Remember that movie, Vanilla Sky with Tom Cruise? Well, that movie was a remake of this one.

The plot is about a wealthy man who falls in love with this best friend’s love interest, and while at his birthday party, they head back to her house.  This is where all the shenanigans begins. Sort of. The next morning as he is leaving the girl’s house, a woman (from the party) followed him there and offers him a ride home, which he accepts. She goes crazy and crashes the car and from here on out it’s wtf is going on.

It’s a great movie. I saw the Vanilla Sky version before I saw this one, so I knew what was coming, which was too bad because this original is awesome. Oh, and it doesn’t have Tom Cruise in it, but Penélope Cruz is in it! FTW! Kinda cool they brought her back in Vanilla Sky playing the same part.

I’d recommend this movie over Vanilla Sky anyday. It is in Spanish, so subtitles all the way. I’ve seen it around named Permanent Midnight as well, and its original Spanish name, Abre los ojos.

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Open Your Eyes

Alejandro Amenábar (Writer). Artisan Entertainment 1997, DVD, $4.82

What a crazy movie. I had no idea what was going on.

The movie is suppose to be about invisible aliens that come to earth looking for heroin. How typical for the ’80s huh?

They also kill humans during sex  because they find it similar to the high that heroin gives them.

Alright, already you’re thinking WTF, I know. It’s nuts. Bad, very bad keyboard music from the ’80s. The hair styles, the fashion, the acting. WOW. I didn’t know it could get this bad. Received a 5.6 on IMDB, I’d rate this probably a 2, just for the work and effort of filming something.

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Liquid Sky

Telavista 1983, DVD, $15.22

Sleep Dealer is a Spanish movie set in the near future where people can plug into a network (think The Matrix) and use it for a variety of things. The main use for this network is to provide jobs for people. In this particular case, Mexico employs people as Sleep Dealers to work in America as construction works, nanny’s, etc without the people actually being there. Robots taking the place of them.

It is about a kid who accidentally gets his father killed and travels to the city to get money for his family by working as a Sleep Dealer.

It seemed like a very low budget indie movie, maybe a little heavy on the special effects which were a little subpar. I think the movie didn’t go deep enough, I think it focused too much on unimportant stuff. The acting was ok, I’m not too familiar with Spanish cinema, but it looks like even they are putting out better stuff than Hollywood.

Overall the movie was decent, if a little slow. I had watched Avatar the same day so I was in a sci-fi mood when I watched it. If you’re a sci-fi cinema geek definitely check it out, otherwise you might not like it.

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Sleep Dealer

Maya Entertainment 2008, DVD, $9.05

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Sleep Dealer [Blu-ray]

Maya Home Ent 2008, Blu-ray, $12.17

I’m not entirely sure what’s going on in this movie. Whatever it is, I surely never got the memo. I feel that there is some underlying message in the film. *shrugs*

Anyway, The Big Empty is about an actor that isn’t having very much luck in the acting business and takes a courier job offer from a neighbor. The job itself is shrouded in secrecy and what not, but he’s getting paid 27 thousand dollars. So he accepts.

He goes to the meeting place and waits. A little comic drama and then the movie gets on with it. I won’t divulge anymore though. You’ll have to watch.

Overall, the movie is decent. It felt like a short movie, probably due to the comedy in it that I enjoyed. If you need a little something to sit back and enjoy with out too much thinking, this’ll do it.

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The Big Empty

Jon Favreau (Producer). Lions Gate 2003, DVD, $3.49