Dr. Sander's Sleep Cure

I have to say I'm currently feeling very positive about this film, after having seen this at the domestic premiere. I entered with mixed feelings, but the bizarre episodic story drew me in quite fast.

Having had my own share of nightmares and sleeplessness, the makers of the film capture the essence of this condition well. The feverish dreams that seem to last forever but in reality only take seconds, or then seem to last for a second but in fact go on for ever....

There's a lot of picturesque scenery and the color scheme is interesting, changing from nightmare to nightmare. Also, some very pretty ladies in the cast.

We found this film lacking in horror, but what it missed in scares, it made up for with an engaging plot and impressive visuals. The music was also a highlight-keep an ear out for the unexpected song at the end! We chose to watch this film after learning that the director himself holds a Guinness World Record for playing nearly 50 different roles. At some point, we lost count, but the experience was entertaining, and some of the stories stayed with us long after the credits rolled. Overall, I think it's worth 8 out of 10, if not for anything else, then for being quite different from other horror flicks that were watched this week.

I saw this fun little film at my local horror movie festival. That being said, there isn't terribly much horror to it (in the modern sense) except in a few parts. However it does show its horror anthology genetics and you do feel a sort of building anxiety through the frame narrative.

The collections of stories are great and deeply atmospheric. A nice mix of practical effects with a lot of CGI-- but it adds to the charm and feel of this being a one man show. That being said, Sander himself is not always the star and does a great job in the spot light as well as in the supporting cast. In fact, the whole crew did a great job.

It's a wonderfully odd mashup of tales-- it's like O Henry and the Twilight Zone mixed with just a bit of Hammer Horror across a multitude of periods. And with set dressing/production reminiscent alternately between Sky Captain/Sin City (at its most immersive and decadent), to 90s BBC, to minimalist single set indie film, to even something hinting at German Expressionism. And all with the through line of a dark sense of humor.

Some of the stories play out with predictable results, but then the Twilight Zone formula has spoiled us all on the "twist" ending. And I can't stress enough the charm of each piece, so even though you can kind of foresee the ending, you'll enjoy the ride.

All in all, a very fun watch and worth your time.

A man (one of the many roles of the director and writer Mart Sander himself) can't find sleep and then puts on a weird cassette tape that is supposed to make the listener drowsy.

First the dreams are slower, then they speed up. The man sees himself in his dreams - first there is one of him, then two, then a lot more!

To be honest, I actually felt sleepy when listening to the hypnotic, purring voice (once more, Sander himself). Especially. Since I watched the film very late at night. So I identified myself with the poor man, because every time another nightmare began, I jolted awake and the sleep was gone.

I just saw Dr. Sanders Sleep Cure today at the 25th Annual Nevermore Film Festival in Durham, NC.

From the outset, the film was compelling with beautifully shot scenes, original quirky artifacts, and brilliantly acted roles. The director, Martin Sander, appears in the film forty-eight times in distinct roles. I loved the stylistic uniqueness that Martin brings to the film.

It's a charmingly soothing film with hints of Stanley Kubrick, from my perspective, and is complemented with well-timed bits of humor and subtle horror.

I can't recommend this film enough, especially if you are longing for art that harkens back to the era of cinema escapism in all its lovely aura.