Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.0

Sleepwalkers Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov November 10, 2020

Mick Garris' "Sleepwalkers" (1992) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the disc include vintage promotional materials for the film; new audio interview with director Mick Garris and critic Lee Gambin; vintage interviews with cast and crew members; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

The fact that Stephen King has a cameo in Sleepwalkers is a sure sign that he was happy with the way Mick Garris treated his screenplay. I am a little surprised because this film lacks that classic dark and suspenseful atmosphere King’s work is famous for. However, it has a pretty good sense of humor and the comedy that flourishes because of it I think is much more effective than the horror.

Charles (Brian Krause) and his mother Mary (Alice Krige) have just moved to the small town of Travis, Indiana. They don’t have any friends yet, which is why they spend the majority of their time together. But during a quick trip to the local theater Charles meets Tanya (Madchen Amik), who works there as a cashier, and the two begin dating. Well, sort of. Charles and his mother are sleepwalkers -- vampiric creatures that live off of virgin blood and can alter their appearance at will -- so Tanya is actually their latest target. Tanya of course has no idea that she is dating a sleepwalker, so the more time she spends with Charles, the happier she becomes. When a romantic trip to the local cemetery eventually unleashes the blood-thirsty creature that lives inside Charles, Tanya fights back and seriously hurts him. He manages to return home, covered with blood and with a badly disfigured face, and when his momma witnesses the damage she goes berserk.

The narrative is as silly as described but in the grand scheme of things it does not matter. Indeed, the entire film is essentially a collection of wild episodes that document how Charles and his mother hurt and devour their targets in a variety of different ways. Because the targets happen to be entirely clueless, there are plenty of surprises that you would expect from a conventional horror film.

However, the horror has that kitschy quality that actually makes the gruesome material look quite funny. A cop gets killed with a corncob. Another cop becomes a giant cop-kebab. Some oddly bold cats risk their lives to confront the dangerous sleepwalkers. This isn’t the type of horror that would keep you on the edge of your seat. In fact, the only legitimately creepy material in the entire film amounts to just a couple of minutes, which is the material where Charles and his mother console each other and make love. (A single scene only suggesting the incestuous relationship would have been more than enough).

Then there are all the big-name visitors that spice up the film even more. Ron Pearlman, for instance, plays the rational Captain Soames who very quickly dies in a decisively irrational way. John Landis and Joe Dante are tasked to impress as lab technicians, while Tobe Hooper and Clive Barker are brought in to behave as forensic experts. So, the film does not exactly take its horror seriously; it is something of a ruse that allows it to be playful in a way that just isn’t typical for King’s classic work.

And yet this is the precise reason why the film is enjoyable. It looks loose and light, always willing to take advantage of the opportunities that emerge while the principal actors and the famous visitors interact before Garris’ camera. Yes, there are plenty of misfires, but everyone is there to have fun. It is decent entertainment.

Enya’s classic tune “Boadicea”, which is heard multiple times after the sleepwalkers are revealed, adds a touch of class that is surprising and hugely effective.

Sleepwalkers Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Sleepwalkers arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Eureka Entertainment.

The release is sourced from an older master that was supplied by Sony Pictures. While there are some obvious limitations, the overall quality of the presentation is quite good. For example, delineation and clarity are very pleasing, plus on a larger screen depth ranges from good to very good. Some background nuances are not as nicely defined as they should be, but there are no serious anomalies either. Trained eyes will spot some sporadic flatness, especially in darker areas where shadow definition can be improved, but this isn't the type of flatness that emerges from digitally manipulated masters and therefore never becomes distracting. The color scheme is pleasing, but this is the one area where some rather significant improvements can be made primarily because saturation levels are not optimal. Image stability is good. A few blemishes can be spotted, but there are no distracting large debris, damage marks, cuts, warped or torn frames to report. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Sleepwalkers Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 2.0 and English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

I viewed the film with the 5.1 track. It is very strong and I seriously doubt that it can be improved in any meaningful ways. If the folks at Sony redo the film in 4K and produce a new Dolby Atmos mix perhaps there is a chance that a better presentation will emerge, but I am convinced that when the current master was prepared the audio was optimized as best as possible. Indeed, the basics on the 5.1 track are very solid and I did not detect any traces of age-related imperfections.

Sleepwalkers Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Audio Commentary - this archival audio commentary was recorded by director Mick Garris, Madchen Amick, and Brian Krause. It has appeared on previous home video releases of Sleepwalkers.

• Audio Interview - in this new audio interview, director Mick Garris and critic Lee Gambin discuss the genesis of Sleepwalkers, the role of cats in horror films, Stephen King's work and sexuality in Sleepwalkers, the stylistic identity of '90s horror films, etc. The interview covers a wide range of topics so it really is quite interesting.

• Feline Trouble - in this archival video interview, director Mick Garris remembers how he was approached to do Sleepwalkers and discusses the production process as well his interactions with Stephen King. Also included with the interview is archival footage from the shooting of the film. In English, not subtitled. (19 min).

• When Charles Met Tanya - in this archival video interview, Madchen Amick and Brian Krause remember how they became involved with Sleepwalkers and what it was like to work together and under the direction of Mick Garris. In English, not subtitled. (19 min).

• Mother and More - in this archival video interview, Alice Krige discusses her contribution to Sleepwalkers and her experience of playing the character of Mary Brady. There are also some very interesting observations about other 'difficult' genre characters that Mrs. Krige played throughout her career. In English, not subtitled. (16 min).

• Creatures and Cats: The FX of Sleepwalkers - in this archival video interview, special make-up effects supervisor Tony Gardner and prosthetic designer Mike Smithson discuss their contrition to Sleepwalkers. In English, not subtitled. (16 min).

• Behind the Scenes - rare behind the scenes footage from the shooting of Sleepwalkers. In English, not subtitled. (7 min).

• Trailer - remastered vintage trailer for Sleepwalkers. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

• TV Spot - vintage TV spot for Sleepwalkers. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

• Stills Gallery - vintage promotional materials for Sleepwalkers. (4 min).

• Booklet - limited Edition collector s booklet featuring new writing by Craig Ian Mann.

Sleepwalkers Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

There is a lot in Sleepwalkers that is very atypical for Stephen King's work. The horror in particular isn't as effective as the humor, though admittedly this is the main reason why I enjoyed the film. I don't think that you need my recommendation to seek and see Sleepwalkers because it has a pretty decent reputation, so I am just going to say that the master that was used to produce this release is good. It is not new, but it has nice organic qualities. The release also has an excellent selection of bonus features. RECOMMENDED.