DREAM PARLOR

Dream Parlor (2005)

Format: NTSC
Region: All Regions
Number of discs: 1
Rating UNRATED
Studio: CustomFlix
DVD Release Date: July 13, 2006
Run Time: 93 minutes

DVD Features:

DVD Movie is Widescreen, and Includes Bonus Features: Deleted & Extended Scenes.

Movie: * ½
Disc: * *

Narrative fuzziness and plot incomprehensibility often undermines this zero-budget sci-fi effort set in a dystopian future in which a “New World Order” plans to mind control the entire planet via so-called “dream parlors” — institutions where ordinary citizens can relax and unwind in a virtual reality world (think the Total Recall centers in that movie).

Only a benevolent loner named Elijah Barrett (played by unknown Christopher Andrews) can thwart their evil plans at global oppression.

Yup, Dream Parlor is awash in ungainly Christian allegory and symbolism, but at its heart it remains a B-flick that features as its main baddie a mad scientist replete in white coat prone to megalomaniacal dialogue (“I will be God!”, etc.).

The budget is very very low: futuristic storm troopers wear zip-up black motorcycle leather jackets and Nazi prop helmets. Director Jonathan Lawrence attempts to hide the budget limitations behind some Blade Runner-inspired lighting tricks, but is only partially successful. Still, Dream Parlor proves that with a bigger budget and better script Lawrence might just pull off something decent one day. (It is nice to see some not bad CGI effects in the movie of a sort that this sort of low budget production would never have even attempted in the past.

Incidentally, why is it that sci-fi celluloid always get it wrong when it comes to totalitarian regimes. Like many similar regimes in SF flicks, the one in Dream Parlor is simply evil for the sake of evil — unlike real totalitarian regimes it is not inspired by ideology in any way. Maybe they just love those leather outfits, I dunno.