Movie Reruns and Remakes in Dreams

Seven Waves Away (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

         One recent evening I watched the 1957 film Abandon Ship (originally known as Seven Waves Away).  I recall seeing this film shortly after it was released in theaters when I was a child.  The opening images of the mine drifting in the water haunted me since the time I saw this film and I'd always wanted to see the film again.  When I saw that this film was going to be shown on the Turner Classic Movie network, I had a feeling that this would be the same film with those opening scenes that settled so vividly in my memory from childhood.  It was the same film.

          The story involves the dilemma of a ship captain in charge of an overloaded lifeboat after a cruise ship sinks after hitting a rogue mine.  The ship goes down with most of the passengers.  Twenty-seven passengers vie for a position in a lifeboat intended to carry only nine people.   The ensuing drama is the struggle for survival and the hard decisions the captain must make to assure that at least some will remain alive.

          This is a very good film that kept me engaged throughout.   The story dilemmas that are raised are reminiscent of the values clarification exercises that have been so controversial in schools.  The fact that the film was so thought-provoking and infiltrated my mind prior going to bed clearly explains why this film would have been replayed in a sense, or more accurately, remade as a dream movie.

          During my night's sleep I seem to recall having awakened a few times after rewatching condensed dream versions of the Abandon Ship movie.  Each version of the dream movie altered certain story facts and changed the outcomes to turn out in better ways.   The final version of the dream movie remake was so drastically different from the actual movie I had seen that it was essentially a different story that was inspired by Abandon Ship.

        This final version takes place on a train.  I no longer remember the details of the dream story since I didn't write the dream down immediately upon awakening.   Perhaps there is a  bomb on the train?  Or maybe the train is a runaway?  At one point I recall that people are airlifted by a helicopter flying above the train.   In another part of the story it seems that other trains are used to stop the featured train in the movie.

        In the dream I am not only watching the movie, but also controlling the story as I see fit.  At times I even seem to be in discussion with others about what direction the story should take.  Incidentally, the dream movie I am watching is in black and white as was the Abandon Ship movie I had watched the previous evening.  Since my dreams almost always seem to be in color, the black and white presentation was rather unique for me.

       Obviously, viewing the movie and thinking about it prior to bedtime had a big influence on my dreaming for that night.   I have had what I would call dream movies in the past, but rarely have they been so closely to an actual movie that I had just watched.  And usually they are not as much of a passive viewing event for me.  The typical dream movies that I've had have been partly or wholly participatory for me.  In this dream I was watching every aspect of the movie right down to the credits.

       I'm certain that my level of enjoyment and interest in this particular movie was carried to bed with me.  After falling asleep my mind wished to continue this pleasurable movie viewing experience throughout the night's sleep and up to my moment of awakening.

        Have you ever watched a movie and continued to have dreams that same night that were influenced by that movie?     Do you have movie dreams?   What are some movies that have influenced your dream life?

Related articles

• Through my eyes
• Is There Such A Thing As A Good Movie Remake?
• Remakes