Light Sleeper (Standard Edition)

Bought for a personal reason and it was fine.

As a director Schrader has a very important role in cinema history. His films are unique, and marked with his stamp (usually violent and bleak). I wouldn't choose one of his films to take to a desert island, but, when in the mood, they are all worth seeing and have something different to offer, though not in a populist way. This one is very bleak and depressing for the most part and slow to start, but the last 40 minutes change the tone and become tense and pretty violent. What made this film watchable in particular, for me anyway, was the 2 leads. I can watch Dafoe gaze into space for 10 mintes and not get bored. Somehow he just oozes character and his own form of charisma. Plenty of evidence of that here, as well as his buttocks. Then there is Susan Sarandon, and actress I can watch gazing into space....Not classically beautiful, but, my goodness she does it for me. A surprise was Dana Delaney, not my favourite actress (Body of Proof/Desperate Housewives as pretty unlikeable characters). Here she is excellent. Vulnerable, angry, and surprisingly, tastefully nude. . I can't recomend the film to everyone, but if you are in the mood for something different/thoughtful/a bit unusual, and you like the director, stars, then you could get a lot of pleasure here. The INDICATOR BLURAY is a fine transfer (a lot of the film is a nighttime shoot), good sound, and subtitles. A lot of extras all listed here, but not yet seen by me.

Schrader's masterpiece, a real life portrait of NYC before it became a yuppie haven. A story about personal discipline, trust in one's self and one's friends with a big time Bressonian payoff at the end. The story ( a drug dealer's life transition) is trite. The real story, about how trust and hope and the belief in outside grace can make life worthwhile, is deeply touching, suspenseful and joyous. Schrader had not presented this kind of payoff in a film since American Gigolo. It is among the most moving and comforting climaxes of any movie in the last 25 years and I've seen 90% of anything worth watching or even considering. With career best (including Last Temptation) performances by both Dafoe and Sarandon and a really decent widescreen transfer by Optimum (although no decent extras) any real fan who has missed this has missed one of the truly sublime moments in Paul Schrader's career. And you know that he is an artist who counts. Watch it, there is nothing to lose and everything to gain. In an article in Film Comment, Schrader lays down some groundrules for great cinema. One of them, which had not really resonated with me before, is repeatability. This is a film which one can watch over and over again with special friends and by oneself, and always receive a tremendous and positive emotional charge. See for yourself.

All films widen one's worlds!!

an overlooked film from Paul Schrader from the writer taxi driver the returns of gods lonely man.

Susan Sarandon is fab as always. The film is good and worth seeing.

It sums up all the topics of Schraeder's movies, with a great cast, a dark and sad atmosphere. That said, it's not such an unforgettable movie. It conveys a sense of disperation, but it's not at Schraeder's best (not like Affliction, Taxi Driver, Harcore)

Great movie! Blu-ray has very good picture and sound.