Lilja's Library (70 page)

Season four has surprisingly little extra material. There are commentaries on two episodes and a tribute to the late Michael Piller. The tribute is very nice, but too short. It would have been interesting if they had made it a bit longer and told more of the story about Michael. 

The most interesting extra material is the collection of deleted scenes included for a lot of the episodes. It’s very interesting for the season premier episode. That one was originally supposed to be season three’s finale, but for different reasons it was pushed forward. That meant they redid it and quite a lot of scenes were cut. Very interesting to see… 

One thing that I miss in season four’s box, though, is the gag reels. For those of you who don’t know what that is (I didn’t either until I got my first
Dead Zone
box), I can tell you that gag reels are clips where the actors start laughing or when parts of the set are falling down or where one actor plays a prank on another actor…things like that. They are very entertaining to watch and I miss them here. 

There is also a nice featurette (The Production Design of
The Dead Zone
) that tells how the sets are built and how they find the right location and items. After seeing this I have to say that Lance King (the boss of these issues) is someone whom I admire a lot. The work he (with help from his crew) puts into making the sets you see on the screen is amazing. Very well done, Lance!  

Lilja’s final words about
The Dead Zone - Season 4 (DVD)
 

The overall look of the DVD is very nice. The menus are very well done and look very tempting. And even though season four is a bit weaker than the other seasons, I strongly urge you to add it to your DVD collection. You will regret it if you don’t. 

**** 

The Dead Zone - Season 5, Episodes 7 - 9
 

Posted: August 8, 2006  

So, three new episodes of
The Dead Zone
are up for review. Two have already aired and one will air later this week. 

The first one is episode seven, which has the title
Symmetry
. This episode is probably the most confusing one that has ever been done in the entire history of
The Dead Zone
. For the first twenty minutes I had a really hard time understanding what was going on. After that, though, things became more and more clear, and in the end you see that it’s actually done in a very clever way.  

As it turns out, Johnny has visions of three different people who are experiencing the same events. For instance, he’s experiencing hitting someone as well as receiving the punch…I know, it’s complicated, but hang in there. It will all get sorted out.  

This is also the first time we get to see three Johnnys in the same frame. Very well done. 

Of the three episodes reviewed here, episode eight,
Vortex
, is the best. It’s a Waco-like episode about a cult that is about to be under attack from the police. In an attempt to save a little girl’s life, Johnny infiltrates the group. Pretty quickly he realizes a lot more than just a little girl’s life is at stake… 

This is a very interesting episode. It’s told in flashbacks during a hearing about Johnny’s part in what happened. Here, as one of the accusers, we get to see Stillson again. I have surely missed him and was very happy to see him.  

The chemistry between Johnny and Stillson is perfect. I’m actually a bit surprised that they haven’t used it a lot more.  

The last one (episode nine), called
Revelations
, airs later this week and in it we get to know a whole lot more about Reverend Purdy’s past when a woman shows up claiming to be his long lost daughter… 

As expected, Johnny checks her out and that’s when we get to see Purdy’s past. It’s an interesting twist, and Purdy sure is a character that we didn’t know much about before this. His past is, to say the least, shady and questionable. 

Without saying too much, it’s safe to say that there’s more from his past hunting him than just his daughter.  

Lilja’s final words about
The Dead Zone
- Season 5, Episodes 7 - 9
 

My opinion that season five is a very strong season still stands. These three episodes are very good. The only thing I miss is Sarah. Sure, she has been popping up from time to time, but she hasn’t really had any effect on the plot, and that I don’t like. 

**** 

The Dead Zone - Season 5, Episodes 10 - 11
 

Posted: September 14, 2006  

It’s time to review what might be the last two episodes of
The Dead Zone
…ever. Let’s hope that isn’t the case and that the series will get a sixth season so that the filmmakers can give it a good ending we can all be happy with. As far as I know, no decision has been made yet, so all we can do is wait and hope. 

The second-to-last episode,
Into the Heart of Darkness
, is very interesting. Here we get to see an old friend from an earlier episode. The Collector, from the episode
The Collector
in season four, is back, and this time he has kidnapped Sarah and J.J. Personally, I really like it when they connect a new episode to an earlier one. Good job. 

During the chase, Johnny and Walt discover that The Collector is dead and that it’s his earlier kidnap victim who is now seeking revenge. It turns out she is as insane as he was and fell in love with him. Now that he is dead she wants revenge… 

Another thing we find out here is that Sarah is pregnant with her second child. When it was revealed, I found myself wanting to see what would happen if Johnny was the father of this child as well…that would definitely stir up things. No such indications were given though. 

