Chasing Sleep

Starring:Jeff Daniels, Emily Bergl, Gil Bellows, Zach Grenier, Julian McMahon, Ben Shenkman (II), Molly Price, Patrick Moug, Jeff Solano, Michelle Held
Director: Michael Walker (VI)
Studio: Lions Gate
Product Type: DVD

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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ASIN: B00005NQGN
Release Date: 2001-10-16

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.)

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