Dreamcatcher on DVD

For some reason, Stephen King’s stories often make better movies than books.

Dreamcatcher, King’s first book after being hit by a van, is a mix of several different genres, and quite possibly one of his most bizarre tales yet.

Henry, Pete, Beaver and Jonesy are the best of friends, bonded by a gift they each received on a fateful day in their childhood. Every year for the last two decades, they’ve gone on a hunting trip into the woods of Maine. But this particular trip will turn out to be a terrifying fight for their lives – and possibly the lives of the entire planet.

As Henry (Thomas Jane) and Pete (Timothy Olyphant) are off on a drive, Beaver (Jason Lee) and Jonesy (Damian Lewis) get a visitor at the cabin. He’s a dazed and confused hunter who seems to be suffering from…something.

After it turns out to be a slimy worm creature with dozens of razor-sharp teeth (that just happened to make its home in the man’s bowels before exiting out the back door), the friends realize they’re dealing with something out of this world.

Enter the military, led by General Curtis (Morgan Freeman), a shoot first and ask questions later kind of guy. He’s been dealing with these very aliens for so many years that he’s begun to go insane which, when you’re dealing with hostile extraterrestrials, may not be such a bad thing.

To say more would be to ruin it for you. It’s such an intricate, well-thought-out story that, if you’re willing to run with it, proves to be highly entertaining. It doesn’t waste time getting into the story, but at the same time it also takes the time necessary to give you the background you need to understand it. The characters are well drawn out, and having such an outstanding cast doesn’t hurt.

The screenplay by William Goldman and Lawrence Kasdan (who also directs) manages to be creepy, funny, and dramatic as it needs to be.

You have to be willing to pay attention, but as long as you can give it your all (and you disregard all the nasty things you’ve heard about it), Dreamcatcher is a very well done, very entertaining film.

A $70 million film that earned back less than half, Warner Bros. has spent a few more dollars giving it a good – but not great – DVD for the fans. It’s presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen and full screen versions (WARNING! SOLD SEPARATELY!), both with Dolby Digital 5.1 surround audio transfers. The picture quality is excellent, with rich color, crisp detail, and no dust or grain. The film takes place in the dead of winter, so there’s plenty of bright white snow surrounding the action throughout, but it doesn’t drown out the actors or the goings-on at all.

Audio is even more impressive, with excellent clarity, a thundering bass track, and surrounds that roar to life whenever they need to. Helicopters are the main users of the surround speakers, but it’s done so effectively you’d swear there was one landing in your living room. Dialogue is usually restricted to the front, except for the non-verbal interactions between the four friends, which uses all five channels. There are also machine guns, vehicles, and a few other effects that fill the room.

Extras include the original ending, which is good, but not as good as the one used, and also four other deleted scenes. Three short documentaries are included, each interesting but not long enough. The first is “DreamWriter – An Interview with Stephen King.” It runs about 8 minutes and was filmed after King saw the first cut of the film. He talks about his near-fatal accident a few years ago and what prompted him to begin writing this odd but interesting story. Next is “DreamWeavers – The Visual Effects of Dreamcatcher,” which is pretty self-explanatory. The effects team at Industrial Light and Magic go through their usual schtick of creating the visual effects. Finally, there is “DreamMakers – A Journey Through Production,” which features interviews with the cast & crew, including Lawrence Kasdan, Charles Okun, Morgan Freeman, Thomas Jane, Jason Lee, Damian Lewis, Timothy Olyphant, Tom Sizemore and Donnie Wahlberg.

Dreamcatcher, from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment
134 minutes, anamorphic widescreen (2.35:1) 16X9 enhanced, 5.1 Dolby Digital
Starring Morgan Freeman, Thomas Jane, Jason Lee, Damian Lewis, Timothy Olyphant, Tom Sizemore, Donnie Wahlberg
Produced by Lawrence Kasdan, Charles Okun
Screenplay by William Goldman and Lawrence Kasdan, Directed by Lawrence Kasdan

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