Mr. Sandman (2024)

[bunniefuu]

(somber piano music)

(Zoe gasps)

(Zoe panting)

(tense ambient music)

(Zoe groans)

(tense ambient music)

(floor creaking)

(tense ambient music)

(Zoe panting)

(tense ambient music)

(Zoe whimpering softly)

(suspenseful music)

(wind howling)

(wind howling)

(wind howling)

(suspenseful music)

(wind howling)

(suspenseful music)

(lively orchestral music) (chair creaking)

(case claps softly)

(lively orchestral music) (chair creaking)

Half hour more then bed, okay?

(lively orchestral music) (chair creaking)

Hey, so I'm not kidding.

Half hour then bed.

I don't want your cold getting any worse.

(chair creaking)

Yes?

- Okay, Mommy.

- All right.

(lips smacking)

Good night, baby.

Yes, good night to you too, Sam.

- Love you.

- Love you too.

(chair creaking)

[Mother] Night, Mom.

(chair creaking)

Little girls who don't go to bed on time,

they get taken away by Mr. Sandman.

(suspenseful music)

He comes in the night just to make sure

that all little girls and

boys are asleep in their bed.

The ones that are, they get sprinkled

with his magical sand and dream.

The most beautiful dreams you ever saw.

The ones who aren't get

taken to his nether world,

as he stands guard so that

no little children's souls can escape.

Trapped in a nightmare from

which they will never awaken

as he feeds on their souls.

Never, ever to be seen or heard from again.

(walker rattles)

(suspenseful music)

(walker creaks)

(dramatic music)

The witching hour, that's when he'll come.

Don't be awake.

(dramatic music)

(walker creaks)

(door slams)

(suspenseful music)

(wind howling) (leaves rustling)

(hammock creaks)

(door creaks)

(door clicks)

(door creaks)

(wind chimes chiming)

(suspenseful music)

(suspenseful music)

(distant rumbling)

(dramatic music)

(bell chiming)

(suspenseful music)

(dramatic music)

(footsteps pattering)

(switch clicks)

(suspenseful music)

(switch clicks)

(footsteps pattering)

(switch clicks)

(Zoe panting)

(suspenseful music)

(footsteps pattering)

(mysterious vocalizing)

(dramatic music)

(suspenseful music)

(floor creaks)

(switch clicks)

(suspenseful music) (Zoe panting)

(Zoe panting)

(suspenseful music)

(Zoe whimpering)

Sam?

(Zoe whimpering)

(foot thumps)

(ominous piano music) (steps creaking)

(ominous music)

(Zoe gasps)

(ominous music) (Zoe groaning)

(Zoe groaning)

(mysterious vocalizing)

(dramatic music)

(Zoe panting) (suspenseful music)

(Zoe panting)

(Zoe panting)

(suspenseful music)

(dramatic music)

Baby, it's okay, it's me.

It's okay.

It's okay.

Why aren't you in bed?

You fell asleep downstairs

again, didn't you?

I'm sorry.

It's okay, but come on, Zoe.

Your sister's out and you've

got the room to yourself.

I want you to get a full night's sleep.

But I still have to brush my teeth.

Go.

Go, and then right to bed.

(Mother sighs)

(water splashing)

(toothbrush brushing) (water splashing)

(mysterious whispering)

(suspenseful music)

(toothbrush brushing) (water splashing)

(suspenseful music)

(Zoe sighs)

(switch clicks)

(glass thuds)

(lamp hums)

(tense music)

Now I lay me down to sleep,

I pray the Lord my soul to keep.

If I should die before I wake,

I pray the Lord my soul to take.

Amen.

(tense music)

(bed creaks)

(switch clicks)

(suspenseful music)

(lamp humming)

(dramatic music)

(Zoe gasps)

(Zoe panting) (suspenseful music)

(suspenseful music)

(lamp humming)

(Zoe exhales)

(lamp humming)

(suspenseful music)

(shrill suspenseful music)

(music box music)

(music box music)

(sheets rustling)

(Zoe breathes deeply)

(sheets rustling)

(music box music, "Swan Lake")

(footsteps pattering)

Mommy, please wake up.

Mommy, hurry up, it's important.

Mommy, please.

- Mommy, the man's in my...

- What, what?

Please can I sleep with you?

Mommy, I wanna sleep with you.

Please, it won't stop, the music box.

Please, Mommy.

Let's go.

Mommy, please don't make me go!

No, Mommy, please stop.

No, no, Mommy, please stop!

No, don't make me please!

Mommy, no!

No, Mommy, please, don't make me go inside.

Mommy, please, no, no, please!

Stop, don't make me go in!

No, please, stop!

See, nothing's here.

(Zoe panting)

- But.

- No buts.

Nothing is here.

[Zoe] Please.

Do you want me to stay

with you until you fall asleep?

Okay.

(eerie whooshing)

(eerie whooshing)

(eerie whooshing)

(eerie whooshing)

(mysterious whirring music)

(nails scratching)

Mommy?

