Don't Go to Sleep (1982)

Perfect cast and a good story

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

I remember watching "Don't Go to Sleep" on television when it first came out in 1982. At the time, I was in my teens, able to remember much of the movie, for this is one of those that stays with you over the years, even if you cannot remember the title of it.A young girl dies in a car accident and seeks revenge on her family by using her sister as a medium for the ghostly activity. One by one, the family members get knocked off through mysterious circumstances.Dennis Weaver (Duel) and Valerie Harper star as the parents who are having marital troubles, as well as troubled relationships with their surviving children, Mary (Robin Ignico) and Kevin (Oliver Robins). The young siblings always seem to be fighting, yet there is one seeming comfort for Mary: the ghost of her dead sister, Jennifer (Kristin Cumming). The story is tightly written, unwinds nicely over the stretch of 93 minutes that keeps the viewer sitting on the edge of the seat. As a psychological study, it is brilliant; as a horror story, it is genius with a subtle touch. A must see for any fan of ghost stories.

I watched this film with my girlfriend, thinking it would be really exciting and scary after reading all the positive reviews on here. After sitting though this for 90 minutes, it turned out to be a real dull experience for both of us. I really wanted to like the film but I just couldn't. The film lacked any real eeriness or shocking scenes. The house was not creepy to create an environment of fear and all the attempts at any chills or horror where all standard stuff. Dennis Weaver played the husband and father to his wife and children, his character came across as a weak and pathetic individual who was unable to take charge or do anything except winge and whine like a girl and drink alcohol. He wasn't the take charge kind of Father of Husband. He reminded me of his Character "David Mann" in his most famous film "Duel" as a weak businessman that was having marital problems and being stalked by a truck on the road. He could not carry this film or get me interested in caring for his character.The scene with the giant green lizard was hilarious and just stupid; you could see this thing travelling through the house with the camera behind it, being carried to a bedroom by someone and then crawling on a bed with silly terrifying music in a bid to build up the scene. It is then seen slowly crawling under the covers with its webbed feet on the sleeping grandma's pyjamas and crawls up to her neck. Oh my goodness, it gives her a heart attack and next thing we see her in a stretcher! The psychiatrist scenes are flat and uninteresting. Robert Webber is very wooden with his acting and seems very miscast and the script lacks any clever psychological mind games between the sister and psychiatrist. The film plods along with various cast members being killed and hurt in accidents. All scenes are very standard and nothing is scary. The final scene that everyone seems to think is terrifying is just a joke! Shiver me timbers what was that! A 10 second scene with an apparition appearing in a bedroom and then the credits start rolling, if you're under 10 years old you might have been shivering with fear but not as an adult. Stay away from this one!

****Contains Spoiler**** I remember watching this movie when I was about 7 with my Cricket Doll (don't laugh you probably had one too) and it freaked me out!! I loved it!! For some reason I could not find it anywhere especially not in a video store! All I could remember was the scene where Jennifer's shoe laces were tied together in the car and the car blowing up as well as the creepy ending. I am 26 years old now and this movie has stuck in the back of my head ever since! The scariest moment to me was at the end when Jennifer raises up at the foot of the bed and says "Hi Mommy!" Oooooohhhh it gave me chills!!! I bought the only one that I could find of this movie on Ebay (March 2008)on DVD!!!! This is extremely rare (those of you that are searching for this will agree with me.) I watched it for the first time in about 10 years and it scared me again in a retro-cheesy kind of way. It may be old but it took me a little while before I could go to sleep!!! Good luck in finding this movie it is soooooo worth getting and when you get a hold of it never let it go!!!-Shana

For those who are critical of this movie, I want to REMIND them that this movie was extreme and excellent for its TIME. I'm so happy I found the title and just like so many of you, I saw it as a kid, my eyes bugged out at the under the bed scene and when she wielded the pizza cutter AT HER MOTHER (OMG!) haha! and for months, couldn't get it out of my head, so I clicked "old horror pizza cutter" into my search engine until I found the title!! YAY! It cracks me up on how many of us were kids when we saw it and how most of us probably didn't sleep right for a few nights- too funny!I would LOVE to see a remake in today's special effects!! The plot was excellent, effects..well it was the 80's and the best thing we ever had was E.T. and pac man. Other stuff that made its impression on me, was the mini-series V (sadly it looks too fake now to be pulled in) that series with that family who traveled thru out the galaxy- have to still look that title up, oh and there's others. The Twilight Zone and Outer limits were always good for freaking me out. Good stuff!