Sorry, this movie sucks

Just so...so bad

everything you have heard about this movie is true.

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

While Sleepstalker certainly fails to reach the lofty goals you can see those involved reaching for, it still falls into one of those "guilty pleasure" movies. The acting's weak, the special effects are underwhelming, (even for 20 years ago,) and it overstays its welcome by a bit, but you can see that effort was put in to attempt to create a new Freddy/ Jason/ Pinhead character that might, at the very least, capture some of that audience. While most of the actors involved aren't horrible, you can tell that many were still in the early parts of their careers, and while they give it their best shot, the performances are always on the wrong side of good, but they never fail so profoundly that it makes you want to shut the movie off. You'll recognize the ever-present Ken Foree from his long career in these types of movies in a limited run as a police officer. William Lucking, "Piney," from Sons of Anarchy, also takes a small role as another detective, and a young Giuseppe Andrews, (Deputy Winston from Cabin Fever,) also makes one of his early film roles. The main characters however, have had mostly middling success in front of the camera since- with Kathryn Morris as Megan, Michael Harris as The Sandman, and Jay Underwood as Griffin all gathering more than 50 roles apiece in their careers, you're bound to have seen one of them at some point. Michael Harris as the Sandman is perhaps the best of the three, (although Kathryn Morris is perhaps the most consistent of all of them throughout,) actually making the Sandman reasonably creepy at times with his lullabies that are also inconsistent, with occasional attempts to sing, while other times reciting them eerily. It's a shame, because some of the acting inconsistencies would oh so easily be overlooked if there had simply been a little more money tossed at the budget. The Sandman is not just a name given to the killer- although that is how it begins. Eventually, like all good movie maniacs, the supernatural angle kicks in, and he actually becomes a being of sand. While the look of Sandman is reasonable when he takes form, just not enough is done with this great power with the exception of traversing under doors and through ventilation shafts. They do make attempts within budget to show a few things, ie: accidentally dipping fingers into water, making the tips disappear, or using the abrasive sand as a weapon on 2 occasions, but when they do try for these more dramatical effects, it usually looks, at its best, bad... at its worst, horrible. One thing I did remember after watching this again for the first time in nearly 20 years was just how eerie the lullaby playing (Sleep Baby Sleep, sung by Teresa Straley,) on the record player during flashbacks actually is. I remembered it sticking with me for a long time after I viewed this 20 years ago... I watched it quite a bit- was a favorite fallback B-Movie of mine at the time. And after rediscovering this gem tonight, I know that song will stick with me again. A sorrowful lullaby that fits the tone of the movie quite well. And that's where Sleepstalker, besides the music, hits another high note... As the pieces begin falling in place, this movie becomes a bit more than the sum of all its parts. As the movie begins linking past with present, antagonist to protagonist in multiple ways, it achieves a level of sadness that most B-Movies cannot do- mostly because they make the mistake of trying to force emotion down your throat. Sleepstalker waits until the last 1/3 of the movie to begin giving you everything you'll need to put it all together successfully, (although certainly, it can be figured out before that,) but it allows you to come to your emotions on its background on your own. Will it put you in tears? No. Yet somehow, it strikes a chord much more naturally and, despite its supernatural maniac derivative, full of real feeling that the likes of Freddy Krueger's child killing or Jason's revenge killing just never really achieve. It truly is a shame that this movie didn't quite make the cut. There's so much here that really could have made for a great franchise, but you can tell that the studio wanted a new maniac, they just weren't sure if there was room for one, and the budget suffers at times. After viewing this, I have to believe that the extra budget and time would have proved there WAS enough room for another maniac on the big screen. Still, with the limited resources available, I applaud the filmmakers for still putting out a movie well worth viewing once. This movie seemingly reformed in my memory, much like the Sandman is capable of doing after drifting under a doorway, and I'm glad it did- and I'm glad that it urged me to find a copy on DVD (I'm grateful Lion's Gate ever even put it on DVD,) and after sitting down and watching it tonight, I'm more than happy I made the purchase.

