Sleepless

Rating:
Summary: sleepless - argento's worst film!
Review: Dario Argento is one of the great directors, but this garbage is completely turgid, lacking the brilliant visceral qualities of his best work. The soundtrack was quite bad, even worse when you compare it to the best of Goblin.

Much has been said about Argento's return to the giallo, but this mystery thriller forsakes the distinctive Argento style for supposedly intricate plotting. Nevertheless, the final 'revelation' regarding the killer's identity was plain stupid and I found myself thinking "so what?" This is even worse than the abysmal Stendahl Syndrome and Phantom Of The Opera.

I feel compelled to write this review because so many people have labelled this a return to form for the director. This is one of the worst films imaginable. The contributions of all involved are poor, including Argento, DP Ronnie Taylor, sp fx man Sergio Stivaletti (the fake head is laughable), and the lead performance by the young actor who plays Giacomo is particularly wooden.

The disc I am discussing is actually the r2 MIA collectors edition. The only reason I'm not selling this pile of... is because of the inclusion of an extra disc containing the interesting documentary Dario Argento - An Eye For Horror.

Go for Deep Red, Suspiria, Inferno, Tenebre, Bird...,and Phenomena; these films represent the best of argento. watch those films, then watch them again. But stay away from this appalling attempted rehash of argento's giallo glory days.

Rating:
Summary: No Widescreen????
Review: Dario Argento's stylish and ultra-gory giallo is a return to form for the maestro and will definitely please his long-time fans. Unfortunately, it looks like Artisan's upcoming DVD will be FULL-FRAME only and not widescreen as previously announced(...). So buyer beware. If you really want to see "NONHOSONNO" in it's correct aspect ratio, pick up the Italian DVD instead (if you have a region-free player) because it is uncut, letterboxed and has an english track. Obviously Artisan is just releasing their "Sleepless" version as just another cheap horror title to fill up Blockbuster shelves. Unbelievable that even in 2001 Argento is still treated this way in the US. No wonder he stays in Italy.

Rating:
Summary: BUY THE REGION 2 ITALIAN DISC!!!!!!!!!
Review: First off the horrible DVD released in this country as Sleepless is pretty AWFUL in comparison to the Italian DVD. The Italian DVD has it's original title NON HO SONNO, the menus are nice, and if you own the Artisan disc you see this menu for a brief second before it switches to the horrible static frame of the [bad] cover picture.

The Italian DVD also offers a nice clean LETTERBOXED transfer, that offers an English language track as well as english subtitles for those who want to see the film in Italian.

The film is definately a return to form for Argento, it has good pacing, the story is excellent, and at times it is quite terrifying. It is definately better than Argento's last few films Phantom of the Opera and Trauma.

The Foriegn disc is definately the way to go, when buying this film.

The foreign disc has extras that are not on the Artisan print, The disc has a behind the scenes/making of segment , an interview with Agento(In italian w/no subs), Cast and crew information, trailers and more.

Rating:
Summary: BUY THE REGION 2 ITALIAN DISC!!!!!!!!!
Review: First off the horrible DVD released in this country as Sleepless is pretty AWFUL in comparison to the Italian DVD. The Italian DVD has it's original title NON HO SONNO, the menus are nice, and if you own the Artisan disc you see this menu for a brief second before it switches to the horrible static frame of the [bad] cover picture.

The Italian DVD also offers a nice clean LETTERBOXED transfer, that offers an English language track as well as english subtitles for those who want to see the film in Italian.

The film is definately a return to form for Argento, it has good pacing, the story is excellent, and at times it is quite terrifying. It is definately better than Argento's last few films Phantom of the Opera and Trauma.

The Foriegn disc is definately the way to go, when buying this film.

The foreign disc has extras that are not on the Artisan print, The disc has a behind the scenes/making of segment , an interview with Agento(In italian w/no subs), Cast and crew information, trailers and more.

