Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

Electric Dreams Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov October 10, 2017

Steve Barron's "Electric Dreams" (1984) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British label Second Sight. The supplemental features on the disc include exclusive new interviews with director Steve Barron; actors Lenny von Dohlen and Virginia Madsen; and writer/co-producer Rusty Lemorande. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

The flirty guy

This silly little film from director Steve Barron might very well be one of the best ‘80s time capsules. It effortlessly brought the cool early MTV vibe to the big screen and then correctly predicted that ‘computer romance’ will turn out to be a real thing. It also instantly transformed Virginia Madsen into a rising star.

Lenny von Dohlen is Miles Harding, a young and handsome architect who lives alone in San Francisco. He is brilliant and a hard worker, but he is so disorganized that at times he literally looks like a complete amateur before his bosses. And this is precisely the reason why he buys a fancy computer from a local vendor -- to get his life reorganized and speed up the completion of an important project that can dramatically change his career.

Shortly after he unpacks his new computer Miles also bumps into his new neighbor, Madeline (Madsen), a single cellist who has recently landed a job with a local symphony orchestra. They talk and then fall madly in love before she can even settle down. Then the computer suddenly comes alive and, while Miles tries to get to know him better, begins flirting with Madeline. Of course she has no clue that the romantic guy from the ground floor that composes some really nice tunes for her is actually a big plastic box full of chips and wires, so she keeps complementing Miles. Eventually, Miles and his electronic roommate, who has started talking and now calls himself Edgar (Bud Cort), decide that it is time to figure out who deserves Madeline’s heart and all hell breaks loose.

Electric Dreams was Barron’s first feature film, but prior to completing it he had already shot some fantastic music videos for international stars like Michael Jackson, Madonna, and The Human League, so he was not exactly an up-and-coming talent who was given a chance to prove that he could do quality work. In fact, the film was so nicely put together that even by contemporary standards large sections of it still look very stylish.

There are two big reasons why the film became a hit -- though not overnight -- and today is considered a cult favorite. The first was its cracking soundtrack that instantly ensured a completely different type of exposure and attracted viewers that otherwise might have completely ignored it as yet another romantic comedy looking to score big with the summer shopping mall crowds. (Oddly enough, during the original promotional campaign there was no traditional music support for the film. The music helped much later on, after the film had already failed to meet financial expectations in the States). The second was Madsen’s striking presence in front of the camera, which turned thousands of young men into secret dreamers. Many of them are now grown-up men that will likely never admit it, but after seeing the film a lot of them had a crush on Madsen and anyone that knew anything about the industry was fully aware that she was well on her way to have have a long and very prolific career. The only thing that was unclear at the time was just how good she really was.

It also helped that the film wasn’t trying to be smarter than it needed to be. While there are some interesting observations in it about the potential of artificial intelligence, it remained comfortable as a romantic comedy about normal people with real flaws and meaningful desires. It was just a little bit weird, but in a good way that easily put a lot of smiles on different faces.

In addition to the impressive selection of pop tracks, the film uses original music by the great Giorgio Moroder (Midnight Express, Scarface)

Electric Dreams Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Steve Barron's Electric Dreams arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Second Sight.

I don't know precisely what type of work was done to bring this film to Blu-ray -- the back cover of the release indicates that a "new restoration" was completed -- but what I see tells me that a remaster of some sort was prepared. Also, the density levels are such that I can guarantee that the remaster was not completed after a new 2K/4K scan of the OCN.

The technical presentation is quite nice. Indeed, the majority of the close-ups boast very pleasing depth and fluidity is satisfying. In fact, if you view your films on larger screens or project, you will be glad to hear that the visuals never exhibit any concerning weaknesses (major density fluctuations, sporadic flatness, etc.). It is during the darker indoor footage that it becomes quite clear that there is room for improvement. For example, highlights can be better balanced, while elsewhere black crush can be eliminated. Ideally, grain should be better exposed and resolved as well. Still, while trained eyes will recognize different source and age limitations the film definitely retains an overall nice organic appearance. Image stability is good. A couple of dark specks can be seen, but there are no distracting large debris, cuts, stains, warped or torn frames to report in our review. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Electric Dreams Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

Electric Dreams has a very solid '80s soundtrack, which is actually one of the main reasons why the film quickly earned quite a reputation. Fortunately, the lossless track handles it really well and has the stability and balance that these types of soundtracks demand. Clarity and depth are also good, though perhaps a new remix could introduce some minor improvements in the mid/high registers. Regardless, the current lossless track is very strong.

Electric Dreams Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Is This a Story? - in this new video interview, director Steve Barron discusses his early work for various artists after MTV launched in the United States, the creative environment in which Electric Dreams emerged, its funding and promotional campaign, the casting process, the film's visual style, Giorgio Moroder's involvement with the project and the original pop tunes that were used for the soundtrack, etc. The interview was conducted by David Flint and produced by Carl Daft and David Gregory exclusively for Second Sight. In English, not subtitled. (19 min).

• Electric Dreams - in this new video interview, writer/co-producer Rusty Lemorande discusses in great detail the conception of Electric Dreams, the crucial decision to bring on board Virginia Madsen and in what ways her presence helped the film, the funding and marketing campaign, the digital effects that were used, Giorgio Moroder's contribution and the important role music had, how the film has aged, the fact that there was no traditional music support for the film and the failed plans to re-release it with a proper music campaign, etc. The interview was conducted by David Gregory for Second Sight. In English, not subtitled. (42 min).

• Males and Madeline - in this new video interview, actors Lenny von Dohlen and Virginia Madsen recall how they were cast to play Miles and Madeline in Electric Dreams, and discuss the on-location shoots in San Francisco and London, Steve Barron's working methods, the atmosphere on the set, the real connection that happened between the two actors and the special chemistry that is captured by the camera, the sequences with Bud Cort, the critical reception of the film (including Siskel and Ebert's take on the film), the film's phenomenal success in video stores across the country, etc. At the end, Madsen also shares a very moving story about a young girl that met her and confessed that she became a cellist for the Los Angeles Philharmonic some years after viewing the film. The interview was conducted by David Gregory for Second Sight. In English, not subtitled. (21 min).

Electric Dreams Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Electric Dreams is a genuine charmer that will likely make a lot of people nostalgic about the early '80s. To be honest, it is exactly how I felt after revisiting it. I very much miss the positive energy, creativity and especially the enthusiasm for the future that defined the '80s. I think that the three had a tremendous impact on the type of music and films that people created and wanted to see at the time and, in the grand scheme of things, made everyone better. I realize that this may sound a bit corny to some of you, but the '80s were almost completely free of the ugly cynicism that we are forced to endure today and it made a huge difference. Second Sight's Blu-ray release of Electric Dreams is sourced from a nice remaster and has a wonderful selection of exclusive new bonus features. Fans of the film will be delighted with it. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.