Sleep Always (2002) User Reviews (19)

An Admirable Achievement

[jeffreywedding · 8/10 · 23 April 2005]

Sleep Always is certainly an admirable achievement for anyone who has an idea about the super-8 format and the difficulties its usage entails. To the eye, super-8 may first appear to many as an objectionable choice to employ for any film project. But, when used in the correct way, for the proper narrative, just as Mr. Palidwor and Mr. Perkins have done, the results are not only remarkable but (super-8) may very well be the only format existing today that has its very own look. If anyone were to stop and view the growing integrity of HD they would agree with me. Everyone is scrambling today to make everything match 35mm as closely as they can, be it super-16, HD or DV, when these two men have rightfully become the leaders of not only revitalizing a format that is being largely overlooked by a community dying of video overuse (abuse) because it is easy or cheap or whatever, but have done so in a feature film with plenty of style and individuality (not to mention the supreme innovation of the widened gate that I'm already seeing mimicked). Rick and Mitch, God bless you both from all of us shooting super-8. You've given us a leg to stand on.

Great Sights and Sounds

[science-4 · 9/10 · 8 May 2005]

I bought this DVD after finding it during Web research on time-exposure cinematography. I didn't know what to expect, but I was not disappointed. The photography was fine: quirky, mysterious and disconcerting where it needed to be; "normal" where that was needed too.

The soundtrack was awesome! I really enjoyed the music on this DVD, and there was lots of it. I still intend to go back through those closing credits to find out who those artists were.

Another way the soundtrack was good was that the dialog was always clear. There were no scenes where it got lost in the room acoustics or background noises - all of which CAN happen. These folks paid strict attention to the details.

Of course I liked the story too. I liked the characters and the non-linear storytelling.

I would recommend this film to anyone who wants to see a good independent film.

Masters of Super 8!

[dan_trudeau · 8/10 · 9 November 2004]

As many have already observed, Sleep Always is a brilliant technical achievement. The Super-Duper 8 format gives an affordable film stock the impressive look and feel of 16mm. In fact, I was floored when I found out this wasn't 16mm. The film also has seamless synchronized sound, which is often next to impossible to achieve with Super 8.

This on its own is impressive, but filmmakers Rick Palidwor and Mitch Perkins have also crafted a film perfectly suited to this format, the tale of a man, Frank, with a doomed obsession for a homeless woman, Nada. The actress who plays Nada, Laurie Maher, has a commanding on-screen presence. The character Frank is wonderfully meek, although somewhat grating at times. The chronology of events is deliberately skewed, adding interest to the way the characters interact. There is a definite disconnect from reality throughout film, creating a dream-like atmosphere, yet the characters are both familiar and real.

A film that should be required viewing for all independent film enthusiasts, hopefully Sleep Always will reach a wide audience over time and inspire others to work with this amazing new film format.

Super-duper 8 is as it sounds..

[trim1000 · 17 February 2005]

I purchased Sleep Always in the hope of being convinced of the cinematic possibilities of 8mm film, I was not disappointed. The use of the 'Super-Duper' format of widescreen 8mm film, complements the dark love story perfectly. The edginess and depth of the format help to draw you in to the moody atmosphere of the film, the film itself interesting and captivating. The characters are well thought out and there is positive closure in the end, whilst still a level of intrigue as to the whereabouts of the character 'Nada'. I would recommend this to all film enthusiasts, especially fans of the smaller formats and independent productions - as this is one of the best.

Inovative film-making

[steviejhyde · 9/10 · 25 July 2004]

In the current era of digital video and the reality-look that come with it, "Sleep Always" offers visual relief. The Filmmaker's actually reinvent an amateur film format and make it into great looking widescreen cinema. This film is essential viewing for any student of film who is interested in working in the Super 8 format. From a visual storytelling perspective, "Sleep Always" succeeds in telling a story of love and the personal politics of difference in a way that engages throughout, although since it is super 8 it sometimes has a homemovie feeling that kills the stories persuasive power. That being said, this is the kind of film that requires, and deserves, a second screening. There is a lot to admire about this film. It is one of those contemplative dreamscape films. (a note to those who still remember them)

Shades of Grey.

[greenplastic79 · 8/10 · 9 May 2004]

Sleep Always is a movie about a man, Frank, that is obsessed with a homeless women, Nada. What separates this movie from most is that it asks more questions than it answers. Is Frank's life so mundane that he can only be infatuated by Nada? Who and what is Nada, and why is she found so captivating by Frank? At what cost is a relationship with Nada worth pursuing? Who is Frank's neighbor, and what is he trying to protect Frank from? The story is presented in a slightly non-linear format, so it is up to the viewer to decide what is the past and what is the present.

