With his film Sleepless, Dario Argento returns to the genre that once made him famous, the Giallo. Simply put, the Giallo is a detective story/murder mystery. Similar in substance, Giallo's usually follow a black gloved killer shrouded in darkness until the surprise finale in which the killer is revealed. Not so similar in the case of Argento, is his style, and he remains unmatched to this day in that department. Sleepless is no exception, and it's a breath of fresh air to finally see Argento return to his roots.

Retired Detective Moretti (Max Von Sydow in a knockout performance) is brought back to reopen a case he left 17 years ago, the case of the killer dwarf. 17 years after the case was closed, copycat murders bring Moretti back to work. Moretti also enlists the help of Stefano whose mother was also a victim of the brutal murderer years earlier. The two slowly get drawn into a disturbing game of cat and mouse, and no one is safe including those around them.

While Sleepless cannot compare to some of Argento's best Giallo work (Tenebrae, Deep Red) it is a solid entry in the Giallo genre at such a late point in the game. The genre is obviously not dead, and Sleepless is definite proof of this. This isn't to say that the film isn't flawed. As with many Argento films, it is. However, if you put style over substance (as you have to do with many an Argento film) you will not be disappointed, and you will enjoy a fun ride.

Argento Favorite Sergio Stivaletti (Opera, Cemetary Man, Demons) provides the ghastly special effects, some of which are extremely brutal, even for Argento. Most of the effects are extremely effective, with a few exceptions. Argento fans will not be disappointed in the gore department as the red stuff flows plentiful.

This 2 disc special edition released by MIA is nothing short of astounding. For starters, we get the feature itself in a near flawless anamorphic widescreen transfer. Colors are strong and stable, and there is minimal print damage (that amounts to a spec here or there). The 5.1 soundtrack is subtle yet effective, basically it gets the job done, without blowing you away. The score by Argento favorites Goblin (it's great to have them back) is solid at best and sounds incredible. Disc 1 also brings us a brief, yet informative behind the scenes featurette, a trailer (no English, sorry folks), bios and a still gallery. Disc 2 brings us the made for cable documentary Dario Argento : An Eye for Horror. The 60 minute documentary (which aired on Bravo last year) is also presented in an anamorphic widescreen transfer and also looks outstanding. Audio is an acceptable 2.0 mix, which once again, is right on the mark. The documentary is textbook Argento so rabid fans won't find too much new in here. However, it's a blast to see some former Argento collaborators again and it's worth the price of admission to hear horror greats like Romero and Carpenter sing the praises of Argento. The 2nd disc is also rounded out with a still gallery.

I know Sleepless has been getting mixed reviews, they're all across the spectrum. Compared to Argento's most recent work, Sleepless is not a film to be taken lightly. Argento is a master at painting a nightmare, and Sleepless is no exception. We know the narrative is gonna be a bit weak, Argento is most certainly not known as a master storyteller. One thing Argento can do, is disturb and frighten, and he knows how to direct effective horror films (better than anyone else I might add). Let him take you for a ride, and drop you off in the middle of a dark and disturbing dream. Believe me, you will not be disappointed.

Note: This 2 disc set is Region 2 and PAL. You will need a region free dvd player that also has the ability to play PAL DVDs. There was a full frame bare bones edition released locally that you should probably skip, unless it's your only option to check out this flick.