(mysterious whirring music)

(sheets rustling)

(suspenseful music)

(spirit laughs maniacally)

(Zoe panting)

(spirit laughs maniacally)

(nails scratching)

(suspenseful music)

(Zoe panting)

(spirit laughs maniacally)

(suspenseful music)

(Zoe panting)

(thunder cracking)

(latch clicks)

(Zoe panting)

(thunder cracking)

(window sliding)

(glass thudding)

(dramatic music)

(thunder cracking)

(window slams)

(Zoe panting)

(suspenseful music)

(spirit whooshing)

(footsteps pattering)

(thunder cracking)

(sheets rustling)

(thunder cracking)

(Zoe sighs)

(thunder rumbling)

(sheets rustling)

(music box music, "Swan Lake")

(thunder cracking)

(music box music, "Swan Lake")

(doorknob clicks)

(music box music, "Swan Lake")

(thunder cracking)

(music box music, "Swan Lake")

(Zoe whimpering) (music box music)

(tense music)

(sheets rustling)

(tense music)

(dramatic music)

(door slams)

(sheets rustling)

(door creaking) (thunder cracking)

(thunder cracking)

(dramatic music)

(thunder cracking)

(dramatic music)

(Zoe hyperventilating)

Mom.

(dramatic music) (Zoe hyperventilating)

(spirit laughing maniacally)

(dramatic music)

(Zoe screams)

(suspenseful music) (Zoe panting)

(Zoe groans)

(Zoe panting) (suspenseful music)

(spirit screams)

(Zoe panting)

(Zoe shouts)

(dramatic music) (nails scratching)

(Zoe gasps)

(suspenseful music) (nails scratching)

(bed frame thuds)

(suspenseful music)

(bed frame thuds) (suspenseful music)

(Zoe panting) (suspenseful music)

(thunder rumbling)

- Jesus Christ.

- Baby, what?

What?

(somber music) What is it?

Please don't make me go back.

[Mother] Did you have another bad dream?

(somber music)

Mr. Sandman.

(Father groans)

(somber music)

Okay, you sleep with us tonight.

(somber music)

(lips smacking)

(heartbeat thumping)

(brush brushing) (heartbeat thumping)

(heartbeat thumping)

It's not over. (voice echoes)

It's not over. (voice echoes)

It's not over.

It's not over!

It's not over!

It's not over!

It's not over!

It's not over!

It's not over!

(Zoe screams)

(Zoe gasps)

(Zoe panting)

(footsteps pattering)

(suspenseful music)

(floor creaking)

(suspenseful music) (Zoe panting)

(ominous music)

(door slams)

(rocking chair creaking)

(eerie instrumental music)

(rocking chair creaking)

(eerie instrumental music)

(rocking chair creaking)

Well, I've always had a fascination

with the dream, nightmare world.

I just think it's incredible,

and I think it's something that's like

extremely underexplored, I should say.

And just not used as much as,

(sighs) not as much as it

should be in the film world.

I mean, it's such a

fascinating topic, dreams.

Now, of course, in the horror genre,

you obviously have like your

"Nightmare On Elm Street" and such.

I just think it should be explored more.

Well, I knew this movie

would bring me back

to my childhood, and I would

be revisiting the nightmares

I used to have as a kid

and the fear of the dark.

Because I know there

was plenty of nights as a kid

where you would wake up

in the middle of the night,

you'd be the last one up,

and you'd have to turn off all the lights.

And when you hit that light switch,

you knew that room would get dark.

And that fear that you had

when you hit that switch,

you just bolted out of that

room and you never looked back.

Because if you looked back,

you always saw something.

And every kid I think from

any culture can relate to that

because we're all scared of the dark.

And you're going from room to room,

you're switching on the lights

because you're scared to be in the dark.

And then you're shutting 'em out

as you're leaving that room.

And you're taking this long adventure

to the safety of your bedroom.

Darkness has a fear of the unknown.

You know, what's in that darkness?

You know, is there a monster in there

that can come out and get you?

So it's really the fear of

the unknown, especially,

you know, when, you know,

you're laying up in your bed

at night trying to go

to sleep and, you know,

with the horror background as a kid,

I knew all the things that, you know,

could come out and get you.

You know, you didn't look out your window

because you felt a floating

skeleton was out there

tapping on your window.

That was from "Creep

Show," which is probably one

of the scariest scenes of

all time, at least for me.

You know, you didn't want

that rocking chair facing you

because even though

if it was still, you know,

it would always be rocking somehow.

You had that illusion of it moving.

And you know, that

reminded me of "Poltergeist."

So you would always tie these scary things

into certain movies that you watched,

but I think the worst is when

you had that closet door open,

and you just felt as you were laying there

something was like staring at you.

And to me, I mean, that

was definitely the scariest.

Again, I think it's just something

that expands across

generations, across cultures,

that fear of the dark,

the fear of the unknown.

And again, obviously in reality

it's just in our imagination.

