Movie Review: Beyond Dream's Door

Beyond Dream's Door

Starring: Nick Baldasare, Rick Kesler, Susan Pinsky, Norm Singer, and Darby Vasbinder

Directed by: Jay Woelfel

Written by: Jay Woelfel

Production Company: Panorama Entertainment

Release Date: 1989

Ben Dobbs hasn't been able to remember his dreams in years, but he suddenly starts having horrific nightmares. He goes to Dr. Noxx, his psychology professor. Then we find out that Ben's nightmares are contagious as Noxx starts suffering from them as well. After Noxx disappears, Ben goes to Noxx's assistants Eric and Julie. When the nightmares begin plaguing the two as well, and the nightmares begin to become real, they begin a quest to learn about what is going on and how to stop it.

This independent film succeeds on many levels. The script is well constructed with images in the first scene having importance in the end. It folds dreams upon themselves keeping us guessing what's real and what isn't.

However, for its promosing script, the movie doesn't hold up. This serious attempt at a nightmarish horror film fails to produce fear save for briefs moments. Some creative camara shots are few and far between and are overwhelmed by straightforward shots.

Nick Baldasare is pretty dull and unconvincing as lead character Ben. Susan Pinsky plays Julie with a little more life, but not much. Rick Kesler as Eric and Norm Singer as Noxx steal the show, but they're a bit heavy handed in their delivery. Darby Vasbinder plays the dream witch that torments Ben with cryptic warnings and her breasts, and while she's the one you quickly grow to want to see on screen, she's flat in her depiction.

Woelfel includes some decent gore despite budget constraints. The creature effects, while not convincing, are good enough and Woelfel is careful to not show too many clear shots of the beastie, and the biting book, while cheesey, presages Harry Potter.

In the end, the film is dull. The promise of the script doesn't fulfill and Woelfel makes the mistake of taking his B-Film too seriously eliminating the fun found in most B-Films with the same limitations.

Where Are They Now?

This is the only in which film the majority of the cast has appeared. Unfortunately, you won't find Darby Vasbinder, Susan Pinsky, or Norm Singer anywhere else.

Rick Kesler appeared in the 2004 straight to video horror Ghost Lake where, in a small town in upstate New York, local residents were drowned as a dam was built and the town was flooded to create the Rushford Lake. One hundred years later, the souls of the drowned are becoming restless. That was his most recent film.
Nick Baldasare hasn't appeared in a film since 2003. His most recent horror was They Bite, a 1996 film with Ron Jeremy. A photographer captures on film a creature that appeared from the waters and devoured his model. A beautiful ichthyologist arrives on the scene to investigate the event. While trying to find leads, she meets a young director of a "monster" sexploitation film. The two compete to discover the truth behind the mysterious creature, but in the process, find themselves drawn deeper and deeper into the depths of the ocean, where they come face-to-face with an extraterrestrial craft and a ghastly secret.

Jay Woelfel directed the aforementioned Ghost Lake. His next film will be Live Evil. Human blood is no longer fit for consumption as the vampire race slowly becomes extinct. It will be released sometime in 2008.