Dreamcatcher

[Jedi Master Carr]

This is a new movie coming out in March based on the Stephen King best seller, it has to do with four friends who have encountered something sinister in Maine, and it involves Aliens. Morgan Freeman is in it and in a different role he plays a crazy colonel he looks very evil in this movie. Anybody seen the trailer to the movie? I first saw it today it looks very creepy. Also Tom Siezmore and Jason Lee are in the cast.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

It looks really cool. I saw the trailer in front of the Recruit, and we LOVE Jason Lee. I dunno about the whole Aliens thing though. I'm not sure I'll see it, as it does look creepy, and I'm sure i'll be much too scared to see it.

[Diego Van Derveld]

And the guy who played Major Winters in Band of Brothers is in it, among others.

To be as conserved about it as possible....I CAN'T WAIT FOR THIS MOVIE!!!

[JonathanLB]

Dreamcatcher is going to rock! Great trailer.

(my extended absence from this forum was because of an Internet outage at home Friday - Monday, uggg...)

[Lilaena De'Ville]

(wb Jon-athan!)

[Daiquiri Van-Derveld]

Saw the first preview night before last and it looks very promising. Morgan Freeman is such a plus...heres hoping it doesnt miss!

[darth_mcbain]

I thought the trailer looked pretty good. Historically, King movies haven't been all that great (at least IMHO), but of late there have been some pretty good ones, like the Green Mile and Shawshank Redemption. I'm holding out that this one will be pretty good. I'm wondering if they're ever going to do a movie or movies of the Gunslinger books. Roland kicks @ss...

[Sene Unty]

The trailer looks really good...escpecially that red headed guy who does that weird double take smiling thing....damn that looks creepy as hell.

[Dirjj Mordrai]

That and the scene where all the animals appear possessed and running amok together. Comparisions between this movie and John Carpenter 'The Thing' seems natural. Can't wait to see this movie!!!

[Diego Van Derveld]

That would be Damian Lewis, aka Major Winters. He is an extraordinary actor, and though rather unknown, he has my highest praise.

[Jedi Master Carr]

I see the comparisons with The Thing, I think much of that has to do with the similar settings, both in snow. Morgan Freeman as a bad guy should be interesting. As far as King's movies well I think they are better when he has more control of them, and they make some into movies that really can't be filmed (Pet Cemetary comes to mind). I actually haven't read this novel, so I am curious have anybody read it? Where does it rate with other King novels?

[Sejah Haversh]

Was I the only one who was not only unimpressed by the trailer, but thought the movie could be a total skunk? Thus far, I'm slating this one as a "wait for video".

[Lilaena De'Ville]

The trailer scared me. :(

[Diego Van Derveld]

I think you're the only one, Sejah. The trailer for this movie is quintessentially exactly how you want a trailer done. Interesting, attention-grabbing, and tells you almost nothing at all about the movie :)

[Lilaena De'Ville]

I hate trailers that give away major plot points. :x

[Dirjj Mordrai]

Originally posted by Jedi Master Carr
I see the comparisons with The Thing, I think much of that has to do with the similar settings, both in snow. Morgan Freeman as a bad guy should be interesting. As far as King's movies well I think they are better when he has more control of them, and they make some into movies that really can't be filmed (Pet Cemetary comes to mind). I actually haven't read this novel, so I am curious have anybody read it? Where does it rate with other King novels?

I haven't read the novel because I read very little horror these days. However, I do occasionally participate on a few literary-based boards and the general consensus or opinion on Dreamcatcher was it was rather olde-school classic Stephen King. A scary, creep-you-out fright extravaganza. Hope this helped! :)

[Sejah Haversh]

This is what the trailer told me:

There are aliens in the snow and we don't want to hire make-up artists.

I'm sorry, I liked the trailer for XXX better.

[Diego Van Derveld]

Get this man a lobotomy. He's been huffing the nitrous retard!

[Dirjj Mordrai]

I think this is a horror movie that actually has a chance. With the permeanance of today's shoddy glitzy PG-13 entertainment horror, this film appears rather old school. A throwback when horror truly defined itself seriously.

But can it stand up on it's own in the long run or be cast into the sea of forgetfulness next year or even next season. Erasing itself from everyone's memory. Is it going to be memorable? A la Carpenter's The Thing, Hardy's The Wicker Man, Blatty's The Exorcist, or Kubrik's The Shining, etc. Great movies. That's the problem with today's horror, these movies are too easily forgetful or too easily cast off.

