Insomnia (Full Screen Edition)

Starring:Al Pacino, Martin Donovan (II), Robin Williams, Oliver 'Ole' Zemen, Hilary Swank, Paul Dooley, Nicky Katt, Larry Holden, Jay Brazeau, Lorne Cardinal, James Hutson, Andrew Campbell (IX), Paula Shaw (II), Crystal Lowe, Tasha Simms, Maura Tierney, Jonathan Jackson, Malcolm Boddington, Katharine Isabelle, Kerry Sandomirsky
Director: Christopher Nolan
Studio: Warner Home Video
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Amazon.com essential video
As a more conventional follow-up to his innovative thriller Memento, Christopher Nolan's Insomnia offers ample proof that his skills are genuine. A superbly crafted remake of the 1997 Norwegian thriller, this moody police procedural is transplanted to a remote Alaskan town, where a veteran Los Angeles detective (Al Pacino) arrives to investigate the murder of a teenaged girl. Professional tragedy collides with psychological turmoil as the detective suffers from sleeplessness under the region's perpetual daylight, and a local rookie cop (Hilary Swank) begins to suspect that truths are being hidden as the disturbing case unfolds. While the Alaskan setting intensifies the atmospheric mystery, Pacino's bleary-eyed disorientation adds a rich layer to his character's erratic behavior, and the casting of Robin Williams as the killer was a risk that pays off nicely. In many respects better than the original, Insomnia is a Hollywood remake that's refreshingly free of compromise. --Jeff Shannon
Description
Crime never sleeps. Neither does Will Dormer (AL PACINO), a veteran LAPD homicide detective sent north to Alaska to head a murder case. There his investigation is disrupted by an ever-shining Midnight Sun that wreaks sleep-depriving havoc on his body clock and brings Dormer's shady, guilt-plagued past into the light of day.

DVD Features:
Audio Commentary
Biographies
DVD ROM Features
Documentaries
Extended takes
Featurette
Filmographies
Full Screen Version
Interviews
Photo gallery
Theatrical Trailer

Average customer rating:

Have to admit, I didnt' like it at first...
A film with some serious atmosphere
The best movie ever!!!!!!!
NERVOUSLY BRILLIANT
What's Eating Trevor Reznik?

The Machinist
Starring: Christian Bale , Jennifer Jason Leigh , Aitana Sánchez-Gijón , John Sharian , and Michael Ironside
Director: Brad Anderson (II)
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0007Y08QA
Release Date: 2005-06-07

Amazon.com

As a bleak and chilling mood piece, The Machinist gets under your skin and stays there. Christian Bale threw himself into the title role with such devotion that he shed an alarming 63 pounds to play Trevor Reznik (talk about "starving artist"!), a factory worker who hasn't slept in a year. He's haunted by some mysterious occurrence that turned him into a paranoid husk, sleepwalking a fine line between harsh reality and nightmare fantasy--a state of mind that leaves him looking disturbingly gaunt and skeletal in appearance. (It's no exaggeration to say that Bale resembles a Holocaust survivor from vintage Nazi-camp liberation newsreels.) In a cinematic territory far removed from his 1998 romantic comedy Next Stop Wonderland, director Brad Anderson orchestrates a grimy, nocturnal world of washed-out blues and grays, as Trevor struggles to assemble the clues of his psychological conundrum. With a friendly hooker (Jennifer Jason Leigh) and airport waitress (Aitana Sánchez-Gijón) as his only stable links to sanity, Trevor reaches critical mass and seems ready to implode just as The Machinist reveals its secrets. For those who don't mind a trip to hell with a theremin-laced soundtrack, The Machinist seems primed for long-term status as a cult thriller on the edge. --Jeff Shannon

Description

THE MACHINIST is the story of Trevor Reznik, a machinist who hasn't slept in over a year. Working in a machine shop, Trevor faces the usual occupational hazards, yet his extreme fatigue only makes them worse, causing him to accidentally cut off a co-worker's hand. What Trevor suffers from clearly isn't a typical case of insomnia…

Customer Reviews:

Have to admit, I didnt' like it at first..........2007-06-14

After watching it a few times, I can appreciate what they were trying to do with this film. If you can, watch it when you're really, really, really tired.

A film with some serious atmosphere.......2007-06-14

Christian Bale's Trevor Reznik hasn't slept in a year. He's so thin you can see his ribs and spine. His main social interactions are with his regular call girl and the waitress at the local airport late-night diner. He's obsessed with cleaning his body and house with bleach.

As the movie opens, we see a husk of a man inhabiting the grimy, industrial streets of a coastal city. Reznik is a machinist, and lately he's been seeing a new guy at work that no one else can see. Reznik is obviously hiding from some traumatic even in his past, and the movie consists of the unfolding of the jigaw puzzle of his life. The Machinist is an atmospheric movie, one that will transport you to a waking-nightmare state of dark colors, somber music, and a general haziness between reality and horror.

The best movie ever!!!!!!!.......2007-05-20

I love this movie to death!!!!! My favorite type of movies are suspense movies and this one reigns supreme. I consider myself pretty smart,but this movie had me confused in the beginning. I had no clue, which is what makes this movie great!!! And Christian Bale....EXCELLENT!!! Now, everytime I watch it, I pick up more clues. It's a masterpiece and I highly recommended to anyone who like to challenge their brain!

NERVOUSLY BRILLIANT.......2007-05-03

It had been a while since a movie shocked me. "The Machinist" is about a man who can't sleep. He is the thinnest man you might ever see for two odd hours. You might wonder if that is reason enough for you to watch this film and that is precisely why I took me a while to finally watch it. I like films that are based solely around one character but The Machinist is something else. I thought it would be easy to write a review for this film. Well, it's about time I start mine.

