (Anya Ormsby)--in an apparent effort to fulfill his loving mother's request to "come back home." But something is dreadfully wrong with Andy Brooks, something the truck driver who picks him up discovers much to his everlasting detriment. Andy's kin are so happy to have him back, especially considering the military had already informed them that he perished in the war, that they don't notice anything wrong with the boy at first. Sure, he's uncommunicative, pale, and has a tendency to sit in a rocking chair for hours in his darkened room, but war does strange things to a man. It's a plausible excuse that masks for a time the bizarre behavior that now characterizes Andy Brooks's thoughts and deeds.

By the time Andy kills the family dog with his bare hands, Charles knows something is seriously wrong. His wife refuses to believe anything negative about her son: her boy came home safe and sound and that's that. Andy's sister Cathy recognizes the warning signs just as her father does, but the fact that her brother has always been her parents' favorite child seriously hampers her ability to do anything about the situation. She does enlist the aid of her boyfriend to bring Andy's girlfriend over to the house, however, hoping that the girl's presence will lift her brother out of his funk. Before that horrific reunion plays out in gory detail, Charles Brooks decides to bring in Doc Allman (Henderson Forsythe) in an effort to discover what's wrong. People can hide a lot of things from their loved ones, very personal things both mental and physical, but it's a whole different story when dealing with a physician who has taken care of you from birth. Doc Allman discovers what's ailing Andy, but he soon wishes he hadn't. By the time the authorities learn what happened to the poor doctor, Andy is heading over to the drive-in with his girlfriend, his sister, and her boyfriend. Alas, our morose soldier is about to have a meltdown in a literal and figurative sense that will claim several lives before the movie screeches to its heartbreaking denouement. "Deathdream" is a wrenching film.

Apparently, Bob Clark had a heckuva time finding a steady distributor for his movie. This thing came out under so many different titles that it's no wonder most people never saw it, or don't remember it if they did. The problem in getting this film out, elaborated on in the extras but apparent while watching the movie, deals with the subject matter: "Deathdream" is a film about the horrors of Vietnam and that war's impact on a typical family, and it came out while the war was still an extremely touchy subject with the American public. People just didn't want to see a horror movie about the conflict a mere year or so after the government yanked combat troops out of South Vietnam. That's unfortunate because "Deathdream" is an amazing film in spite of its relatively low budget. The performances from Backus and Marley are top notch, and Lynn Carlin will tug at your heartstrings as a mother who will go to great lengths to protect her damaged son. That final scene involving the local police, Andy, and Christine Brooks will stay with you long after the credits roll, and not because it's particularly gory. There is bloodshed and lots of shocks, though; enough that it's surprising the film received a 'PG' rating.

Someone at Blue Underground really loves this film as evidenced by the plethora of meaty extras. A commentary track with Clark and one with writer Alan Ormsby, a trailer, an extended opening sequence and alternate ending, an enlightening interview with special effect's guru Tom Savini, and a talk with Richard Backus provide more than enough information on all aspects of the film's creation and distribution difficulties. "Deathdream" may well rank as one of the best films you've never heard about, and you'll want to see it if you're jonesing for offbeat '70s horror flicks.

Bob clark director of Black christmas and Children shouldnt play with Dead things, Has out done himself here, Deathdream is a classy and great film, True horror fans that dont have add and need ultra gore and cgi will appreciate this film from back when Horror was Horror and had great writing, all i can say is five stars Tom savinis first film credit as f/x artist, this is a story about a veteran who returns home from vietnam, when his parents notice he's acting strange and isnt the same person, its because what has come home is dead. Horror fans this is a must for your collection.

Don't be put off by the cheesy cover or the PG rating, this is a spectacularly creepy little horror gem from the 70's.

Bob Clark(BLACK CHRISTMAS) masterfully directs this unsettling story with the less is more technique. A family is devastated when they receive the tragic news about their son Andy, who perished in the line of duty during the Vietnam War. Before the grief even settles in, they are awoken that night by an even greater shock. A late-night visitor...

"They sent us a telegram. They said my son was dead"...

"I was".

