Don't Go to Sleep (1982)

I usually hate scary movies and avoid them at all costs. I watched this one when it came out.Mainly because I went to school and personally knew the actress that played the ghost.It was very odd seeing this tiny, little, sweet girl playing this very wicked ghost. She did a great job in the role.I was scared to go to sleep alright.I was glad I watched it. I still hate scary movies. but, I still enjoyed watching this movie.It isn't always possible to forget who someone is and be able delve into the character like she accomplished here. Kudos to Kristin Cumming as Jennifer.

Aaron Spelling, wanting to cash in on the slasher craze of the 80s, developed this passable little thriller concerning a family moving into a new home following the death of their eldest daughter. The surviving younger sister begins experiencing visitations from the dead one, and various tragedies occur around the house. Is it a creepy entity at work, or someone else?Most of the people that know this film (myself included) are going on their memories of it as children. Unfortunately, this muddles a modern day reception of it, as for the first time in 20 years, I viewed it last night. After a frustratingly redundant opening (girl screams in the night, annoyed dad comes running in), it finally drags into the plot. You really realize how underdeveloped the story is and how much more effective it could've been if put into better hands.OK, SPOILER TIME...More pressing issues arise, such as: is it really the dead sister, or a hallucination causing the younger sister to act out? If not, why is the dead sister --- who is seen in flashback teasing the living one --- so hell-bent on being "together" with her? What is her motivation for killing off the whole family? What's with the foreboding house address including "666" when it's never fully utilized? Is the final shot really the dead kid, or another delusion of the schizo daughter's imagination? The unanswered questions make for a great deal of aggrevation.The cast works well, but what would you expect from Weaver and Harper? Though Weaver's mixture of the boozin'/grieving/giggling father is a bit uneven, and Harper pretty much takes a backseat to the kids. Especially Ignico, who basically has to carry the whole thing. Her scenes with the pyschologist have a pleasant humor, as she smart-mouths her way through them.In the end, this is nothing more than a batch of bizarre, bloodless scenes trying to carry a ghostly throwback-type spook show. Pieces of it work at times, but on the whole, it's lacking. And the shock ending (complete with freeze frame on "Executive Producer Aaron Spelling") was a little too easy, though the back lighting made for a good final jolt.

Judging by the unspectacular synopsis and unremarkable VHS cover art, "Don't go to Sleep" looks like one of those random and unremarkable made-for-TV thriller/horror films of the early eighties, but it actually becomes a pleasantly surprising and rewarding experience when you finally decide to give it a viewing chance. This is a genuinely creepy, hugely atmospheric, convolutely scripted and originally themed thriller with astonishing acting performances from the entire cast (including the children) and a couple of jump moments you aren't likely to forget throughout your whole life. There isn't any gore or sleazy here, since it's a TV-movie, but the solid screenplay all the more proves that not a single drop of blood is required in order to saddle up the audience with nightmares. The movie begins with a family of four moving into grandmother's big house. Some time earlier, their oldest daughter Jennifer died in a horrible car accident and particularly the other daughter, Mary, had a rough time processing the loss. Already the first night, it seems as if the restless and furious spirit of Jennifer rudely attempts to get into contact with Mary through eerie noises and even by setting her bad on fire. Apparently Jennifer blames her entire family for her untimely death and seeks vengeance through her little sister. Or perhaps it's just Mary who still hasn't dealt with her death and requires urgent psychiatric help? With "Don't go to Sleep", director Richard Lang builds up slowly but surely towards a devastating and indescribably tense climax that literally left me speechless. Throughout the middle section there are a few loose ends and slightly incoherent sequences, but the last 15 to 20 minutes are sheer adrenalin rushing creepiness. Even the inevitable and necessary dose of melodrama – following the death of another young child – is extremely well handled and plausible. The movie owes a lot of its power and impact to the terrific performances of the entire cast, and particularly of the three child actors depicting the family's offspring. Usually, child characters in horror tend to be very annoying and even prevent the films from being shocking, but that definitely isn't the case here. Oliver Robbins (the kid from "Poltergeist") is more than decent as the sister-teasing brat son, and Robin Ignico and Kristin Cummings are both tremendous as the deadly girls' duo. Never knew little girls wearing traditional dresses could be this scary! If you're a real thriller/horror buff, don't sleep before you track down a copy of this marvelous film!

This was an OK movie, not great but not bad either.Some OK frights... sometimes the child actors were quite bad.I saw it through an old VHS.I have no idea if this on DVD? I wouldn't buy for full price...Rentable, and if you find this in the sales for 5.99 then you can buy it.Maybe if you are not a horror fan? For old horror fans this is good... for others not much worth.I HATE THIS 10 LINE RULE =D I HATE THIS 10 LINE RULE =D I HATE THIS 10 LINE RULE =D I HATE THIS 10 LINE RULE =D