[Dirjj Mordrai]

*snaps his fingers*

Ya know, those movies listed in my previous post are actually my all time favorites. Memorable classic horror movies. With the exception of The Exorcist of course. It's a great movie just doesn't appeal to me.

[Jedi Master Carr]

Thanks critics gave Dreamcatcher great reviews, I think the reason most modern horror films don't work is lack of suspense. Executives think that people are scared by blood and gore but now everbody has seen all you can show of that. But really its the suspense that makes a horror film work and most of the recent ones are lacking in that are. To me the most suspensful film, at least my favorite, is Silence of the Lambs, and there is hardly any blood in that movie but it works really well.

[Dirjj Mordrai]

Originally posted by Jedi Master Carr
Thanks critics gave Dreamcatcher great reviews, I think the reason most modern horror films don't work is lack of suspense. Executives think that people are scared by blood and gore but now everbody has seen all you can show of that. But really its the suspense that makes a horror film work and most of the recent ones are lacking in that are. To me the most suspensful film, at least my favorite, is Silence of the Lambs, and there is hardly any blood in that movie but it works really well.

I wholeheartedly agree, that and they also lack substance and strength. The overall impression of today's horror almost seems to be stating, "Hey, look at how far movie production has progressed. Look at the improved f/x and film we use today." But beyond that there is nothing much left over. And movie-making is not about this.

[imported_Akrabbim]

That's why I liked the Ring. The only times they used "jump-out-go-boo" scares was when they had built the suspense up over a long period. It went for psychological fear instead of cheap thrills.

[Dirjj Mordrai]

Suspense is much better genre than horror. There is a very fine line that divides them. Horror is just that, horror. Most such movies rely upon cheap assasine sorority-like thrills and others have more quite abit more substance behind them, depending on the psychological. More subtler and thus delivering a greater impact. (i.e. The Sixth Sense, The Others, and Signs, etc.)

Take 'The Wicker Man' for instance, it depicts pagan horrors of the dark ages with great accuracy. Very disturbing film especially when you realize that this movie is depicting something that is an authentic part of european history, it impacts you ever greater. This movie, IMHO, defines horror to it's deepest, darkest root. So also does it's '70s appeal found in the movie. *shudders*

I mention this film because according to Rotten Tomatoes, Nicolas Cage has agreed to take the lead role in a remake of that film.

[Jedi Master Carr]

I have heard of the movie who was in the original?

[Dirjj Mordrai]

Edward Woodward (aka TVs Equilizer), Britt Ekland, and Christopher Lee as the eccentric Lord Summerisle.

[Jedi Master Carr]

Now that you mention Lee I remember seeing that in his Filmography, have to check it out the next time I see it listed on cable

[Diego Van Derveld]

He's nearly singlehandedly built the horror genre. Its quite impressive to see all the stuff he's done.

[Jedi Master Carr]

He is one of the originals him Vincent Price, and Boris Karloff are the three men that made the first great horror films.

[Dirjj Mordrai]

I would also include Peter Cushing in that list of three maybe not as notable as those three but still left his mark.

Ironically, my growing DVD collection, will have nearly no true horror. Only currently own Resident Evil, atrocious Evil Dead compilation, and The Thing (Russell was great). Might purchase some more Carpenter flix because he one of my biggest guilty pleasures. Anyways the problem is quality plus horror movies have a very low rewatchable value. I won't even touch Hooper's TCM, F13, NoES, or even Romero's trilogy. Horror just leaves a bad taste in my mouth. *blergh*

[Diego Van Derveld]

Evil Dead....atrocious??? WTF!

[Dirjj Mordrai]

LOL, I knew this was going to happen. Yes, because they are a hideously sloppy produced bunch of movies. Recently watched them and was appalled.

[Sage Hazzard]

The director for that, Raimi who directed Spider-Man, actually filmed that himself with a crappy camera and 50,000 budget. He just grabbed his buddy Bruce Campbell and bribed some wannabe actors in the area, plus his buddies that knew how to work film, and made the thing. Then he shopped it around to film companies. He did it with almsot no budget at all. The money he got was in loans from small businesses, etc. Considering what he had to work with, he did greatly. The second one he had a little more money, I think a mil. But that really give him much either. So it's not like he had oodles of company cash. Really great story of how he did it all, coming from a small town in Michigan and having nothing to work with.

Oh and the movie looks great. Every time I go to the video store and see a movie with Morgan Freeman that I haven't seen, I rent it. He's one of my favorite actors by far.

