It seems like a long time
since I last saw a regular movie. I saw Brave, but that was partly to check out the live show El Capitan premiered with it. I saw Doll Squad, but that hardly counts as no one in their right mind would have gone to see it without the live component of Cinematic Titanic. I kept meaning to see the Avengers, but that got away from me, just like the Netflix DVD of the Grifters, that's been sitting on top of the counter for the last 10 months.
Sleepwalk With Me is an independent film written, directed, and starring Mike Birbiglia, a stand-up comedian and frequent contributor to This American Life--the NPR show that co-produced the movie.
Prior to being a movie, Birbiglia worked the basic premise, loosely autobiographical, into both an off-Broadway play and a well-received book. Its three-part focus follows his journey to become a successful stand-up comedian, his difficulties dealing with his personal relationships, and his increasingly dangerous sleep disorder that manifests his anxieties in hilariously painful ways. One of the funniest concepts is the framework of the story, in which Birbiglia breaks the fourth wall to comment directly on the action to the audience. "I know!" Birbiglia tells the audience, after a scene where his character makes a particularly bad decision, "I'm in the future too!"
Besides the content of the movie, another interesting aspect is the marketing, for which there is apparently no budget. Virtually all the advertising being done for Sleepwalk is through Birbiglia and Glass' twitter/internet presence, and their main drive is to ask people to request any or all of their local art/independent theaters to play it. At the beginning of the film's run (initially at about 24 theaters in the country,) both Glass and Birbiglia appeared at various showings to do Q&As afterwards. New York was lucky enough to get both of them, while subsequently, Chicago got Glass, and Birbiglia came out West to the Nuart in Santa Monica.
Birbiglia projects the same low-key, likable, but periodically befuddled persona on film as he does in his comedy bits. If you enjoy the comedy stylings of the late Mitch Hedberg, I would recommend as having a similar sensibility. I enjoyed and recommend the movie, even despite having had to pay $2 for the street parking meter.
Sleepwalk With Me is currently playing limited dates at independent theaters around the country. Check out their website at http://www.sleepwalkmovie.com/ for one near you.
Sleepwalk With Me is an independent film written, directed, and starring Mike Birbiglia, a stand-up comedian and frequent contributor to This American Life--the NPR show that co-produced the movie.
Prior to being a movie, Birbiglia worked the basic premise, loosely autobiographical, into both an off-Broadway play and a well-received book. Its three-part focus follows his journey to become a successful stand-up comedian, his difficulties dealing with his personal relationships, and his increasingly dangerous sleep disorder that manifests his anxieties in hilariously painful ways. One of the funniest concepts is the framework of the story, in which Birbiglia breaks the fourth wall to comment directly on the action to the audience. "I know!" Birbiglia tells the audience, after a scene where his character makes a particularly bad decision, "I'm in the future too!"
Besides the content of the movie, another interesting aspect is the marketing, for which there is apparently no budget. Virtually all the advertising being done for Sleepwalk is through Birbiglia and Glass' twitter/internet presence, and their main drive is to ask people to request any or all of their local art/independent theaters to play it. At the beginning of the film's run (initially at about 24 theaters in the country,) both Glass and Birbiglia appeared at various showings to do Q&As afterwards. New York was lucky enough to get both of them, while subsequently, Chicago got Glass, and Birbiglia came out West to the Nuart in Santa Monica.
Birbiglia projects the same low-key, likable, but periodically befuddled persona on film as he does in his comedy bits. If you enjoy the comedy stylings of the late Mitch Hedberg, I would recommend as having a similar sensibility. I enjoyed and recommend the movie, even despite having had to pay $2 for the street parking meter.
Sleepwalk With Me is currently playing limited dates at independent theaters around the country. Check out their website at http://www.sleepwalkmovie.com/ for one near you.