Rating:
Summary: A Recipe for Horror
Review: For the eclectic palate. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Melt in a saucepan: ½ cup Italian opera (preferably Verdi, Puccini, or in a pinch, Mascagni). Stir into it until dissolved: ½ cup shameless late-night slasher flick (the gaudier the better here). Cool these ingredients slightly, then beat in well: 1 epiphany-laden stroll through the ambered afternoon halls of a baroque art museum and ½ cup wall-rattling, neighbor-disconcerting speed metal (cranked up to 11). Sift, then measure: ½ teaspoon stunningly influential visual style and ¾ cup unresolved mother-issues manifesting as beautiful, yet disturbing horror films featuring maniacal black-gloved serial killers. Stir these ingredients into the original mixture, allow to thicken.

How's your appetite? It's true Dario Argento movies aren't for every taste bud. If you know yourself to have a weak tolerance for cinematic horror, please stay far, far away from this latest film from the Italian maestro of mayhem. But if horror happens to be your cup of cappuccino and you're looking for that special something for your next midnight snack, you've stumbled upon the right recipe.

"Sleepless" (originally released in Italy under the title "Non Ho Sonno") is the fifteenth feature film directed by former film critic and spaghetti western screenwriter Dario Argento. It's one of his giallo films-the Italian word for "yellow," which also names a sub-genre of ultra-violent Italian-style murder-mysteries-and is his best effort in that genre since 1987's "Opera".

Like most of Argento's giallo films, "Sleepless" follows a faceless black-gloved killer compelled by a scarring childhood trauma to commit terrible acts of murder. This time out, the police's number one suspect is a dwarf writer of mystery novels. Seventeen years in the past, a series of murders, thought to be committed by the dwarf in question, were left officially unsolved. Now, after years of silence, the murders have started up again. The only problem is that the dwarf is now dead. The chief inspector of that case, now retired, finds himself drawn back into the one case he never solved.

I think it's safe to say that no one watches a Dario Argento movie for the great acting-Argento has always been much more interested in creating imaginative, nightmarish worlds than in peopling them with believable characters. Yet "Sleepless" contains by far the best performance in an Argento picture. As Chief Inspector Morreti, veteran actor Max von Sydow ("The Exorcist," "The Seventh Seal," "Strange Brew") puts in a subtle, nuanced performance that is just a pleasure to watch.

Other highlights of the film include the score by long-time collaborators Goblin (at times reminiscent of their score for George Romero's "Dawn of the Dead"). Ronnie Taylor's cinematography is also an important ingredient in the mix. So if you're feeling adventurous and are looking for something of a decidedly un-American flavor, "Sleepless" could be just what your palate is craving.

Pour the mixture into a greased pan and bake for just under two hours. Allow to cool, then slice into small pieces and enjoy.

Rating:
Summary: A Recipe for Horror
Review: For the eclectic palate. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Melt in a saucepan: ½ cup Italian opera (preferably Verdi, Puccini, or in a pinch, Mascagni). Stir into it until dissolved: ½ cup shameless late-night slasher flick (the gaudier the better here). Cool these ingredients slightly, then beat in well: 1 epiphany-laden stroll through the ambered afternoon halls of a baroque art museum and ½ cup wall-rattling, neighbor-disconcerting speed metal (cranked up to 11). Sift, then measure: ½ teaspoon stunningly influential visual style and ¾ cup unresolved mother-issues manifesting as beautiful, yet disturbing horror films featuring maniacal black-gloved serial killers. Stir these ingredients into the original mixture, allow to thicken.

How's your appetite? It's true Dario Argento movies aren't for every taste bud. If you know yourself to have a weak tolerance for cinematic horror, please stay far, far away from this latest film from the Italian maestro of mayhem. But if horror happens to be your cup of cappuccino and you're looking for that special something for your next midnight snack, you've stumbled upon the right recipe.

