Based on the classic 19th century tale by German writer/composer E.T.A. Hoffmann, the film investigates the tale's themes of obsession and madness, emphasizing expressionist imagery and theatrical style. The story relates the life of the young student Nathanael, whose childhood memories are haunted by a sinister man. As a child, Nathanael believed this dark figure to be the mythic Sandman, who puts children to sleep by stealing their eyes. When confronted by this same evil presence as an adult, he is pushed toward madness as he tries to confront his childhood fears.

After years of imprisonment, Morpheus — the King of Dreams — embarks on a journey across worlds to find what was stolen from him and restore his power.

THE SANDMAN tells the story of Nathan, a young student in the city who struggles to forget his childhood trauma at the hands of the serial killer dubbed "The Sandman." Nathan killed The Sandman years ago, on Christmas Eve, after he witnessed the murder of his mother... until he sees the beautiful woman who lives in the apartment across the way dying at the hands of that same masked killer. This brutal murder plunges Nathan into an odyssey into the night country of his past, his dreams... and the buried secrets of The Sandman.

An altruistic dream salesman writes his own dreams for the first time.

Set in a boring and bureaucratic version of NYC, Izumi and Alex go about their mundane existences while quietly refusing to give into mandates of the new dystopian society – namely undergoing a surgical treatment that renders the brain incapable of dreaming.

In the heat of an American desert, Captain Jean Farrell arrives at a secret military installation, run by the enigmatic Doctor Harlan Jessup. Jessup is conducting 'Operation Sandman', an experiment involving a group of soldiers who have volunteered to be injected with 'the Juice', a drug which enables them to function without sleep. The team of soldiers, led by gruff and abusive 'Gunny' Riggins continually takes part in Virtual Reality scenarios whereby they face terrorists, kidnappers, guerrillas and a plethora of other situations that demand split-second timing, and undying obedience in the face of danger.

In the heat of an American desert, Captain Jean Farrell arrives at a secret military installation, run by the enigmatic Doctor Harlan Jessup. Jessup is conducting 'Operation Sandman', an experiment involving a group of soldiers who have volunteered to be injected with 'the Juice', a drug which enables them to function without sleep. The team of soldiers, led by gruff and abusive 'Gunny' Riggins continually takes part in Virtual Reality scenarios whereby they face terrorists, kidnappers, guerrillas and a plethora of other situations that demand split-second timing, and undying obedience in the face of danger.

A little boy is taken by the Sand Man to Santa's workshop, only to discover that it has been taken over and industrialized by an evil robot.

The story of three Korean outlaws in 1930s Manchuria and their dealings with the Japanese army and Chinese and Russian bandits. The Good (a bounty hunter), the Bad (a hitman), and the Weird (a thief) battle the army and the bandits in a race to use a treasure map to uncover the riches of legend.

Brian DePalma and Art Linson discuss how the 1987 film "The Untouchables" came together.