The young guy who is at the center of this episode is so unlikeable that I never cared what happened to him. He seems to be the hard case in his family. All he wants to do is go to movies and vicariously live them. I think if this were not a fictional presentation, the guy would need to spend time in an institution. In his reverie, he finds himself facing zombies, being attacked by Norman Bates, and all manner of fears. Eventually, he will wake up screaming. His parents want him to get a girl. I wonder if that was the advice Jeffrey Dahmer received from his mom and dad. Apparently, there is a girl in the neighborhood who has no sense priorities who wants to spend time with this guy. She is cute but he blows her off when she asks him to come to her birthday party. After this encounter, accosted by his family, he runs out of the house and ends up in a movie theater that he thought had closed years ago. When he enters the the auditorium, he finds he has been put down at the motel, run by Norman Bates. He is in the first room (ask Janet Leigh) and on the hill is that creepy house. Amazingly, his clothes disappear and he is wearing a dress, the one worn by Marion Crane, Bates' victim in the shower scene. It is all so haphazard and lacking in a kind of continuity that little suspense builds. The whole Hitchcock thing could have been lots of fun, but it just dies on the vine.
5 Reviews
The idea MIGHT have worked if the central character had been appealing in any way....but he certainly wasn't.
planktonrules23 June 2015
"Welcome to My Nightmare" is a super-annoying episode of "Amazing Stories". This is, in part, because a TON of movies in the 1980s featured annoying kids and teens--and Steven Spielberg was the executive producer. Regardless, it features a teen in the lead who is about as likable as Ebola! The kid is a creep that spends all his time watching movies and living a Walter Mitty-like life instead of being involved with those around him. What happens next is rather predictable...and really annoying.
Had the show featured someone who you could like, perhaps it might have worked. Instead, however, I really had to struggle to stick with this one because I found the kid so thoroughly hateful and untalented. Overall, a brash, loud and obnoxious episode.
By the way, if you do watch (BUT DON'T), you can see Christina Applegate in a role before she became famous.
Had the show featured someone who you could like, perhaps it might have worked. Instead, however, I really had to struggle to stick with this one because I found the kid so thoroughly hateful and untalented. Overall, a brash, loud and obnoxious episode.
By the way, if you do watch (BUT DON'T), you can see Christina Applegate in a role before she became famous.
Memorable episode that's funny and proves get a life don't let it be movies!
blanbrn30 April 2019
This "AS" episode from 1986 called "Welcome to my Nightmare" is highly remembered and fun a joy of a watch from season 2. It features Harry a nerd like and geek teen who lives and loves horror movies it's his every thought and passion as he often daydreams into a world of horror! Plus his alarm clock is set to the shower scene in "Psycho" thru a "VCR"! He has no time for family or a social life of dating girls however all of that changes one night when he takes a trip to see a movie at an old run down strange cinema! It's really strange when one leaves their own reality! Wow need I say more don't want to spoil it, however his attitude and mind has changed forever starting living as a movie is only make believe and fiction! Also look for Christina Applegate in an appearance before her "MWC" stardom.
'It will rot your socks off'
sonnyschlaegel29 April 2007
Warning: Spoilers
Harry is a teenage movie addict. He has a special VCR that he uses as an alarm clock; he sets it so he is woken up by the shower scene in 'Psycho'. He watches so many movies that he begins to lose touch with reality; for example, there's a scene in which he thinks he sees zombies. His social life seems to be non-existent; he even declines when the girl next door, who obviously likes him, invites him to her birthday party. His parents and his brother tell him that life isn't as perfect and predetermined as a movie and that he should live and learn so that he will be able to write his own happy ending. But Harry thinks that real life is too ordinary. He leaves the house, saying he wants to have adventures and escape to the world of movies. He asks God to grant him his wish: his life should be as good as a movie, at least once. A shooting star can be seen...
Harry goes to a cinema. When he enters the projection room, he suddenly finds himself in Bates' motel. His wish has been fulfilled, but he's not in a dream world but in a nightmare. Norman Bates is after him. Will he be able to escape?
I think this episode is similar to 'Remote Control Man' (#1.10). (Both stories have the same message: don't watch too much TV (or too many movies), or you may ruin your life. And in both stories the real world and the world of movies mingle.) So I think the basic idea of this episode is not very original, but I still liked it. Especially some small details and jokes that are really funny in my opinion. For example: Harry's VCR alarm clock; the cinema Harry goes to is called 'The Comet', and there has been a shooting star (perhaps a comet) shortly before Harry arrives at the cinema; he enters the movie world through a magic ticket (reminded me of 'Last Action Hero'); the movie playing at the cinema is called 'Welcome to the Nightmare' and has the tag line 'It will rot your socks off' - and Harry can be seen barefoot in his 'Psycho'-nightmare.
I think some of the other episodes are better (and more original) than this one, but I think it's well done and funny and deserves eight points. And I think if you liked 'Remote Control Man' you'll probably like this episode too and should consider watching it if you have the chance.
Harry goes to a cinema. When he enters the projection room, he suddenly finds himself in Bates' motel. His wish has been fulfilled, but he's not in a dream world but in a nightmare. Norman Bates is after him. Will he be able to escape?
I think this episode is similar to 'Remote Control Man' (#1.10). (Both stories have the same message: don't watch too much TV (or too many movies), or you may ruin your life. And in both stories the real world and the world of movies mingle.) So I think the basic idea of this episode is not very original, but I still liked it. Especially some small details and jokes that are really funny in my opinion. For example: Harry's VCR alarm clock; the cinema Harry goes to is called 'The Comet', and there has been a shooting star (perhaps a comet) shortly before Harry arrives at the cinema; he enters the movie world through a magic ticket (reminded me of 'Last Action Hero'); the movie playing at the cinema is called 'Welcome to the Nightmare' and has the tag line 'It will rot your socks off' - and Harry can be seen barefoot in his 'Psycho'-nightmare.
I think some of the other episodes are better (and more original) than this one, but I think it's well done and funny and deserves eight points. And I think if you liked 'Remote Control Man' you'll probably like this episode too and should consider watching it if you have the chance.
What "Amazing Stories" was all about in my youth!
jorgito200114 June 2022
Sure the main geek is annoying, but being bullied, his love for horror and using films as an escape definitely reminded me of.... ME...in the early 80s! A fantastic homage to Psycho as well! Its a scary, but funny episode of this classic series!
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