No One Sleeps

This must be perhaps one of the worst gay films ever made. A contrived plot based on a popular conspiracy can't keep this one afloat. And Irit Levi's acting deserves a Razzie for her static, cardboard as a Domino's Pizza delivery. She's the one who rose above the rest! As far as the sound editing, it's like they filmed it in a long narrow tunnel... made of tin......I thought maybe it was a stylistic effect- for the people on the right drugs. And what's up with that freak in the sex club scene? What is up with this whole film?

A not-uninteresting, if somewhat contrived premise -- a gay grad student comes to San Francisco to continue his late father's research into the alleged US govt. creation of the AIDS virus, happening to arrive just as a serial killer connected with the plot is starting his work. But the story is as muddled as the soundtrack, and the student has to be the most hapless and inept amateur sleuth in movie history: A key suspect is right under his very nose (not to mention other body parts) but it never occurs to him to investigate, or even be a little nervous....The S&M sex stuff has nothing to do with the story, it's just there for sensationalism. And some sort of special Oscar should be invented for performances of the badness of Irit Levy's as the detective.

The plot line of No One Sleeps is not a bad idea, and the subject matter is of quite a bit of interest. But, throughout watching this film, we were saying aloud, "These filmmakers go to the trouble of finding good locations, the lighting is good, makeup and hair are good...why is the sound so bad?" Throughout the film the sound was echoy, garbled and much of the dialog was unintelligible.

There is some good acting in this film, and I think Jim Thalman is really a good actor. This story, with some of the same actors, would have been worth doing as a high-budget film.

I just can't reiterate enough - if you have a limited budget, dedicate more to good sound. Sound is as much a part of a film as the image, and it's worth doing right. Could've earned a 6.

I saw this film at the Sarasota film festival in Florida. The synopsis I read sounded intriguing, but the film did not live up to my expectations. The emphisis on the gay sexual lifestyle of the main characters took away from the possibly fantastic storyline; the character's experiences were interwoven with an opera and an ongoing investigation, but the movie almost goes for shock value in a way. I can't say I enjoyed it at all, except for the actual cinematography was pretty great. Overall, a 4/10.

"No One Sleeps" is perhaps the worst film I have ever seen. Looking past the extremely poor acting, shockingly poor (and often hilarious) screenplay, incredibly cheap and uninteresting cinematography and terribly generic serial killer plot, Mr. Hicks' film is obsessed with the morbid, tawdry parts of gay life - which is fine - but he never makes any kind of comment or statement on them. So what's the point? The use of Turandot throughout is so forced (and so annoying) that it becomes laughable. Really mind boggling how stupid this one was. Honestly, some of the worst acting I've ever seen projected on a screen - one wonders, however, whether to blame the actors or the piss-poor lines they've been given. Tom Wlaschiha, as the lead, does have his moments ... but they are rather few. I'm sure there are those who would defend this film by hiding behind its (obviously) small budget - but watch it and you'll know that's no excuse.