Starring - Corey Feldman (The 'Burbs, Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter), Jason Robards (Something Wicked This Way Comes, Circle of Fear), and Meredith Salenger (Lake Placid, Daredevil)
Release Date - 1989
Genre - Comedy/Romance
Tagline - "With dreams like these, who needs reality"
Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)
Rating (out of 5):
As a fan of 80s cinema I've learned to appreciate the two Corey's at a very young age. Both have appeared in some of the most iconic films from that decade with a great deal of them being personal favorites of mine. I've seen most of the films that featured them both but a few have slipped through the cracks. Several weeks ago Vestron Video announced that they would be releasing the 1989 romantic comedy Dream a Little Dream on blu. This just happened to be one of the films that I had never seen before. I was quick to reach out to them and they were kind enough to send a copy my way. Like always I want to thank Vestron Video for supporting myself and Horror Society.
The film follows teenage Bobby (Feldman) who is a bit of a nuisance to the older dream researcher Coleman (Robards) that lives nearby. Bobby is struggling as a teenager in the late 80s while Coleman struggles to grasp what it's like to be a modern teenager. One evening Coleman and his wife are performing an experiment in their yard when they are hit by Bobby and Lainie (Salenger). When Bobby awakens he is no longer himself but the subconscious of Coleman in his body. Now Coleman must pretend to be Bobby while trying to find a way to get back to his body.
I know several social media friends that were very excited for this release. I actually enjoy several 80s romantic comedies so I was really looking forward to giving this one a spin. However, at just under two hours long I found the film to be very repetitive and drawn out while giving the viewer very little to hold on to. I can see the appeal of the film to some people but not even the Two Corey's could save it. The acting in this one is great. Feldman is beginning his transition into the eccentric Jackson-esque Feldman but is still able to deliver a solid performance which does become a strain for him in later films. Jason Robards is absolutely fantastic as the elderly dream researcher. Honestly, his character made the film for me. With that being said, I was a little disappointed in how little screen time Corey Haim had in the film. I know he broke his leg prior to filming and some parts had to be changed but I wasn't expecting him to take the back seat in the film. The story for this one really is at home in the late 80s. It has that light supernatural spin on a romantic comedy similar to films like Heavenly Kid, Teen Witch, and to a great extent the Wraith. I could see myself really getting behind it if both Corey's were in the film the same amount of time and was not a two hour film. Some could have been cut and the story could have been a little more fluid. Finally, this one doesn't have any blood and gore. Hell, it doesn't really have much humor either. It's billed as a romantic comedy but it's clearly a romantic drama. Overall, Dream a Little Dream was not what I was expecting and not something I enjoyed. It bills both Corey's in the film but Haim is barely utilized. It's a cool film for your collection but it's not one I would revisit.
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