The Sleeper
Gemini Knife Films
2011
Homage has been a cottage industry in horror entertainment for quite some time but the last few years has seen it reach a fever pitch. Fanboys have hurdled to the forefront as the new wave of directors, screenwriters and actors and one such disciple is writer/director Justin Russell (who also takes on the duties of editor, cinematography, and sound) with his exercise in late 70s/early 80s stalk n’ slash, “The Sleeper.”
Russell and his team of nubile but entrepreneurial on screen actors and background players rifle through the golden age of a post Halloween/Friday the 13th world by heading a bit further back and finding the bulk of its framework in Bob Clark’s holiday horror hallmark, “Black Christmas”, arguably the blueprint for most slashers that followed and a masterpiece of the genre. Its bare knuckle style packed a punch due to its ability to terrify slowly, surely and with an unnerving but not un/supernatural monster in the vein of predecessors like “Psycho” and “Peeping Tom”, increasing POV shots and ratcheting up the tension awhile keeper in the killer in the dark (literally and figuratively.) The story of sorority girls pursued by an unrelenting hulk, blinded by obsessive rage (and apparently some sort of cataracts), who punished with a classic assortment of implements but also like “Black Christmas” through a relentless series of harassing, vulgar phone calls. With their house mother concerned, police on the case and a couple hot young pledges under consideration, “The Sleeper” wastes little time with a back story, instead focusing on the classic formula of increasingly gruesome deaths in a bloody paint by numbers portrait. Not much in the way of skin (topless chicks-check, vintage bush-negative Ghost Rider), but you get plenty of quality kill and probably the most embarrassing but enjoyable dance sequences since “Prom Night.” Russell and Co. make every effort to maintain the dated environment and for a healthy minimum, they succeed. The limited sets, inexperienced acting, dollar store gore and go for the jugular, Kauffman/Lewis approved school of film making are all here and ends of being a better “Black Christmas” remake than the “Black Xmas” remake (not too much a stretch there.) It generally feels like a title you’d pull off a shelf in a Mom & Pop video store during the Regan era, and therein lies the problem: the majority of those films were awful. Being honest, with not a hint of nostalgic BS, very few independent slashers in that time capsule really reinvented the wheel and a handful more even got the motor running. Sure, I had lots of fun and still do watching the thousands of Freddy, Jason and Myers clones that littered shops coast to coast, worldwide for that roughly ten year stretch. I found some real diamonds but was caved in by the rough more times than I count. The “so bad, it’s good” schtick only goes so far and in the end, most folks will admit that the bulk of these titles went back to the grave they were raised from in short order for good reason. “The Sleeper” is a fun watch and if its creators had such intentions, they succeeded in staying true blue to the deep red, but perhaps got a bit close and slipped into the abyss of mediocrity plaguing their forebears. One can take this film,
In the end, three small words really make this film: Joe Bob Briggs…as a doctor at the very end of the film, like a sweet sweet happy ending after a sweaty night of aardvarking. And a JBB Drive In Total to boot which is golden, though a commentary would have been much appreciated , though you get one from the director, an hour long featurette and a couple trailers including “Don’t Go In The Attic” which I for one am hoping gets a full length treatment in the near future.
I was able to pick up the limited edition VHS/DVD combo set, finding company in other new and classics rereleased in such a manner like House of the Devil, Things and Sledgehammer. While the former received the clamshell treatment and the latter were released separate from their DVD counterparts via Mondo/Intervision. Slasher fans will find a lot to love here, while retro VHS junkies and Lunchmeat readers are sure to be charmed but the dedication to detail in both packaging and cinematic product with spot on packaging that mimics the VHS glory days (including the nice touch of a color coded rental sticker) while the DVD itself has cover art inspired by one of my favorite video nasties, “Don’t Go In The House.” I even thought the inclusion of a Kinko’s copy of the Alpha Gamma Theta pledge party was both pretty in pink and pretty awesome.
Overall, if you are seeking out a new slasher with an old feel, “The Sleeper” will keep you awake, just not engulfed beyond its running time. Be sure to pick up the deluxe package as there is no better way to enjoy the experience, especially for those of you who didn’t grow up in the 80s like I did, where a slash from the past just makes your day better…
On the opposite end of the spectrum, but equally low budget, is the business of the “lost film.” Such is the case of “The Basement”, a Super 8 shocker recently unearthed by the fine folks at the fittingly named Camp Motion Pictures, an Amicus inspired anthology flick made in the 80s finally unleashed. To sweeten the sickness, it is joined by a bevy of previously released B movie gore faves, including Video Violence 1 & 2, Cannibal Campout and Captives for a total of 5 DVDs and 1 VHS.
Surprisingly, “The Basement’ acknowledges its shortcomings early on and actually comes out ahead with five stories (including the wraparound) that are all well told in the EC/Amicus/Laurel tradition.
“Swimming Pool” is reminiscent of “The Raft” from “Creepshow 2”; nowhere near as good but in the same spirit. “Trick or Treat” is a fun revenge foray with first rate make up resulting in a fantastic creature in the vein of the best “Tales from the Darkside” episode ever, “Halloween Candy.” Rounding out the running time is a quality double header of “Zombie Movie” and “Home Sweet Home” that are both entertaining and above all else, honest. I am a sucker for anthology films and I can’t pinpoint it but “The Basement” has a lot of charm, some good effects and even a couple of genuine shivers. As I watching the including making of bonus footage, I believe what it really comes down to is heart and there is a lot to be found in “The Basement.”
The other features included are all previously released (“Captives” makes its debut on DVD here) but most definitely worth a whirl; SOV mayhem for the whole family, with more DIY spirit than you can shake a rolled up copy of MRR at.
Final verdict: Both “The Sleeper” and “The Basement” collection are two sides of the same coin, minted in different periods but mined from the same source. While “The Basement” is bulked up with additional features, the VHS/DVD package of “The Sleeper” is well worth the additional cash and there is nothing like seeing the big box on the shelf, both in spirit and sentience.
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