It’s also good to see more of Sarah in this episode. She has been missing in most episodes this season, but here she is back in full force! 

The season (and maybe series) finale,
The Hunting Party
, is taking the series in a totally new direction. I’m not sure if it’s the filmmakers’ way of getting to the end, but it seems they are looking for a way to make the show reach its finale. 

The episode feels very much like an episode of
The X-Files
and I’m not sure I want
The Dead Zone
to go that way. There are a lot of conspiracy theories in this episode and I’m not sure if it’s just for this episode or if it’s a setup for things to come (if there is a season six), but it gets me a bit worried.  

I’m not sure how I would like to have the show end, but I don’t want it to be too close to
The X-Files
—we’ve had that already. Personally, I feel that the show has steered toward more of an
X-Files
type of show since the character Malcolm Janus entered the scene…  

Lilja’s final words about
The Dead Zone
- Season 5, Episodes 10 - 11  

These two episodes are a good ending for the season, but not the ending of a show. I really hope the network gives the OK for a sixth season, or at least a few episodes to wrap it all up and give the show a decent ending…if they don’t want to keep it on for a seventh season, that is. Personally, I wouldn’t mind. 

**** 

The Dead Zone - Season 6 

Posted: February 6, 2008  

The sixth and last season of
The Dead Zone
starts off strong and intense, but as the season progresses it gets stranger and stranger, and less and less logical and true to the rules of the series. The season starts off with Walt dying and Bruce and Rev. Purdy leaving. Purdy is back in the end and both Walt and Bruce make guest appearances but I still miss them.  

To replace Walt, we are introduced to a female sheriff by the name of Anna Turner. Unfortunately, the Turner character is quite boring and I never really care about her even though she is more in danger during this season than Walt was in the first five. 

We also get to see more of Stillson, my favorite character, but unfortunately the Armageddon is avoided when Malcolm Janus is killed in the same fire that kills Walt. Johnny’s visions of it just disappear. Personally, I think this is the worst conclusion I have seen in a long time. Here the filmmaker had a chance to end this thread
that has gone through all five of the previous seasons in a good way, maybe in the same way as the original, in which Johnny tries to kill Stillson. Instead they just waste it. Then, in the end, Armageddon is back because Stillson can’t marry Sarah. What is that? I don’t buy it. Also, during most of the season Stillson appears to be a nice guy and is also transformed from the series’ most interesting character to the most boring. 

In addition to this, we also get a new actor playing J.J. The sad thing is that I really don’t have an opinion about him; he doesn’t make the role better or worse, he just plays it. And even though the character of J.J. is taking up more space in this season, he really doesn’t make an impression on me. 

So, do we get a conclusion to the series in this last season, then? According to me, no! Instead, we get to know that Johnny’s father and also J.J. have visions, just like Johnny. What is that? Johnny got his from first falling on the ice while young and then the coma. How can that be inherited in the family? Just not logical at all. 

Unfortunately, the sixth season of
The Dead Zone
isn’t just the last, but also the worst of all the seasons, and I can certainly understand why the USA Network cancelled the series after it. Maybe it was for the best. I think so.  

Lilja’s final words about
The Dead Zone
-
Season 6
 

What really bothers me is that the filmmakers didn’t take the chance they were given to give the series a proper ending. It doesn’t take a genius to understand that the series was hanging by a thread when it took forever to get the green light on the sixth season.  

Then, when they got the “go,” they tried to reinvent the series instead of giving it a worthy ending. Not very fair to the fans, if you ask me! 

Section 3—The Movies/DVDs  

Rose Red (DVD)
 

Posted: April 11, 2002  

Today I got an advance glance at the DVD edition of
Rose Red
and for that I am really happy! You can find what I think of the TV series itself in my review. Here I want to concentrate on the extra things that you will find on the DVD.  

One thing that I hoped to find on the DVD was the fake documentary about
Rose Red
that aired on ABC before the series. I wasn’t disappointed; the documentary is on the DVD. The title of it is
Unlocking Rose Red: The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer
and it’s a thirty-minute long fake documentary in the same style as was done for
Blair Witch
some years ago. Here we get interviews with all of the key characters in King’s story. They are all actors and actresses, of course, and sometimes that shows, but I don’t mind it that much. It’s a fun thing to do and it gives the series itself a nice twist.  

There is also a “making of” on the DVD. Here we get to know how
Rose Red
was done, and for me this was the highlight of the entire DVD. In the “making of” we get to hear King himself talk about the series and how it was made. We get interviews with most of the actors and actresses and there are also loads of behind-the-scenes clips.  