[Dirjj Mordrai]

Yes it is quite remarkable what Sam Raimi accomplished with the Evil Dead trilogy. But the novelty has worn off and when I watch the movies all I do is see the flaws in the acting and camera shots. Sorry, Bruce Campbell just doesn't do enough convincing of an performance.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

*ducks into a bomb shelter before Fett reads the blasphemy about Bruce*

And I've never seen Evil Dead.

[Sejah Haversh]

You cannot deny that Army of Darkness was not one of the best "almosthorror but mostly comedy" movies of all time. That was a truly awesome movie.

I've yet to see the first two, though.

[Dirjj Mordrai]

Yes, Army of Darkness and Evil Dead II: Dead by Dawn were both quite humorous horror movies. The first one took itself abit more serious but you can identify some of that twisted humour within it that would be seen so prevalently in the two sequels.

But the movies just don't impact me like they used when I was younger. Bruce's antics looked too scripted now.

[Sage Hazzard]

Yeah Bruce is a big Three Stooges fan. He likes to goof off. But the man has chrisma(sp)! You just like him as the hero, even if he screws up like in the Army of Darkness.

His role in Spider-Man was great. Raimi always gives him some kind of role in his movies. Oh and that guy, who was the assistant I believe to J Jonah Jameson(sp?). Looked geeky and kept telling him facts that JJ would just dismiss with some kind of hard nosed but stupid demand? That was Raimi's brother I believe. :)

[Dirjj Mordrai]

What is the most shocking ending you have ever seen in a horror movie?

(Suspense-wise, I would say The Sixth Sense, The Others, The Usual Suspects, and possibly Se7en too.)

But horror-wise, I would say the first Sleepaway Camp movie takes the cake. However, the movie is just your standard run-of-the-mill 'b'-movie slasher flick. Nothing exceptional at all.

[Sanis Prent]

Se7en & Sixth Sense tie. I saw the ending of the Usual Suspects coming a mile away.

[Loki Ahmrah]

Oh I liked Se7en but guessed the ending quite early. The ending to the Sixth Sense was spoiled for me by someone who'd seen it so I guess The Others takes the prize for me.

[Jedi Master Carr]

I knew The Sixth Sense ahead of time, I was spoiled to that by an idiot newspaper reviewer. So I have to say Seven, I had no clue what was going to happn.

[Dirjj Mordrai]

I felt the Others was done really well too. One of those endings that makes you reflect. But The Usual Suspects was so stylish and innovative. IMHO, the aforementioned suspense movies are excellent additions to a DVD collection. Well especially, TUS and Se7en because personally they have a higher rewatchable value.

[Sage Hazzard]

I saw the endings for Seven, Sixth Sense, and the Others coming. Usual Suspects was kind of shocking, not too much though.

The reason I saw them coming is because I study those kinds of movies throughout the entire thing. "Did that mean something?", "Could that be a clue?". I do it overly so. Almost ruins the experience. Also, I write scripts so I always try and put twists in them. So I've kind of gotten used to twists and stuff. I can tell. Because the best twists are twists you could figure out if you pay close enough attention and think about it enough. So it's somewhere in the movie, hinting at the end. Though I must admit, sometimes I'll have three endings in my head, all ready to go and always in flux. :lol

It's not a horror flick but I thought the twist in Fight Club was pretty shocking.

[Jedi Master Carr]

Well the reviews are in and I have hardly seen a good one RT has it at 28% which is really bad. And I have read some of the ones who have read the book and they seem to think too much it it has been cut out, now I am wondering if they should had made this into an ABC miniseries like IT and The Stand where they could have done a three night deal. The reason why these reviews I think are so bad is the story is so cut down that it doesn't make as much sense. I am not sure if I am going to see it now, at least not right away.

[Shawn]

I rarely ever see endings ahead of time. I like to just sit back and enjoy the ride, and not try to figure them out. The Others was really well done, and I figured out Se7en mere moments before it was revealed. That feeling of "Oh wow, I just got it!" really earned Se7en a place on my list of favorite movies.

A family member bought the hardcover copy of Dreamcatcher for me when it came out, and I just got around to starting it. It's ok, so far, but it leaves precious little to the imagination and has some really corny moments. I saw a Behind the Scenes preview of the movie on HBO, and I think it's going to be better than the book.

[Cassidy Williams]

It looked too demony for my tastes :\

Plus I have a real bone with Stephen King. His books will never enter my house... Yes, I am a bit paranoid :p

[darth_mcbain]

I've read a couple reviews myself and what I've heard isn't that good. I was looking forward to this, but I'm not so sure now. Not that I trust many reviewers anyway, but I may wait for video on this one.