Andy then smiles to ease some of the awkward tension, but it soon becomes evident that something just isn't right. He doesn't eat, sleep, or hardly speak. He just stares blankly as he sways back and forth in the family rocking chair.
We soon realize he must inject human blood into his veins in order to survive. Or should I say, sustain his weary state of existence.

This is an extremely powerful anti-war commentary. Of course very relevant still today, nobody can escape the effects of battle unscathed. Deathdream slowly builds toward the frightening climax with thick doses of tension. Tom Savini shows his superb touches here with his brilliant early special effects work.

4.5 Stars, a must-see for fans of the vampire/zombie genre.

Bob Clark has certainly had an interesting and varied film career, and though his venture into horror only lasted three films, he certainly had a way with a horror yarn. And he could pull it off rather inexpensively.
Deathdream is a horror film with an anti-war message, made during the Vietnam era. In the movie, "Andy" is killed in Vietnam. Back home, his parents and sister receive word of this, and don't have much time to grieve coz guess who comes a-callin' later that night? Everyone's happy to see him, especially after the bomb that had dropped on them earlier, but Andy's not quite the same guy he was. He seems catatonic-he says and moves very little, except when he's killing the family dog or the locals for their blood. His dad is suspicious from the start, and his mother is so obsessed and overjoyed to have Andy back that she is oblivious to it all, even when he starts rotting away. No concrete explanation is given as to why Andy comes back, other than his mother wanting it so badly, but it makes no difference. It really doesn't matter.
This was obviously an attempt to present the horrors of war and the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and drug addiction(Andy injects the blood he acquires like a junkie) suffered by veterans after they returned home. But done so in a horror movie context. In fact, the horror angle really even wouldn't be necessary as Andy doesn't show signs of zombiedom till later in the film. Or maybe the message is that many soldiers acted like zombies when they came back? Either way, the film is very entertaining and creepy. It's much better than the plot would initially suggest. John Marley and Richard Backus are exceptionally good. And you know with a plot as grim as this, things can't end very happily.
Younger folks who think the SAW series is what a good horror is will immediately write this movie off as bad when they get a look at the obvious low budget, lack of star power, and use of-God Forbid-pacing. Plus, the initial message will be completely lost to them. But that's okay, horror fans dig this film, and it's not like Deathdream is in any kind of competition with the modern greasy haired ghostly Japanese kid movies that sometimes star Sarah Michelle Gellar.
A great example of what made the horror films from the 70s so groundbreaking, original, and repeatedly ripped off and remade.
Blue Underground has once again made an acceptable DVD, giving us an interview with Backus and also an interview with Tom Savini, being his usual fake, jovial self(I say "fake" coz I've met the guy and he's a class A jerk).
Yes, Deathdream! Push that ridiculous M. Night Shamylamanmaminam movie you were thinking of getting down on your queue and push that Deathdream up!

Deathdream is a movie from either 1972 or 1974 depending on if you see the credits at the end of the movie or if you look at the product listing. Anyway, its a 70's movie. And its a gem from that era. The remastering on the dvd makes it look almost like the movie was made in the present day. The only way you can tell what time it was from was by the fashions and cars.

Deathdream is about a soldier returning home from the war. He actually gets killed during the war. But later we find out he is not really dead. Or is he? Once he is home we find out some strange things are going on with the soldier (Andy). He is not acting like a normal person. He is transforming into an evil entity. There is a murder that happened and Andy soon becomes a suspect.

This movie was ahead of its time. It dealt with an issue not typical in flicks back then. It is a horror movie but it was different from the norm. I loved seeing how evil Andy was becoming. Richard Backus turned in a good performance. He convinced me about what evil really is.

The make-up effects were done by a young Tom Savini. The movie was directed by Bob Clark (Black Christmas).

The disk comes with two commentaries, a 12 minute vinette with Richard Backus (it is interesting to see how much he had aged in 30-plus years), a 10 minute segment with Tom Savini, & a few other features. They did an excellent job remastering the movie like I stated earlier.

Overall this is an interesting little film from the 70's and worth taking a look at.