SLEEPING DOGS REVIEWED
“Sleeping Dogs” took me about three viewings to get a handle on the material. New Zealand cinema is a weak spot in my coverage, so I figured why not talk about one of the major milestones in the field. Well, it doesn’t make a ton of sense? Taking place during the 1970s labor strikes in New Zealand makes you think something is about to go down. Then, it turns into a domestic drama about the wife cheating. Before that gets solved, Sam Neill has moved to an abandoned island.
What’s going on? Well, it’s a film about the Pacific was changing during the 1970s. Warren Oates shows up as an American commander trying to take control of the rioting in the area, but then it becomes a terrorist issue. All the while, the film keeps brewing into this bizarre parable about international relations. Naturally for a 70s movie, it has a downer ending.
SPECIAL FEATURES
- Commentary by writer-director Roger Donaldson, actor Sam Neill and actor-writer Ian Mune
- The Making of Sleeping Dogs (2004), a 65-minute retrospective documentary on the film’s production featuring interviews with Donaldson, Neill, Mune, Geoff Murphy
- The Making of Sleeping Dogs (1977), a contemporary behind-the-scenes documentary featuring interviews with Donaldson and Neill
- Theatrical trailer
A/V STATS
- 1.85:1 1080p transfer
- DTS-HD 5.1 master audio track
