The Sleeper (2012)
Director: Justin Russell
Where to get it: Amazon
It’s 1981 and the girls of Alpha Gamma Theta sorority are having a party. Amy, sick of living in the dorms, invites her roommate Ava to attend the party with her in hopes that they’ll both become Thetas. As the girls arrive, so does an uninvited guest watching them in the shadows. Amy’s choice quickly becomes a nightmare as the Theta girls begin to disappear one by one. Announcing his victims, the killer calls the house whispering the next to die. The police hunt for the missing girls and the killer, but will they find him in time? Or will all the girls sleep for good?
If you are into the lesser known horror slashers of the 80s like Final Exam, then The Sleeper is a movie just for you. This is a film that bleeds the 80s and not just in the setting and the film presentation. That is both cool and kinda bad because not only does it have all the good things we loved about 80s horror, it also has some of the bad habits of those films as well. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t see this film. I am more than sure any flaws found in the film that you also find in the old school films are intended. But this film does deserve credit for doing a great job of showing us some crazy man (The Sleeper) going around and doing horrible things to pretty women. It also flexes some of its retro style gore muscles for us as it does so. That’s a major positive in my book.
Among the real only real issues I have with this film is the fact we never really get to know the final girl enough to really care about her. She is just kinda there, but it is what it is. Also The Sleeper doesn’t wear a mask; instead he has some weird eye thing going on. I’m actually torn on if I like this or would rather have had a masked killer. Still, slow points of the film aside, it’s a whole heck of a lot of fun. While its 80s in spirit, the film looks great. And I’m not exaggerating at all when I say it reminds me a lot of 80s slasher films. You’ll see a lot of nods to film you love (if you love slashers) and you’ll also see a cool little cameo by Joe Bob Briggs. The end result is a film I’d recommend. And I also suggest if you buy this to snag up the cool 80s retro box with the VHS copy included. I don’t go into movies asking for a perfect film. I just want chaos, fun, and gore. The Sleeper gave me all those things I dig about horror.
(7/10)
Features
– Director’s Commentary
– Shooting a Nightmare in 13 Days (Hour Long Featurette)
– Joe Bob Briggs’ Drive In Total
– Theatrical Trailers
– Lost Trailer Series: Don’t Go In The Attic
– VHS from rare film print
