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Stephen King DVD Collector’s Set

edited June 2007 in General news
Stephen King Collection Is Half-Good, Half-Bad - DVD News

By Rafe Telsch: 2007-06-18 11:05:21



1408 hits theaters this Friday so you knew there had to be some sort of DVD tie in coming. Sure enough, on July 3rd Fox is releasing a “Stephen King DVD Collector’s Set” to celebrate 1408 - unfortunately, that’s only 50% good news considering the selections for the box set.



Misery is hands-down one of the best theatrical adaptations of a Stephen King novel. Kathy Bates is almost brilliant in the picture and James Caan isn’t bad either. You have to have strong actors in a movie that pretty much relies on two people for the entire picture. After all, the story is about a rabid fan who holds her favorite author hostage in a snowy cabin, so there’s not much room for anyone other than the main two actors to save the picture. Thankfully the casting is great and these two deliver. Sure it’s changed a tad bit from the novel, but it’s still a brilliant movie.



If there’s an adaptation that’s better than Misery, it’s Needful Things. Another great transfer, Max von Sydow essentially plays a Satan figure who opens a little trinket shop that happens to have what everyone needs. Great performances from Ed Harris, J.T. Walsh, and even Amanda Plummer, who is unfortunately on my barely-tolerable list most of the time.



Sadly, that’s where the good news ends. Despite direction from zombie-king George Romero, The Dark Half falls flat as an adaptation. Personally I think it was because King can often be quite cerebral in his writing, which doesn’t translate well to the screen. Timothy Hutton tries his best in a dual role as author Thad Beaumont and serial killer George Stark, but the conflict between the two from the book just didn’t show up on screen.



Even worse is the final picture of the box set: Carrie. Unfortunately this isn’t the classic Sissy Spacek picture (which, frankly, still terrifies me at times). That version’s distribution rights are owned by MGM/United Artists. Instead this is the made-for-TV adaptation from 2002. “Lost” fans can catch a then-unknown Emilie de Ravin, but otherwise this is a flop, especially compared to the superior Brian De Palma flick.



“The Stephen King DVD Collector’s Set” hits shelves July 3rd.

Comments

  • This set is on its way to me for reviewing for EyeCraveDVD.
  • I assume Needful Things is the standard version and not the extended one that shows up on cable from time to time. I still haven't seen the long version--but now that I have cable I might someday!
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