This is a daring film, shot on a daring format, by daring filmmakers. Not often does a film respect its audience enough to forgo all the answers. As an old proverb goes, "You are what you think about all day." Nada becomes Frank's obsession, and it is up to the viewer to decide where Frank ends and where Nada begins.

A beautifully written drama / fantasy film following a man with a disturbing obsession.

[mazmik1212 · 10/10 · 24 September 2006]

SLEEP ALWAYS is the brain child of Canadian Writers / Directors Rick Palidwor and Mitch Perkins. This is a dark but visually stunning film with a mesmerising story which totally captivated me from the first violent and unstable frames to the last of the end credits, This is the thought provoking story of Frank, (Fred Spek) and his obsession with an enigmatic and beautiful young woman Nada, (Laurie Maher) and tells his story as he fantasises and dreams of her, then finally he gets his wish and meets up with her, but she is keeping one step ahead.

This film works on different levels, not least because of the dynamic storyline and use of fantastic atmospheric lighting, creative camera angles and thoughtful and sometimes haunting sound and music but also because of the knowledge that this masterpiece was shot on the same gauge of film as was used by tens of thousands of people across the world during the 1970's + 80's to film their own home movies of holidays, birthdays, and weddings etc,(Super 8mm).

From the outset you can see that this film has been made with a passion that is sadly lacking in much of the film making world today. I take my hat off to all who was involved in this project and hope this film attains the recognition it deserves. For more info or to obtain a copy of this film go to the friendly fire films website.

Frank - Fred Spek, Nada - Laurie Maher,(she was also a Foley artist and did a painting for the film set), Neighbour - Ed Fielding, This was Filmed, Edited, Written and Directed by Rick Palidwor and Mitch Perkins.

An exciting and dramatic presentation of a young man's infatuation with someone just beyond his reach.

[excelsus1 · 10/10 · 15 April 2005]

Sleep Always is a thrilling film that depicts how easily the protagonist, Frank, falls into an obsessive attraction to a Gothic street girl, Nada, who becomes increasingly more enticing to him each time he looks at her. Through sensory details, such as sights, sounds, smells, touches, and glimpses of memory, Frank obsesses on Nada, and his desire for her develops into obsession. Sleep Always draws the viewer into the intense moments of Frank and Nada's lives and to their brief encounters, which leave Frank with a compulsion to see her, smell her, and care for her once again. It is a realistic portrait of the way one individual can become completely infatuated with another.

An admirable achievement, one worth investing time in for fans of inde film

[mattstevens · 6/10 · 10 October 2011]

Who knew that feature films were made on Super8? Certainly not I. Last year I sort of discovered that Super8 was a format being used by some independent filmmakers and hobbyists and I was stunned to learn that some crazy guys had shot an entire feature on the format. Needing to know more I ordered the DVD (yeah, crazy, sight unseen) hoping for the best.

This strange story about a kind-of weird guy obsessed with a babe who is maybe homeless will cause difficulties for those of you not gifted with patience. This is not a DePalma like film with huge set pieces or a Blair Witch wanna be trying to scare you. It's more about the emotions of two people and obsession can alter one's perceptions of reality.

Personally, I feel that with some additional trimming, Sleep Always would appeal to an even broader base of viewers. Who says films need to be nearly 90 minutes long? Even at 81 minutes, there are sequences that just feel padded. Losing 10 minutes of that padding would have greatly improved the strength of the narrative. That being said, I did watch this film twice (the second time paying attention to the technical aspects) and was particularly impressed with Laurie Maher's performance. She really did shine here.

Technically, Super8 is a royal pain to work with. Shooting at 24 frames per second gives you just over two minutes per film cartridge. Just imagine how difficult that would be, constantly being forced to change rolls and never being able to just let a scene play out in a long take. Thankfully the filmmakers handled the limitations with true craft and I am certain most viewers will never even think about how hard it is to shoot on the super8 format.

Today the digital revolution is upon us and so every numb-skull with a few grand thinks he is a filmmaker after buying a Canon T2i and some lenses. Filmmaking takes skill, patience and a game plan. The powers behind this film had all of the above and were willing to go for broke with a format that is risky, but rewarding. The look and feel of super8 is sort of relentlessly uneasy. In fact, another Super8 film was shot recently (I Am ZoZo) and because of recent technical improvements in film scanning, Super8 can now be transferred at 1080p HD or even 2K with striking results. My last short film was shot on Super8 and scanned at 1080p with stunning results.

To me, filmmakers Rick Palidwor and Mitch Perkins were both behind and ahead of their time with Sleep Always. They deserve respect for pulling it off.

