THE SCIENCE OF SLEEP (2006). Michel Gondry previously helmed Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, yet his latest picture (which he both wrote and directed) is so out there that it makes that Charlie Kaufman-penned movie seem as streamlined as Bambi by comparison. With its dialogue alternately spoken in English, French and Spanish, this oddity stars Babel's Gael Garcia Bernal as Stephane, a Mexican artist who lands a dull job working at a calendar publishing firm in Paris. Stephane has a hard time keeping his waking life separate from his dream state; this causes several complications both professionally and personally, the latter mainly built around his relationship with his neighbor Stephanie (Charlotte Gainsbourg). Gondry established his rep as the creator of acclaimed commercials and music videos, yet while this film allows him to once more tap into those largely unregulated arenas, his real inspiration seems to come from Jan Svankmajer and the Brothers Quay -- those masters of offbeat (and unsettling) animated efforts -- to say nothing of Freud, Jung and Adler. The Science of Sleep employs deliberately rudimentary effects and slipshod animation to convey Stephane's REM visions, yet it also posits the character as a childlike individual whose inability to cope with adult emotions balances him precariously between untainted innocence and creepy obsession. It's a shame the movie pulls back from examining this angle -- a sense of danger would have completed the package -- but as it stands, it's still a marvel of wide-eyed whimsy. DVD extras include audio commentary by Gondry, Bernal and Gainsbourg, and a 40-minute making-of feature.
Movie: ***
Extras: **1/2
SLAUGHTER OF THE VAMPIRES (1962). An unfortunate entry in the vampire canon, this snoozer (also known under the title Curse of the Blood-Ghouls) goes for Gothic grandeur but instead exudes about as much atmosphere as a Count Chocula commercial. An Italian production defeated by atrocious dubbing, this casts Dieter Eppler as one of the least erotic and least menacing vampires on celluloid. Buried under pancake makeup that renders him fey rather than feral, this vampire is prone to crouching behind bushes to avoid torch-wielding peasants -- can you imagine Christopher Lee's Count ever acting this way? The Van Helsing equivalent, meanwhile, is cast with an actor (Luigi Batzella) who would seem more at home wooing lonely widows at vacation resorts than driving stakes through the hearts of bosom-heaving bloodsuckers. DVD extras include a short interview with Eppler and the theatrical trailer.
Movie: *1/2
Extras: *1/2
Mobile