"Sleepless" (originally released in Italy under the title "Non Ho Sonno") is the fifteenth feature film directed by former film critic and spaghetti western screenwriter Dario Argento. It's one of his giallo films-the Italian word for "yellow," which also names a sub-genre of ultra-violent Italian-style murder-mysteries-and is his best effort in that genre since 1987's "Opera".

Like most of Argento's giallo films, "Sleepless" follows a faceless black-gloved killer compelled by a scarring childhood trauma to commit terrible acts of murder. This time out, the police's number one suspect is a dwarf writer of mystery novels. Seventeen years in the past, a series of murders, thought to be committed by the dwarf in question, were left officially unsolved. Now, after years of silence, the murders have started up again. The only problem is that the dwarf is now dead. The chief inspector of that case, now retired, finds himself drawn back into the one case he never solved.

I think it's safe to say that no one watches a Dario Argento movie for the great acting-Argento has always been much more interested in creating imaginative, nightmarish worlds than in peopling them with believable characters. Yet "Sleepless" contains by far the best performance in an Argento picture. As Chief Inspector Morreti, veteran actor Max von Sydow ("The Exorcist," "The Seventh Seal," "Strange Brew") puts in a subtle, nuanced performance that is just a pleasure to watch.

Other highlights of the film include the score by long-time collaborators Goblin (at times reminiscent of their score for George Romero's "Dawn of the Dead"). Ronnie Taylor's cinematography is also an important ingredient in the mix. So if you're feeling adventurous and are looking for something of a decidedly un-American flavor, "Sleepless" could be just what your palate is craving.

Pour the mixture into a greased pan and bake for just under two hours. Allow to cool, then slice into small pieces and enjoy.

Rating:
Summary: Not Good but Not Bad
Review: I am a fan of Argento. I watched Tenebre when I was 10, the horror still implanted deeply in my mind. I guess people will watch Sleepless either because of Argento or Goblin. Well, the score is just too tame, compared to Suspiria - which is truly a masterpiece. About the murder scenes, I don't find them very horrible and violent. In some way, the special effect is just too gross - the depicated head is obviously a plastic model, the blood in the train muder is too little (compared to Tenebre), the shock is too mild (compared to Suspiria, or Inferno). The only reason I still gave a 3 star is because of (a) Max is a good actor (and famous), (b) the plot is at least with some suspense and twist at the end, though no logic is involved as usual (how come the murderer can go onto the train so soon?) Finally, I do think the quality of the DVD is not that bad, the sound is quite good (thunder, rain drops, etc...), it is not as bad as other reviewers complained about.

Rating:
Summary: What a waste.
Review: I can't believe that in this day and age any company would put something out this badly. WHY BOTHER? Who did they think would buy it?

Rating:
Summary: US version total rip off!
Review: I have seen the US version of this film and I feel betrayed! They seriously cut so much out of the Rated-R version and I'm sure the one amazon is selling is censored also even if it does say unrated. Get the dvd elsewhere, perhaps even on ebay. I could not enjoy the video properly. They could of shown this on regular television since it was cut drastically, no gore at all. Murder scenes cut so quickly you did not know what happened to the victims or a even seen a shot of blood until the very end when you see blood dripping from a window when the credits start rolling! So once again, do NOT support the US Rated R version, get an uncut version of this film because you will be missing out on so much!! Do not rent at Hollywood video nor block buster!

Rating:
Summary: Heeeeere's Argento!
Review: I really couldn't tell you why I have yet to watch every film in Dario Argento's filmography. A few years ago it was easy to claim ignorance of many of this Italian director's important works because it was often so difficult to find any of them anywhere, let alone in an uncut form. Fortunately, DVD arrived on the scene and eager film fans with dollars to spend inspired numerous companies to start churning out any movie they could get their hands. Even Troma, the flagship of flaccid filmmaking, released a so-so version of Argento's "The Stendhal Syndrome." It wasn't too long before practically every Argento film arrived on store shelves, many of them in uncut, unrated formats. Unfortunately, most viewers have most likely never heard of Dario Argento. These days, more people are familiar with the director's beautiful daughter Asia than with the horror maestro himself. What a shame. Argento's films, at least the ones I have seen, are masterpieces of style injected with truly cringe inducing violence. For a few years in the 1980s and 1990s, Argento drifted away from his tried and true giallo formula, only recently returning to some semblance of form with "Stendhal" and this gruesome little shocker, "Sleepless." Starring Max Von Sydow and Italian horror fave Gabriele Lavia, the director once again resurrects the old giallo format and marries it with upsetting scenes of gory violence.