The filmmakers show how they used miniatures of the house in different scales to be able to film all of the scenes they wanted. One that looked really fun is where there are stones raining from the sky. This was actually filmed while using a miniature that the crew then threw stones onto. You never would have guessed that was how they did it when you watch the finished scene. I know I didn’t.  

They also show how they did many of the special effects. This was an interesting part in the “making of.” One challenge the filmmakers had was to make two of the characters dance a few inches in the air, which wasn’t the easiest thing to do. There were also a lot of puppets used for different scenes. It’s amazing to see how they were done!  

Another thing that is covered in the “making of” is how King was influenced by the story of Winchester House when he wrote
Rose Red
. Apparently, King got the idea to let Ellen Rimbauer keep building on Rose Red from that story. The “making of” also deals with the music in the series and the sad death of David Duke.  

Besides these two documentaries there are also some storyboards, which I found really cool. Here you can see what the drawings of a specific scene looked like and at the same time see how the scene looked when it was finished. Really interesting stuff! There are also production commentaries you can listen to as you watch the series. There are, for example, comments about King’s cameo as he does it. There are also fourteen images from what seems to be the time when Ellen and John Rimbauer walked the Earth.  

Lilja’s final words about
Rose Red (DVD)
 

This is a DVD that you shouldn’t miss. I think the extra material you’ll find on it is really fun to watch and makes this DVD one that is worth buying, even if you don’t count the series itself.  

Do yourself a favor and go out and get this DVD on May 14th. 

**** 

The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer (DVD)
 

Posted: October 15, 2003  

The DVD edition of
The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer
leaves a bit to wish for. The movie itself is the same as the one shown on ABC earlier this year, so there all is well, but what I miss is the extra material. The only extra is a commentary track by Ridley Pearson, who wrote the script for the movie as well as the actual book. 

Even though it’s really interesting to hear what Ridley has to say about the movie, I was hoping for some behind-the-scenes documentaries or other information about how the movie was done.  

In the commentary, Ridley explains a bit about how the book
The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer
, as well as the movie, came about. This is interesting since this topic was one of the biggest from last year. No one knew who had written the diary, and the suggestions were as numerous as the people guessing.  

Ridley also tells us that some of the scenes in
The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer
are actually from
Rose Red
,
and just inserted into this one. He also points out where he made his cameos—one time it’s just his arm…so it’s not certain that you saw it earlier.  

If you want to know what I thought of the story itself you can read my earlier review from when
The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer
was shown on ABC.  

Lilja’s final words about
The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer (DVD)
 

So, is this enough to buy the DVD? Well, if you’re a big fan of the movie itself or want it to complete your King / Ridley collection, then I definitely think you should get it. If you didn’t like the movie or just thought it was a one-time watch, this DVD doesn’t add that much, I’m afraid. 

**** 

Riding the Bullet (DVD) 

Posted: May 5, 2005  

I have just watched the
Riding the Bullet
DVD, and in my review I will focus on the extra material and the look and feel of the DVD itself. If you want to know what I thought about the movie itself, you can read that in my review from when it aired on USA Network. 

So, on to the DVD. There is quite a lot of extra material on this one. All of the extras are quite short, but they are all interesting and well worth a look. Here is what you get:  

Documentaries: 

David’s Makeup (2 minutes)  

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Here we get to see how they use makeup to make David look like a corpse. They guide us from the early stages to the last one, where he looks like a zombie. It’s quite fun to watch how he is transformed from a nice-looking fellow to a walking (driving) dead.  

Alan’s Artwork (1 minute)  

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As you’ll know if you have seen the movie, the main character, Alan, draws dark sketches in a sketchbook. All of the drawings you see in the movie are done by no other than Bernie Wrightson, who is known from many different King books. Personally, I think they are really cool and wouldn’t mind having one on my wall. In this documentary you get to hear Bernie himself talking about the illustrations.  

Picture Cars (1½ minutes)  

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Here the crew tells us about finding the right cars for the movie. Since the movie was set in a specified time, they had to find cars to match that year, which wasn’t always easy.  

A Cemetery Shoot (3½ minutes)  

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Here we get to see how a shoot from the movie is done. As you probably understand from the documentary’s title, it’s one of the scenes from the cemetery. As always it’s cool to see how a scene is made, even though this may not be the movie’s most exciting scene.  

Fury Crash (5 minutes)  

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Here is another scene. This one is important to the plot of the movie. Here we get to see how George Staub crashes his car into a wagon. The wagon is cut in two and the car explodes. A really cool scene that is actually pretty exciting.  

