The only bearable part of this flick was the dancing scene and even that was fairly tame. This flick apparently is an an attempt at being an homage to the 80s slasher movies. Nope, it don't come close, not scary, suspenseful, but rather hum-drum ~~ and VERY poorly acted. Too many people these days are trying to make horror films with a minimal budget and modest talent. In the past couple of months, I've watched over a hundred horror & zombie genre flicks, and can mark only a handful at 5 or higher. It would be nice for a classic to come along one day soon: something to mark a line in the sand. If nothing NEW can be produced by the fine cinematic minds of today, then go all out to make a movie that surpasses one of the existing classics. This film falls terribly short. I had to rate it one. Let me add that the several reviews that give a rating of 7 or higher are probably from cast or crew members, or their friends/relatives.

THE SLEEPER is a low-budget horror movie with a very basic plot about a serial killer who stalks a bunch of (female) college students. Yes, there are hundreds of movies with plots just like that but the fact that the movie is set in the 1980s is unusual for a low-budget production. The movie is actually not as bad as many of the negative reviews might suggest, but you have to keep in mind that this is a $30,000 production with mostly unexperienced actors. I guess most people who rated this movie low had their expectations set too high. They probably expected more of a plot, which is not really that important of an element in this movie. It's the way the story is presented effectively and evocatively on a very limited budget and with a cast of amateur actors that is intriguing.Director Justin Russell and his crew did get a lot of things right to make this look like a typical 1980s horror flick. The pre-credit scenes and the opening titles in particular look like they could be straight out of a vintage slasher. The look of the rest of the movie falls short in a way, though, which can be attributed to the fact that it wasn't shot on film. THE SLEEPER could probably pretty much look like a movie from the decade it tries to recreate if they had shot it on real film stock instead of digital cameras. Ti West shot THE HOUSE OF THE DEVIL (2009), which also takes place in the early 1980s, on 16 mm film and he managed to make it look exactly like a film from that period. If the producers of THE SLEEPER could have afforded to shoot on film, this movie would look a lot better and the vibe would be completely different. This digital footage just looks too clean and not film- like, which is not right for the time period. Therefore, you never really can fully appreciate the images shown in this movie because the look of the digital footage is quite distracting in many scenes. Nevertheless, they did the best they could with the very limited budget, I guess. Maybe the look could have been improved with the right filters, but I don't know about that.A number actors from the cast are quite good even though they seem to be amateurs who do not pursue acting as a career. It's nice to see real-looking people in a movie for a change. I'd like to see more acting performances from these people, but for many of them this is the only movie they've done so far. I especially liked Jenna Fournier's performance. She is mainly a musician and painter, it seems, but I think she should act more. She has talent.All in all, this is an enjoyable movie for fans of 1980s slasher movies. It has a good cast and most of the killing scenes are quite inventive and well done with nice practical effects. Yes, the movie is lacking an elaborate plot, and, yes, the movie should have a different, more film-like look, but if you can see over those issues and keep the limitations of low-budget productions in mind, you have an ambitious horror movie that was clearly made by fans of the genre for fans of the genre.

There are certain movies that you instantly put on your wish list as soon as you discover their existence. In my case, shallow as it may sound, this reflex largely depends on the cover art illustration. I have a weakness for horror movies with vintage posters, kind of like how they all looked in the raunchy seventies and lurid eighties. When coincidentally stumbling upon the IMDb page of "The Sleeper" a few months ago, with its poster image that bears a lot of resemblance with such films as "Don't Go in the House", "Black Christmas" and "The Dorm that Dripped Blood", and simultaneously reading that writer/director Justin Russell intends to bring a throwback to the typically sorority-slash movies of that same era, the film immediately climbed up in my must-see list. I still love 80's horror, many of my friends still love 80's horror and apparently a lot of people across the globe still love 80's horror, as this glorious decade continues to inspire young filmmakers in the genre. After seeing the film I can safely say that Justin Russell knows the classics, the tricks and the do's and don'ts of 80's horror and, despite of many people (semi-righteously) complaining that "The Sleeper" looks overly polished and nearly not raw and sleazy enough, I feel that he hit the exact right tone in terms of atmosphere, photography and editing. The plot is rudimentary and straightforward, like it ought to be. The year is 1981 and the cute and lewd sisters of the Alpha Gamma Theta sorority are being harassed and brutally slain by a crazed stalker. This pervert sits around his lair, drivels and drools over the girls' photographs and petrifies them with obscene phone calls. As soon as they're dumb enough to separate themselves from the group, whether to shower or go to the gym, the "sleeper" (nicknamed this way because he puts the girls to sleep and marks their pictures with "ZZZ") sees his chance to sadistically massacre them with a hammer or various other garden tools. That's the plot! Isn't it lovely? Naturally there are some massive flaws to detect in the script as well. The pacing is overall too slow and irregular and several of the intentional "spoof" moments miss their effect, like the ridiculous musical/line dance sequence. The defaults are, however, widely compensated through the extremely gross (and deliciously campy) make-up effects, the raunchy atmosphere of long lost misogynic slashers and that irresistible 80's vibe that all the cast members so vividly translate to the screen. The clothes, the hairstyles, the teenage slang … It all makes perfect sense and catapults you straight back to the eighties. Personally, I even liked the bad aspects of "The Sleeper" because the vast majority of 80's slashers were, in fact, bad but tremendously enjoyable efforts. If you're still not convinced, then please give the movie the benefit of the doubt if it were only for the soundtrack provided by Gremlin. If this band, obviously inspired by the Italian cult band Goblin, doesn't spark your sense for 80's nostalgia, nothing ever will...

Justin Russell, after providing us with the 70's grindhouse throwback Death Stop Holocaust, has now popped up in the 80's with the slasher throwback, The Sleeper. Now, I was able to acquire the box set featuring a VHS copy. You might ask, was this basically the DVD release only now I have to rewind it? The answer my friends, is absolutely NOT! The VHS version was the way this film is meant to be watched. Dark, grainy, with the occasional white static pop, I was taken back to my childhood. That's a rare thing.The film itself is a simple one. Sorority sisters and frat guys get picked off by a mysterious, milky eyed stalker. OK. Now you're prepared! Now, sit and enjoy yourself! That's the way our beloved 80's slashers were meant to be viewed, so why should this film be any different?! Don't over think it! It's OK to have fun! The cinematography is spot-on, never venturing into "too dark" territory. This leads me to the lighting. Very practical lighting was used and this totally ups the atmosphere. No over the top, technical lens flairs... Simple, effective light sources. The music is top notch, never being too much. Several times, the best music was when there was none! Mr. Russell understood this and used the music where it was best suited for the scene. Just watch the auditorium scene...The Sleeper is not a perfect film, but then again, tell me an 80's slasher that ever was! That's the beauty of a film like this. Justin Russell set out to make a fun, 80's slasher and in my opinion, he succeeded. I'll take The Sleeper over any half-assed, 10 million dollar star-studded remake any day of the week.If you are a fan of 80's slashers, you will enjoy this film. This is your opportunity to kick your feet up, relax, and have a good time. Be sure to bring your friends...For fans of: HALLOWEEN, PROM NIGHT, HE KNOWS YOU'RE ALONE, THE PROWLER, BLACK Christmas, THE HOUSE ON SORORITY ROW, and THE INITIATION.