if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

Blistering performances.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

After returning home from the war, a young man's sudden change of behavior alarms his parents who slowly realize the monster he's becoming and try to stop his insatiable blood-lust causing him to run wild throughout town.This one was quite a disappointing effort as there's really not a whole lot right here. What this one really does well is the rather innovative use of dealing with the subject matter at hand, detailing the condition afflicted here without really over-exposing it all that much. By going with the symptoms here for PTSD as a lynch-pin for the change in behavior here, this manages a pretty remarkable feat of giving the film a realistic-based back-story motivation for the horrific behavior but also a thoroughly unique and creative one that doesn't seem all that far-fetched here to possibly happen. Unfortunately, the only other working part here is the film's two horror scenes, where he traps and stalks a doctor in his office after realizing the truth, and the finale where a thrilling encounter at a drive-in leads to a frantic car-chase through the streets of town with a flaming car and a nice crash-stunt that makes this one all the more enjoyable as it's really the main part of this that works. Despite the originality of going with the back-story explanation for the film, the biggest problem is that nothing of interest is done with it. The film tries to make it seem like being cold, distant and completely devoid of interest in interacting with family or friends is cause for being the creepiest tactics imaginable, and yet all they do is drag the film out with scene-after-scene of the same behavioral tendencies and nothing is done about it, either his parents or anyone around him. Nothing about these are scary, and when combined with the majority of time spent here detailing the family life where the dad becomes convinced something's wrong and the mother is in absolute denial about everything doesn't help matters by focusing on drama rather than horror because what's shown isn't that scary which makes her behavior seem overblown and needless while his just drags the film along lifelessly. This is furthered by the fact that the supposed mystery about the mysterious soldier being responsible for the early off-screen death here is so clumsily done that it's impossible to come to any other conclusion here other than he did it as the evidence is so clear-cut and delivered in such a clumsy manner that the police look like incompetent fools for not seeing it, making these go on for what seems like forever. The last big problem is that the film really only deals with horror elements in two scenes which are completely unscary that their effectiveness is really questionable, especially the finale with the laughable make-up effects used here. These here are what really hurt this one overall.Rated PG: Violence and Language.

Tuned in to this on late-night TV, but did not see the title. Did not know what the name of the movie was. It was mesmerizing, a very good take on Viet-nam vets returning home. The scene with Andy on the double date with dark glasses and black gloves was especially disturbing. Finally found a VHS copy ("Death Dream") many years later at a Goodwill, ha ha, very surprising! Also, I wonder if this was somehow related to John Cassevetes, with John Marley and Lynn Carlin in it, and with somewhat similar style-- long real-time scenes at times. Still don't know: Just a thought. Very good low-budget horror movie!

No need to recap the plot. The movie's a highly original, atmospheric gem. Low-budget, to be sure. But director Clark knows how to create mood with low-key visuals without rubbing our nose in it. However, I could have done without so much clunking Moog music. There's some gore, but nothing gratuitous. Plus there's an outstanding performance from a cannily deadpan Backus, and an unusually lively turn from Jane Daly as Andy's girlfriend. Then too, putting the near-mute Andy in a squeaky rocking chair speaks volumes about what's not going on inside him.Of course, the 90-minutes can be enjoyed as simply bone-chilling horror. In that regard, it's among the first rank of the period. Still, Andy's return and the family's slow disintegration are left open enough to allow for interpretation. I take Andy's emotionless zombie as a conjured desire that Mom especially won't let die. She's obsessed with his loss, keeping him alive no matter the harm to others. Finally, it's the figurative Andy who knows he must depart lest his conjured presence destroy all he loved. This suggests a sense in which dreams must not not replace reality, despite our deepest desires. Mine is simply one way to take Alan Ormsby's suggestive screenplay. But however you take it, the film remains a triumph of low-budget production, and a must-see for horror fans especially.

The problem with this movie, is that almost everybody will realize what's the matter with Andy immediately when he comes back. And also, roughly, what is going to happen next. Because this story is age-old and exists in all cultures: the young soldier who returns from war, although everybody has believed him dead. But he is changed... In the medieval ballads, the most common ending is that he lures or abducts his old sweetheart, and brings her with him to his grave.Because the plot was more or less obvious already in the first minutes, it was a stupid idea to make a full-length feature film of this story. It should have been enough with a 40 min. episode in one of those horror series: for example "Tales of the Crypt" or "Tales of Terror".Still, it was elaborate and well-played with uncommonly good actors, masking, number of actors etc. for such a kind of popular and "simple" horror story.