Trimark // 1991 // 97 Minutes // Not Rated
Reviewed by Judge Kathy Leach (Retired) // July 16th, 1999
From Stephen King, the modern master of terror, comes an all-new excursion into a place where horror comes alive.
Studios and screenwriters should learn that it is impossible to translate the horror of a Stephen King novella into a truly terrifying movie, especially one made for TV.
The only positive feature on this disc is the "Coming Attractions," which feature four movies soon to be released on DVD. The "Attractions" menu gives you animated selections for Warlock, 9 1/2 Weeks, Doom Generation, and The Tommyknockers. Each "trailer," if you will, is a pretty lengthy full-screen glimpse of each movie.
This made-for-TV movie is a boil on the butt of movie making! But, then again, what TV movie isn't? I have found very few, and I mean very few, TV movies that are entertaining.
We have a poorly written script, mostly untalented actors (Tim Matheson and Brooke Adams were the closest that came to real talent) that equal 97 minutes of pure boredom. Need I say more?
I am shocked that Trimark would package this in what they call "The Best of Horror DVD" that also includes The Leprechaun, The Dentist and The Landlady. I definitely know that there are better horror flicks out there such as The Shining, Halloween, et cetera. Apparently, Trimark must feel these are the "best" horror films in their archives.
This is one of the poorest transfers I have seen yet. There is nothing but shimmer throughout the entire movie. Obviously, this became extremely annoying after the first five minutes. The picture has very soft edges and lacked detail in images and the background. In most scenes, color-saturation was acceptable, but, for the most part, left a lot to be desired. Fleshtones were the most realistic, but, on occasion, they appeared too red. I think a little more effort could have been given to making this a better transfer.
The audio is tolerable. The audio is presented in Dolby Surround, and but for the occasional explosion, this is a dialogue driven movie. Not that the word "dialogue" applies all that well, or the descriptive term "movie" for that matter. In any event, compared to other tracks I have heard, this was neither better not drastically worse.
Obviously, I would highly recommend saving your money, unless the other titles in Trimark's box set strike your fancy. If you were to try to imagine a reason to buy such a set, this disc would not be it.
Death by firing squad! No lengthy and costly appeal allowed! Save your money and your time!
Review content copyright © 1999 Kathy Leach; Site layout and review format copyright © 1998 - 2013 HipClick Designs LLC
Scales of Justice
Video: 20
Audio: 50
Extras: 0
Acting: 50
Story: 10
Average: 26
Special Commendations
* Bottom 100 Discs: #19
Perp Profile
Studio: Trimark
Video Formats:
* Full Frame
Audio Formats:
* Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround (English)
Subtitles:
* None
Running Time: 97 Minutes
Release Year: 1991
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Distinguishing Marks
* None
Accomplices
* IMDb
http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0102960/combined