Beyond Dream's Door

I honestly think there are a few good ideas and worthwhile moments to enjoy in "Beyond Dream's Door", and I know for a fact that there was a lot of spirit and goodwill from writer/director Jay Woelfel and his entire cast & crew. So, hence, I can't bring myself to be harsh in my rating and comment.

The plot revolves around a young man, named Ben, who suffers from continuous and petrifying nightmares involving slimy monsters, being trapped in a sort of facility with a large basement, and a little kid (his brother?) whose eyes are popping out his skull. Whenever Ben seeks help, though, from doctors or professors at the Ohio university, these people are sucked into the story of Ben's nightmares and the horror manifests itself while they are awake.

Sounds vaguely familiar? Sure, whenever you read about dreams and then dying in real life, you automatically think about "Nightmare on Elm Street" and its sequels, but I can assure you "Beyond Dream's Door" doesn't feel like a rip-off. The script is too convoluted for its own good, the acting performances are hammy, and there were several times when I really didn't have a clue about what was going on, but the film also has good elements worth mentioning. It's very gore, albeit often with very cheap and cheesy looking effects, and the monsters designs look admirably H. P Lovecraftian.