Sleeper (1973)

A nerdish store owner is revived out of cryostasis into a future world to fight an oppressive government.

Director:

Woody Allen

Writers:

Woody Allen, Marshall Brickman

Stars:

Woody Allen, Diane Keaton, John Beck

2 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Woody Allen	...	Miles Monroe
Diane Keaton	...	Luna Schlosser
John Beck	...	Erno Windt
Mary Gregory	...	Dr. Melik
Don Keefer	...	Dr. Tryon
John McLiam	...	Dr. Agon
Bartlett Robinson	...	Dr. Orva
Chris Forbes	...	Rainer Krebs
Mews Small	...	Dr. Nero (as Marya Small)
Peter Hobbs	...	Dr. Dean
Susan Miller	...	Ellen Pogrebin
Lou Picetti	...	Master of Ceremonies
Jessica Rains	...	Woman in the Mirror
Brian Avery	...	Herald Cohen
Spencer Milligan	...	Jeb Hrmthmg

Storyline

Miles, a nebbishy clarinet player who also runs a health food store in NYC's Greenwich Village, is cryogenically frozen, and brought back - 200 years in the future, by anti-government radicals in order to assist them in their attempt to overthrow the oppressive government. When he goes off on his own, he begins to explore this brave new world, which has Orgasmatron booths to replace sex and confessional robots.

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Plot Keywords:

man wears eyeglasses | clumsiness | free love | mistaken identity | scientist | 

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Taglines:

Woody Allen takes a nostalgic look at the future

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Genres:

Comedy | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

Woody Allen originally intended the film to be three hours long and in two parts. The first part would have him in the present day, coping with life until his illness. And the second half would be the futuristic part. But United Artists rejected this concept.

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Goofs

The tow cable for the raft costume is visible.

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Quotes

Luna Schlosser: You have to give yourself up! They won't hurt you. They'll re-structure your brain.
Miles Monroe: Hey, nobody touches my brain; they may drop it. Then I'll talk like Mr. Lepidus who got hit by lightning.

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Connections

Referenced in The Knights of Prosperity: Operation: Ralph (2007)

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Soundtracks

Till We Meet Again
(1918) (uncredited)
Music by Richard A. Whiting
Lyrics by Ray Egan
Performed by Woody Allen

User Reviews

Woody Allen's Second Best Movie After Annie Hall

I think I am going to have to rank this as Woody Allen's second-best (and second-funniest) movie... after the unbeatable "Annie Hall". Even after having seen the movie 3 or 4 times I still find myself amused by some of Allen's shtick... and his rarely-demonstrated adeptness at physical comedy. So many classic physical bits: riding around in the wheelchair... eating the rubber glove... the future scientists trying to force his slack body into a futuristic vehicle. After this movie Woody started to get a little too cerebral... this was his last attempt at a just-plain-funny movie... and probably his most satisfying of his early comedies... only because there was a sort-of storyline. Woody is cryogenically frozen after a botched operation in the 1970s and is awoken 200 years later to find himself in a repressive Orwellian future. He meets up with a spoiled rich chick (Diane Keaton) and influences her (not really intentionally) into becoming a revolutionary activist.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Yiddish

Release Date:

17 December 1973 (USA)

Also Known As:

Sleeper

Filming Locations:

Boulder, Colorado, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$2,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$18,344,729

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$18,344,729

Company Credits

Production Co:

Jack Rollins & Charles H. Joffe Productions, Rollins-Joffe Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

89 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1