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:

Life Force | Supernatural | Reading Story To Class | Stray Cat | Screaming

Awards:

4 wins

Cast

Brian Krause	...	Charles Brady
Mädchen Amick	...	Tanya Robertson
Alice Krige	...	Mary Brady
Jim Haynie	...	Ira
Cindy Pickett	...	Mrs. Robertson
Ron Perlman	...	Captain Soames
Lyman Ward	...	Mr. Robertson
Dan Martin	...	Andy Simpson
Glenn Shadix	...	Mr. Fallows
Cynthia Garris	...	Laurie
Monty Bane	...	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 (USA) (complete title)

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 | Netherlands:16 | Singapore:PG (cut) | Finland:K-16 (cut) (1993) | Argentina:16 | Australia:R | 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:

Cameo: [Joe Dante]Lab assistant.

Goofs:

Miscellaneous: In the beginning where Charles is cutting his arm, you can clearly see the outline of the blood patch he is actually cutting.

Quotes:

Policeman: [They get into a yard full of cats] There's a lot of cats.
Policewoman: Well, I can see that, dickhead.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Cinemania: Stephen King: O vasilias tou tromou" (2009)

Soundtrack:

DO YOU LOVE ME

Here kitty, kitty, kitty…

An incestuous mother and son (Krige, Krause) of preternatural origin move to a small town to find a young female virgin (Amick) the son may take the life force of and feed the mother with.

It's Stephen King, who wrote the screenplay, at his not bad best. Interesting music; I've never heard Enya in a horror movie before but surprisingly it works. As with Ron Perlman, I'd pretty much sit through anything with Alice Krige in it.

The down side is that although the mother and son are interesting beings the curiosity about them the movie arouses is not satisfied. What are they? A kind of feline lineage is hinted at as they can morph into variations of cat like creatures yet cats are their mortal enemies (a scratch can be fatal). Where are they from? Egypt is hinted at (the origin of the worship of Bast, perhaps). Why are they called Sleepwalkers (origins of the incubus/succubus/vampire mythologies)?

Despite the questions raised and unanswered the film is still an enjoyable gore-fest horror break from reality.

Worth a rent/buy used, especially for fans of Stephen King's work.