Product Description

Miles Monroe has been cryogenically frozen for 100 years. When he's illegally awakened, he discovers he's a wanted criminal in world that has drastically changed from the one he left behind.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3148 in DVD
• Released on: 2000-07-05
• Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Formats: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, NTSC
• Original language: English, Spanish
• Subtitled in: French, Spanish
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 87 minutes

Amazon.com essential video
If Interiors was Woody Allen's Bergman movie, and Stardust Memories was his Fellini movie, then you could say that Sleeper is his Buster Keaton movie. Relying more on visual/conceptual/slapstick gags than his trademark verbal wit, Sleeper is probably the funniest of what would become known as Allen's "early, funny films" and a milestone in his development as a director. Allen plays Miles Monroe, cryogenically frozen in 1973 (he went into the hospital for an ulcer operation) and unthawed 200 years later. Society has become a sterile, Big Brother-controlled dystopia, and Miles joins the underground resistance--joined by a pampered rich woman (Diane Keaton at her bubbliest). Among the most famous gags are Miles's attempt to impersonate a domestic-servant robot; the Orgasmatron, a futuristic home appliance that provides instant pleasure; a McDonald's sign boasting how-many-trillions served; and an inflatable suit that provides the means for a quick getaway. The kooky unthawing scenes were later blatantly (and admittedly) ripped off by Mike Myers in Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery. --Jim Emerson

Customer Reviews

A classic. Must have.
For social commentary movies, this is a classic. Was this Sienfeld before Seinfeld? Self absorbed people being self absorbed...

Classic Comedy
Sleeper has some great one-liners as well as some hilarious scenes. The revival of Mr. Monroe in a post-apocalyptic world is definitely one of Woody Allen's best!

Sleeper
Woody Allen is Miles Monroe, owner of a health food store, frozen 200 years after entering the hospital for a routine operation. He awakens in a brave new world and must overthrow the repressive government. He is hilarious as he is in all his early films. His comedy derives from a willingness to laugh at himself. He defines comedy as "tragedy plus time." Woody was the Graucho Marx of his era. Comedy being relative, different generations laugh at different things. Would today's audiences laugh at the robot bit? Diane Keaton became his counterpart.