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Dream Stalker/Death by Love (Review)

Dream Stalker

Director – Christopher Mills (Zed)
Starring – Diane Cardea (Kleptomania, Flight of the Pteranodon), Mark Dias (Detention, The Fugitive), and Jam Harrelson (The Walking Dead, Powers)
Release Date – 1991
Rating – 3/5

Tagline – “In your dreams no one hears you scream”

I review a lot of different movies.  Some have bad stories, bad casting, bad sound, corny dialogue, and the worst effects on accident.  Other movies are bad on purpose.  Hundreds, if not thousands, of fans love bad movies.  They live for it so when they are able to make their own films they make them bad on purpose.  With that being said, I do come across films that are bad in more than one way but are actually pretty damn entertaining.  One film that was bad in quality but was actually pretty entertaining was Dream Stalker.

This 1991S.O.V. flick has some trouble when it comes to film quality and audio clarity.  I’ve seen my fair share of S.O.V. flicks over the years but this one seems to suffer more than most but these shortcomings does not take away from the overall film.  I want to thank Intervision for sending this one over my way!  I really enjoyed it and I’m glad you allowed Horror Society and myself the opportunity to check out your release.

**Spoiler Alert** The film follows a young couple who are deeply in love.  So much so that the young man, Ricky, is a little too clingy.  Ricky is also a dirt bike racer and perishes in a motorcycle accident.  Before he died he gave her a gift to symbolize his love for her.  Now, sometime after his death, she starts seeing his mangled corpse in her dream as he stalks and murders people that are getting too close to her.  When she starts to fall in love with someone else he finally manifests himself to take out the competition and reclaim his love.**Spoiler Alert**

I went into this one with the same open mindedness that I did with Murderlust.  The film doesn’t look that grand on the cover much like Murderlust but I actually enjoyed that film.  Dream Stalker is much of the same.  The film has a horrible poster and tagline but was actually pretty decent.  Nothing I would go out of the way for to get a shirt to show my love for it but I could see myself watching it again.

The acting in this one is not that great.  The cast looks like they are having fun on screen but they have no direction and just say their lines with no conviction or dedication to their character.  This is typical for most S.O.V. horror flicks so fans of S.O.V. would not be shocked by this.  The cast could have been better but given the circumstances they never had the opportunity to show their actual skill.

The story for this one is pretty fun and full of potential but does fall flat.  The story could have been a fantastic supernatural slasher with so many possibilities but instead, they opted for the A Nightmare on Elm St. type story which doesn’t really work that well.  The film still delivers a solid story but so much more was left on the table.

Finally, the film does have a couple on screen kills.  One of the kills is very bloody and graphic but the others are easily forgettable and boring.  The one good kills we do get has some solid practical effects along with the killers make up.  Overall, Dream Stalker is a solid horror flick that is rough around the edges.  If you like your horror less than perfect then this one is for you.  Check it out.

Death by Love
Director – Allan Grant
Starring – Yvonne Aric (Dark Harvest), Tamara Betz, and Brad Bishop
Release Date – 1990
Rating – 2/5

Tagline – “A twisted tale of deadly desire”

When I reviewed the Murderlust DVD released by Intervision I noticed that there was a bonus film on the DVD.  I truly enjoyed Murderlust and was looking forward to the second film,Project Nightmare.  Sadly, the film was not that entertaining.  It had a story that was very promising but it felt like they had to cut a lot of scenes during filming that actually important.  Either way it fell short.

Recently, Intervision sent me the Dream Stalker and Death by Lovedouble feature to check out.  Dream Stalker is a film that has a lot of technical issues but was still able to deliver a solid flick.  I was afraid that Death by Love would be another dud like Project Nightmare.  Sadly, it was.

 

**Spoiler Alert** The film follows a man who is falls in love with beautiful women who turn up dead.  The police investigate the murders and start connecting the dots.  They suspect that a man who had went to school with him may be a serial killer and devil worshipper who thinks he is actually Satan.  He then kills anyone that gets close to his dark lord.**Spoiler Alert**

Death by Love is one of those films I could see playing late at night on Up All Night back in the 90s.  This type of film is not really fun to watch unless you are watching it with a few friends and beer or under gimmick or horror host.  The film itself is pretty boring so you need to find yourself in the proper setting to enjoy.  I was not.

I knew I was going to have a hard time making it through Death By Love but I didn’t realize that it was going to be the type of film it actually was.  I was expecting a sexual thriller that can be found in the Impulse Pictures catalog.  Instead, I was pleasantly greeted with a Satanic angle that was underutilized.

The acting in this one is fair.  The cast puts in a little more effort than Dream Stalker but they still have a hard time finding the right emotions or committing to their lines.  A little more conviction would have went a long way.

The story for this one had some pretty cool ideas going for it but never fully dedicated themselves to it.  The film flows more like a crime drama rather than a horror flick.  If the Satanic angle or occult aspect played a bigger role in the film then it would have been a pretty fucking cool film but what we actually got was a slow paced film that has a story that does not deserve a feature length running time.

Finally, the film has some deaths but they are some of the most boring scenes ever filmed outside of a nudity free porno.  No imagination and effects were applied to these making for painful scenes.  Overall, Death by Love could have been a damn unforgettable film but the director and team took it a completely different route.  The set is worth it for Dream Stalker but you can skip this one.

 

 

Blacktooth

(Staff Writer) Lover of all things horror and metal. Also likes boobs and booze.

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