So I got the mediabook right away, didn't wait for reviews. It has been postponed so often I couldn't wait anymore. Not smart perhaps, but it was a good guess. Although it didn't arrive as well as the Suspiria one (some minor dents, despite it being packaged the same way and fairly well), the television version looked way above expectation. It says on the cover the television version is only on the bonus DVD, so I watched that. When I put in the blu-ray after that, it turned out that the television cut is on the blu-ray too along with the theatrical cut! I was already happy with the DVD quality, but it looks even slightly better on blu-ray perhaps, although not majorly.
The tv cut is in the smaller tv aspect ratio of course, but it looks very sharp, which in the end is probably the most important.
It is indeed a full hour longer than the theatrical version and it makes a big difference. You can't tell quality-wise which scenes are different and new, because it all looks good. The film now even starts with an car chase, as Pangborn and Ridgewick chase Gaunt's car as it comes into town. It's really an extensive, exciting chase as from a big action movie. I can't think of any other SK adaptation that starts with a real car chase!
The film is so much better than I remembered. It's pretty much all great actors: Harris, Von Sydow, Bedelia. Especially Amanda Plummer stands out as the highly insecure and typically King-esque character of Nettie Cobb. I only wish the great Don Davis (also beloved because of Twin Peaks) could have been more in it. The turkey farm couple are the only ones that feel a little stereotypical and shallow to me, although I suppose there really are such people.
One of the highlights of the film is of course the fight between Nettie and Wilma at the turkey farm set to 'Ave Maria'.
Visually the film looks amazing. I forgot a lot from the story, but I recalled certain shots all the way through it. The camerawork is way above average for such a film and the locations and houses are gorgeous - it was shot in Gibsons in British Columbia.
It's also the kind of film where the exterior night shots (and there are a lot of them) are blue rather than black. Not too many films do this, but it creates a more magical feeling, which is exactly right for this kind of story.
One of the standouts of the film for sure is the music (by Patrick Doyle) and the use of music in the film. Next to the original score there is great use of classical music (by Schubert and Grieg) which gives it a more operatic feel.
It's such a different Kingfilm from the usual, more a black comedy as a whole. There is only very little gore or special (make-up) effects, but there are a lot of explosions!
Apart from the television version there are not a lot of extras. Two short featurettes (about 5 minutes each), an image gallery (nice, but not too extensive) and then some trailers. It is actually funny to have a German blu-ray, because on two occasions in the film they talk German, to Nettie's dog Raider.
There is however a commentary by the director, Fraser Heston, who indeed is the son of. I have to still listen to it.
It is rather funny that Bonnie Bedelia is in two SK-adaptations that are about an antique shop, this and Salem's Lot. But I doubt she was cast because of that, but rather because she's a good actress (which is the common reason actors are cast in certain parts).
The film has also the closest I have seen Von Sydow do a bed scene, as he enters Bedelia's bedroom when Harris is away. This scene uses Bedelia's cleavage to maximum effect and the score reminds a lot of Herrmann's score for Psycho. Was Doyle reminded of Janet Leigh's bra in that?
The one thing I wondered about the story is that Gaunt never seems to present Pangborn with an object he really desires, as far as I can tell. I don't think Pangborn even visits the store until some people have turned up dead and he investigates the store at night.
I can only urge everyone to seek out the tv-version. It moves slower of course, but as a whole it does the story and characters much more justice.
The tv cut is in the smaller tv aspect ratio of course, but it looks very sharp, which in the end is probably the most important.
It is indeed a full hour longer than the theatrical version and it makes a big difference. You can't tell quality-wise which scenes are different and new, because it all looks good. The film now even starts with an car chase, as Pangborn and Ridgewick chase Gaunt's car as it comes into town. It's really an extensive, exciting chase as from a big action movie. I can't think of any other SK adaptation that starts with a real car chase!
The film is so much better than I remembered. It's pretty much all great actors: Harris, Von Sydow, Bedelia. Especially Amanda Plummer stands out as the highly insecure and typically King-esque character of Nettie Cobb. I only wish the great Don Davis (also beloved because of Twin Peaks) could have been more in it. The turkey farm couple are the only ones that feel a little stereotypical and shallow to me, although I suppose there really are such people.
One of the highlights of the film is of course the fight between Nettie and Wilma at the turkey farm set to 'Ave Maria'.
Visually the film looks amazing. I forgot a lot from the story, but I recalled certain shots all the way through it. The camerawork is way above average for such a film and the locations and houses are gorgeous - it was shot in Gibsons in British Columbia.
It's also the kind of film where the exterior night shots (and there are a lot of them) are blue rather than black. Not too many films do this, but it creates a more magical feeling, which is exactly right for this kind of story.
One of the standouts of the film for sure is the music (by Patrick Doyle) and the use of music in the film. Next to the original score there is great use of classical music (by Schubert and Grieg) which gives it a more operatic feel.
It's such a different Kingfilm from the usual, more a black comedy as a whole. There is only very little gore or special (make-up) effects, but there are a lot of explosions!
Apart from the television version there are not a lot of extras. Two short featurettes (about 5 minutes each), an image gallery (nice, but not too extensive) and then some trailers. It is actually funny to have a German blu-ray, because on two occasions in the film they talk German, to Nettie's dog Raider.
There is however a commentary by the director, Fraser Heston, who indeed is the son of. I have to still listen to it.
It is rather funny that Bonnie Bedelia is in two SK-adaptations that are about an antique shop, this and Salem's Lot. But I doubt she was cast because of that, but rather because she's a good actress (which is the common reason actors are cast in certain parts).
The film has also the closest I have seen Von Sydow do a bed scene, as he enters Bedelia's bedroom when Harris is away. This scene uses Bedelia's cleavage to maximum effect and the score reminds a lot of Herrmann's score for Psycho. Was Doyle reminded of Janet Leigh's bra in that?
The one thing I wondered about the story is that Gaunt never seems to present Pangborn with an object he really desires, as far as I can tell. I don't think Pangborn even visits the store until some people have turned up dead and he investigates the store at night.
I can only urge everyone to seek out the tv-version. It moves slower of course, but as a whole it does the story and characters much more justice.