By the way, the sound mix on this film is shockingly good, thanks to help given them by an Academy Award winner. Good sound is beyond important.

Innovative style and good plot

[downes_n · 7 August 2004]

I bought a copy of Sleep Always to study it's film format, Super-Duper 8. I ended up enthralled with the story, it's unique characteristics, so much so that it took me till the 3rd viewing before I even got down to studying the Super-Duper 8 format itself. The story itself is about a mans decent into obsession, jealousy, and self-destruction. You watch him throw his life away for a woman that does not want him. With the character of the next-door neighbor acting as a kind of "devil on the shoulder" pointing out to the audience the central characters self-destructive course. The acting, while not up to Hollywood blockbuster levels, is fairly decent, better than a lot of movies I've run across lately with multi-million dollar budgets. The style is unique unto itself, and with the now cancellation of the film stock used, will likely never be replicated again.

For it's beauty, for it's style, for the art, this movie is marvelous.

Dream Cinema Is Still Alive

[willstepp · 8/10 · 31 May 2005]

I really enjoyed this film. Great atmosphere and locations, well-photographed with the experimental DS8mm film format. Think L'atalante crossed with Mulholland Drive and you'll have a pretty good idea of what to expect from Sleep Always (not that the film seems derivative of these, far from it) Particularly well done in the film is the female lead character Nada. She has a magnetic personality that nicely contrasts with the somewhat awkward protagonist. I enjoyed watching their different energies interact, although the dubbed dialogue wasn't always convincing. The film works best at setting a particular mood(fever dream?) and sustaining that mood for the 80 plus minutes it lasts. For that alone Sleep Always is worth seeing. The theme of unrequited love is well done and there is obviously some psychological/mythic level this film is exploring, but not very deeply or with much insight.

For an art form that has long ago fallen into decadence, its nice to see there are films being made with different motives than simple diversion and $$$. Well worth your time if you are serious about cinema.

High Towers Lovers

[denizberkin · 8/10 · 22 July 2004]

I liked this film because it is about romantic obsession. Romantic obsession can be sad and intense and lonely too. Sleep Always bounces and fades from scene to scene , from the present to the future , from the past to the present. The music sets the mood. Its refreshing because it is a visual poem , the type of film Leonard Cohen might have made - with a little bit of EraserHead thrown in. Who wants to watch another overblown romance - this is different - this is Guerilla cinema - this comes form the heart - from the soul. There is a vision. Its one man against a witch hunt. It is one woman who changes her mind. why, there are no answers, the viewer decides.

"Sleep Always" is a resounding success!

[ncapolongo · 9/10 · 16 August 2004]

"Sleep Always" is a resounding success!

Filmmakers Mitch Perkins and Rick Palidwor deserve recognition for succeeding in bringing their vision to the screen.

After reading about their innovative widening of the Super-8 frame in Kodak's "In Camera" magazine, I became curious. Could this idea really work?

From the very first frame, I knew these guys had come up with something special. The increase in resolution is just enough to provide a very satisfying result. It's still Super-8, with its wonderful esthetic; but that esthetic is finally raised to its maximum potential. They have opened up a brand new film realm- somewhere between Super 8 and 16mm. "Super Duper 8"- very appropriately named, works perfectly.

As I continued to watch, the film drew me into its world. It kept me there until the very last frame- at which time I had a sense of satisfaction that the filmmakers had succeeded in communicating to me.

The three lead actors are perfect!

The "in-camera" effects are excellent as is the camera technique.

The sound design is excellent.

The music is very effective.

The editing is very crisp.

The lighting beautifully communicates the drab existence of the lead characters.

In short, "Sleep Always" blew me away.

Great work, people. Keep it up. I'd like to see more.

Neil Capolongo

An amazing achievement in and of itself

[ndownes · 10/10 · 18 May 2007]

I ran across Sleep Always while browsing for information on a newly purchased Super8 camera, and the visuals from the frames I had seen were interesting enough that I purchased a copy of the DVD, for studying the modified gate.

Instead of a technical study, I was sucked into what to this date is still a personal favorite movie of mine. It is brilliantly shot, well acted, and frankly, an amazing piece of art. It is not often that you find art for arts sake out there, and even rarer that it becomes as all enveloping as Sleep Always is. To date, I still am finding moments within the movie that take me by surprise. A masterpiece from Canada, indeed.

As the story unravels, you watch a man fall into obsession as great as drugs or money, an obsession with an ideal, a womanly vision that remains forever just out of his reach. As he tears himself between obsession and revulsion, you watch his life falling apart before your eyes. How it is handled is sheer genius, a master of the trade.