I liked "Fight Club" but didn't like "Memento" too much and I thought "Seven" was good while I thought "Lucky Number Slevin" insulted movies. Some of these films werent as good as the others. The more popular ones had one or two characters to keep you interested. I liked Machinist because it had everything a character should be and more. In Trevor Reznik's heart resides a man of much mystery, intrigue and forgetfulness.

I mean, 11 minutes into the film I knew I was going to love it. It is a masterpiece because it has to be watched again to be appreciated and understood. Some might argue and find faults - too bad for them. Overall, much like my fellow readers who've written very good reviews for the Machinist, I felt the background score was truly magnificent while the semi-lucid conscience of characters had it's own charm.

The Machinist will grab your nerve and noodle it. Easily among my top 15 films of all time and I just saw it a week back. I will now go and watch every film by Christian Bale (loved Prestige) and meanwhile you should go watch The Machinist. Not to forget, fans of "Secret Window" might like this film,too.

My Rating -> 9.5/10

What's Eating Trevor Reznik?.......2007-04-16

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

"The Machinist" is a very interesting film with a simply stunning performance from Christian Bale as Trevor - what he did was amazing and I mean not only his physical transformation that by itself was a real sacrifice an actor can commit for his Art. Besides Bale's performance, the film is masterfully directed and what is very important, clever written. It is one of few films that get under your skin and stay there. The ending was very satisfying and put all pieces of the puzzle together.

I read and heard that the film is a combination of "Memento", "Fight Club", "Angel Heart", Insomnia", "Thinner", and "Identity". "The Machinist" may bring all these pictures to memory but it is a masterfully crafted and compelling study of one man's journey from his crime to the punishment where he himself was a criminal, a victim, a prosecutor, and the executioner. (Trevor read the wrong Dostoevsky's novel - he should have read "Crime and Punishment") The one film I was reminded of while watching "The Machinist" - David Cronenberg's "Spider". Both films take place in the atmosphere of confusion, paranoia, guilt, and unbearable terror and both have the unforgettable performances by Christian Bale and Ralph Fiennes as two very disturbed individuals.

Average customer rating:

great thriller
Man does Pacino look tired!
Psychological stress in Alaska
Full of suspense...
A Drama in Thriller's Clothing

Insomnia (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Al Pacino , Martin Donovan (II) , Robin Williams , Oliver 'Ole' Zemen , and Hilary Swank
Director: Christopher Nolan
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00006IUL7
Release Date: 2002-10-15

Amazon.com essential video

As a more conventional follow-up to his innovative thriller Memento, Christopher Nolan's Insomnia offers ample proof that his skills are genuine. A superbly crafted remake of the 1997 Norwegian thriller, this moody police procedural is transplanted to a remote Alaskan town, where a veteran Los Angeles detective (Al Pacino) arrives to investigate the murder of a teenaged girl. Professional tragedy collides with psychological turmoil as the detective suffers from sleeplessness under the region's perpetual daylight, and a local rookie cop (Hilary Swank) begins to suspect that truths are being hidden as the disturbing case unfolds. While the Alaskan setting intensifies the atmospheric mystery, Pacino's bleary-eyed disorientation adds a rich layer to his character's erratic behavior, and the casting of Robin Williams as the killer was a risk that pays off nicely. In many respects better than the original, Insomnia is a Hollywood remake that's refreshingly free of compromise. --Jeff Shannon

Description

Crime never sleeps. Neither does Will Dormer (AL PACINO), a veteran LAPD homicide detective sent north to Alaska to head a murder case. There his investigation is disrupted by an ever-shining Midnight Sun that wreaks sleep-depriving havoc on his body clock and brings Dormer's shady, guilt-plagued past into the light of day.

DVD Features:
Audio Commentary
Biographies
Documentaries
Featurette
Filmographies
Interviews
Photo gallery
Theatrical Trailer

Customer Reviews:

great thriller.......2007-05-09

Great thrilling movie, with family favorite robin wiliams as the remorseless murder, have to see it to belive it, not as good as One Hour Photo but still great.

Man does Pacino look tired!.......2007-03-17

Besides the absorbing detective story and the layered ethical themes, this film does a great job of portraying "insomnia". You really get drawn into the head of detective Dormer (nice name for someone who can't sleep!) because of Pacino's excellent performance, and also because the foggy-surreal world he haunts is so numbingly real. Your mind plays tricks on you; your reflexes are off, you feel so far-away, so disconnected...

Sometimes you feel so alone...awake by night when all the world is asleep...exhausted by day and unable to truely inhabit that world either...but then there's that calm, knowing voice of the fellow insomniac to keep you company--he understands what it's like to be so tired...and to be a killer, too.

The foggy Alaskan scenery at the beginning of the movie is the dreamy-nightmarey set-up for the chase scene, where things go terribly awry, and Dormer shoots the wrong guy. In a later scene, chasing the murderer across a river by hopping from log to log, he falls into the frigid water and can't swim up to freedom because of the logs in the way. Cold, numb and frantic, he surfaces; he keeps fighting against fatigue until he finally gets to sleep at the end. I liked how he faced the moral dilemna with the bright-eyed rookie cop (Hillary Swank) at the end, too. Well, (yawn) good night, now.

