Search - Sleepless on DVD

Why Does Artisan Entertainment Continue To Mees Up DVD's?

Loren Gillespie | Grand Blanc, MI USA | 12/16/2001

(2 out of 5 stars)

"This is a great giallo horror film, and Dario Argento has finally returned to full form with this latest effort. The fact that this disc is not only a full-frame version of the movie (making it look like a cheap 70's television show, with grain and "stretched" framing) but is also probably a R-rated cut of the film-- and we'll never knoiw because Artisan gives absolutely NO information on the film's specs and there is NO extra features on the disc-- is really disapointing. This is a poor bare-bones DVD release of a spectacular new horror thriller by one of the masters of the genre. Too bad Artisan once again fail to recognize greatness when it's right in front of them and dish out crap like this to customers who want better DVD products for their money. For Argento fans and DVD collectors, this is just another slap in the face by Artisan Entertainment. Be careful when buying Artisan DVD's from now on. You usually don't get what you pay for (I.E. see the recent Ginger Snaps Artisan DVD compared to its Canadian counterpart that actually HAS extra features to see what I mean). A truly pitiful DVD release of a great horror film. That's why I gave it a 2."

No Widescreen????

frankenberry | Los Angeles, CA USA | 12/08/2001

(2 out of 5 stars)

"Dario Argento's stylish and ultra-gory giallo is a return to form for the maestro and will definitely please his long-time fans. Unfortunately, it looks like Artisan's upcoming DVD will be FULL-FRAME only and not widescreen as previously announced(...). So buyer beware. If you really want to see "NONHOSONNO" in it's correct aspect ratio, pick up the Italian DVD instead (if you have a region-free player) because it is uncut, letterboxed and has an english track. Obviously Artisan is just releasing their "Sleepless" version as just another cheap horror title to fill up Blockbuster shelves. Unbelievable that even in 2001 Argento is still treated this way in the US. No wonder he stays in Italy."

BUY THE REGION 2 ITALIAN DISC!!!!!!!!!

Lee Webster | Texas City, TX United States | 07/07/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"First off the horrible DVD released in this country as Sleepless is pretty AWFUL in comparison to the Italian DVD. The Italian DVD has it's original title NON HO SONNO, the menus are nice, and if you own the Artisan disc you see this menu for a brief second before it switches to the horrible static frame of the [bad] cover picture.The Italian DVD also offers a nice clean LETTERBOXED transfer, that offers an English language track as well as english subtitles for those who want to see the film in Italian.The film is definately a return to form for Argento, it has good pacing, the story is excellent, and at times it is quite terrifying. It is definately better than Argento's last few films Phantom of the Opera and Trauma.The Foriegn disc is definately the way to go, when buying this film.The foreign disc has extras that are not on the Artisan print, The disc has a behind the scenes/making of segment , an interview with Agento(In italian w/no subs), Cast and crew information, trailers and more."

Decent Argento, Poor DVD

Lee Webster | 01/02/2002

(3 out of 5 stars)

"The three stars are for the film. "Sleepless" has taken a beating by a lot of Argento "fans" who seem to take shots at the acting and the pacing of the film, and as a fan myself, I can't say that they're necessarily wrong. However, the acting and pacing of almost any Argento thriller (like Tenebre, Deep Red, or Opera) has never been that great. And no Argento film has ever featured any actor as good as Max Von Sydow, and the plot logic actually holds up fairly well here. The camera moves may not be as plentiful or as flashy as earlier Argento movies, but this one has good atmosphere and the usual attractive score.Unfortunately, Artisan has released a cropped, full screen version (compare it to the included trailer). There are plenty of shots that are too crowded, and the transfer isn't that well done. It's not as awful as the hack job they did with "Knight Movies," but it's far from what this deserves. I just wish Artisan and Troma (which released "The Stendhal Syndrome") would leave Argento titles to Anchor Bay.However, until someone puts out a proper DVD of this title, this flick is well worth an Argento fan's time and that of any adventurous fan of thrillers."