Editor's Note

Our review of Sometimes They Come Back, published January 3rd, 2008, is also available.

The Charge

From Stephen King, the modern master of terror, comes an all-new excursion into a place where horror comes alive.

Opening Statement

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 Evidence

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.

The Rebuttal Witnesses

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.

Closing Statement

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.

The Verdict

Death by firing squad! No lengthy and costly appeal allowed! Save your money and your time!

Similar Decisions

• Creepshow 2: Divimax Edition
• Frankenstein 90
• Rodentz
• Bad Seed

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