Psychological stress in Alaska.......2007-02-28

This is a great film because it installs the elements of cops vs. crime into a different setting. Instead of being on the streets of Los Angeles or Chicago or New York, it all takes place in the fictional town of Nightmute, Alaska. This is a great suspenseful show that has a lot of good action scenes. Al Pacino is one of my favorite actors and I liked the way that he was able to bring out how stressful things were for the policeman he portrays. The film starts out with an investigation in Nightmute followed by a tragic event. There are some skeletons in the closet back in the states for Pacino's character which are now making the stakes much higher. Hillary Swank plays a rookie officer who goes the extra mile, but might not like what she finds. Robin Williams is in this to, and wow, what a performance. Robin plays a diabolical guy who is in the shadows toying with Pacino's character, and he really adds a lot to the film. The rain and forests are beautiful but add a good solemn backdrop to this crime thriller set in Alaska. Not a ton of plot twists but enough to keep you wondering how things will turn out. Pacino gives a great performance in showing how an outsider could have a hard time adjusting to this environment, where it is light all the time in the summer months.

Full of suspense..........2007-02-21

Insomnia works well with an excellent group of actors. I especially loved Hilary Swank's character; very friendly yet sharp. Al Pacino, of course, makes the movie. He is a skillful actor, but be prepared for profanity. Just like Gene Hackman turned nearly every movie he starred in into a profanity laden trip, so does Pacino. If you don't prefer certain four letter words, don't watch it or keep your finger on the mute button. Other than offensive language, this movie is a must-see. It keeps you guessing.

A Drama in Thriller's Clothing.......2007-02-02

Sleep disorders are not new to murder mysteries, but the way Christopher Nolan represents insomnia visually is at least as wonderful as Al Pacino's patient acting. Pacino plays a detective from L.A., Will Dormer, who is sent to Alaska to help out an old friend with a murder case. Dormer and his partner (played by Martin Donovan) are under investigation by Internal Affairs in L.A., so there's more to this temporary transfer than assisting a fellow badge.

In Alaska, it's light all day and every day when Dormer and his partner arrive, and Dormer has insomnia. Pacino gradually slows his character's actions and reactions down until I felt that he was severely debilitated and in danger. He makes mistakes: some deliberate, others on accident, and still others he isn't sure of. The latter make for the most intriguing part of this well-constructed thriller.

Hillary Swank plays the smart, plucky detective, Ellie Burr, who is stuck serving misdemeanors instead of actual collars. She has studied Dormer's career and admires him. Swank plays the role without overreaching. I cannot say the same for Pacino. Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, and Jack Nicholson all suffer from the same affliction: As great as they are as actors, their personalities are greater. I cannot watch them in films and pretend that they are anyone but themselves. I still enjoy their performances, but they are decidedly bigger than any of the characters they have ever played. They just can't help it.

Maura Tierney gives an excellent but thankless performance as the front desk clerk (or manager) of the hotel where Dormer and his partner stay. She softens Pacino in a way that Swank is unable to do. Or maybe Pacino tempers himself; it's hard to tell.

Robin Williams, as Walter Finch, is quite excellent at being creepy. The banter between Finch and Dormer is something of a throwback to a different time: "You're my job," says Dormer when Finch maneuvers for sympathy. They seem to know each other as if from across the room, not like lovers, but like familiar character types in a familiar story.

And Nolan isn't trying to do anything entirely new in Insomnia. He's telling you a story you already know. He twists it slightly with great visual effects and a cold, blue camera lens. As much as I enjoy the film, it's not perfect. The screenplay is written into a corner, and the ending is easy to see a mile away. Likewise, some of the dialogue between Dormer and Finch is heavy-handed and cheesy.

At its heart, this is the story of a downfall. Don't judge the film by its murder/mystery/suspense genre tag. Character takes precedence over plot. It's not as good as Nolan's Memento, but Nolan's craft leaves its marks.

Average customer rating:

"Into the Night"
Into the Night
It's been forgotten for a reason.
I loved this movie
enjoyable film

Into the Night
Starring: Michelle Pfeiffer , Jeff Goldblum , Stacey Pickren , Carmen Argenziano , and Dan Aykroyd
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00005JM8W
Release Date: 2003-09-02

Amazon.com essential video

While caught up in the scandal resulting from the accident on the set of The Twilight Zone movie that killed actor Vic Morrow and two children, director John Landis (An American Werewolf in London) made this manic nighttime L.A. thriller with rising stars Jeff Goldblum and Michelle Pfeiffer. Goldblum plays an office worker with a dead-end job, an unfaithful wife, and a bad, bad case of insomnia. Unable to sleep, his midnight wanderings take him to the L.A. airport, where beautiful jewel smuggler Pfeiffer literally lands on his car. Fleeing Iranian terrorists (one is played by Landis), the two hit the road, and their adventures lead them to murder, mayhem, one scary hit man (David Bowie in a lurid, terrific cameo), and, of course, romance. Perhaps because of--or in spite of--the turmoil going on in his life, Landis fashioned a film unlike any of his previous (or later) safe Hollywood products; this is inventive, darkly comic, sincerely romantic, and L.A.-style sultry all the way. Landis's greatest success is perhaps in the mood of the film: he manages to convey that weary, dreamlike insomnia feeling of adrenaline bordering on exhaustion. Goldblum is at his deadpan best and, despite a bad haircut and '80s wardrobe, Pfeiffer shows the spark and beauty that would later make her a star. In support of Landis during his time of trouble, numerous directors, including David Cronenberg, Paul Mazursky, Don Siegel, Jonathan Demme, Lawrence Kasdan, and Jim Henson, made cameo appearances. --Mark Englehart

Product Description

When two strangers stumble into international intrigue in the middle of a Los Angeles night, anything can happen and does, in this zany comedy directed by John Landis.

