Where is the extended cut of the movie?

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Gerald

Well-Known Member
Sep 8, 2011
2,201
7,168
The Netherlands
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.
 

Gerald

Well-Known Member
Sep 8, 2011
2,201
7,168
The Netherlands
I forgot to say at one point when Harris visits the church towards the end, you can very clearly see the boom microphone in the top of the frame for a moment. I think it's because the television version is presented as an open matte:


I only saw it happen that one time. It doesn't bother me when it's not too often. You know from watching behind-the-scenes those things are there anyway.
 

kingricefan

All-being, keeper of Space, Time & Dimension.
Jul 11, 2006
30,011
127,446
Spokane, WA
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.
But wasn't Polly what ultimately Pangborn desired? Didn't Leland taunt Alan by hurting Polly? It's been a while since I've seen the movie but I thought that's what happened.
 

Gerald

Well-Known Member
Sep 8, 2011
2,201
7,168
The Netherlands
But wasn't Polly what ultimately Pangborn desired? Didn't Leland taunt Alan by hurting Polly? It's been a while since I've seen the movie but I thought that's what happened.

Leland helped Polly to get rid of the pain in her hands, but by that he controlled her. Obviously that was something that Pangborn didn't like, but he only became aware of it when he saw the necklace Leland had given her.
But Polly isn't really like the objects people desired, because Pangborn already HAD Polly: they were totally in love and about to get married. But Leland was gonna take that away from Pangborn by seducing Polly.
Polly was in danger of gonna be taken away, while the objects in general were things that were given to people. But, in a way, you're right: she probably was what's most precious to him, like the other people had precious objects. Leland tried another approach with him than the others.
 
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Gerald

Well-Known Member
Sep 8, 2011
2,201
7,168
The Netherlands
Isn't this also the only time the book cover was used for the film poster? It looks like the poster (at least the one used on the mediabook cover) is the original book cover with an image of Von Sydow added on top.

Even though it was a different drawing, the original Dutch book cover was very similar: the shop window at night. Only it was on the left side, rather than right.
The Dutch title De Noodzaak also has a double meaning: it means both The Necessity as The Necessity Store. 'Nood' means need, necessity or emergency, 'Zaak' means store. But as a whole 'Noodzaak' means necessity too.
The German title just means 'In a small town', which is a bit general, but it fits totally what it's about.
 

Gerald

Well-Known Member
Sep 8, 2011
2,201
7,168
The Netherlands
The essay in the booklet talks about the 'Castle Rock trilogy', consisting of The Dark Half, The Sun Dog and Needful Things. But I don't get why this is called a trilogy, since other books are also set in Castle Rock, like The Dead Zone and Cujo.
The essay doesn't really explain why these three are called a trilogy, but I've seen it mentioned on some sites too. Does anyone here know why they're considered a trilogy?
 

kingricefan

All-being, keeper of Space, Time & Dimension.
Jul 11, 2006
30,011
127,446
Spokane, WA
The essay in the booklet talks about the 'Castle Rock trilogy', consisting of The Dark Half, The Sun Dog and Needful Things. But I don't get why this is called a trilogy, since other books are also set in Castle Rock, like The Dead Zone and Cujo.
The essay doesn't really explain why these three are called a trilogy, but I've seen it mentioned on some sites too. Does anyone here know why they're considered a trilogy?
Do they all contain the character Sherriff Pangborn? That's the only thing I can think of.
 

Gerald

Well-Known Member
Sep 8, 2011
2,201
7,168
The Netherlands
Do they all contain the character Sherriff Pangborn? That's the only thing I can think of.

Yes, that's the only thing I could think of too... Maybe they mean the way Castle Rock was eventually destroyed while he was sheriff; that the other two are leading into Needful Things which is the 'official' last Castle Rock story. Although King would later return there on occasion.
 

Gerald

Well-Known Member
Sep 8, 2011
2,201
7,168
The Netherlands
It's actually quite rare that in an extended cut you immediately notice all the differences. A lot of times, (even when you know a movie quite well) it's hard to tell which the new scenes are, because a lot of time they're not so special. I watched both versions of Dr. Sleep and I really could tell only about one scene that I missed in the shorter, theatrical version - it pretty much played exactly the same, and it's a half hour difference (of course I've only seen it two times so far, so don't know it that well yet).

But in the general there are only a handful of films where I felt it made a huge difference. Kingdom of Heaven from Ridley Scott is the most famous example. And Watchmen comes to mind too. But this one also clearly is one of them, because I hadn't seen the original in years, but still could tell the differences right away.