Containing many elements that parody notable works of science fiction such as George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four and H.G. Wells' The Sleeping Man, the film stars Allen as a jazz musician and health-food store owner Miles Monroe who enters hospital to undergo a routine gall bladder operation. When the operation goes wrong, Miles' sister requests that his body be congenically frozen (without his consent). 200 years later he is revived by a group of scientists and awakens to a "brave new world" in which society has been rendered to a level of deadening conformity, ruled with an iron fist by an omni-present leader.
It emerges that the scientists are in fact a group of revolutionary activists whose mission is to infiltrate a secret plan, implemented by the leader, known as the Aires Project. With Miles having no biometric identity, they try to persuade him to act as their espionage agent...
Whilst certainly one of the more visual examples of Allen's early filmography, relying more on conceptual/slapstick gags than his trademark verbal wit, it is still undeniably one of his funniest films of his career with practically every joke and every one-liner hitting the target. If you've seen Stanley Kubrick's masterpiece 2001: A Space Odyssey, then the actor playing the voice of the evil computer in Sleeper will be instantly recognisable. Sleeper also acts as a fitting love letter to two of Woody Allen's comedy inspirations: Benny Hill (for his slapstick comedy, raucous music, and sped-up motion scenes) and Bob Hope (for his one-liner comic delivery).
Don't miss the chance to see the film that was voted the 30th greatest comedy of all time by Total Film Magazine.
Check out the trailer below:
Sleeper (PG) runs on Saturday 2nd and Thursday 7th at 7:45pm
**Sleeper is the next film to viewed by the Gloucester Cinematics Film Club. Come along to the Guildhall cafe/bar for 7:15pm on Thursday 7th June**
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