BAD DREAMS (1988)

1975, California.  The Jim Jones-like leader of a love cult, Harris (Richard Lynch), gathers 30 or so of his flock into the living room of their old house.  He softly says stuff like "I say to you all now, to all of you, that this will be the ultimate joining..." while poring gasoline over them "There is no shame, no sin, no guilt.  It's just the final break with the old world." and then lighting a match "Come to eternal bliss."

One young girl (Jennifer Rubin) barely escapes the inferno and goes in a coma.  Thirteen and a half years later she wakes up in the hospital.  She has no memory of the incident, so to help kick-start her brain she's placed in group therapy.  Suddenly, people in the group start dying gruesome deaths at the hands of a burnt up Harris searching for his "love child".  Is this really happening?  Has Harris come back from the grave, is it her imagination or is something (or someone) else causing the bloodshed?

Solid acting by a strong cast, mild blood, zero nudity, good pace, a completely out of place Guns N' Roses song, story reminiscent of the previous year's A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 3: DREAM WARRIORS (which also starring Jennifer Rubin in a therapy group with a dwindling population), hand stabbing, Chainsaw (from SUMMER SCHOOL), the insult: "Doctor Addictive Buttface", not enough screen time for Elizabeth Daily and a script that a little bit too discombobulated for it's own good.

While I was entertained for the most part, I am curious as to why the story was the way it was.  In the extras, somebody mentioned that the studio was looking to create a new franchise(!!!), but yet the story completely came off like it was a singular film with a closed ending.  If they were looking to make a franchise...then the killer should have been more memorable and direct, the casting should have been changed around some and the story should have been way more straight-forward and with a ending that suggested a sequel.  Also, some added blood and nudity would have helped.

As it is though, it's an entertaining 80's supernatural medical thriller that's worth checking out.

CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER (1994)

The President gets all pissed off when a friend of his, who just happened to skim $650 million off of some dealings he had with a South American drug cartel, is murdered by that same drug cartel.  The President gives his henchmen permission to take out the drug cartel.  Secretly, of course.  At the same time, Jack Ryan (Ford) is appointed Deputy Director of the CIA.  He has no idea about the black-ops stuff happening in South America.  When he discovers what's going on, he heads down to SA himself to rescue the men that were left behind.  Of course there's tons of other shit is going on, but you'll just have to see for yourself.  It's all very exciting.

Much more violence than the first two Jack Ryan films, grander scale and story, 141 minute runtime that flies by, explosions, helicopters, small appearance by Hope Lange, jets, Hollywood-style computer hacking, James Earl Jones, snipers, solid acting, a gigantic computer monitor, enjoyable bad guys.  I really enjoyed CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER, but I was disappointed in the lack of screen time for Archer, Birch and the complete absence of J. E. Freeman.  Good 90's thriller.

Part 1 -The Hunt for Red October (1990)
Part 2 - Patriot Games (1992)
Reboot 1 - The Sum of All Fears (2002)
Reboot 2 - Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (2014)