Von Sydow plays the role of a retired detective named Moretti, a cop who had an amazing record of solving murder cases but has since suffered from rampant insomnia and a fading memory. Moretti now spends more time ambling around his house talking to his pet bird and trying to remember the specifics about the one case that eluded his grasp than anything else. That case, called the killer dwarf crimes, seemed solved when the supposed killer died as police officers closed in. Now, years later, the killings have started up again, gruesome crimes that resemble in many ways those of the original case. Moretti finds himself sucked back into working on the case even though the cops on active duty wish he would just go back to his bird and leave the investigating to younger men. Our aging cop soon teams up with the son of one of the victims of the first spate of killings and the two men embark on a quest to discover what exactly is going on. The path to solving the crime is fraught with peril: arcane clues abound, strange nursery rhymes play a big part, and Moretti's ailing memory prevent him from making connections between the latest victims and those killed in the first wave. Even worse, the killer knows Moretti is looking for him and plans on doing something about it. The conclusion to "Sleepless" recalls the numerous plot twists of "Deep Red" and "The Bird With They Crystal Plumage," two of Argento's better films. There is a lot to like with "Sleepless."

Arguably, the best part of the film is the first twenty minutes. Argento turns a stalk and slash sequence on an empty passenger train speeding along a track into a masterful exposition of oppressive, claustrophobic atmosphere matched with a pounding music score produced by none other than Goblin. Moreover, the great cinematography employed in this extended scene reveals that the director has lost none of his imaginative abilities with the camera. Even better, the beginning of the film gives the audience two amazingly beautiful women of a type rarely seen in a horror movie. Seeing these two lovely girls convinced me, more than anything else I have seen or heard, that I must visit Europe as soon as possible. Sadly, Argento dispatches the two ladies quite quickly, but that shouldn't stop a dedicated viewer from making liberal use of the rewind button on the remote control.

The rest of the film is a mixed bag, since the performances from some of the principals are mediocre (excluding the always great Max Von Sydow). The pacing occasionally lags in "Sleepless" as well, as the film feels like it runs too long in places. What helps move the film along are the gory killings that pop up to say hello every now and again. We get a gruesome decapitation, a nasty looking--and sounding--flute stabbing (!), an ink pen punched through a head, and a face repeatedly introduced to a brick wall in grisly close up. You come to expect imaginative and stylistic violence in an Argento film and "Sleepless" delivers it all in bright, flashy color. The mouth kissing brick especially brings out the cringes even though it was done better with sharp furniture corners in "Deep Red." Anyway, don't go into "Sleepless" expecting a bloodless movie that zips along at mach speed.

I've seen a lot of grumbling about the Artisan DVD version of "Sleepless." Since I haven't seen the European release that is supposedly much better than the American version, I will say that I thought this DVD wasn't as bad as some think. The picture quality is good even if it is a full screen release. The extras are lacking, but at least there are a few: a trailer for the movie, bios, and some sneak peeks at a few other films. Maybe it's because I have seen some "classic" films lately with absolutely nothing in the way of goodies on the DVD, but I did not feel cheated with the extras for "Sleepless." Could Argento's most recent film receive better treatment from someone else? Probably, but the movie is entertaining enough to watch even in fullscreen. If you enjoy Dario Argento films, be sure and check out "Sleepless" if you haven't done so already. Despite a few problems, it is still a roller coaster of a ride.