Dreaming Purple Neon

Director - Todd Sheets (Clownado, Bonehill Road)
Starring - Jeremy Edwards (Atom TV, The Rectification of Sister Olivia), Eli DeGeer (Bonehille Road, China White Serpentine), and Millie Milan (I Am Lisa, Clownado)
Release Date - 2016
Genre - Horror
Tagline - "Think you've seen it all? Think again"
Format - DVD (Personal Collection)

Rating - (out of 5):

     Back in October I binged through as many horror flicks as I could to see how far I could get.  The month was cut a week short with a death in the family but with things finally settling down I decided to have another movie marathon.  This time I focused on indie horror releases that I had never seen before.  In October I checked out the Todd Sheets werewolf flick Bonehill Road.  The story had a lot of promise but the film fell a little flat.  After I posted the review I was told by several friends to check out Dreaming Purple Neon from Sheets.  I had accumulated two different copies of this release over the years and thought it was finally time to give it a spin.

     The film follows a drug dealer and his accomplish who lose a batch of a new drug called purple neon when his assistant steals it.  She panics and tosses it in the dumpster before seeking refuge with her friend who is still at work.  Soon the drug dealer and his accomplish arrive looking for her and hold everyone inside hostage.  Things quickly escalate and the man responsible for the purple neon on the streets is also a demon worshipper and is using the drug to bring an evil ancient demon back to Earth.  Those inside must stop him before the world as they know it is destroyed to make way for her.

     Before I go any further I want to clarify that because I dislike a movie that doesn't mean it's a bad movie.  Bonehill Road was far from perfect but it wasn't a bad movie.  The same can be said about Dreaming Purple Neon.  I wanted to like the movie but it just wasn't up to my speed.  The acting in this one shows inexperience at times but is still entertaining for the most part.  The entire cast works great together and this makes the scenes a little more enjoyable.  A few of the characters are a little more entertaining than others but I think the writing is the credit for this rather than the cast.  These characters have a little more story to tell than others.  Not to knock the cast.  They did bring the personality to life but the writing makes these few characters so enjoyable.  I liked certain aspects of this one but there was some parts that just didn't sit well with me.  The whole selling of drugs that will turn people into mindless killing machines for the demon is pretty fucking awesome.  With that being said, I didn't like how the film was mostly set in the one building.  It was a bit of a cramp watch and made the film feel extremely small.  The claustrophobic atmosphere didn't fit the story or help move it along.  Finally, the film has some impressive make up and practical effects but they just slip in and out of the scenes.  We don't really get to appreciate them for what they are.  Gorehounds may find this annoying but it works for the film.  Overall, Dreaming Purple Neon is another solid idea from Sheets but doesn't reach it's full potential.  I loved the story but there was aspects that were underutilized while others were taken full advantage of.  It deserves a watch but don't expect something you will take with you for years.