Shooting at Thrill Village (3 minutes)  

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And yet another scene. This one is even more important to the movie. This is the scene in which a young Alan and his mother are in the line for the Bullet at Thrill Village. It ends with Alan chickening out and his mother being mad at him for making her stand in line for so long and then backing out when it’s his turn. This scene also includes a dream sequence where Alan is thrown from the roller coaster. It’s a nice scene that is well done.  

Storyboard Comparisons (3½ minutes)  

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Storyboards are really cool. I didn’t even know they existed before DVDs entered my life. Here you get to see the storyboard, which is a drawing of the scene, and the actual scene beside each other. You can then see how they wanted the scene to be and at the same time how it actually turned out.  

The rest of the extra material: 

Artwork Gallery 

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Here you get to see all of the sketches Bernie Wrightson did for the movie. It’s a lot of sketches, but as I said earlier they are really, really cool! Please take the time to check them out.  

Trailer 

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Well, this is the trailer for the movie. It’s a well-done trailer and it’s fun to see.  

Commentaries 

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The movie also has two different commentary tracks—one with Mick Garris and one with the cast and crew. 

In one of the commentary tracks Mick Garris shares his thoughts on the movie, and in the second one he is joined by actor Jonathan Jackson, his DP Robert New, Producer Joel Smith and F/X Supervisors Greg Nicotero and Howard Berger. It’s always nice to listen to what the filmmakers had in mind when they did the movie and other comments on what happens. Take the time to listen to this!  

Layout 

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The layout of this DVD is like something you would expect for
Creepshow
. It’s in the same style as those old EC comics. It works really well and it looks so nice!  

Lilja’s final words about
Riding the Bullet (DVD)
 

OK, so that is what you get if you buy
Riding the Bullet
on DVD. Oh, and this one is uncut, not like the one that aired on TV. I like the movie, so getting this DVD is obvious to me! 

**** 

Quicksilver Highway (DVD)
 

Posted: May 16, 2005  

Tomorrow, May 17, Anchor Bay Entertainment releases
Quicksilver Highway
on DVD. This movie is really a collection of two shorter films. The first one is about a hand that revolts against its owner and the second is about a pair of chattery teeth. 

The first story, the one about the revolting hands, has the title
The Body Politic
and is based on a story by Clive Barker. It’s the story about a cosmetic surgeon, Dr. Charles George, whose hand rebels against him and then leads all other hands to a mass suicide. I agree that the description can sound a bit silly when you just read it like this, but when you see Matt Frewer’s interpretation of Dr. Charles you’ll see that it’s everything but silly—funny sometimes, but not silly.  

The second story,
Chattery Teeth
, is about a traveling salesman named Bill Hogan, played very well by Raphael Sbarge, who buys a pair of chattery teeth. Chattery teeth are those big teeth that have feet and when you wind them up they keep opening and closing their teeth, chattering, while they jump up and down. When Bill leaves the place where he bought them he gets hijacked by a fellow who tries to rob him. This results in him driving the car in the ditch. And, while hanging from the roof, trapped in his seatbelt, seeing the assailant approaching with a knife, he gets help from an unexpected hero… 

Quicksilver Highway
originally aired on Fox in 1997 and was then meant to be the pilot of a new series. Unfortunately, the series never happened.  

Aaron Quicksilver, played by Christopher Lloyd, presents these two stories in a wraparound fashion. Quicksilver is a
Creepshow
-looking kind of guy, but real instead of animated. He is a collector of rare objects and dark tales, as the cover of the DVD says, and here he shares two of them with us.  

There is also some extra material on the DVD, and the most interesting one is an interview with Matt Frewer (10 minutes) who plays Dr. Charles George in
The Body Politic
. It’s nice to hear how some of the scenes were shot and what he thought about the fact that several of his co-stars were actually hands… 

There is also a storyboard gallery. This is nice, but unfortunately there are not storyboards from
Chattery Teeth
, King’s story. It would have been nice to have some from both films, but maybe they didn’t do any for
Chattery Teeth
. 

The movie also has commentary tracks, and these are really interesting. Both Mick and Cynthia Garris comment on the movie. For those of you who don’t know, I can tell you that Cynthia is often in Mick’s movies and is somewhat of a frequent visitor in Garris/King adaptations. She is the woman in the bathtub in Garris’s version of
The Shining
and she is also in
Sleepwalkers
,
The Stand
and
Riding the Bullet
, to name a few. Here Cynthia plays the wife of Dr. Charles George in
The Body Politic
and joins Mick with comments once her part comes on.