Beyond Dream's Door

Made in Ohio for very little money, BEYOND DREAM'S DOOR is a sometimes goofy, somewhat shabby, eerily entertaining film from the 1980's. All logic is tossed out in favor of nightmare imagery and an apocalyptic atmosphere.

This is a small project with a big, black heart. So, don't expect multi-million dollar special effects or A-list actors. Instead, expect a decent movie with just as many brilliant moments as cheeezey ones.

If you enjoy demons, ghouls, and / or the supernatural, then you'll probably like this. Especially gorehounds!...

I love seeing low-budget and NO-budget films rise above their limitations to succeed in becoming something more than merely watchable. "BEYOND DREAM'S DOOR" is such a film, presenting an intelligent and engaging story with resourcefulness and creativity. Sure, some of the effects are on the hokey side(but wonderfully gross), and the acting is expectedly amateurish...big deal. Don't let forgivable flaws hold you back from enjoying this wild, surreal tale of a young man being haunted...and hunted...by his childhood nightmares, both in sleep and awake. He's neither the first, nor the last to endure this torment...he's simply "next".

Seven out of ten stars...a shining example of just how far enthusiastic, imaginative filmmakers can stretch a thin dime.

Heh, this was quite a Trip alright...

For me personally, if you are going to try to make a very low budget movie, especially a Horror movie, then this is the way to do it.

I say David Lynch mainly because of the offbeat, completely non-sequitur changes in the scenes at times. The movie of course doesn't have his masterful Dark and Atmospheric touch of deep uneasiness, but the sheer Abstract nature of the film does remind you of him.

I say 'Phantasm' (one of my personal favourites) mainly because of the directorial style and camerawork involved. You know, that kind of dreamlike quality where the camera shifts from different angles and the editing really adds to the Otherworldly mood? Like that.

Yes, it's true that there are many really disjointed aspects to the 'Story', such as it is, which although quite intriguing and entertaining in themselves, don't really contribute to any kind of coherent narrative. In other words, it's Really Out There! :D

If you are looking for any kind of clear, understandable story, then forget it with this movie. But... if you, like me, enjoy really odd, offbeat, creative Indie films that are on the Trippy side, then you might really enjoy this one. This is clearly a labour of Love for the director/creator of this movie and you can tell that he really put a lot of thought into how to present it.

Not a bad effort considering what must have been a Very low budget. Vinegar Syndrome has done a really nice job compiling the best film elements available for an enjoyable release (4 commentaries! And, some nice Xtras)

For just the pure 'Fun' factor and the pure imagination that went into it I gave this a '6' Personally, I would have really liked to have given it a solid '7', but taking into consideration that not everyone necessarily has the odd taste that I do I figure a '6' is a more appropriate general idea for most people.

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What I concentrate on in my reviews is putting across whether I think it is a Good film, or if I think that it is an Entertaining movie and what I feel it's strengths and weaknesses are, so I don't waste your time on just relating the overall story which you can get a lot of other places.

Hopefully, that way it will be of more benefit and be of real help to you as to whether I feel the movie is worth watching (and also perhaps what 'Type' of film it is and what type of people may enjoy it)

My Particular Way of Rating:

5 - Flawed, but perhaps with a little entertainment value here and there for some.

6. A decently passable story maybe worth a watch.

7. A solid film, well made, effective, and entertaining.

And, obviously, you can probably figure out what above and below these would mean... : )

Hopefully Jay will get this film re-released. I personally very much enjoy it. It has a certain quality that most modern horror films do not have--the ability to watch it more than once or twice and still have it perk your interest. A film doesn't have to have dazzling modern special effects or top Hollywood actors in it to be good. What I look for in a film is an interesting story and an overall enjoyable viewing experience. This film certainly meets that criteria. I came across this film in an independent video store that (sadly) has closed down a few years ago because they were bought out by a large chain. Support your local independent video stores and support independent film!

College student, Ben, has been having problems with his frightening dreams, but they only get worse and start to take over his entire life and the lives of those around him.

For a low budget, regional horror film without a lot of resources, Beyond Dream's Door is jaw-droppingly well made with an almost David Lynch-ian quality at times with some really great creature and makeup effects. The acting is a mix of good, bad, and lobotomized, but it's the script that's the film's biggest downfall and kills a lot of goodwill built up by the imagination on display elsewhere. The narrative does feel like a dream in the sense that nothing really ever gels and things just happen without any explanation. It's intriguing for 20 minutes or so, but after that, you start hoping there might be a little bit more to it.