[Daiquiri Van-Derveld]

The Others, Se7en and Sixth Sense were all very good. I usually can figure out the endings but on those three I was like Nup...I just settled back to enjoy them.

[Jedi Master Carr]

The book to me is awesome I just finished it and it is up there with It, IMO it is very creepy and has a lot of coming of age moments, also you have to try to live through the first 50 pages its starts a little slow, when the aliens start showing up it gets really gross and scary. Still if they cut too much out the story I think will fall apart, because you can't just trim off this book, it will be like that awful version of Needful things. The movie was awful because they butchered King's novel.

[Shawn]

Just saw the movie. IMO, this is how it breaks down:

The beginning is a bit fast paced as they try to cram everything in, but it's pretty much verbatim to the book.

Once you get to the real meat of the movie, it's juicy and cooked to perfection. In a way, it even had a kind of Tom Clancy feel to it.

The end got kind of... crazy. A bit contrived and a bit zany. I would have liked something simpler, but it's no big deal. It was pretty good as it is.

One thing I kind of expected, but I don't really get: The audience laughed every single time a character burped or farted. Yeah, ok... maybe that first, unexpected bout of gas was funny. But come on - was it really laugh-worthy after the 10th time?

[HunterJodoKast]

I just seen the movie and was terribly disappointed. I expected something with alot more atmospheric suspense a la The Thing.

This is a movie in which the green-blooded horror need not to be revealed to it's audiences and that, IMHO, would have made for a more effective story. Also in the ending of the movie it is revealed to the audience there are aliens of conflicting interests. Which at that point becomes comical, if I had not been so disgusted, I would have laughed. Something along the lines as batman and joker, or spiderman and doc oc. A bad movie that failed to shock me or put me on the edge of my seat. This movie does not even represent any middle ground between such movies as Signs and The Thing. More like ET with big attitude. lol

Anyways, I should known better by now that any horror movie adapted from a Stephen King novel is going to stink to high heaven. (With the exception of Kubrick's The Shining.) I feel also Freeman's true talents was underutilized maybe wasted in this movie. And it could have benefited from greater strength and substance surroundin the actual characters and alot less die-hard stunts. It could have taken it's human characters alot more seriously. Every element in the movie is presented rather too superficial and unrealistic. As far as the technology goes, very basic run-of-the-mill material but could have truly been space-age. One thing about Signs and The Thing is their strong performances and characterizations. Freeman is just being the Freeman we have seen in his poorer cinematic roles. But he is an outstanding actor if given the material to compliment and enhance his talent.

How about the aliens? Well that is another story altogether. This is a movie that right now for the best of me I can't catagorize. Is it a failed dark comedy? Or is it a super hero movie? Guess this is one where you had to have read the book to enjoy or at least appreciate it. Maybe? I'll take Signs, The Thing, MIB, and *barf* do I dare say Independance Day? No, on the latter flick but ironically it is much along the same lines as ID. Toss this one in the toilet please. *lol*

[Jedi Master Carr]

Well I think they trashed the novel, I said before they should have done this a 3 part miniseries ala IT and the Stand it would have worked better. Other than Misery, Carrie, and the Dead Zone the only King horror movies that have worked have been for TV (Salems Lot, IT, The Stand, etc). I don't count the Shinning its because I like the books version of events a lot better.

[HunterJodoKast]

Yes, this should have been a 3-parter TV production or maybe cable production so they can be more graphic. Have you seen it yet, Carr?

[Jedi Master Carr]

No, I wanted too than I got scared off by reviews, I guess I am mostly going by what you said and the reviews have said, it seemed like they crammed a lot into the two hours. I mean the book is long 800 pages and a lot of it is important, I think cramming in it was a bad idea.

[Lann Kirauc]

I would only encourage seeing it just for the pure disgust or if I had planned writing review to the movie. It fails in every catagory. And does not measure up to The Thing or Signs at all. I am sure the book went into great depth and detail but movie has none just enough to grasp it. I found Freeman's character very fascinating, however, I wished they would have explored deeper into him. But the film did not delve deep on any human level.

BTW, this is Kast! :)

[Shawn]

A bad movie that failed to shock me or put me on the edge of my seat. This movie does not even represent any middle ground between such movies as Signs and The Thing.Because it's not meant to? This movie neither tries to keep you in suspense, showing the aliens right up at the beginning of the movie, nor tries to keep you guessing as to who is "infected". It bares everything right off the bat under the pretense that the government has known about these aliens for years. This is just another run-of-the-mill deal.

