Every person has suffered at some point from insomnia. There are over 80 factors that trigger this sleep disorder and other more 80 treatments. Some of them involve medicines, while others are based on ancient curing practices. One of these treatment plans is highly intriguing, since its a movie. Yes, you’ve read it right!
“The Cure for Insomnia” is both a film and an 87-hour long experiment led by director John Henry Timmis IV. In other words, the movie is 5,220 minutes long, which means it is 40 times more longer than an average motion picture. Therefore, it is considered to be the longest movie ever made, according to Guinness World Records. On the other hand, few people have managed to watch it from hub to tire.
The film was released on the 31st of January in 1987, at the School of the Art Institute in Chicago, Illinois. Of course it was broadcast entirely and it run until February 3rd, without stopping. Since then, it has never been released on DVD or on other home video formats.
If you wonder what happens during the 87 hours, you’ll be surprised to find out that the answer is “not much”. Unlike other movies, “The Cure for Insomnia” doesn’t have any plot. It only shows the artist and poet L.D. Groban reading his own poem of nearly 5,000 pages. The poem has the same title as the movies itself and it has its own place in the Guiness World Records, as the world’s longest poem.
Besides seeing Groban reciting his lyrics, viewers can also see footage from heavy metal videos, as well as pornographic clips. On the other hand, at no time the director intended to make a usual movie. Its only purpose is to help people who suffer from insomnia to sleep and enjoy a quite, relaxing night.
And the bottom line is that “The Cure for Insomnia” contains lots of repetitions and list-like rhythm, similar to any repetitive song that insomniacs often hear to be able to sleep again. In order to help you understand better, here’s a small piece of Groban’s poem:
“I wonder how come the cartoonists of our most popular newspaper comic strips never use Polish, Armenian, or Romany Gypsy names for their characters? Why only Western European names? THAT all y’do all day? Soun’s like a drag. […] By the beard of the Lord Eordogh of Ordogkeresztur and Nagyeskulo, it’s a drag. By the beard of the Lord Cseffei of Totor and Noszalya, it’s a drag. By the beard of the Lord Bethlen of Kallo, Ecsed, Tokaj, Szendo, Murany, Szecseny, and Regecz, it’s a drag. By the beard of the Lord Tomori of Devecser, Besenyo, Gyanda, Borsfalva, Csobad, Felso-Homrogd, Also-Homrogd, Hegymeg, Berkes, Szakacsi, Kercs, Senye, Cseb, Nyilas, Abauj, and Borsod, it’s a drag”.
Lee Groban died in December 2011, from heart failure.
