Sleepless – Scorpion Releasing (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy, 2001
Director: Dario Argento
Writers: Dario Argento, Franco Ferrini
Cast: Max von Sydow, Stefano Dionisi, Chiara Caselli, Roberto Zibetti, Gabriele Lavia, Paolo Maria Scalondro

Release Date: March 9th, 2020
Approximate Running Time: 117 Minutes 2 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD 5.1 English, DTS-HD 5.1 Italian
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: OOP

"A series of grisly murders match the work of a serial killer who escaped the authorities and disappeared without a trace seventeen years earlier. A retired police detective who is familiar with the case comes out of retirement to catch the killer." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.25/5

Sleepless comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 44.3 GB

Feature: 33.8 GB

There's no information given about the source of this transfer. The source that’s used for this transfer is in great shape, but it should be noted that there are a few slight vertical scratches. Colors are nicely saturated, flesh tones look correct, image clarity and black levels look solid throughout, and there are no issues with compression.

Audio: 4.25/5

Here’s Scorpion Releasing’s disclaimer about the audio, "We used the best available source materials to create the best possible viewing experience.

Some of the English audio tracks are not perfectly aligned with the picture, but we did our best with what we had to work with.

We apologize for any inconvenience and hope you enjoy the presentation of Sleepless. "

This release comes with two audio options, a DTS-HD 5.1 mix in English and a DTS-HD 5.1 mix in Italian. Both audio mixes are in great shape. Dialogue always comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced and range-wise, both audio mixes sound robust when they need to. Included with this release are removable English subtitles for the Italian language track. It should be noted that there’s Italian text throughout the film and that this text is only translated when using the English subtitles created for the Italian language track.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a limited-edition O-Card slipcover, an interview with director Dario Argento titled He Never Sleeps (18 minutes 30 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with actor Paolo Maria Scalondro titled Don’t Go to Sleep (17 minutes 5 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with screenwriter Franco Ferrini titled The Cop and The Parrot (11 minutes 10 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with set designer Antonello Geleng titled Blood on the Tracks (15 minutes 47 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with actor Gabriele Lavia titled Killed Three Times (12 minutes 32 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles) and an audio commentary with film historians Nathaniel Thompson and Troy Howarth.

Summary:

After the failure of The Phantom of the Opera, many critics and fans of Dario Argento thought that the maestro had lost it. A return to his more violent and technically dazzling era (which comprises the films from Deep Red to Opera) is a distant memory. That said, with Nonhosonno, known outside of Italy as Sleepless, Dario Argento would return to the Giallo genre for the first time since Opera and deliver what’s arguably his last great film.

Besides revisiting themes and elements from his most celebrated films, Sleepless would see Dario Argento reunite with Goblin, who’s previously collaborated with Dario Argento on his most celebrated films, Deep Red and Suspiria. With Sleepless Goblin, they deliver another symphonic masterpiece that’s anchored by an earworm main theme that instantly draws you in. Needless to say, Dario Argento and Goblin are a magical combination.

Content wise, Sleepless has all the elements that have become synonymous with Giallo cinema. Though the plot covers familiar ground, in the hands of Dario Argento, the result is a film that is full of bravado and vigor. The murder set pieces are inventive, at times brutal and sufficiently gory. And when it comes to concealing the killers’ identities, Sleepless is one of Dario Argento’s most deceptive films.

Sleepless is a rare exception of a Dario Argento film that doesn’t have a strong female character; the two main protagonists are male. The cast is excellent in their roles, particularly Max von Sydow (The Virgin Spring), who plays a retired detective named Moretti. He delivers another superb performance that’s a joy to watch. Another performance of note is Stefano Dionisi in the role of Giacomo, a man who saw his mother’s death when he was a boy. Though Moretti and Giacomo are an odd pair, even by Dario Argento's standards. Ultimately, I really enjoyed the way these two characters interacted with each other.

Dario Argento is a filmmaker whose films have gained admiration over time. Sleepless, like so many Dario Argento films, was not initially well received. With the main criticism being that Sleepless is nothing more than Dario Argento’s greatest hits revisited, in this reviewer’s opinion, Sleepless is so much more than a filmmaker trying to rest off of his laurels by reliving his most memorable moments. Sleepless is a film that was clearly made by a filmmaker at the top of their game.

That said, I do, however, have a minor complaint about Sleepless. The middle section of the film drags at times, and it pales in comparison to the tour-de-force blood-soaked train murder set piece that opens Sleepless. Fortunately, things pick up considerably by the last act, especially in those last fifteen minutes.

It should be noted that Sleepless has been re-released by Scorpion Releasing without a O-Card.

Sleepless gets a first-rate release from Scorpion Releasing, recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer