In My Sleep Blu-ray features mediocre video and decent audio, but overall it's a poor Blu-ray release
Marcus wakes up in the middle of a cemetery half naked and has no idea how he got there. Urgent questions pound inside his head. "Where was I last night? Who was I with?" Marcus suffers from parasomnia, a rare sleep disorder which causes him to do things in his sleep which he cannot remember the next day. His situation takes a horrifying turn when Marcus wakes up covered in blood with a knife at his side. Then, the wife of his best friend is found stabbed to death. Marcus is terrified to put together the pieces, could he have murdered her in his sleep to hide a dark secret between them? His journey to discover the truth ends in a shocking discovery
I'm not sure why sleepwalking isn't used more often in thriller cinema. It's a perfectly useful dramatic device, mysterious and forgiving when it comes to leaps in logic, but few filmmakers show interest in pursuing the topic. Of course, "In My Sleep" doesn't exactly help the cause, using involuntary nocturnal activity to motivate a spectacularly flaccid, no-budget thriller, bogged down by shabby technical achievements, uninspired acting, and bloated direction. Writer/director Allen Wolf is aching to recreate some pulse-pounding Hitchcockian delights with this twisty endeavor, but there's little screen finesse to support his aspirations, leaving behind an ambitious but inept production that has difficulty maintaining chills, thrills, and, well, camera focus.
A sex addict who works as a masseuse in a day spa for pal Justin (Tim Draxl), Marcus (Philip Winchester) enjoys a colorful life of one-night-stands and laps in his apartment pool, relentlessly flirting with neighbor Becky (Lacey Chabert). Unfortunately, Marcus suffers from parasomnia, finding his sleepwalking routine growing more involved, taking him into the outside world, enjoying sexual experiences he doesn't remember. When Ann (Kelly Overton), Justin's wife, is found brutally murdered, Marcus is horrified, gradually coming to the realization that he might be responsible for the horrific crime, possibly committed while fully asleep. As the investigation pores through potential suspects, Marcus works furiously to decode his mysterious overnight behaviors, trusting Becky and fellow sex addict Gwen (Abigail Spencer, the only cast member to make a significant impression) with dark secrets that extend to his traumatic childhood, struggling to understand why all the evidence points to him as the killer.
Allen Wolf is extremely proud of "In My Sleep," even slapping a "An Allen Wolf Film" possessory credit on the opening titles, a rare occurrence for a helmer who's made only one other feature, a student production, back in 1995. I can understand Wolf's enthusiasm, his joy in shepherding a creative effort all the way to some form of release, but his hunger to assume so much credit for the picture leaves the man in a precarious position of accepting total blame for the feature's failure. "In My Sleep" isn't a disaster, but it's a consistently underwhelming effort that strains to be something greater, despite lacking raw materials required to allow a no-budget feature a chance to compete with its major studio brethren. Wolf makes numerous mistakes during the movie, both technical and dramatic, yet there's a tenacious quality to the production that's more entertaining than the film itself. Wolf really believes he has something appealing here, despite a consistent stream of evidence to the contrary.
While thriller cinema typically receives a major pass in terms of logic hunting, "In My Sleep" routinely pushes its luck, arranging a few whoppers for Marcus as his nightmares turn into reality. The largest question mark is the character's refusal to undergo sleep analysis in the opening of the picture, resisting a doctor who would like to investigate his extraordinary sleepwalking habits further. Marcus wants drugs, not definitive answers from a trained medical professional, for reasons Wolf never establishes in a clear manner. Marcus is waking up in cars, cemeteries, and partaking in sex with gorgeous women while sound asleep, yet he refuses the sleep clinic solution. He wakes up with bloodied sheets, yet he refuses the sleep clinic solution. His dreams including numerous appearances from a ghoulish, red-eyed demon, and he still refuses the sleep clinic solution. I'm not sure why Wolf even brings up the topic, since that's all I could fixate on for the rest of the picture, openly wondering why Marcus would go through such agony just to avoid a simple act of overnight examination. If I woke up next to a beautiful woman without any knowledge of our volcanic lovemaking, I would be sprinting to the nearest clinic, begging for immediate placement. For bloody sheets, I would probably wait a day or two. Let's not go crazy.
By avoiding the obvious sleep clinic answer, Wolf buys himself a movie, hugging tight to Marcus as the bewildered man is confronted with evidence linking him to the Ann's murder. Of course, Marcus is no saint, enjoying reckless sex with strange women, even taking time out of his day to sleep with Ann behind Justin's back, leaving the masseuse burdened with fear and guilt. He's a surprisingly unlikable protagonist, played with extreme blandness by Winchester, clearly cast more for his abs than any discernable screen presence. Wolf keeps the actor shirtless and panicked, rolling out a series of adventures for Marcus that involve detective work and personal restraint, trusting Becky to handcuff him to a bed every night to prevent escape. There's also a highly strange decision made by Marcus to lock a knife (the potential murder weapon) under a grate at the bottom of his apartment pool. That seems pretty ridiculous, but so much of the film is, finding Wolf going anywhere to connect the dots, feed his symbolism, and telegraph his climatic moves.
The screenwriting here is pedestrian, with Wolf unable to successfully charge up the suspense beats, despite an admirable score by Conrad Pope that's begging for some excitement to support. "In My Sleep" spends too much time constructing twists, eager to knock the viewer off-balance, when a tighter sense of danger is in order. While Wolf arranges a dark past of behavior for Marcus, the feature never feels urgent, wasting time on silly characterizations (Amy Aquino appears a detective who doesn't carry a gun, only nut-based metaphors), vague journeys into the subconscious, and excessively busy actor tics, losing any handle on pace and stunning revelations.
Keeping the viewing experience alert are familiar faces sprinkled around the picture. Wolf brings in Michael Badalucco, Alexandra Paul, Patrick Labyorteaux, Beth Grant (playing Marcus's tortured mother), Tony Hale, and Shanna Collins to help perk up the proceedings. It's not exactly a ferocious display of blinding starpower, but in a flavorless feature such as "In My Sleep," a little familiarity goes a long way.
The AVC encoded image (1.78:1 aspect ratio) presentation fights a significant presence of crush, with solid blacks pulling details out of dense costuming and hair, while low-lit encounters are sporadically difficult to compute, losing background elements. Grain is present, which devolves into noise during a few nighttime sequences, but it remains contained for the most part. It's a clear picture, with an agreeable feel for textures on faces and props, communicating what passes for tension and diabolical developments in the feature. Skintones look stable, displaying a healthy pink quality, with some clear evidence of self-tanner in use. Colors are pronounced, conveying a pleasing sense of blues for water and weather, while costuming carries a welcome influx of hues. There are a few instances of macroblocking detected.
The 5.1 DTS-HD MA sound mix shows surprising energy for such a low-wattage thriller, with scoring cues carrying the feature along, providing a loaded sense of instrumentation and circular position, feeding out into the surrounds to illustrate the tension. Dialogue is primarily frontal, with a few moments of group activity pushing voices out further. Verbal exchanges are crisp and always easy to follow, with an adequate sense of dramatic urgency. Soundtrack cuts for club sequences bring some thumpy low-end to the track, but it's only a few fleeting moments before the action returns to a more modest level of dramatic development. Atmospherics are gentle, with a few underwater adventures really kicking up any feel for environment in this largely apartment-based thriller. Sound effects are mild, blending well into the flow of the suspense.
Audio Commentary with writer/director Allen Wolf reveals a filmmaker intensely focused on the details of the picture, discussing his influences and specific frame and design choices to emphasize his attempts at establishing themes and motifs. A chatty, high-energy fellow, Wolf does a commendable job cracking the movie open, investigating the particulars in a cheery fashion, helping the viewer to understand his creative aim. I don't doubt Wolf's passion for his project, but some of his comments are difficult to digest, talking up symbols and performance nuances that wouldn't make sense to anyone beyond the helmer -- it's like a film school student happily pointing out his homework. Fans of the feature will be pleased by the flow of information. Others will find themselves in a constant state of eye-rolling.
Deleted Scenes (8:31, SD) flesh out the characterizations some, allowing for further conversations and confessions. There's a homage to "Psycho," some sexual tension between Gwen and Marcus, and another bathroom stall tryst for our hero. There's also a literal commercial for a board game created by the filmmaker. Yuck. The scenes can be viewed with or without commentary from Allen Wolf.
Extended Scenes (17:29, SD) essentially restore some flavoring around the film, lengthening a massage table encounter with a randy female (Alexandra Paul), offering some unrest between Marcus and Justin, and spying some introductory discomfort shared by Marcus and Gwen. The scenes can be viewed with or without commentary from Allen Wolf.
Featurettes (32:52, HD & SD) survey the creation of the picture, divided into "The Making of 'In My Sleep'," "Meet the Filmmaker," "Sleepwalking Stories," and "Stories from the Set." The raw feel of moviemaking is felt throughout the footage, which does a commendable job conveying extended filmmaking days and the mood on the set. Interviews with cast and crew are loaded with platitudes, making the featurettes untrustworthy (Wolf is relentless with his self-promotion), but the BTS moments make the viewing experience worthwhile, revealing the production experience in its natural creative state.
Gag Reel (7:11, SD) is standard run of mix-em-ups, highlighting blown lines and on-set flubs, sold with a wacky piece of scoring to emphasize the merriment.
Music Video (3:56, HD) is a clip for the picture's theme song from Damesviolet, mixing film clips with a dance piece by the Boom Kat Dance Theater.
"In My Sleep" expels quite a bit of effort to walk in Hitchcock footprints. Without visual snap or thespian potency, the effort falls well short of its goals. It's a drab, semi-amateurish production that's desperate to shock its audience. I only wish there was more substance and professional heft to support such lofty ambitions.
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