''Don't Go To Sleep'' is a 1982 American

made-for-television A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie, telefilm, telemovie or TV film/movie, is a film with a running time similar to a feature film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a Terrestr ...

horror Horror may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Genres *Horror fiction, a genre of fiction **Psychological horror, a subgenre of horror fiction **Christmas horror, a subgenre of horror fiction **Analog horror, a subgenre of horror fiction * ...

film that was produced and directed by Richard Lang. The movie features

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Valerie Harper Valerie Kathryn Harper (August 22, 1939 – August 30, 2019) was an American actress. She began her career as a dancer on Broadway, making her debut as a replacement in the musical ''Li'l Abner''. She played Rhoda Morgenstern on ''The Mar ...

Ruth Gordon Ruth Gordon Jones (October 30, 1896 – August 28, 1985) was an American actress, playwright and screenwriter. She began her career performing on Broadway at age 19. Known for her nasal voice and distinctive personality, Gordon gained internati ...

, and

Robert Webber Robert Laman Webber (October 14, 1924 – May 19, 1989) was an American actor. He appeared in dozens of films and television series, including as Juror No. 12 in the 1957 film '' 12 Angry Men''. Early life Webber was the son of Robert Webber, ...

, and youngsters

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, and

Oliver Robins Oliver Robins (born July 22, 1971) is an American actor, writer and director. Career Robins's first film roles were in the 1982 CBS TV movie '' Million Dollar Infield'' as Aaron Miller and the 1982 ABC TV-movie '' Don't Go to Sleep'' as Kev ...

. The film focuses on daughter Mary's encounters with the ghost of her late sister, Jennifer, who perished in a car crash and is out for revenge.

Plot

A family of four including parents, Phillip and Laura, son Kevin and daughter Mary move to a new home; they are accompanied by Grandma Bernice, for whom no one other than Laura cares very much. Mourning the recent loss of daughter Jennifer, the family is looking to put the tragedy behind them and start a new life. After moving in, Mary hears what sounds like her dead sister's voice calling to her from beneath the bed. When she checks it out, Mary's stunned to find that her sister has returned as a ghost. Jennifer appears to Mary numerous times in secret, ultimately communicating her desire to kill the entire family, except for Mary, as an act of revenge. Following this revelation from Mary, the family members suffer an assortment of twisted fates: the appearance of Kevin's pet

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in Grandma Bernice's bed causes the elderly woman to suffer a fatal

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when Ischemia, blood flow decreases or stops in one of the coronary arteries of the heart, causing infarction (tissue death) to the heart muscle. The most common symptom ...

; Kevin's attempt to retrieve a

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from the roof results in a deadly fall; the radio Phillip listens to while bathing ends up electrocuting him. Laura barely escapes, injuring her arm. Based on the belief that she committed the murders, Mary is placed in a

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and soon experiences a flashback concerning Jennifer's fate. In the flashback, while riding home from their grandmother's house, Kevin convinces Mary to play a prank on Jennifer and they tie her shoelaces together. Aside from being jealous of their parents' favoritism toward their sister, Kevin and Mary are fed up with Jennifer's constant bullying. When a van collides with their car, everyone except Jennifer manages to escape. She screams for help as Mary runs to inform her father of Jennifer's plight, but Phillip is unable to rescue her before the car bursts into flames. Back in the present, Mary now claims that she is actually Jennifer; the deceased sister has possessed her living sister. Mary screams for Jennifer not to leave and that she "loved her". Later, as Laura sleeps in her bedroom, she is awakened by a sound at the foot of her bed. Jennifer's ghost pops up and says, "Hi, Mommy." The movie ends with Laura's terrified screams.

Cast

as Laura *

as Phillip *

as Bernice *

as Kevin *

as Mary *

as Jennifer *

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as Dr. Robin Samuel *

as Dr. Cole * Marilyn Coleman as Sarah * Tim Haldeman as the Intern * Haven Earle Haley as the Priest * Ned Wynn as the Paramedic * Ross Porter as the Radio Sportscaster (voice)

Reception

''Don't Go to Sleep'' garnered positive reviews upon its initial broadcast, earning praise for its suspense and strong performances.

Maitland McDonagh Maitland McDonagh () is an American film critic, writer-editor and podcaster. She is the author of ''Broken Mirrors/Broken Minds: The Dark Dreams of Dario Argento'' (1991) and other books and articles on horror and exploitation films, as well as ...

of ''

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'' awarded the film three out of five stars, commending the film's acting, screenplay, and suspense, calling it "a tight, genuinely scary made-for-TV thriller". Todd Martin from ''HorrorNews.net'' offered similar praise for the performances, suspense, and script, as well as the film's ominous tone, and soundtrack. Brian Collins, in a retrospective on ''

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'', lauded the film's scares, performances, and mounting tension for retaining their effectiveness years after its first release, although Collins did note that the film's pacing was slower than it should be.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Don't Go To Sleep 1982 horror films American Broadcasting Company original films American ghost films American supernatural horror films American horror television films 1982 television films 1982 films ABC Motion Pictures films Films directed by Richard Lang (director) 1980s English-language films 1980s American films Films about dysfunctional families English-language horror films