An involuntary victim of the government’s new high-tech program to deal with societal deviants discovers the truth behind this unlawful classified project and exacts revenge, only later to discover he might be wrong.

SYNOPSIS:

Throughout the centuries, rulers and leaders have wrestled with the problem of how to deal with dissension. Almost everyone agrees that a certain amount of disagreement is healthy and often results in new ideas and methods. However, how does one handle the individual who just won’t quit… the constant contender… the “Extremist”?

Rulers and leaders have often used the concept of expatriation – exile – physically removing the thorn from the flesh. But the thorn, even though removed, can still often seem to fester and cause problems of even greater magnitude.

What if a person’s brain could be re-programmed? What if the individual, through this brain re-programming effort, turns from his divisive ways and becomes a model citizen? What if the government developed and used such a process?

Act I

Michael, a perpetual protestor, is apprehended by US government agents during a stealthy middle-of-the-night operation and is secretly deposited in Siberia.

Act II

Michael meets Kathrine and becomes a member of Kathrine’s band of renegades, participating in a number of covert campaigns against Russian tyranny. When the Russian military closes in on Kathrine and her group, Michael helps them escape near capture. Kathrine, in turn, helps Michael escape from Russia and get smuggled back to the USA. Michael becomes a model citizen. However, he unexpectedly discovers and learns about the classified government brain reprogramming project. He covertly enters the government’s secret facility, discovers his file, and rescues three other involuntary participants.

Act III

Michael gets his retribution, and Michael and Kathrine surprisingly meet… again?

CONCEPT/IDEA:

Electrical stimulation of portions of the brain has resulted in individuals recalling past memories, including experiences involving emotions and many of the senses (e.g., taste, smell, balance, temperature, etc.). What if the same technique were to be used to plant faux memories into someone’s brain instead of merely retrieving them – a form of brain-reprogramming? What if the government was to use such a process to reprogram dissidents’ brains, thereby causing them to become compliant model citizens?

This film includes elements of sci-fi, suspense, and drama, and should appeal to the same audiences that enjoyed Capricorn One (1977), Conspiracy Theory (1997) and Enemy of the State (1998) (concerning government conspiracy); and Mulholland Drive (2001), Inception (2010), and Total Recall (1990, 2012) (concerning blurring of what is real and what is a dream).

THE DREAM MACHINE