Ed Orkin (Jeff Goldblum) is an insomniac with a cheating wife and a dull job. His chances for excitement look hopeless until a mysterious blond named Diana (Michelle Pfeiffer) drops onto the hood of his car. Now it s Ed s turn for some adventure and romance as Diana leads him on a merry and murderous chase where the payoff could be dollars or death.

The outstanding cast includes David Bowie, Vera Miles, Dan Aykroyd and a host of Hollywood s hottest directors in cameos. It s a night on the town you ll never live down.

System Requirements:

Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Pfeiffer, Richard Farnsworth

Directed by John Landis

Running time: 1 Hour 55 Minutes

Customer Reviews:

"Into the Night".......2006-11-11

I owned this film on VHS for years, and when it mysteriously disappeared I ordered it on DVD. It's a sort of cult film with an amazing array of cameos and is one of my favorites. It's quite violent in spots, but I like the story, and Michelle Pfeiffer and Jeff Goldblum are excellent. I loved the ending, which I won't spoil for you. Simply put, if you like a good suspenseful yarn with a lot of action, you'll love it, too.

Into the Night.......2006-07-26

This is one of Jeff Goldblum's first movies and raising star Michelle Pfeifer's best rolls. Jeff's roll is about a husband in a marriage on the rocks, and this drives him to being an insomniac as he discovers his wife is cheating on him, which almost costs him his aerospace engineering job. After passing one sleepless night, he decides he will find a place to park and get a few winks. He meanders around LA, winding up at LA International Airport blurry-eyed and almost falling asleep. He parks in a parking structure, sure he can now get a little sleep, when out of the elevator door walks Michelle Pfieffer and her Persian boyfriend. Suddenly a car pulls up and three men get out. They kill the boyfriend and are going to kidnap Michelle when she gets away from them and runs directly into Jeff's car, who is stunned, awakened by her screaming at him to get her out of here. The action is fast as the plot unfolds and the twists and turns never stop. Many co-stars make this an intriguing movie worthy of a place in your library. Directed by John Landis, this movie is R rated for good reason. If you ask me if I love this flick, or what, I'd would probably say "or what".

It's been forgotten for a reason........2005-09-10

This film is painfully outdated -- and it was never good to begin with. I suppose you would have to call this a "romantic thriller comedy." And it fails on every one of these fronts. The thriller portion is preposterous, nothing but a convoluted story from a 60s TV show. It's not particularly funny either -- oh, but it tries to be. The romance portion probably comes across the best, but this is only because of the excellent actors in the leads.

No, what "Into the Night" has going for it is a quirky, unique premise that it never delivers on. Landis seems more concerned with jamming the scenes with pointless cameos and in-jokes. This film, which could have been regarded as an underground classic, has none of the substance to garner such praise. And it does not receive it. "After Hours", which came out the same year, is vastly superior.

The best thing about "Into the night" is watching a young, gorgeous, pre-Catwoman Michelle Pfeiffer, some LA landmarks that have since been demolished (Ships diner) -- and the original one-sheet poster is very, very cool.

I loved this movie.......2005-03-19

Back when this movie came out on VHS I use to watch it over and over again. Both the stars are wonderful. It is about a guy who can not sleep and so he goes out and ends up finding himself in a little mini adventure with a very attractive women. She has a older boyfriend that was sick, there was a secret passage way, and a elvis impersonater in there somewhere. Then an appearance from Jake who use to sell exercise equipment on late night TV. Then there were some bad guys in there chasing them. It was a fun movie and I really enjoyed it. Both Michelle and Jeff went on to make other good movies after this one.

enjoyable film.......2004-06-10

This is a chase movie, a kind of film-noir without the black and white. Here the ordinary man is Jeff Goldblum, a guy so so unhappy with his mundane job and cheating wife that he spends his nights driving the LA streets instead of sleeping. One night he finds himself in the wrong place at the right time. He interrupts the murder of a beautiful and mysterious Michelle Pfeifer and very shortly he finds himself her unwilling accomplice as both evade her ruthless pursuers. She warns him right up front that she is "one of the bad guys", but he's hooked. The chase takes them to all of the "mink-lined sewers" of after dark LA and lets them encounter quirky and sometimes violent characters. This movie plays like a mix of dark comedy and thriller.It has a plot twist of sorts, but does not end darkly. The cameos will be interesting to film buffs, but not to anyone else. It's Goldblum, Pfeifer, and the chase that drives this movie. And thankfully, the story - though improbable - strings tightly together and does not involve stupid car chases, explosions, or wanton killing. In fact, the violence is tame by today's standards. There's the brief nudity seen in 80's movies and occasional mild profanity. A nice film to rent. I bought it.

Average customer rating:

still makes me laugh

Cashback
Starring: Michael Dixon , Emilia Fox , Sean Biggerstaff , Marc Pickering , and Shaun Evans
Director: Sean Ellis
Manufacturer: Magnolia
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Zodiac (Widescreen Edition)
The Number 23 (Unrated Infinifilm Edition)
Black Snake Moan
Factory Girl (Unrated)
The Astronaut Farmer

ASIN: B000PKG8TM
Release Date: 2007-07-24

Customer Reviews:

still makes me laugh.......2007-06-11

this is the most charming romantic comedy in a longtime. as a first-time feature for the director, the camera work is awesome and the casting will keep you in hysterics days after you've seen the film

this feature film was based around a 2006 oscar-nominated short film - the feature has its own storyline, and includes only a small section of the short film. the short film is perhaps better-remembered due to the nudity - very candidly, this is an artist's discovery of beauty in the female form, and there is no need for a buyer-beware warning label

buy this and watch this with everyone you love - you will end up loving them even more afterwards!

Average customer rating:

Not your ordinary documentary
Don't Buy It
An eye-opener!

