Dream Demon (1988)

"A Bit of a Nightmare"

Anyone active in the UK horror scene in the late 1980s will likely remember the critical vilification with which Harley Cokeliss' DREAM DEMON was met, both from major publications and the fanzine world, partly because everyone had been promised the British NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET, but mainly because it just wasn't terribly good. Now Harley Cokeliss (dubbed Harley CockUp in more than one review of the time) is back, introducing this, his re-edited cut of DREAM DEMON, which has been given a smart new presentation from Arrow with loads of extras. Does it deserve this special attention?

Primary school teacher, English rose and heir to millions Diana (oh what a giveaway) is due to marry Falklands hero Oliver (Jemma Redgrave and Mark Greenstreet respectively). She keeps having nightmares her psychiatrist (the late Susan Fleetwood, best known to readers here as Athena from 1981's CLASH OF THE TITANS) believes is due to stress. Diana's nightmares become increasingly sub Elm Street and she joins forces with perky / annoying Kathleen Wilhoite and together they solve the mystery while being pursued by Timothy Spall and Jimmy Nail (who doesn't sing - that would come a couple of years after this).

Even with re-editing DREAM DEMON isn't that great. The good news is that it's no worse (and actually a bit better) than some of the fare Arrow have been providing us with lately (eg Nico Mastorakis' back catalogue) so if you liked those you'll probably like this. I certainly didn't feel the sense of rage with which I left the cinema back in 1988 but an awful lot of cinema has passed before these eyes since then, so perhaps my youthful anger with what is basically a sub-par NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET ripoff was a little misjudged. 

Arrow's Blu-ray has a wealth of extras. First off there's the original cinema version for anyone who fancies a (re) watch. There's a new 27 minute interview with director Harley Cokeliss and a 37 minute one with producer Paul Webster. Cokeliss and Webster also contribute a feature commentary track. There are also new interviews with star Jemma Redgrave (15 minutes) actors Mark Greenstreet, Annabelle Lanyon and Nickolas Grace (9 minutes each), composer Bill Nelson (15 minutes), and a contemporary making of from 1988. As usual there's a trailer and image gallery and the first pressing has a booklet with new writing from Anne Bilson (who wrote the novelisation which isn't bad at all) and Harley Cokeliss.

DREAM DEMON is out on Blu-ray from Arrow Films on Monday 22nd June 2020