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The Sandman
Directed By J.R. Bookwalter
Released: 1996
Starring: A.J. Richards, Rita Gutowski, Terry J. Lipko, and James Viront
Running Time: 90 minutes
DVD Released By Tempe Video 2006
Gary (played by A.J. Richards) is stuck in his career as a romance
novelist and stuck in his relationship with his girlfriend, Maris (Rita
Gutowski), who hates the fact that Gary is just barely getting by in life.
He’s also stuck with his cousin named Ozzy (Matthew Jason Walsh) who shows
up in the middle of the night, looking for a place to crash. Worst of all,
Gary is stuck in a trailer park that is the feeding ground of a creature
known as The Sandman, that steals people’s soul while they’re dreaming.
When Maris and Gary’s friends are threatened by the creature, Gary teams
up with Zachariah (James Viront), a crazy Vietnam vet, to try and stop The
Sandman once and for all.
The Sandman
comes from director J.R. Bookwalter (The
Dead Next Door,
Ozone) and oh
brother, this is some hard stuff to sit through. The small budget doesn’t
hurt this indie horror flick but a generic script, poor pacing, and some
bad performances run The Sandman
into the ground. The first half hour of the movie is terribly bogged down
with very little action but a few clever moments (The Gerald Rivers Show
being one of them) help things move a little. The Sandman creature is
passable but certainly not spectacular with its glowing red eyes
(flashlights?) and clunky skeletal hands.
One of the most bizarre things I noticed about
The Sandman is the
ability of the lead actors, A.J. Richards and Rita Gutowski to ruin their
scenes together. The love story between Gary and Maris is a major misstep
in the plotting of the film thanks to these two actors’ lack of chemistry.
I kept wishing for a horrifying and agonizing death for both of these
characters. Oh well. Most of the supporting cast shine far beyond the
leads and manage to turn in some quirky and fun performances. James Viront
is great as the slightly insane Vietnam War veteran Zachariah and Terry J.
Lipko is superbly sleazy as Gary’s photographer friend Bud. Even
screenwriter Matthew Jason Walsh’s portrayal of the bizarre and zoned out
metalhead named Ozzy is fun to watch.
The Sandman
is an obscure indie that should have stayed obscure. The troubled
“romance” between Gary and Maris is repugnant enough to make me squirm
around on my couch in pain and the film just won’t end as its 90 minute
running time just drags along. Better (or at least moderately
entertaining) lead actors and a shorter running time could have saved this
one from being such a painful mess. Could have, would have, should have,
whatever, at least the dream sequences are cool and the ensemble
supporting cast saves the day.
DVD Stuff:
The Sandman
disc looks and sounds quite good considering that this film was shot on
video over a decade ago. Extras include commentary with Bookwalter and
co-producer James L. Edwards, a “Making
The Sandman” feature, deleted scenes, and
a music video called “Plymouth” by Jo-Ann Barton. The mulletastic video by
Barton is the best of the special features. It’s hard not to jump out of
your chair and pump your fist to this little musical miracle stuck
somewhere between the 80s and the 90s. Lovely!
Links:
For more info, check out
Tempe Video.
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