StunnaKrypto Self-important, over-dramatic, uninspired.

SoftInloveRox Horrible, fascist and poorly acted

Bessie Smyth Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

Nicole I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

FountainPen The only bearable part of this flick was the dancing scene and even that was fairly tame. This flick apparently is an an attempt at being an homage to the 80s slasher movies. Nope, it don't come close, not scary, suspenseful, but rather hum-drum ~~ and VERY poorly acted. Too many people these days are trying to make horror films with a minimal budget and modest talent. In the past couple of months, I've watched over a hundred horror & zombie genre flicks, and can mark only a handful at 5 or higher. It would be nice for a classic to come along one day soon: something to mark a line in the sand. If nothing NEW can be produced by the fine cinematic minds of today, then go all out to make a movie that surpasses one of the existing classics. This film falls terribly short. I had to rate it one. Let me add that the several reviews that give a rating of 7 or higher are probably from cast or crew members, or their friends/relatives.

Coventry There are certain movies that you instantly put on your wish list as soon as you discover their existence. In my case, shallow as it may sound, this reflex largely depends on the cover art illustration. I have a weakness for horror movies with vintage posters, kind of like how they all looked in the raunchy seventies and lurid eighties. When coincidentally stumbling upon the IMDb page of "The Sleeper" a few months ago, with its poster image that bears a lot of resemblance with such films as "Don't Go in the House", "Black Christmas" and "The Dorm that Dripped Blood", and simultaneously reading that writer/director Justin Russell intends to bring a throwback to the typically sorority-slash movies of that same era, the film immediately climbed up in my must-see list. I still love 80's horror, many of my friends still love 80's horror and apparently a lot of people across the globe still love 80's horror, as this glorious decade continues to inspire young filmmakers in the genre. After seeing the film I can safely say that Justin Russell knows the classics, the tricks and the do's and don'ts of 80's horror and, despite of many people (semi-righteously) complaining that "The Sleeper" looks overly polished and nearly not raw and sleazy enough, I feel that he hit the exact right tone in terms of atmosphere, photography and editing. The plot is rudimentary and straightforward, like it ought to be. The year is 1981 and the cute and lewd sisters of the Alpha Gamma Theta sorority are being harassed and brutally slain by a crazed stalker. This pervert sits around his lair, drivels and drools over the girls' photographs and petrifies them with obscene phone calls. As soon as they're dumb enough to separate themselves from the group, whether to shower or go to the gym, the "sleeper" (nicknamed this way because he puts the girls to sleep and marks their pictures with "ZZZ") sees his chance to sadistically massacre them with a hammer or various other garden tools. That's the plot! Isn't it lovely? Naturally there are some massive flaws to detect in the script as well. The pacing is overall too slow and irregular and several of the intentional "spoof" moments miss their effect, like the ridiculous musical/line dance sequence. The defaults are, however, widely compensated through the extremely gross (and deliciously campy) make-up effects, the raunchy atmosphere of long lost misogynic slashers and that irresistible 80's vibe that all the cast members so vividly translate to the screen. The clothes, the hairstyles, the teenage slang … It all makes perfect sense and catapults you straight back to the eighties. Personally, I even liked the bad aspects of "The Sleeper" because the vast majority of 80's slashers were, in fact, bad but tremendously enjoyable efforts. If you're still not convinced, then please give the movie the benefit of the doubt if it were only for the soundtrack provided by Gremlin. If this band, obviously inspired by the Italian cult band Goblin, doesn't spark your sense for 80's nostalgia, nothing ever will...

trashgang So many haters and lovers for this return to the original slashers, the heydays beginning in the eighties. Please stop complaining about the way it was filmed and no scratches on the reel and ugly women and no story at all. Let me say this, I enjoyed it and I grew up with the slashers coming out on daily base and I have so many laying here on VHS that never were released and aren't even worth watching but this does. Maybe I agree that the look of the film wasn't really eighties by which I mean, no scratches at all and no too dark passages or bad sound. Face it, if it was filmed in 1981 (the year this flick took place) then it surely would have that look but cameras and technique do progress and it's all HD and DV cams nowadays so to make it look 'old' isn't that simple or you have to add fake scratches afterwards when you are colourgrading or in post production. At least he didn't use to much extra lighting.But back to the flick, it do has all items a slasher should have, it do has a score with equipment outdated made by Gremlin, sounds close to the old Argento giallo's with Goblin, hahaha. That's already an ode to that era. It do has POV shots from the killer, there is a heroin, there is the so needed nudity, everything counts. The acting won't win a BAFTA or an Oscar but the main lead Amy (Brittany Belland) was in her first role and she did well. Maybe the talking at the party is a bit of a wooden acting but overall I do dig it. As I said earlier here and in other reviews, there is more terrible acting out there...To come back on the nudity. I guess reviewers reacting that she was ugly, well, at least it wasn't a two a penny fake tits wannabee, I think the hoi polloi nowadays are used to see C or D cups as fake as it could be. Back in the original eighties fake breasts didn't exist, whatever. It is out there to see and she's do has a normal look, nothing fake here. Someone complaining on the plastic used when one girl is being smashed, for a ultra low budget it was nicely done (editing) and there's a lot of red stuff in it. Not that it is gory but still it works. The killer itself isn't explained why he does the killing and who he is and what is wrong with his eyes. But there are more slashers out without any explanation. I came across this flick because I still searching OOP ex rental exploitation and horror flicks on VHS. The limited package that is available has a VHS (NTSC) and DVD coming in a box that will give old school buffs a hard on. With a trailer, really made old school for a non existing horror.A nice slasher with all elements included to make it a slasher. it isn't perfect but it is above average. And no, I have nothing to do with this flick. I just review in a honest way, I even don't live in the US. Pick it up today.Gore 3/5 Nudity 1/5 Effects 3/5 Story 3/5 Comedy 0/5

godfatherometal this had all the elements to be a great homage to the 80's but it fails because the acting is god awful and the effects couldn't touch what they did in the 80's with movies like The Prowler and The Burning don't get me wrong i really wanted to love this movie and couldn't wait to see it especially the old school VHS/DVD packaging the movie came in but i was disappointed on so many levels i think it was trying to copy the same element as Slumber Party Massacre but at least those movies had semi decent acting as opposed to the horrible stiff acting in The Sleeper,i'm still very interested to see what the director will offer in the future he had a decent grindhouse homage with Deathstop Holocaust that wasn't bad at all