Friday, April 15, 2016

M is for Movies

Time to have a little fun and discuss movies with dream themes. Here are ten movies, in alphabetical order, where dreams play a central role:

Avatar This movie was inspired by a dream James Cameron's mother had, blue woman and all. A paraplegic marine dispatched to the moon Pandora on a unique mission becomes torn between following his orders and protecting the world he feels is his home. 






Inception A thief, who steals corporate secrets through use of dream-sharing technology, is given the inverse task of planting an idea into the mind of a CEO. 


Matrix The Matrix is, in essence, a shared lucid dream, guided by the Artifical Intelligence that creates the simulated reality. As Neo learns to bend these rules, he becomes increasingly lucid and aware, discovering that actually, anything is possible. 


Nightmare on Elm Street Several people are hunted by a cruel serial killer who kills his victims in their dreams. While the survivors are trying to find the reason for being chosen, the murderer won't lose any chance to kill them as soon as they fall asleep. 


The Secret Life of Walter Mitty Walter Mitty is a meek mild man with a vivid fantasy (daydreaming) life. When his job along with that of his co-worker are threatened, Walter takes action in the real world embarking on a global journey that turns into an adventure more extraordinary than anything he could have ever imagined. 


Total Recall When a man goes for virtual vacation memories of the planet Mars, an unexpected and harrowing series of events forces him to go to the planet for real - or does he? 


Vanilla Sky A self-indulgent and vain publishing magnate finds his privileged life upended after a vehicular accident with a resentful lover. 

The Last Newhart A TV show I needed to include. At the end of the last show of  Newhart (1982 - 1990), Bob Newhart wakes up next to his wife from his previous TV series The Bob Newhart Show (1972 - 1978) The latter series was just one long crazy dream. One of the most memorable and craziest endings ever.


Waking Life A man shuffles through a dream meeting various people and discussing the meanings and purposes of the universe. 

Wizard of OZ Dorothy Gale is swept away to a magical land in a tornado and embarks on a quest to see the Wizard who can help her return home. 

Fast Times at Ridgemont High Bonus Feature!!! Okay, so there was only one dream in this movie but it's a classic. Enjoy!



Honorable Mention Mutual dreams (two people dreaming in sync), Mystics and 

Tomorrow N is for Nightmares, Night Terrors and Naked Dreams

Question What are some of your favorite dream movies?

37 comments:

  1. Hi Stephen - great selection you've come up with ... I've only seen one - the Wizard ... but I'm sure other bloggers will have seen most of them ... cheers to the M for Movies day - Hilary

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    1. Hilary, the first color motion picture will forever remain a cult classic!

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  2. Interesting post. I have seen many of them. And I loved Inception the most.
    Cheers,
    Seena
    #AtoZChallenge- M is for Mischief

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  3. Nice roundup here, Stephen! I didn't realize that Avatar was inspired by a dream! Very cool. Wish I had dreams like that. :)

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    1. Elizabeth, then you too could become a gazillionaire.

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  4. I did not realize there were so many. I was thinking of perhaps What Dreams May Come and the like.

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    1. Ann, I've always wanted to see that movie. I will this weekend.

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  5. dream movies are so logical that one wishes one actually had such dreams. Indian movies too have fantastic dream sequences that are envy of people like us

    http://www.obliqview.blogspot.in

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  6. I remember watching that last Newhart Show; that was such a cute twist :) I didn't realize that about Avatar with a dream James Cameron's mother had.

    Of course the Wizard of Oz is the classic dream movie to me at least!

    betty

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  7. I've seen almost all of these films, but really need to see Inception. I've heard there will be a sequel to Avatar. Hope they don't screw it up.

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    1. The special effects alone are worth watching Inception. And yea, they usually do screw up the sequel.

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  8. I’ve seen a couple of those mentioned. Inception was so confusing. The last Newhart episode was the best!

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  9. I really like waking up to read about dream-themed movies on your blog. As a writer, I find dream themes to keep popping up into my work. I especially enjoyed The Mateix, Inception and The Wizard of Oz as dream movies.

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  10. excellent list of dream movies, though I hated Vanilla Sky. Too weird.

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    1. Joanne, vanilla Sky and Waking Life are the only two I have not seen. I'm not a Tom Cruise fan (except for Collateral a most excellent movie) and honestly I never heard of Waking Life until I did a Google search of movies with dreams.

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  11. I think you hit my favorites, Matrix, Wizard of Oz...Trying to think of others...Avatar and Inception were great.

    My fantasy WIP was actually spawned from a dream I had, and the theme is prevalent in it. :)

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  12. Some great movies!!! One of my novellas, ARTHUR'S STORY: A LOVE STORY came to me in a dream.

    #AtoZchallenge
    Meet My Imaginary Friends

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  13. I love Dreamscape with Dennis Quaid as a psychic who learns to enter people's dreams in a secret project.
    Tasha
    Tasha's Thinkings | Wittegen Press | FB3X (AC)

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    1. Dreamscape almost made my list. But I was limited to ten and Bob Newhart edged it out.

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  14. That's quite a lineup of movies and shows with dreams at their center! I had no idea, but it makes sense. And didn't that dreadful Dallas have a dream reveal at the end? I heard about that for weeks.

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  15. What Dreams May Come is a good one to add to the list.

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  16. Can't think of one not listed, but I will say that watching movies does influence my dreams. Especially if zombies are involved. Then it's nightmares for sure! :)

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  17. I think the wizard of oz gets my vote- I remember as a kid not getting the fact that she was in a dream!

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  18. I think the wizard of oz gets my vote- I remember as a kid not getting the fact that she was in a dream!

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  19. I've seen quite a few of those films. My favourite? Probably The Wizard of Oz. :)

    Susan A Eames from
    Travel, Fiction and Photos

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  20. There are only two movies listed that I haven't seen. Cool post! Hands down, it's Wizard of Oz for me:-)

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  21. I remember the movie Total Recall from back in the day.

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  22. I think Inception has to be one of my favorite movies ever.

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  23. Didn't see any of those movies. Started to see Walter Mitty but couldn't get on with it. Sorry, forgot I did see Matrix.

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  24. When i was in school, i read the short story about Walter Mitty. It would be nice to make daydreams come true sometimes.

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    1. I need to daydream more. Daydreams should not be a thing of our past.

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  25. I've not seen all of these... I have had some vivid dreams the last few mornings. Maybe I should send them your way for interpretation :)

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  26. Dream movies tend to unmoor me, kind of like movies in which the main character is crazy and we're not sure what is real and what is not. Vanilla Sky, for example, really gave me a hard time.

    Liz A. from
    Laws of Gravity

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  27. Inception is a great movie that one needs to see more than once. I like the original Walter Mitty with Danny Kaye. I think the name of a movie I like is called Dreamscape with Denis Quaid. He plays a man hired to help stop a plot against the president, played by Edidie Albert, who is having bad dreams. He also helps a young boy as well. another film that is about dreams is called The Cell which stars Jennifer Lopez as a woman who helps the cops using dreams as an influence. It's quite good if not a bit gory.

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    1. Birgit, I remember that movie and almost included it. But, you know, lack of space and all.

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  28. That's quite a list. I still haven't seen Vanilla Sky. There was one with Robin Williams too. Can't remember the name, but it was quite strange.

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  29. Inception is one of my favourites - love it!

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