I think the movie could have been a lot better, but that it's also getting overly-bashed. I thought the parts where Jonesy was stuck in his head, watching as the alien ate his friend and various other innocents was pretty well done. Those scenes, and the scenes with Morgan Freeman, were what kept my interest throughout it.

Unfortunately, I just don't think King's writing adapts well to film at all. He has a tendency to go into absurd amounts of detail and usually has a slightly surrealist tone to his stories.

[Lann Kirauc]

I agree with those last comments of your's, Shawn. But there are exceptions such as his more dramatic works seem to adapt pretty well to the bigscreen.

Well, the problem lies in that this indescrible and bizarre movie is a walking cliche but it fails on too many levels. Whereas it's predecessors collectively probably didn't or just happened to be a better films. Dreamcatcher Lacks strong performances and has a weak excercise of the plot. With a very corny ending I might add.

[Jedi Master Carr]

Is the ending different from the book? In the book Jonsey kills Mr Gray and comes out of his sleep and stops the alien, Underhill shoots the alien and he is killed by Kurtz who is killed by one of his own men, is that the same ending or did they change it I think King's books can be adapted it just has to be a long movie. Like the Stand and It both were well done adapations of his books there have been others mainly his more dramatic stuff like Green Mile have been made into great films.

[Shawn]

... d'oh. Yeah, they definitely changed the ending. I would have liked something more normal, like that.

[Jedi Master Carr]

No wonder it sucked that ending was a lot better in the book.

[Shawn]

MAJOR spoiler: Kurtz comes after everyone else in a Helicopter and shoots Underhill, who manages to shoot him down before dying. Duddits comes into the water plant, expells the Mr. Grey from Jonesy and turns into a giant alien himself. The two of them fight and kill each other.

[Jedi Master Carr]

Okay that ending is very corny, why did they change it from the book is beyond me.

[HunterJodoKast]

Yep, Shawn basically described it. The whole scene is so bad between Duddit and Mr. Grey. The latter spurts out a line in comic archvillian fashion upon seeing the other. Soonafterwards, it is then revealed what Duddit's name means. I guess it was suppose to be emotionally impactive, but I was just pleased the aliens blissfully blew up together. *lol*

[Sejah Haversh]

Originally posted by Sejah Haversh
Was I the only one who was not only unimpressed by the trailer, but thought the movie could be a total skunk? Thus far, I'm slating this one as a "wait for video".

Well, from every bit of review I've read, I'd say I was actually rather right. Now, don't you all feel silly for ever doubting me? :p

And, I'm actually going to wait for television for this one, havign caught cglimpses of Sleepwalkers and The Langoleirs on TV recently has reminded me of just how bad his movies can be. And I mean bad with four M's and a silent Q.

[Lann Kirauc]

Great call Sejah! :)

[Shawn]

Well, from every bit of review I've read, I'd say I was actually rather right. Now, don't you all feel silly for ever doubting me? Nope. It still had some pretty good moments... just a really bad ending. But yeah, "wait for video" is pretty much the best course of action here.

I liked the Langoliers. Haven't seen Sleepwalkers in years, so I can't really say one way or the other.

[Jedi Master Carr]

I like the Langoliers too that movie was almost word for word like the book. I think I will wait for video, I still bet they could have made this better into a TV miniseries. Also I am curious is there any mention of It or Pennywise the clown in the movie? They made several references to It in the book and mentione Pennywise once, so I was just curious.

[Lann Kirauc]

In Dreamcatcher, Carr? Nope, no mention of Pennywise or It. Sleepwalkers was a terrible movie BTW.

[Jedi Master Carr]

Yeah kind of figured they wouldn't do it, because most people wouldn't know what they were talking about.

[Sean Piett]

Heres a thought:

How about the aliens just land near a reserve and dump a load of worms there? It obviously took a few hours for the 'Blueboys' to respond to the threat in this movie, since dozens of animals were contaminated before they responded.

[HunterJodoKast]

Just goes to show how stupid the aliens were. Unless they crashed and were stranded upon the earth. Can't recall the details anymore.

[Jedi Master Carr]

In the book I think they just crashed, but they were dying and running out of time so it may have been a last ditch effort.

[sirdizzy]

in the movie it does mention they crashed, Freeman comments that it is a small group unlike others they had fought because it is an obvious crash


pay attention next time guys geeeeeeeeeeeeeez