And even more amazing how the limitations of equipment did not only fail to detract from the movie, it added to it, so much so that I would venture that if it were shot any other way, it would never have worked.

Not bad

[soundman-21 · 7/10 · 25 July 2006]

Not bad. Pretty dang good actually for such a low budget movie. I know this movie has inspired a lot of people in my neck of the woods to follow in the technical footsteps of this film makers. I must say that while this experimental film really pushed the boundaries further reviving the super-8 format (which was already on a rebound), I found the acting of the main character rather contrived and often took me out of the movie. The editing was very disorienting and made it impossible to understand what's happening. This may be intentional and it may be by mistake but either way, their intentions are not well defined in this area. A very common mistake for indie films. The imagery was erie and disturbing, perfect for the mood of the movie. The sound was quite good in most cases. The music is non intrusive but completely and utterly forgettable. Not the kind of movie where you buy the soundtrack but it did the job as far as I can remember. But their efforts are not a wash and I hope to see more from them in the future. My biggest notes for improvement is I wish they had shot in negative film and had a professional transfer done on a Rank Cintel and that they had found a better actor for the lead role.

Amazing job all around

[chas77 · 8/10 · 17 March 2006]

Films about obsessive men hung up on elusive women have been made before (look at 80% of the Lifetime channel's programming) but "Sleep Always" is something else altogether. The lead character in this film has little going on in his life until he runs into a good-looking homeless woman (the best looking homeless woman I've ever seen!) but fortunately the film's writing and acting work well towards creating a non-clichéd story, one that stays with you long after the film ends.

This film was shot on Super-8 reversal stock (7240 for those who care) -- and it's amazing that the images look as good as they do. I was impressed by how well it was shot despite these limitations. Rather than detract, the super-8 format lends to the unsettling tone...this is creepy stuff bordering on Lynchian-territory. If you are in the mood for something offbeat and non-Hollywood I would highly recommend this film.

The lead actress was excellent -- I can see her going places. The actor, not as good, but not embarrassing either.

stellar work shot entirely in super 8 format

[fuzzyducky · 9/10 · 8 March 2006]

Visually beautiful, emotionally distant, with a Mamet-like dialogue, this short, gritty piece is a must see. It's like David Lynch only more approachable.

I really appreciated this film because there was enough of a story to still make sense, but also enough blanks throughout to keep it challenging and interesting. I don't want to give it away, but I also think it's very open to interpretation, as most great art films.

Poetry on film. Watch it.

As a disclaimer, and because I'm supposed to have 10 lines and I've said all I want to say, my name is actually Karen, but the silly IMDb form wouldn't let me change it from my log-in name -- so all who read this are aware -- I'm not 14.

Now go watch this movie!

Intense and thrilling super 8 full-length film!

[SusieSalmonLikeTheFish · 10/10 · 7 February 2015]

Super 8 film was the home movie medium of the late Sixties up until the Nineties, when it was replaced by camcorders and digital equipment. Known for its grainy, nostalgic look and vivid colors, super 8 film is popular with traditional film enthusiasts in short film festivals. Because a single cartridge of film only records up to three minutes of footage, super 8 has never really been used to record full-length feature films... until Sleep Always.

This movie honestly deserves much more recognition! I found it on youtube the other day and not only was the film style excellent, the story was intriguing and original. It follows a man who becomes infatuated with a homeless young woman named Nada, and the story progresses into something both dark and captivating. You can tell that the filmmakers put a lot of thought and effort into this movie. The actors and soundtrack were great, the urban scenery looked excellent, all in all this is a wonderful movie that more people should be aware of, and I hope that in the future, indie filmmakers try out super 8 for their creations.

Beautiful cinematography in this great, edgy psychological drama about a man who looses himself in his obsession with an alluring homeless girl. (Friendly Fire Films)

[james_e69 · 10/10 · 13 October 2006]

Unless I had known it in advance, you could not have told me that this movie was shot on super 8 with a modified, widened gate creating an aspect ratio like that on super 16mm cameras. That is in fact is how I found the movie. Googling for Super 8mm info. The cinematography in this film is first rate. I love a good edgy drama and Sleep Always delivers. An ordinary man, Frank, gets caught up in an extraordinary obsession, Nada. The film is true to life in it's storytelling and character portrayals. It realistically shows a man's downward spiral into obsession and insanity. I highly recommend this film to anyone who loves a well done indie, or good edgy psychological drama. The look of film simply can't be beat. Sleep Always is a perfect example of good writing and great camera-work in a low budget independently produced movie. It's got what so many blown out budget Hollywood flicks lack: Style, flair, individuality, class. Check them out @ http://www.friendlyfirefilms.ca