But in the movie I was like,

"Okay, what if there's an

actual threat in the dark?"

And that's really what drew me to this idea

why I wanted to make the

movie 'cause I was that kid.

I experienced that.

And it seems like

anybody I talk to about it,

they've experienced

either that same scenarios

or very similar ones.

So that's really why I wanted to make this.

So I previously did

"Tales of Found Footage"

with the guys, and so it was really easy

to say yes to working with them again

because we had a lot of fun on that.

I also come from mostly the theater world,

so I hadn't done a ton of film,

but it was something that

I wanted to do more of.

So when something just kind of pops up,

it's easy to say yes.

Yeah, and I had a lot of fun.

It was very different.

It was very different from

the first film that we did.

This project took some

time and scheduling.

And not only that,

but then it's like I have

to match up my schedule, her schedule,

my producer's schedule.

If I brought in Mackenzie, who

played the mom, her schedule.

When Sherry, who played the

grandma, match up her schedule

with everyone.

You know, scheduling,

time constraints, you know,

like, I mean, obviously when it gets later,

my daughter would get

very tired and I'm like,

"Oh, I just gotta squeeze

out one more shot for."

And she's already like nodding off.

So challenges like that.

There were a lot of

challenges in the movie for me.

So mainly it was late at

night when we were filming,

like I said, 11, 12:30 latest.

I was tired, I had school.

So wake up at six, so

six to 12:30 at night,

then I'd wake up to school

again for the morning.

I think setting up the

shots, there was times that

that was very difficult.

You know, we didn't have a huge crew,

and there was times

where I literally would be

holding like the light with one hand.

I would be holding like a

wind machine my other hand.

I'd be using my feet to

like make the lightning

and thunder go off.

And then you have to

stay in these positions,

you're trying to stay still.

And that could be pretty demanding.

Oh, the worst night of filming by far,

definitely the night with

putting in the contacts

with Mackenzie who played Mom,

those white contacts.

It was brutal.

But the worst was the one time

it went like up into my head.

And we had to try to pull it out.

We thought maybe we

would have to go to the ER.

I'm laughing, but at the

time I was like terrified

because she got the one in perfectly fine,

then she gets the second one

in, and she must have blinked,

and her eyelid must

have grabbed the contact

because it like threw it

back into her eye socket,

like above her eye.

And I hit the panic button.

I was like, "Oh my God."

I'm like, "Well, here we go."

"I gotta take her to the ER right now."

And she was like starting to panic,

and I could see she was getting nervous.

And I was like, "Oh, crap."

I was like, "Oh, no."

I was really scared for her that night.

And then all of a sudden she blinks again,

and it reappears in like perfect position.

I was like, "Okay, stop right there."

And I'm like, "Are you okay?"

She's like, "Yeah, I'm okay."

I'm like, "All right, good."

I'm like, "Quick, let's go sh**t this"

"so you never have to do this again."

But I kind of just

closed my eye for a second

and it like fell back into place.

But definitely everything

involving the contacts

was the worst.

I even remember like once they were in,

it was still kind of burning.

So once I had them in, we

had only like a certain amount

of time that I could handle

having these contacts

actually on my eyes.

So that kind of made

the worst part of this.

The best night of filming

was probably the first

night when we had Sherry,

Sherry Hoffman, who played Grandma.

But on that night, everybody,

my grandma was getting into

the story about Mr. Sandman

and what he does with the little girls.

But Mackenzie, she was great.

She was really welcoming.

Same with the grandma.

I just loved them both.

They were really sweet people.

I think what I do as

an actor being scared

for anything that just

does just a little bit.

I mean, if we're rolling and

somebody says something

that is kind of like sticky,

I'd like just like roll over it.

And I just think that it's a great idea.

You know, I had written

this monologue for her

where she's talking about, you know,

Mr. Sandman and stuff like

that, and we just set the shot up

and it's this nice, slow, you

almost have to look closely

to see it, but you know,

I think you might absorb

it more than you see it.

But this nice, slow zoom

in as she's telling the story.

And she just, she

knocked it out of the park

on multiple takes.

So she gave me that gift when I got

to the editing phase to

be able to basically just like

mix and match the takes as I saw fit.

But she just, it was,

it was the night where I really felt like,

and that was one of the

first nights of sh**ting too.

And I really felt, I'm like,

"Wow, okay, this, I feel like

this is gonna come together."

And as you're going, you'll see that

so much more is there than what you

thought that it was or is.

And as you talk about it

and see it in your

head, it's gotta be great.

I think this movie compares

to other horror movies by,

it has basically the same

elements of surprise.

You know, there's certain fear factors.

And I think, you know,

always having a movie

that has the dark in it,

that unknown is always gonna be scary.

And especially for all audiences.

I mean, kids will be able

to relate to this movie

because they understand the fear.

I think adults,

it will definitely bring

them back to their childhood.

And it's something I would

like to revisit in the future.

Maybe even like at feature length.