Wide Awake
Starring: William C. Dement
Director: Alan Berliner
Manufacturer: Hbo Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Addiction
The Fountain (Widescreen Edition)
Deliver Us from Evil
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Who the #$&% Is Jackson Pollock?

ASIN: B000N8UXTC
Release Date: 2007-05-29

Description

WIDE AWAKE is filmmaker Alan Berliner's uniquely personal tour through a lifelong obsession with insomnia. In the spirit of his highly acclaimed personal documentary films, Berliner once again uses his own life as a laboratory, this time to illuminate how a restless mind that won't shut down at night leaves him feeling "jet lagged in my own time zone." A brilliantly edited blend of the hilarious and deeply personal, WIDE AWAKE weaves hundreds of archival film clips, consultations with sleep specialists, an overnight stay at a sleep lab, conversations with family members, home movies, dream visualizations, and behind the scenes footage of the film being made, into a brutally honest self-portrait of a sleep-deprived and sleep-obsessed night-owl filmmaker. Torn between the creative passion he derives from the night, and the emotional tugs of love and family life, only the birth of his first child can get Berliner to consider joining the day shift.

Customer Reviews:

Not your ordinary documentary.......2007-06-05

I was stunned by how much I loved this film. It's a hilarious personal exploration of insomnia and creativity. The filmmaker and main character, Alan Berliner, tries to bring the audience inside his tired mind -- to feel, first hand, the strains of being unable to sleep. And it works. In the first part of the film I actually began to feel as tired and anxious as the filmmaker seems to be. But, then, Alan drinks a cup of coffee and the film takes on an jazzy, energetic pace as it shifts into the night. Alan gives us a wild tour of his studio, and then gets to work on making the film. Through it all he faces the conflict of how to balance his work with spending time with his beautiful baby and wife. The scenes with his family are so funny and poignant, and the cinematic metaphors he uses throughout the film are so perfect, that I was smiling and laughing all the way through. This is a multi-layered, truly brilliant, beautiful film -- that gets better with every viewing. A DVD worth owning.

Don't Buy It.......2007-05-31

We watched this last night. My partner wanted to stop after 30 minutes. I kept watching hoping the main character's wife would shake some sense into him. This movie sheds little light on insomnia but a lot of light on the filmmaker - he is VERY proud of himself. I found his constant assertion that he is different and brilliant annoying and not born out by the evidence: lots of people have trouble sleeping and/or are night owls and he clearly isn't brilliant. Most troubling is that he refuses, throughout the film, to do ANYTHING to try to sleep better. That left us with this question: how bad can it be if he doesn't care to change the status quo, for himself, his wife or his new baby?

An eye-opener!.......2007-04-24

I only caught part of this show when it was originally on HBO. It was much more interesting that I had thought it would be. I've been trying some of the tips for getting more sleep and some of them seem to have worked! I'm looking forward to watching the entire program on DVD. Thanks for another good feature, HBO!

Average customer rating:

great thriller
Man does Pacino look tired!
Psychological stress in Alaska
Full of suspense...
A Drama in Thriller's Clothing

Insomnia (Full Screen Edition)
Starring: Al Pacino , Martin Donovan (II) , Robin Williams , Oliver 'Ole' Zemen , and Hilary Swank
Director: Christopher Nolan
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Horror | Genres | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B00006IUL6
Release Date: 2002-10-15

Amazon.com essential video

Description

Customer Reviews:

great thriller.......2007-05-09

Great thrilling movie, with family favorite robin wiliams as the remorseless murder, have to see it to belive it, not as good as One Hour Photo but still great.

Man does Pacino look tired!.......2007-03-17

Psychological stress in Alaska.......2007-02-28

Full of suspense..........2007-02-21

A Drama in Thriller's Clothing.......2007-02-02

Average customer rating:

Oh, he did a bad, bad thing...
Darker and More Intelligent Version
skarsgard's showcase
An Outstanding Psychological Thriller
Not Great But Better than the Cheap American Version

Insomnia - Criterion Collection
Starring: Maria Mathiesen , Stellan Skarsgård , Sverre Anker Ousdal , Gisken Armand , and Kristian Figenschow
Director: Erik Skjoldbjærg
Manufacturer: Criterion
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: 6305389519
Release Date: 1999-07-13

Amazon.com

This 1997 film from Norway and neophyte director Erik Skjoldbjærg delivers the goods with unsettling effectiveness. It's an intense, smart, and taut thriller if only because what it eerily implies is creepier than the film's reality. Opening with a churning, chilling murder of a young woman, Insomnia invites the viewer--as well as its protagonist, celebrated Oslo homicide cop Jonas Engström (Stellan Skarsgård)--into the mind and thoughts of a killer by making Engström fatally flawed himself. While in pursuit of the murderer, Engström makes a mistake; he accidentally shoots his partner and friend and covers up his deed in a panic. But he overlooks a minor detail: the real killer has seen him commit the crime. What ensues is a layered, complex, and unnerving descent into chaos, brought on by the inability to sleep in this land of the midnight sun. Engström suffers from insomnia, which warps his logic and resolve, and before long he's totally unraveled and unsure of his every move. But not before a twisty transference and countertransference occurs between cop and killer. The two play a game of high-stakes one-upmanship that surprises in the end. Insomnia is fresh and psychologically bent, full of Scandinavian despair and dark humor, and it boasts a film noir pulse beneath its blinding light. --Paula Nechak

Description

Disgraced Swedish detective Jonas Engström (Stellan Skarsgård) travels to northern Norway to solve a brutal murder in Insomnia. Unable to sleep through the night of the midnight sun, Engström quickly loses his grip on the case and his mind. Erik Skjoldbjærg's debut feature is a deft amalgam of psychological thriller, morality play, and police procedural. Criterion presents the DVD premiere of Insomnia in a new widescreen transfer.

