I came upon this film to use as background noise to work on my comic. But little did I know this film would catch my attention.
We start off with a rather trippy nightmare scene of a woman running away from a nuclear explosion...did I put in Wacthmen by mistake? Well no it's actually a nightmare from the President of the United States (played by Eddie Albert). And no he doesn't have a name for some reason it's just the President despite in the nightmare the woman calls him John. We cut to a horse race track where we're introduced to Alex Gardner (played by Dennis Quaid) using his psychic powers to predict which horse will the race and place his bet on that horse. As he collects his winnings and leaves, he's confronted by a gangster/extortionist named Snead (played by Redmond Gleeson). Alex managed to get away and escapes by taxi; later at his place he's approached by two men Finch (played by Peter Jason) and Babcock (played by Chris Mulkey) from Thornhill College. Giving no choice now that he spots Snead's thugs arriving at his place, he goes with them. At the college he's introduced to a Dr. Jane DeVries (played by Kate Capshaw yep the same Kate Capshaw from Temple of Doom; don't worry her annoyance level here is low). She explains about a project involving dream research; specifically what's happening to a person mentally and physically while sleeping. Jane is called away for a moment which gives Alex a chance to sneak into a dream-linking room where soon after he's reunited with his former mentor Dr. Paul Novotny (played by Max von Sydow). We cut to a bar where Novotny explains to Alex of the possibility of entering other peoples' dreams not just to experience them but to shape and manipulate their dreams. With a special machine that helps him to connect with other peoples' dream he can do so. Apparently there are two others like Alex at the college but they're not as advanced as Alex; therefore he’s more qualified to do this. Later back at the college Alex sneaks into the dream-linking room again to see a session in progress; one of the two psychics Edward Simms (uncredited) is linked to a young boy Buddy (played by Cory Yothers) who is having a severe nightmare. (So severe in fact Simms is now a veg later on.) Novotny and Jane stop the dream session before Buddy's and the psychic's vitals got worse. The following morning after refusing to help out, Alex is blackmailed by Novonty to participate it the project or Alex is in real trouble with the IRS. The next Alex is rudely introduced to Tommy Ray Glatman (played by David Patrick Kelly) before going off to a dream-linking session. With the dream-linking in progress Alex is now inside the dream of a construction worker. Inside the dream, Alex sees the worker being tripped by a steel beam and now is hanging on to the beam. Alex jumps on to the beam trying to save him but falls off before waking up fully amazed of what he just experience. A little bit later Alex is approached by Bob Blair (played by Christopher Plummer looking a hell of a bit like Michael Fassbender) who apparently runs the dream-linking project for the government. Blair asks for Alex to keep the dream-linking project a secret from the outside world; Alex agrees. Outside the campus Alex meets up with Jane and Buddy; Alex talks to Buddy about his nightmares. Buddy mostly describes his nightmares about some huge monster that keeps tormenting him. We cut to another nightmare scene from the President of buildings being blown up by nuclear bombs and a post-nuclear apocalypse before waking up. These recurring post-nuclear apocalypse nightmares are eventually affecting his job as president. The following day Blair pays a visit to the President and propose that the President should partake in the dream-linking project to help clear his mind; the President agrees.
The next scene feels a bit of a padding scene so honestly I'm gonna skip it. Alex volunteers to dream-link with Buddy to help him; Novotny protest but eventually allows him to. Alex enters Buddy's dream to what it looks like something straight out of Beeltejuice's wet nightmares. Alex and Buddy are confronted by the Snakeman (Buddy's bogeyman) and immediately run away. Now cornered, Alex struggles to fight the Snakeman until Buddy summons the courage to confront and kill the Snakeman with an axe. Both awaken from the dream-link Buddy is finally cured from his nightmares while Alex is a little shaken by the Snakeman. We cut to Alex at a pub when his approached by a novelist Charlie Prince (played by George Wendt). He informs Alex that he knows about the dream-link project and that Blair is in charge of a covert intelligence bureau bent on using the project for something sinister. But before Charlie could tell him more he spots one of Blair's men and leaves. Back at the college Alex finds Jane asleep and proceeds to dream-link with her without the dream-link machine. In her dream she's on a train and is approached by Alex and the two make love...or dream love...hot...appealing...passionate dream lovvvv ANYWAY! Jane wakes very upset of what Alex did but quickly becomes impressed because Alex tells her he did it without the machine. Later another dream-link is taking place this time it's Tommy dream-linked to an elderly woman. However, the elderly woman's vitals began to spike and starts to die. Oh I'm sure it was just an accident, I mean it's not like Tommy intentionally killed that poor woman right....<_<....>_>....o_o We cut to Alex breaking into Novonty's office and searches for a file on Tommy, there he learns that Tommy murdered his own father. Later Alex meets up with Charlie outside the campus; Charlie implies that the accident with the elderly woman wasn't an accident and that Blair is using the dream-link project as a means of covert assassinations. They're immediately interrupted when Alex sees four of Blair's men; make a run to a pep rally leaving the campus but got separated. Alex is caught while Charlie is shot and killed on the spot. Before long Alex escapes from Blair's men and warns Jane about Blair. Alex returns to the college as Jane helps him sneaks in; they found of Blair's men and a now dead Novonty. Apparently Novonty tries to stop Blair's suspicious activities but to no prevail. Alex learns that Blair is gonna kill the President with Tommy as his psychic assassin. So it's revealed that Blair means to assassinate the President in the hope to prevent nuclear disarmament hence the President's post-nuclear apocalypse nightmares. Believing that these nightmares will become true hence the President decides to call for a nuclear disarmament. But this is unacceptable to Blair so yeah kill the president, nuke the world. Alex soon enters the President's dream bent on protecting him from Tommy...alright aright it's pretty clear that Tommy is the bad guy. Hell it should be SO FLIPPING OBVIOUS from the start that Tommy's the bad guy especially when Tommy is played by DAVID PATRICK KELLY who is well known of playing asshole bad guys from films such as Commando and The Warriors. Alex and the President try to get away but since it's a dream and can do whatever you want Tommy has the advantage. We cut to a subway and brace yourselves folks where we see Tommy in ninja pajamas welding a nunchaku. Wow...this would make the Cinema Snob cry out of joy. Alex tries to fight him but Tommy (in an impressive use of the film's practical effects) morphs himself into a snakeman. Alex and the President run out of the train making their way through the desolate dream wasteland until they're cornered by Tommy/Snakeman. Alex gets wounded but quickly heals himself while Tommy/Snakeman goes after the President; Alex morphs into Tommy's murdered father which distracts Tommy/Snakeman long enough for the President to stab him with a pipe. Being killed in the dream also means at the same being killed in your sleep. Alex and the President are awake and safe while Blair gets away scott free...or does he? We cut to Blair approached by Alex (yet another impressive use of the film's practical effects) morphs into a snakeman. Obviously it's a nightmare but this is a nightmare that Blair won't be waking up from...ever. The film ends with Alex and Jane happily together on a train heading to Louisville.
My Final Verdict: Something about this film deeply impress me mainly the effects in the dream sequences. Honestly best usage of visually and practical effects I've ever seen. Obviously miniatures were use in the post-nuclear apocalypse nightmare scenes were use so well in my opinion especially with the locations used in these scene were well fitted.The music here is interesting almost reminds of the music themes from Tron. The film's choice of casting is very impressive; Kate Capshaw's acting range here is far better than in Temple of Doom and that's saying a lot. And of course David Patrick Kelly is flipping phenomenal.
Next time this is going out to a certain group of fans to geek cult classic that was abruptly taken off from TV years ago. Stay tuned as we look into Sands of Oblivion.
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