Dreamscape, 80's flicks and Cheer's characters in SciFi movies/ horror movies.

[The Ghoul]

Picked up a DVD of a movie I haven't seen in 15+ years. Dreamscape with Dennis Quade. ($4.99 at Kmart). About a group of scientists trying to enter people's dreams and confront their nightmares. Other than the very 80's synth sound track it holds up entertainment wise. I was expecting a bare bones DVD but it has a few features like some test shots of the snake monster. I just love non-CGI rubbery monsters from the 80's, them days are gone now. Now the cool thing about seeing a movie many years later is you get unexpected cameos, in a bar scene the hero played by Dennis Quade's character is talking to horror writer who happens to be Norm (Tretter) Peterson from Cheers. Except of course he is not Norm and he makes no jokes about his wife or love of beer. Which reminds me of another Cheers character/ actor who showed up in a few movies. One movie I am trying to find but can't recall the title. Does anyone remember this mid 80's Road Warrior rip off movie that had the guy who played the postal worker Cliff Clavin? In this sci-fi action movie he was a mechanic who builds a car for the hero of the movie to do battle with. The movie I recall was made in New Zealand and had the bad guys drive an armor plated truck that would smash over anyone in this post nuclear waste land. Does anyone remember that movie title?

[Gerry]

You're thinking of WARLORDS OF THE 21ST CENTURY (1982):

<http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0084887/>

[raj]

"Norm" also played a beach bum/junkie/dealer in FLETCH.  Now whenever I see that movie I can't but think about how low Norm has gone.

[trekgeezer]

Cliff the know it all postman from Cheers (his name is John Ratzenberger) was also in Superman and The Empire Strikes Back. In fact I saw him some old movie the other day playing a military type, but I can't remember what it was.

[Yaddo42]

John Ratzenberger is one of the member of the rock band turned into jerky in "Motel Hell". He has lots of small roles as military men, the one that came to mind for me was in "A Bridge to Far" but he's been everything from "Twilight's Last Gleaming" (didn't remember him in that one) to "Yanks" to "Hanover Street" (haven't seen them) to "Gandhi". He has several other genre credits like "Warlords of Atlantis" (a flick I like for some strange reason, probably low expectations) and "House II" (which annoys me every time it's on TV).

George Wendt has a few genre credits also: the first "House" film (the good one), and stuff like "Space Truckers", "Alien Avengers" (modern day Corman filler) and its sequel (wasn't aware of it). Plus he has a small part in a film I'd like to see again "Jekyll and Hyde...Together Again" one of the loopier drug comedies around.

[Susan]

Wow - there are still K-marts around?

[JohnL]

>Wow - there are still K-marts around?

Yup, got one within walking distance. Was there today in fact.

[loyal1]

Have one here to, although it isn't called K-Mart any more...just 'K'..the Big K...ah, those marketing geniuses ;0/

[Yaddo42]

We have two in neighboring towns where I live. The one nearest me barely made the cut when K-Mart filed for bankruptcy a few years ago. When I bought my DVD player on sale there you could tell the store was not on the company's priority list. run down, dirty, the floors were cracked and uneven. The electronics section was over half empty of stock, and almost everyone working there seemed very unhappy to be there. The other store is in good shape and well stocked, does lots of business too.

[raj]

Yup, they're still around, I see them constantly.  Haven't been in one in years; the last time I bought something there they had just switched over to a new cash register system, so it took forever to get through the line of 2-3 people, then ring up my purchases, and then to forget the 10% off coupon that was lying right there but you can go to the customer service counter (another slow moving line) or use it another day.  

No thanks.  Besides, now I have Meijer and Target nearby (and a crappy Walmart).  Plus Amazon and all the discount dvd sites.

[Monster Fan]

Dreamscape was an awesome movie!!! As for the Cheers group, I did want to mention "Motel Hell" staring Rory Calhoun, 1981, but yes Cliff was in that film, as well as House 2, whereas in House 1, it was Norm starring...  Dreamscape was a great movie, the freaky guy that he ended up killing also starred in a movie called "Warriors" about a bunch of gangs that had to fight one night in NYC....

[Dave Munger]

John Ratzenberger was also in Warlords of Atlantis, kind of a "Why isn't Doug McLure in this" production. On second thought, Doug McLure probably was in it, but it's got more of an 80s feel to it than most of his movies. Cool helmets on the bad guys. I think Ratzenberger lives somewhere near where I do, on the Puget Sound. Quite a few actors semi-retire around here, like James Doohan and the Professor from Gilligan's Island. Would anyone else love to see Ratzenberger in an ensemble sketch comedy? He invented the Cliff character, i'd like to see what else he has in him.

Dreamscape was cool, and I think of it when I get in those conversations about things that seemed scarier when you were wee. Edie Albert as president was one of the scariest parts.

[trekgeezer]

That scary guy is David Patrick Kelly, and he was also in Schwarzeneggar's Commando. He played Paulie and Arnold held him over a cliff by his foot and then dropped him. He was also in Twin Peaks (tv show).

[BoyScoutKevin]

Strangely enough, Doug McClure was in "Warlords of Atlantis." Along with old time actress Cyd Charisse, whose film career dates back to the early '40's.