Customer Reviews:

Oh, he did a bad, bad thing..........2006-11-11

When I first watched this film the Keitel-cult classic - of the same insightful creation - continued to impress my mind. I speak of the lewd film, Bad Lieutenant (of which I was not overly fond of) where a corrupt cop solves the mystery of an unspeakable crime. Insomnia oddly follows the same vein, but in more of an inconspicuous nature. Instead of pushing the despicable nature of the main character - in this case it is Engström - our fearless and simple director gives it to us very under the radar. Pealing back each layer with delicacy, Skjoldbjærg gives us a crime, followed by a random act of innocence, followed by a small cover-up, followed up with a never-ending stream of light, which is all surrounded by the fear of the unknown and the endless possibilities that the world that has been created around us can instantly be crumbling down upon everyone involved. I enjoyed this film so much because of this small, insatiable sensation that Skjoldbjærg instantly created with his slow moving camera, his deadpan scenes filled with Norwegian chills, and that light - the unending light that haunts Skarsgård's flawless portrayal of Engström. It impressed me to see how the technique of light was used under the guise of night. In most Hollywood chillers of this nature, you see night being the time when our heroes confront their fears or moral dilemmas - not here, the light brings out the inner-soul of our character and gives us a choice whether to like him or not. The general consensus behind Engström is that he is a bad character struggling with the truth, but I didn't see that. Notice the character that Engström most connects with in this film - Vik's killer. Both claim to be innocent victims of accidents, but while they search each other out, they have trouble leaving each other's side. You didn't see this connection as much in the remake, mainly because mainstream Hollywood always has to have a defined "bad guy". Skjoldbjærg gave us a soul to the unknown.

Norway is a beautiful country filled with simple people constantly dealing with deadly issues that we take as normal day-to-day living. I loved that big city police officers were brought in to handle a murder case that obviously could not be handled by the simpleton local officers ... yet, in the end; Skjoldbjærg poses yet another question to us about who really was more knowledgeable about the case at hand. There is a constant struggle going on during this film that makes us, the viewer, question the entire motive at hand. We want Engström to find the girl's killer, but also we want him to come clean about himself - a question we ask every heroine in a film struggling to come clean and overcome obstacles. Yet, with Insomnia, we know nothing about Engström to even ask this question. It comes nearly as a half-hearted request because I am under the impression that he was not innocent to begin with. Skarsgård plays this man with suspicion and question because we are given no diagram of how this man arrived to this one location. We hear whispers in the non-existent shadows, but nothing that fully develops his past. He plays with our perception of "good cop/bad cop" like in no other movie. There are scenes that make us cheer for him, while others (like the stint with the hotel receptionist) that make us cover our eyes and quiver our lips. Like no other, Skarsgård develops, matriculates, and dedicates his time to this character, ensuring that every bold step that he makes is done for a reason. A complete reversal from what we saw him doing in Breaking the Waves or Good Will Hunting, here we see him complex and dedicated to the character at hand, continually proving that Skarsgård is a force in the Hollywood community (i.e. see the final scene and those non-replaceable eyes).

Insomnia is a film that stands directly on its own two feet without shake or instability. While it is not quite at the level of utmost perfection (even though there are quite a bit of perfect elements) due to some slower key elements, the awkward pacing of the grand finale, and the jumbled themes of lies and deceit (especially between Engström and the actual killer) - it is still a very grandiose film. It keeps your attention, it brings about the ideas that demons do not just reside in the dark corners of your mind, but in fact in your everyday lives. I think the best moments of this film occur when Engström fights with his partner after the accident in the lighted bedroom of the hotel. I enjoyed this the most because it gave us a rare opportunity to see a different character than what was originally presented to us. It violently gave us a slice of the good during times when we didn't think it was humanly possible. This may sound strange, but I also enjoyed the Norwegian accents (albeit a Norwegian film) because they added this sense of absurdity to it all. It took us to another place; where the oddity of forever sunlight was drown out by the sounds coming out of our characters mouths. I am not complaining or thinking this to be strange, I just thought that it added to the overall tone of the film, giving us a chance to step away from mainstream Hollywood.

Overall, I would highly suggest this film to those friends and family that had not seen the Nolan remake first. I am a believer that if you see the remake first, you will not like this film at all. The two are not the same, and to compare the two (in the big picture) would be heresy. I loved the acting, I loved the location, and I thought the plot was detailed, yet simple, symbolic yet original all at the same time. This wasn't a story convoluted by deep sub-plots and overblown romances, this was a stiff drink on a cold day. It was the perfect balance between good and evil caught in a place where you cannot hide in the shadows. I thought it was another great addition to the Criterion library, as well as a must see for technique, storytelling, and character motivation teachers of all ages. See this film!

Grade: **** out of *****

Darker and More Intelligent Version.......2006-08-03

Within the first thirty seconds of watching Insomnia you get the impression that it is one of those Criterion releases which is worth the higher DVD price. Opening with a grainy montage reminiscent of Seven, Norwegian Erik Skjoldbjaerg's impressive directorial debut is a darker and more intelligent film that the later remake starring Al Pacino of which Americans are familiar.

The original Insomnia stars Stellan Skarsgard as Jonas Engstrom, a disgraced but talented Swedish detective. After being caught in an "intimate conversation" with a witness, he seeks a transfer to Norway as a means to escape the scandal threatening his career. Along with his partner, he is sent to investigate the murder of a 17-year-old girl in Tromso, a small Norwegian town above the arctic circle.

