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The Tommyknockers
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The Tommyknockers (1993) (TV) More at IMDbPro »

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The Tommyknockers (1993) -- A buried UFO slowly turns local inhabitants into gizmo-building alien mutates.

Overview

User Rating:
5.1/10   3,526 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 6% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
John Power
Writers (WGA):
Stephen King (novel)
Lawrence D. Cohen (teleplay)
Contact:
View company contact information for The Tommyknockers on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
9 May 1993 (USA) more
Tagline:
A chilling thriller from the master of horror. more
Plot:
A buried UFO slowly turns local inhabitants into gizmo-building alien mutates. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
Nominated for Primetime Emmy. more
NewsDesk:
(2 articles)
Happy Birthday Traci Lords!
 (From pretty-scary. 7 May 2009, 12:23 PM, PDT)

Stephen King’s ‘It’ Coming To The Big Screen
 (From Screen Rant. 13 March 2009, 12:05 PM, PDT)

User Comments:
Decent TV Stephen King Adaptation more

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Jimmy Smits ... Jim 'Gard' Gardner

Marg Helgenberger ... Roberta 'Bobbi' Anderson

John Ashton ... Trooper Butch Duggan

Allyce Beasley ... Deputy Becka Paulson

Robert Carradine ... Bryant Brown

Joanna Cassidy ... Sheriff Ruth Merrill

Annie Corley ... Marie Brown

Cliff De Young ... Joe Paulson

Traci Lords ... Nancy Voss

E.G. Marshall ... Ev Hillman
Chuck Henry ... Chaz Stewart
Leon Woods ... Hilly Brown
Paul McIver ... Davey Brown
Yvonne Lawley ... Mabel Noyes
Bill Johnson ... Elt Barker
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
Stephen King's The Tommyknockers
more
Runtime:
181 min | 120 min (cut version)
Country:
USA | New Zealand
Language:
English
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
1.33 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Dolby
Filming Locations:
Auckland, New Zealand more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
According to author Stephen King The Tommyknockers is an allegory for his own personal battles with substance abuse. The character of Jim Gardener is largely based upon King himself. more
Goofs:
Revealing mistakes: The Nutcracker doll's knife has blood on it before it stabs Ruth. more
Movie Connections:
Featured in "Cinemania: Stephen King: O vasilias tou tromou" (2009) more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
5 out of 6 people found the following comment useful:-
Decent TV Stephen King Adaptation, 5 April 2008
5/10
Author: mstomaso from Vulcan

The novel Tommyknockers was one of Steve King's earlier attempts to do sci-Fi, and it was only moderately successful. King fused his usual horror plot structure formula to a basic alien possession plot and added his standard strong character development. The characters were, in this case, better than the plot deserved. John Power's three-hour TV adaptation leaves most of the story intact, but drops some of the crazier and more absurd elements of the original work. Even without reading the original, those familiar with King's work will notice the restrained manner in which the climax takes place.

In the woods behind Bobbie Anderson's (Marg Helgerson) house, something is buried. Some say it is an Indian curse, some say it's a holy place, but in general, the members of the little New England town of Derry don't go there. But one day, while her recovering alcoholic boyfriend Jim Gardner (Jimmy Smits) is out doing a poetry reading, Bobbie and her dog Pete start digging. Before long, Derry starts experiencing miracles, accompanied by green glowing lights.

The casting is superb, and with the exception of an overcooked performance by Traci Lords, the acting is fairly good. Smits and Helgerberger are very good. The characterizations in this three hour long film fairly represent the original work, but the script lacks some of the original's punch. The cinematography is solid for a TV movie and the special effects are good. Tommyknockers is well edited, competently directed and fairly entertaining, but, like the original novel, it is not one of King's better works.

Recommended for King fans. Weakly recommended for Sci-Fi fans.

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Question about the book cover jetstarIII
My thoughts. pic_a_cherry414
I've read the book, should i bother with this shadowsofbodom
Does anyone know what the Tommyknockers means? Tony587
This movie blows hard. soggytwinkies
the book leftiedeb
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