Title Directed by
Rating
Times Seen
Dreamcatcher Lawrence Kasdan 4 1
     Every now and again I'll buy a used DVD at Blockbuster Video sight unseen, because it's price drops to $9.99. This is simply a matter of economics; I use video in my speaking engagements, and if I have to rent a movie twice, once to view and twice to clip for speaking, then I've spent more than ten bucks. So at $9.99, if I get one visual illustration, it's worth the purchase. I bought "Dreamcatcher," the film adaptation of the book by Stephen King on this premise. I figured with Lawrence Kasdan of "Empire Strikes Back" fame directing and William Goldman, the man who has successfully adapted two of King's novels as decent movies (Misery and Hearts in Atlantis) along with a host of other successes, the film couldn't be as bad as everyone said...
    Having read the book, I knew there was a visual representation of a person's inner self as represented by a warehouse full of memories as file boxes. When the individual is taken over by the alien menace of the story, he retreats into an inner sanctum, where he hides memories deadly to the alien menace. In the book, it is this internal struggle that wins the day. Sadly, the film opts for a dumbed down option; the alien is defeated through...well, honestly, I couldn't really say. I'm not quite sure how the film can explain the last five minutes. Thankfully there's a series of scenes regarding questioning the meaning behind what seem to be random events that will make for some good clipping, so the purchase wasn't a total waste. Nevertheless, "Dreamcatcher" is a schizoid film, but don't blame the moviemakers; blame the source material.
    Like the book, the first half is where the story shines; a horror film in the backwoods in the dead of winter, four somewhat telepathic friends retreating to a favored hunting spot, and a lone hunter who stumbles in from the forest implanted with one of the alien larvae. Formula to a degree, but a great formula for horror fans. Of the four friends, Jason Lee has the stand-out performance as the wise-cracking and exceedingly crass Joe 'Beaver' Clarenden. Sadly, Beaver dies in the first half, and frankly, that's where the movie and the book slide off the tracks. Up until this point the film gives new meaning to the term 'popcorn movie.' Normally applied to films that are simply B-movies, which "Dreamcatcher" certainly is, I would also call it a 'popcorn movie' simply because popcorn would be the only thing you could eat while watching the first half. King wrote 'Dreamcatcher' while recovering from his well-publicized accident which nearly left him dead. The alien process of incubation could only come from a recovery process that made the author feel like he was shitting out a two foot long leech-like thing with multiple rows of teeth.
    King readily admits that writing "Dreamcatcher" was one of the most difficult things he ever did. An hour of writing would leave him in severe pain, and sadly, it shows, both in the book and on the screen. "Dreamcatcher" has all the coherenece of a really bad morphine trip. Somebody commented the book was likely better than the film, to which I can only say...just a little.
    As such, I can't make any laudatory comments about the second half of the picture. Morgan Freeman was easily the worst piece of casting in the second half, which I suspected from knowing the character he'd be playing. Normally one of my favorite actors, Freeman is here out of his depth, playing the supposedly menacing and psychotic Colonel Curtis, or "Kurtz" from the novel. Freeman is no more menacing here than he was on the Electric Company in the 70's. It would have made more sense to have omitted the character entirely, or downplayed his role. The second half of the story is supposed to be more a mind game, but turns into a hastily tagged-on cross country chase. I spent most of the second half with the DVD running on high speed, hoping to see more of that internal mind game and being sorely disappointed.
    On the upside, it's been a long time since I've seen a film I'd rate as a 4 overall; it's nice to know I don't give good reviews to every movie I see. To be fair to the rest of my review, I'll split the film into its two acts. Part one is a nice little piece of suspenseful film making, to which I'd award a rating of 6-worth seeing. The second half is typical of Hollywood screenplays - they just don't know how to write a decent ending - in truth, if all I had seen was the last half, I'd have given it a 1. So, I'll take the average, rounded up, just because I really liked Jason Lee in this movie. When that boy gets a solid script...watch out.
    Similarly, the same goes for Stephen King and his long run of crappy film adaptations. If he ever writes a solid script...watch out.

Movie Reviews - Dreamcatcher

Legend
10
 This movie is in my "top 10 films" list.
9
 I laughed, I cried, I peed my pants because there was no good time to leave the theater.
8
 The kind of movie you see twice and tell all your friends about.
7
 Worth paying full admission for.
6
 Worth seeing.
5
 Could have waited for DVD.
4
 Should have waited for DVD.
3
 Even if I'd waited for the DVD I'd still feel cheated out of the rental price.
2
 If someone ever gives me this movie I'll use the DVD as a coaster.
1
 Kept watching because my arms were pinned and I couldn't claw my eyes out.
0
 Piece of crap.
WO
Walked out.