One of the greatest distinctions between the two film versions is the depiction of the central character. The original film isn't scared to show us a darker side of the detective. Unlike the later toned down depiction, he's far less likeable, and at times cruel and self-serving. Ultimately, this dark anti-hero proves to be a more convincing vessel for the film's theme of disintegration.

Engstrom is suffering from a severe bout of insomnia, caused by the unrelenting 24 hour sunshine in Tromso. The film's near monotone visuals reflect his distorted perspectives as sleep deprivation takes its toll. After accidentally shooting his partner, he panics, making a series of disturbing decisions calculated to deflect suspicion from himself. He hopes to blame his partner's death on the killer they were pursuing when the accident occurred.

Unfortunately, the killer has witnessed the shooting and knows the truth. Using this information to his advantage, he forces Engstrom to embark on a sinister game of cat and mouse. As Engstrom is drawn further into a web of deception, he begins to morally decay before our eyes. Tortured by his inability to sleep and guilty conscience, each moral compromise Engstrom makes further blurs the line between the himself and the murderer he is hunting.

Insomnia's strength lies in Skarsgard's low key portrayal of the detective. He was in his mid forties when he played Engstrom, yet looks much younger. His attractive, quiet demeanor masks his inner turmoil perfectly.

Not surprisingly, it was Skarsgard's powerful back-to-back performances in Lars Von Trier's Breaking the Waves and Skjoldbjaerg's Insomnia that opened the doors to a series of roles in Hollywood films. While once virtually unknown outside Scandinavia, he has since become an Internationally acclaimed actor.

The Criterion release boasts a beautiful 16x9 anamorphic transfer with good sound quality. Its lack of commentary is disappointing but it still remains a must have DVD to those that appreciate European film noir.

skarsgard's showcase.......2005-03-25

There is a great feel of originality, of sheer suspense, panic, iciness in this original version of the Insomnia story. Although the remake directed by Christopher Nolan is certainly good, the original is something that should not be missed.

Stellan Skarsgard plays a homicide detective, Jonas, who goes to the north of Norway to investigate the murder of a girl. He accidentally shoots and kills his partner while tracking the murder suspect through the fog and panics, trying to cover up this crime (throughout the film becoming more worried about the evidence against him than about the case at hand, manipulating the evidence more and more to cover his tracks). Unfortunately the murderer he is investigating sees him commit this crime and uses this information to his advantage. Jonas's perspective is clouded more and more as both his sleeplessness and paranoia come to cloud his judgment completely. What really makes this taut thriller work, beyond a good story/script and the moral ambiguity inherent in every move, is Skarsgard's convincing portrayal of Jonas. Personally I find Skarsgard to be one of the best working actors today anywhere in the world, and as such, this picture deserves much more attention than its American-made remake.

An Outstanding Psychological Thriller.......2005-03-11

Insomnia is more an intense psychological study than it is a police procedural, although the movie is ostensibly about a murder. A Swedish cop, Jonas Engstrom (Stellan Skarsgard), was caught in "intimate conversation" with a witness in one of his cases and has been semi-disgraced . At his request, he's sent to Norway, along with his partner, to work on a murder which took place in Tromso, a small town above the Arctic Circle. He and his partner arrive to find there is no night. It's bright all 24 hours, and he can't sleep. In a stake out to catch the killer, he shoots a figure he sees in the fog. He finds he has killed his partner. He covers up by making it appear the real killer was the shooter.

The rest of the movie is a study of his attempts to keep the cover-up in place (going so far as to place the killer's revolver under the bed of a young suspect, then having it discovered). He also is struggling to find the real killer. Engstrom, throughout, is exhausted by lack of sleep and his own emotional desolation. He seems unable to allow anyone to get close to him. He may be a brilliant cop, but he's also not above being a dirty one at times. At the conclusion, the real killer through Engstrom's efforts has been indentified and has died, and Engstrom departs for Sweden. It appears that he is just as desolate a person as when he arrived.

This is a terrific movie with a wonderful performance by Stellan Skarsgard. It bears repeated viewing. The Criterion DVD offers a great picture but no extras to speak of.

Not Great But Better than the Cheap American Version.......2004-12-15

This is a straight film that seems to be hidden in dilluted colors and although it is much improved over the American version, there is still something lacking which could have made it a great film. It deals with a detective who is possessed not so much as by guilt, but an inability to come to grips with his existence.

Average customer rating:

A Gripping, Interior Chiller
A big surprise
The Film Gives Good Atmosphere, But Lacks in Story
Don't waste your time or money
surprising horror flick

Chasing Sleep
Starring: Jeff Daniels , Emily Bergl , Gil Bellows , Zach Grenier , and Julian McMahon
Director: Michael Walker (VI)
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Customer Reviews:

A Gripping, Interior Chiller.......2006-08-16

This movie contains echoes of Edgar Allen Poe's "Telltale Heart," and also perhaps a few suggestions of the cult movie "Eraserhead." In all three works, the protagonist inhabits a house that becomes more and more animate. The plumbing growls and knocks and oozes strange effluents. There are ever-growing spots on the walls and ceiling. There is something on (or under) the floor.

But this is an essentially realistic rather than a surrealistic portrayal of a man trapped - in either his own imaginings or else in some actual, eerie conspiracy of natural phenomena. Jeff Daniels gives a tour de force performance as the man who reports his wife missing, and who then spirals down into a gnawing, insomniac worry that she may have met with foul play.

