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The Tommyknockers

1993

Horror / Sci-Fi

0
Rotten Tomatoes Critics - Rotten30%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience - Spilled39%
IMDb Rating5.41011693

Plot summary


Uploaded by: FREEMAN

Director

Top cast

Joanna Cassidy Photo
Joanna Cassidy as Sheriff Ruth Merrill 2 episodes, 1993
Robert Carradine Photo
Robert Carradine as Bryant Brown 2 episodes, 1993
Marg Helgenberger Photo
Marg Helgenberger as Roberta 'Bobbi' Anderson 2 episodes, 1993
Jimmy Smits Photo
Jimmy Smits as Jim 'Gard' Gardner 2 episodes, 1993
480p.DVD
785.34 MB
706*480
English 2.0
R
23.976 fps
1 hr 28 min
P/S 7 / 90

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by neil-4767 / 10

Doesn't quite work

Something is buried in the woods behind Bobbi's house. And, once it is partly uncovered, it starts exerting an influence on the inhabitants of the small Maine town - strange things happen, strange talents manifest themselves, people get smarter, and the outside world gets cut off. It falls to Bobbi's friend Gard to get some idea of what's happening and find a way to put a stop to it.

With the benefit of hindsight, The Tommyknockers is something of an early run at an idea developed more fully in Under The Dome. As an avid King reader, I found my first pass at this book very difficult: I got a lot more out of it at the second attempt. And, like much of King's work, it defies attempts to adapt it effectively. But the elements which reduce the effectiveness of the adaptation are strange (and, I suspect, different for different people). For me, there were two things which really screwed things up - one was the fact that what was buried in the woods was a saucer, and it was the very edge of this which got uncovered: in the miniseries what got dug up was a series of interconnected boxes. And the other thing was the physical deterioration of the townsfolk - one appreciates how difficult this would be to do on screen, but Bobbi was nearly as attractive at the end as she was at the start, and she should have been a gaunt mess.

The ensemble cast isn't bad, and does a reasonable job of recreating most of King's characters. The main problem is that there is a distinct 2nd class/TV feel to what should have been a 1st class/movie project.

Reviewed by michaelRokeefe5 / 10

It came from out of the sky.

This adaption of Stephen King's novel leaves a lot to be desired. Even the book was a slow read; but some major elements of the novel and lead characters were totally reworked for the movie and King's intent is by the wayside. A UFO crash lands in the forest guarding Haven, Maine and the impact burrows the craft into the ground. Eminent vibrations from the alien craft has citizens creating mechanical gadgets for no good reason, while some of the inhabitants just disappear or gravitate to the dig site trying to unearth the alien ship.

Jimmy Smits seems out of place playing the alcoholic writer and eventual hero. His awkward performance still out shines the rest of the cast except for Marg Helgenberger. She is very easy on the eye and plays her character flawlessly. Former porn star Traci Lords still needs a lot of work to move into mainstream movies. Her part was played over the top and becomes quite irritating. Not as abrasive as Allyce Beasley and Robert Carradine. Cliff De Young plays the cheating husband effortlessly. Joanna Cassidy and E.G. Marshall round out the diverse cast.

The special effects, namely the aliens buried in the craft are pretty top notch for a made-for-TV project. Stephen King is my favorite writer and I do have to agree with those that think Tommyknockers is no where near his better work. But in this case, read the book first and then watch this presentation. It is not what it could have been...better.

Reviewed by claudio_carvalho6 / 10

Should Be Shorter and Shorter

In the small town Haven, in Maine, the aspiring writer Roberta 'Bobbi' Anderson (Marg Helgenberger) lives in an isolated house with her alcoholic boyfriend, the poet James "Gard" Gardner (Jimmy Smits),and their dog Petey. While Gard is traveling to a poet's convention, she stumbles with a green stone and she becomes obsessed to excavate the object. Further, she overhears voices that teach her how to fix the heater and how to write a novel using a typewriter operated by telepathy. Meanwhile the postal worker Joe Paulson (Cliff De Young) cheats on his wife Deputy Becka Paulson (Allyce Beasley) with his sexy coworker Nancy Voss (Traci Lords). They also see the green light in the woods and Nancy becomes an inventor. Becka is advised by the host of a television live show that he husband is cheating on her and instructed how to kill him. The boy Hilly Brown (Leon Woods) is encouraged by his grandfather Ev Hillman (E.G. Marshall) to become a magician and he overhears voices that teach him new tricks. During a party, he makes his brother Davey Brown (Paul McIver) disappears and is not able to bring his back for the despair of his parents Marie Brown (Annie Corley) and Bryant Brown (Robert Carradine). Sheriff Ruth Merrill (Joanna Cassidy) and State Trooper Butch Duggan (John Ashton) that loves her organize a search party but they do not succeed to find the boy. Soon the whole town is under control of the green light, capable to read minds and Bobbi is their leader. Only a few inhabitants are not under control, among them Ev and Gard that has a platinum plate in the head. What is the evil force that is exerting control in the population?

"The Tommyknockers" is a sci-fi horror TV Mini-Series with the story by Stephen King. The cast is excellent; the plot and characters are very well developed; but unfortunately in a pace too slow for fans of this genre. There is no mystery or tension and there are many unnecessary scenes that should have been deleted in the edition and others that are too short. For example, Becka is sent to a mental institution and there is only a glance at her locked in a cell. Gard in the convention of poets is excessively long. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "Tommyknockers – Tranquem Suas Portas" ("Tommyknockers – Lock Your Doors")

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