"Sleepstalker" is somewhat of a guilty pleasure of mine.**SPOLIERS**Fifteen years ago, as a serial killer attacks and kills a whole family except for the son before the police arrive and catches him. Now in the present day, the same kid, Griffin (Jay Underwood) is a writer trying to catch his big break by getting an interview with a notorious gang leader. He and his girlfriend Megan (Katherine Morris), a photographer, head out on the interview. That night, the same man who attacked his family, the Sandman (Michael Harris) is being put to death for his crimes. He is visited by the Preacher (Michael D. Roberts) and is given a special necklace and the last rites, which are actually a spell used by the Preacher to transfer the Sandman's soul into another body before being sent to death. In order to pass onto the next world, the Sandman must kill the lone surviving member of his last attack, Underwood, and goes after him and his friends, killing them in a variety of methods using sand (Drowning in a sea of sand, creating hurricane force winds with sand, sand projectiles, etc.) Griffin learns that the Sandman is a close family relative who was abused by his father earlier on, snapped, killed him and became a serial killer to silence the pain he felt. Eventually, the search leads him to the Preacher, who gives Griffin some advice on how to stop the Sandman. Now with only Griffin and Megan left alive, the Sandman chases them into an abandoned where house, where Griffin is killed and Megan saves the day by drying up the Sandman in a giant fire when they learn fire can kill him.The Good News: I have to give props to the FX department, as the Sandman's make-up effects are pretty scary. Harris also gives a chilling performance, making the Sandman appear even creepier. Underwood does an okay job, but doesn't get a whole lot to work with. He is basically a hysterical man running from an impossibly created being, so is naturally treated with a crazed man's attitude. Morris is actually better, though like Underwood isn't given a lot to emote. The Preacher fares better than both, due to Robert's dead-on performance and the colorless contact lenses used to turn his eyes white. The gore is, for a change, not blood and guts, but instead having your skin stripped away from being caught in a windstorm, leaving bone, marrow and ragged clothes behind. Several killings are unique and done creatively. Also, the hero is killed instead of barely surviving the ordeal with his girlfriend.The Bad News: When I first heard that the killers name was the Sandman, I had flashes back to an action film several years earlier, Van Damme's 'Death Warrant,' where serial killer in the film is also called The Sandman. This immediately struck me as weird, since it would make no sense that two films, in different genres, would be made so close to each other would have a character of the same name and occupation. Aside from the three leads and the Preacher, the rest of the acting is dull and uninspired. No one came across as convincing, a major no-no in a film where the believability of a character drives the film along. Also, the clichéd part of the Sandman being Griffin's relative (I won't give it away, but based on what I've just said, most of you can immediately know) is, well, clichéd. A dull beginning after the Sandman is caught also dooms the picture to boredom.The Final Verdict: See this one only if you watch horror movies religiously, like me, and have very undiscriminating tastes in your preferences. I mean, I like it, but several of you out there will disagree and say it's dull, boring and without imagination.Rated R: Graphic Violence, Language, Adult Situations and brief nudity

At first glance this looks like a complete rip off of the far superior "Dust Devil" (check out the opening credits). The characters are laughably wafer thin - especially the Hispanic gang banger. But fair play the guy who plays the evil priest hams it up to superb effect (the funniest thing about this movie). I can't believe I actually sat through this and I can honestly say as a long time horror movie fan, there is nothing to report here. Zero suspense and about as scary as a big fluffy bunny!

I saw this movie a little while ago. For a killer who is apparently made of sand, two things were immediately obvious to me, the viewer. Water would slow him down and as I suspected, there would be a fiery demise for him.The hero is someone you don't actually care about so it's mostly just a big sigh of relief at the end when the Sandman offs him. But why oh why do all directors, when the scene calls for a handgun, pick a Desert Eagle? IMI (the company that makes them) either has the biggest product placement deal in the universe, or are simply rubbing their hands in glee at all the free coverage it gets. They are in everything. Simply because they are the biggest handgun in the world doesn't make them the best. But as far as directors go, size apparently does matter.Anyway, the film sucks terribly and seems to go on forever. If you need a film to fall asleep to, this is it.