Slashed Dreams

Title: Slashed Dreams (aka Sunburst) (1975)
Rating: 2/5
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Starring: Peter Hooten, Kathrine Baumann, Robert Englund
Director: James Polakof
Duration: 78 mins

After breaking up with her fratboy boyfriend, Jenny and her new love interest Robert take to the mountains to visit a mutual friend who left college to live amongst nature. As one might expect, when the two free-spirited students ask an eccentric old man for directions he warns them that the woods are a very dangerous place where people go missing. Jenny and Robert of course disregard the old man's honest concern and trek on up the mountain for about two days worth of frolicking and skinny dipping. Eventually they cross paths with two of the clumsiest backwoods rapists one could imagine, who subsequently assault Jenny. When they finally meet up with their friend, Michael, they have to decide how to logically respond to such a terrifying ordeal.

Dispite misleading the viewer by being marketed as a horror/rape-revenge/exploitation film, Slashed Dreams doesn’t disappoint too much, but it is quite dull. The characters, aside from our two rapists Levón and Danker, are so uninteresting when they aren’t swimming naked. That’s a lie. There is some enjoyment to be had while watching Robert “Freddy Kruger” Englund in an early role as the nature geek friend who forages for tea in his spare time. But it seems like all the characters are meant to appeal to the groovy 70’s youth who were born just a little too late to be apart of the “peace & love” hippie movement. Unfortunately, the soundtrack doesn’t do much to spice up the adventure. In fact it heightens the dullness by consisting only of a Carol King wannabe singing dreary piano ballads during lovey-dovey, heartwarming montages of summer fun. A bit of good news to those who don’t like films that depict rape: that’s dull AND anticlimactic (in more ways than one).

So what are the positives that gave Slashed Dreams a rating of 2 on the Weaver scale? First of all the filmmakers take advantage of the beautiful natural scenery every chance they get. Unlike some films who just shoot in front of the same batch of trees for 90 minutes, this one appears to utilize the splendor of the whole forest. Secondly, as dull as the movie is, the direction and overall flow of the story is well-crafted and quick. If you look close enough you can see that there is some talent hiding behind the camera, just not in front of it. Lastly, I don’t know if this counts as a plus or not but there are definite philosophical issues being played around with throughout the narrative. It is refreshing to know that this film was supposed to actually be ABOUT something, but whether it’s something discernible to the modern audience member who doesn’t have their head in the clouds is another question. I suppose the Age of Aquarius just wasn’t meant to be.

You might remember my review of a little feminist slasher/drama I did a while back called Terror At Tenkiller (1986). If you do and you were somehow intrigued by it, let me tell you that Slashed Dreams would make a fine choice for a double feature. That’s about the best recommendation I can give.