John’s Horror Corner: Beyond Dream’s Door (1989), a lame 80s horror movie that deserves to remain forgotten.

MY CALL: Overall this was really boring despite some worthy lower budget gore efforts. I was never more than momentarily amused by any scene in this entire movie. This is a hard pass, folks. MORE MOVIES LIKE Beyond Dream’s Door: Another incoherent movie about dream research, Nightwish (1990) comes to mind.

Troubled by his nightmares, Ben seeks help from his psychology professor. But when Ben’s dreams come to haunt his professor in the daytime, they realize they’re both in over their heads.

Ben’s dreams include his non-existent kid brother, the death of his skinless decapitated parents, but mostly revolve around a monstrous creature with huge gangly claws which masquerades as a naked woman.

Even if very low budget, the visual of his grotesquely flayed and mutilated professor punches above the weight of this movie. His brains are squeezed from his ruptured head as I giggled with glee. Enjoy it, for it’s the only ‘good’ scene in this movie. Sure there are some noteworthy gory efforts. But for the most part, everything in this film falls flat.

With repeated use of sewers and red balloons, this was definitely influenced by Stephen King’s 1986 book “It.” Though it brings it no justice with the displaced homage. Nor does it do anything but disappoint with its depiction of zombies… ooof, that’s a lame scene. Why was that zombie scene even in this movie!?!?!

Having now seen two of the three films in my Home-Grown Horrors volume 1 pack from Vinegar Syndrome, I can confidently place this movie well below Winterbeast (1992). Sure, Beyond is much better acted and slightly less incoherently written. But the monster effects are too few and far between, the plot is poorly explored, and the main monster gets dumber as the movie progresses. Truth be told, I was never more than momentarily amused by any scene in this entire movie. This is a hard pass, folks.