This movie becomes especially intriguing in light of all the recent publicity given to men suspected of murdering their wives. We think of Lacy Peterson and all the others as we watch Daniels' increasingly bleary and disoriented response to the police, to the outside world in general. Is he just being consumed with fear about what might have happened to his wife? Or is it a guilty conscience that is corroding him? The movie kept me guessing - until very near the end.

A big surprise.......2003-11-01

Showtime really did me in - I didn't realize this was their idea of a halloween movie flick! I didn't mean to watch it, but the movie guide called it a 'suspense' and I kept waiting for tell-tale suspense stuff I guess. When it didn't happen, I found myself standing in front of the TV before I finally realized I could sit and watch. After a bit it was so intense I could barely watch. A perfect halloween night movie.

The Film Gives Good Atmosphere, But Lacks in Story.......2003-02-27

"Chasing Sleep" is titled in France as "Insomnies" and that fact will let you know enough what the film is all about. But unlike the Norwegian thriller (and its Hollywood remake) of the same name, "Chasing Sleep" is less like a thriller than a character study even though there is elements of thriller in it. Perhaps it is this mislead expectations of mine that made me feel disappointed at the film.

The film follows the central character, Jeff Daniel's Ed Saxon, whose life heavily suffers from insomnia which started when he finds his wife is missing. Ed is waiting for her at home all through the night, but as he waits we notice something is wrong with his house -- strange noise behind the wall, unfamiliar voice, and more and more weird and unnerving occasions. Ed is certain something must have happened to her -- but soon we realize that it is Ed that is really falling apart.

The idea is good, and the camera successfully keeps on conveying the creepy atomosphere of Ed's house, but the lack of fenesse in keeping us interested is too apparent on the side of director Michael Walker, who says the film is partly based on his personal experience. To his credit, the strange feelings you get when you stay up late till dawn are convincingly created, and the acting of Jeff Daniels, who usually is forced to play the supporting roles as in "Speed," shows his gift as a talented actor, becoming the character Ed himself. But the question is, sorry to say like this, but, why should we care?

The film doesn't hold our (or my) attention long, because the film goes nowhere (everything happens all in Ed's house, and this setting is too high a hurdle to clear). While we don't know what happened to Ed's wife, the film tries to project Ed's lost dreams in the past and his regret onto the screen through the events that are slowly revealed in the film, but by the time we come to know Ed's personality, we know the film offers nothing new to find in the film. Emliy Bergl ("Carrie 2") and Gil Bellows ("Ally McBeal") both give good support, but their precious help is hardly enough to keep the ball rolling.

There are truely intense and creepy moments in the film, including a certain moving finger, but the overall results really disappointed me. As some of the previous reviewers say, we have already films dealing with similar themes by a better hand of David Lynch, whose more confident vision for the macabre and weird is sadly missing here.

Don't waste your time or money.......2002-11-24

This movie was a complete and utter waste of time, I don't think there was a single redeeming feature about it except for maybe the laughability of the crawling finger sequence.

Chasing Sleep started out looking as though it might be alright, but about halfway through the movie, everything went downhill. The plot had potential to be interesting, but just ended up more confusing than frightening and the ending was one of the absolute worst I've seen in a VERY long time. If nothing else, I would have liked to have seen them tie up all the loose ends in the end of the movie, but you get nothing.

To get to the point, this movie isn't worth the time or the money involved in watching it. I would have given it a "0" rather than a "1" if that were an acceptable rating.

surprising horror flick.......2002-11-11

I read the other reviews who gave it one and two stars, and I have to wonder what movie it was exactly that they were watching; the film is about Jeff Daniels whose wife doesn't come home one night, and who then begins to very slowly loose his mind. The film has very good acting with scene's that made me squirm in my seat (which is quite unlike me), not from gore or horror but more from watching Jeff Daniels character slowly degredate. About 30 minutes into the movie you begin to think you know exactly where it is headed and what kind of movie it will be. Well, you probably will have a fair idea as to the outcome of the movie (which some may find disappointing - granted) but the movie is guaranteed to constantly surprise you as it consistantly gets stranger and stranger. All-in-all its a very good movie and deserves a once over by anyone in the least bit interested. (For anywho have scene it -this is what the Attic Expedition should have been like.)

Average customer rating:

Understanding Sleep Disorders

Manufacturer: Information Television Network
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

( U ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Insomnia: Understanding & Treating
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IBS: Irritable Bowel Syndrome

ASIN: B000H8RZUS
Release Date: 2006-07-27

Description

Part of the award winning public television series Healthy Body/Healthy Mind. Over 40 million American adults suffer each year from a variety of chronic, long-term sleep disorders. There are more than 70 different sleep disorders that are usually classified into three major categories: lack of sleep, or insomnia; disturbed sleep, such as obstructive sleep apnea; and too much sleep, known as narcolepsy. Learn more about sleep disorders and how they can be easily managed once they are diagnosed.

Average customer rating:

Insomnia: Understanding & Treating

Manufacturer: Information Television Network
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Understanding Sleep Disorders
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ASIN: B000H8RZYO
Release Date: 2006-07-27

Description

Part of the award winning public television series Healthy Body/Healthy Mind. Leading experts are now speaking out about the importance of a good nights sleep. It helps with memory and an overall feeling of well-being. Conversely, chronic insomnia can lead to depression, time lost from work, a decrease in a person's quality of life, and an increase in injuries. But for some, a good night's sleep is elusive. They simply can't fall asleep. Others can fall asleep, but they wake a few hours later; and stay awake for several more hours and drag through the day. In this program, we'll investigate the clues scientists have discovered to help understand what's behind chronic insomnia and take a look at natural remedies, as well as medications available to help. In addition, we'll discuss a certain "sleep hygiene" people with insomnia can develop to help them learn better sleeping habits.

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