Sleepwalkers (1992)

Director:

Mick Garris

Writer (WGA):

Stephen King (written by)

Release Date:

10 April 1992 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

They feast on your fear - and it's dinner time.

Plot:

A mother-and-son team of strange supernatural creatures come to town to seek out a virgin to feed on.

Plot Keywords:

Indiana | Rose | Movie Theater | Teenage Boy | Disembodied Hand

Awards:

4 wins

Cast

Brian Krause	...	Charles Brady
Mädchen Amick	...	Tanya Robertson
Alice Krige	...	Mary Brady
Jim Haynie	...	Sheriff Ira
Cindy Pickett	...	Mrs. Robertson
Ron Perlman	...	Captain Soames
Lyman Ward	...	Mr. Don Robertson
Dan Martin	...	Andy Simpson
Glenn Shadix	...	Mr. Fallows
Cynthia Garris	...	Laurie Travis
Monty Bane	...	Deputy Horace
John Landis	...	Lab Technician
Joe Dante	...	Lab Assistant
Stephen King	...	Cemetery Caretaker
Clive Barker	...	Forensic Tech

Also Known As:

Sleepstalkers (Hong Kong: English title) (cable TV title)
Stephen King's Sleepwalkers

MPAA:

Rated R for some terror/violence and language.

Runtime:

91 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Singapore:PG (cut) | Netherlands:16 | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA (TV rating) | Australia:R (original rating) | Finland:K-18 | Germany:18 | South Korea:15 (cut) | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R | Norway:18 (video premiere) | Norway:(Banned) (1992-2003) (cinema release)

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Several different famous horror directors make cameo appearances in this movie:

Goofs:

Continuity: During the chase scene, the odometer in the Trans Am is shown twice and the second time, the mileage is less.

Quotes:

Captain Soames: What?
Sheriff Ira: Cold Draft.
Captain Soames: Could you use one right now?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Married with Children: Movie Show (#7.21)" (1993)

Soundtrack:

DO YOU LOVE ME

The Cat in the Hat Goes Splat

Director Mick Garris has commented on how "Sleepwalkers" was a troubled production, and one only has to watch in disbelief to see what he means. Before its 1992 theatrical release, I remember the film being heavily hyped as Stephen King's first foray into cinema with a completely original screenplay (and as was true with most adaptations of his work--with or without his involvement--at the time, the reviews were less than sympathetic). Ironically, Garris would become better known for helming TV-miniseries versions of some of King's best-known works ("The Stand"; "The Shining"; "Desperation"), directing right from the author's own scripts. Needless to say, these made-for-TV works outshine "Sleepwalkers," which simply further proves that King's writing style (heavy with internal dialogues and detailed, unspoken perceptions) is better suited to a format that can fully develop his themes and characters. This tale of an incestuous mother/son duo who shapeshifts into bloodthirsty felines, roaming from small towns to dine on virgin prey, is fairly decent for the first 50 minutes--King's use of 'local color' (and the resulting humor) is well-rendered, and Garris does a fine job of creating an atmosphere of mystery and intrigue. But just when "Sleepwalkers" seems headed for the zone of good (if not truly memorable) King adaptations, its final third devolves into overblown, ridiculous action sequences (as though the producers chopped away 30 pages of King's script for explosions and shootouts) and a queasy imbalance between absurd humor and sentimental melodrama. The end result hobbles the overall experience--had King's ideas been thoroughly fleshed-out, "Sleepwalkers" may have been a solid entry in his filmography...but as it stands, it feels like a lament over what could have been. The cats are incredibly cute, though.