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| Umbrella Entertainment (Australia). All Regions, PAL. 1.85:1 (16:9 enhanced). English DD 5.1. 117 minutes |
| The Movie |
| Cover Art |
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| Credits |
Director: Dario Argento
Starring:Max Von Sydow,
Stefano Dionisi, Roberto Zibetti, Chiara Caselli,
Gabriele Lavia
Screenplay: Dario Argento
Country: Italy
AKA: Nonhosonno |
It's become the Holy Grail of the horror
genre, a new classic from Dario Argento, or even
a decent movie. Ever since his attempts to crack
America his output has been erratic at best. Phenomena was a great little movie but was almost derailed
by the English spoken dialogue and the horrible
use of the likes of Iron Maiden on the soundtrack. Opera followed this horrible
aural tradition and Trauma, his
first film shot in the States was just awful. The Stendhal Syndrome was seen
as a slight return to form but the less said about The Phantom of the Opera the
better. Sleepless had a lot riding
on it and you can tell.
It plays like a greatest hits album. All the
classic deaths and motifs are there; the black-gloved
killers, kitchen knifes glinting in the moonlight,
vivid close-ups, convoluted plots, gratuitous
violence against beautiful women and a pounding
soundtrack by Claudio Simonetti and Goblin. Even
the murders are retreads; the films opening double
murder desperately mimics Suspiria and almost
every murder has been seen before in one of his
movies. Then again, do you watch an Argento film
for something original? No you watch his films
for exactly what's in Sleepless and he delivers
with style and panache.
The plot involving the Dwarf killer is a mere
excuse to join the dots between the gory set pieces.
Argento's whodunits have always been more
about the crime than catching the criminal. The
shocking revelation of the killer's identity
left this viewer going "So What" rather
than leaping out if his seat.
Argento's long time Special Visual Effects
man, Sergio Stivaletti displays an evil ingenuity
in the films murderous scenes, especially the
gruesome death by clarinet. The Goblin soundtrack
is fabulous, not quite matching their former glories
but it sets the scenes of the film perfectly.
The best Argento film in years and for that we
should be thankful. In returning to the Giallo
genre he may have taken a step backwards but with
Sleepless he has made a giant leap forward in
quality. |
| Video |
| The picture is clear and sharp, Argento's
extreme close-ups have never looked better. |
| Audio |
| The thumping 5.1 Dolby Stereo mix is excellent
but there is one glaring omission. The disc only
provides the films badly dubbed English soundtrack.
If memory serves me right recent screenings on Foxtel's
World Movies have been broadcast with the original
Italian soundtrack with English subtitles. It's
a shame Umbrella didn't go the extra mile
and provide both. |
| Extra Features |
| Anyone familiar with Umbrella's Argento
collection will be familiar with the 60-minute documentary
An Eye For Horror as it's been on every disc.
Featuring interviews with Argento, Asia Argento,
Michael Brandon, Daria Nacoldi, John Carpenter,
Tom Savani and many more. It's a fascinating
glimpse into Argento's world, probably not
in depth enough for our readers but an entertaining
introduction to the great man's work. We also
get The Making of Sleepless, the theatrical trailer
and a selection of vintage Argento trailers. |
| The Verdict |
Not the victorious return to glory we were hoping
for but still pretty darn good. Argento is at least
returning to the Giallo thriller with which he made
his name. He'll probably never give us another Suspiria, Deep Red or Bird with the Crystal Plummage but its good to see the director at least revisiting
former glories. The addition of class acts like
Max Von Sydow only adds to this. By all accounts
his latest film, The Card Player,
doesn't build on the good will but the hot
news is that he is at last working on the final
part of the Three Mothers trilogy started by Suspiria and Inferno, here's hoping
that that will finally give us the modern classic
we know Argento is capable of.
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