Deathdream

Director: Bob Clark Bob Clark

Overview

"Deathdream, Bob Clark's chilling, hard-to-find classic is finally available on DVD, thanks to a Grade-A treatment from the genre specialists, Blue Underground. The film itself has been fully restored from a long-lost negative from the original Dead of Night release and transferred into an anamorphic 1.85:1 widescreen image, complete with a respectable Dolby Digital Mono soundtrack. Extras include two commentaries -- one from Clark and the other from screenwriter Alan Ormsby, who also doubled as an uncredited makeup artist on the film. Both tracks are assisted by Blue Underground's own David Gregory and each are engaging and entertaining in their own right. Clark does come off a bit dry at times, but his comments on this and many of his earlier horror films make for a worthwhile listen (along with his teases of genre films to come), while Ormsby seems to have a fun time looking back at this early feature. The writer also figures into the ""Tom Savini: The Early Years"" featurette, where the famed makeup man talks of his tutelage under Ormsby on both this, his first film, and Deranged, along with his first collaboration with George Romero, Martin. Star Richard Backus appears in an interview segment, where he discusses working with John Marley (fresh off of his Oscar win for The Godfather) and other aspects of the production, including a brilliant closing moment that fans of the film will flip for. Other extras include an ""Alternate Opening Titles"" segment (under the Deathdream re-release title) and ""Extended Ending Sequence"" cut from an MPI Media video source, along with the theatrical trailer and a truly definitive poster and stills gallery, featuring posters, pressbooks, video art, and more. With a terrifying foil cover and way-creepy menu design, this disc adds yet another gem to Blue Underground's stable of excellent releases."

Product Details

Release Date:	06/29/2004
UPC:	0827058106191
Original Release:	1974
Rating:	R
Source:	Blue Underground
Region Code:	A
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Mono]
Language:	English
Time:	1:28:00
Sales rank:	32,681

Special Features

Audio commentary with co-producer/director Bob Clark; Audio commentary with screenwriter/makeup artist (uncredited) Alan Ormsby; "Tom Savini: The Early Years"; "Deathdreaming": Interview with star Richard Backus; Alternate opening titles; Extended ending sequence; Theatrical trailer; Poster & still galleries

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Richard Backus	Andy Brooks
John Marley	Charles Brooks
Lynn Carlin	Christine Brooks
Henderson Forsythe	Dr. Philip Allman
Anya Ormsby	Cathy Brooks,Bystander
Jane Daly	Joanne
Arthur Bradley	George, Army Captain
Bud Hoey	Ed, diner cook
Raymond Michel	Policeman in Diner
Jeff Becker	Young Boy,Young Boy
Jeff Gillen	Bartender
Mal Jones	Sheriff
Edward Anderson	Deputy,Postman
George De Vries	1st TV Announcer
Bob Noble	2nd TV Announcer,2nd TV Announcer
John Bonney	Helicopter Pilot
Robert Cannon	Drunk
David Grawlikowski	Truck Driver
Michael Mazes	Bob
Virginia Cortez	Rosalie
Marianne Stone	Actor
Carl Zittrer	Composer

Technical Credits

Alan Ormsby

Bob Clark	Director,Producer
Alan Ormsby	Screenwriter
Tom Savini	Special Effects
Geoffrey Nethercott	Executive Producer
John Trent	Producer
Gary Goch	Sound Effects,Sound/Sound Designer
Kenneth Heeley-Ray	Sound Effects
Peter James	Producer

Editorial Reviews

Bob Clark's first collaboration with screenwriter Alan Ormsby is this grisly, psychologically trenchant low-budget horror film. Released in 1972 Deathdream has the distinction of being one of the first American films to deal, in its own effective way, with the trauma caused by the conflict in Vietnam. Deathdream is crude and schlocky, like a lot of great 1970s horror films. Clark knew as well as any of the great horror directors of that era how to wring the most from his meager resources, and he's helped in that regard by makeup artist Tom Savini, who made his feature debut with this creepy film. The cast is also strong, including John Marley (The Godfather) and Lynn Carlin (who had starred together in John Cassavettes' Faces) as the distraught parents of Vietnam casualty Andy (Richard Backus), who's returned home as a blood-drinking ghoul. For his part, Backus may at first come off a bit too cartoonishly creepy, but there's an underlying sadness to his role that lends the movie real emotional weight. The film doesn't purport to be a definitive statement about Vietnam. There are few details about Andy's combat experience, but there is an overriding sense that this war is not like any other that's come before. Like the best genre films, Deathdream offers an interesting glimpse of the American psyche during the time it was made.