From: bole@hmivax.humgen.upenn.edu (Greg Bole)
Newsgroups: alt.horror,rec.arts.movies,rec.arts.sf.movies
Subject: Re: Sleepwalkers *SPOILERS*
Summary: *DON'T* GO SEE THIS MOVIE!!!
Date: 14 Apr 92 00:27:06 GMT
Followup-To: alt.horror
Organization: HHMI/Human Genetics, Univ of Pa.

In article <1992Apr13.213034.2869@kithrup.COM>, sef@kithrup.COM 
(Sean Eric Fagan) writes:
> I disagree.  While I felt the film had shortcomings, it wasn't stupid, not
> really.  And things were explained adequately for me.
First of all, you are intitled to your opinions and I won't say they
are wrong...but boy do I disagree.  I have absolutly *NO* idea how you,
or anyone, could have liked this film.  I'm not saying that because I didn't
like it, no-one should.  It's just that I didn't see *one* redeaming quality
in it...ok, besides Madchen Amick!  And the plot had holes big enough to
drive Christine through!

> Why not?  They need a name, don't they?
But what do they have to do with sleep?  The fact the mother and son "sleep"
toghter?  And how about walking?  I mean they DRIVE places!  :^)
 
> Uhm, actually, that was explained within the first two minutes of the film.
> Maybe you missed it.  The little written text that said they were only
> vulnerable to a cat's scratch.  If a cat could kill me with a scratch, I'd
> probably be terrified of them, as well.
OK, great...fine...now we know why they are afraid of cats.  But we still have
no idea why cats are the only thing that can hurt them!  OK, fine...vampires...
garlic.  No problem.  But cats?  You think a yard full of kittys is ominous?
It made the whole theater chuckle!
 
> "Life force."  Also explained in the beginning.  Next time you see a movie,
> maybe you should watch *all* of it, first, before slamming it.
Do they also explain why it can be stopped by the virgin closing her mouth?
Not such an efficent way to suck "life-force", now is it?  And we also had
no clue why the mother couldn't do the sucking...we are starting to build up 
quite a few "unexplained" plot elements now.  Do you think it's *scarier* to
wander around in the dark, when it comes to the PLOT too?
 
> Why do unicorns amble up to virgins?  Because they're *pure*.  It happens to
> be a traditional element in legends and myths.  But, again, I guess you
> missed that.
No, he didn't miss it.  It was just stupid.  It's fine and dandy for unicorn 
myths, but modern gore/horror?  Does he check the privates of all women he
wants to "feed" on?  Is he afraid of Aids?
 
> As the mother remarked, they hadn't seen any other sleepwalkers
> (even though she wouldn't admit that they were the last).  
Hmmmmm, another dangling, unexplained plot line.  You seem to be a glutton!

> More, the sleepwalkers seemed to have had a presence in ancient Egypt 
> (you know, the place where cats were considered sacred, where one of the 
> gods had a cat's head, where the royal families were incredibly incestuous?).
The cats were sacred because they were a force of *good* and *luck*, so why 
are these evil/cat/demon/vampire creature things evil?
 
> What symbol?  That cats are the natural enemies of the sleepwalkers.  I
> think that's a good reason for them to be frightened of them.
But WHY?????
 
>>The problem is that real cats are much less scary than the
>>hissing demonic felines portrayed in the movie poster. 
> Never been attacked by an angry cat, I see.
The cats in the movie looked more like Tooncis, than Sher Khan!
And the attacked like the "killer bunny" from _The Holy Grail_!
 
> Gosh.  You're *right*!  There is *never* any corny dialogue between
> teenagers when they've just met and are trying to make a favorable
> impression for the other!
Are you trying to say you found the acting and dialogue in this movie 
believeable???  I'm impressed!  That's quite a suspension of disbelief
you've got there!!!
 
> Once again, it is mentioned, at the beginning of the film, that the
> sleepwalkers are shapeshifters, and the probably source of the vampire
> legend.  But since it was written, I guess you didn't see it.
*I* read the beginning thing, and it made as little sense to me as it did 
to the original poster.  The "sleepwalkers" had all of these ridiculous
powers, and then never used them when the would have helped! 
 
>>Make an unusual noise, however, and you're likely to be noticed anyway.)
than how is it that the "dim" son could yell at the cat to be quit, with out
the obligitory-black-guy-that-buys-it hearing?
 
> A movie is *so* much better when they explain *EVERYTHING*.  Can't have 
> the audience thinking, you know.
You were actually *thinking* during this film?  It had dulled my brain cells
to the point were *I* felt I was sleepwalking.  I just wish my nocturnal
rambles had taken me out of the theater.
 
> Any opinions expressed are my own, and generally unpopular with others.
Gee, I wonder why?

The only reason I attended this dreadful film, and sat through the entire thing
is that I am a movie reviewer, and boy...am I gonna have a ball trashing this
one!  It wins the award of *worst* film I have ever seen in a theater.  And
frankly, I'm amazed that anyone over the age of 16 could find a shread of
enjoyment out of it!

Greg Bole                           Indiana Jones - "Professor of Archeology,
bole@hmivax.humgen.upenn.edu        expert on the occult, and how does one 
                                    say it?  Obtainer of rare antiquities."
                                         _Raiders of the Lost Ark_