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Needful Things
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Needful Things (1993) More at IMDbPro »

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Needful Things (1993) -- Open-ended Trailer from Columbia

Overview

User Rating:
5.9/10   7,017 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 15% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Writers (WGA):
Stephen King (book)
W.D. Richter (screenplay)
Contact:
View company contact information for Needful Things on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
27 August 1993 (USA) more
Genre:
Crime | Drama | Horror | Thriller more
Tagline:
Now it's time to pay! more
Plot:
Leland Gaunt comes to Sheriff Alan Pangborn's pleasant little New England town, and opens a store. What this kindly Satan sells is whatever you need... more | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
1 win & 3 nominations more
User Comments:
Could have been better, could have been worse more

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Max von Sydow ... Leland Gaunt (as Max Von Sydow)

Ed Harris ... Sheriff Alan Pangborn

Bonnie Bedelia ... Polly Chalmers

Amanda Plummer ... Nettie Cobb

J.T. Walsh ... Danforth Keeton III

Ray McKinnon ... Deputy Norris Ridgewick

Duncan Fraser ... Hugh Priest
Valri Bromfield ... Wilma Jerzyck
Shane Meier ... Brian Rusk

William Morgan Sheppard ... Father Meehan (as W. Morgan Sheppard)

Don S. Davis ... Reverend Rose
Campbell Lane ... Frank Jewett
Eric Schneider ... Henry Beaufort

Frank C. Turner ... Pete Jerzyck

Gillian Barber ... Myrtle Keeton
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Additional Details

Runtime:
120 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Dolby

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The original cut of the film ran 180 minutes. It was heavily edited down to 120 minutes for theatrical release. The uncut version does occasionally air on cable television, though it has yet to see a video release. more
Goofs:
Continuity: In the opening scene, Sheriff Pangborn comes to the door of the "Dot" Restaurant. He has a band-aid around his index finger. When he gets inside of the restaurant, the band-aid has disappeared. more
Quotes:
Leland Gaunt: When I started out I was just a peddler moving across the blind face of a distant land. Moving, always moving. Always gone... and in the end I'd always offer weapons. And they'd always take them. Of course I was gone before they realized what they'd purchased. more
Movie Connections:
Featured in "Cinemania: Stephen King: O vasilias tou tromou" (2009) more
Soundtrack:
Great Balls Of Fire more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
14 out of 17 people found the following comment useful:-
Could have been better, could have been worse, 20 August 2006
5/10
Author: Superunknovvn from Austria, Vienna

"Needful Things" is a typical mediocre Stephen King adaptation. The drawn out book itself isn't among King's best work. Still, the fascination of the story lies in the detail and that had to be trimmed down for a 2 hours-movie version (there is another cut of the movie that's one hour longer, by the way). A lot of things had to be kicked out, but there was way too much changing around of events, items and characters. Ace Merril, a very important character for the novel's big finale, was ignored completely, for instance. I could understand things like that if they improved the movie. Kubrick made a lot of changes with his version of "Shining" and at least one could see why. With "Needful Things" the changes seem totally random and that's rather annoying for someone who has read the book.

If you don't know the story beforehand the movie will probably still seem rushed. You can't really make a connection with the many characters and Sheriff Alan Pangborn finding out what's going on in the town seems unbelievable. It didn't really work in the book, but in the movie it's just stupid that he would draw such far fetched conclusions so quickly.

The acting, on the other hand, is solid. Max von Sydow is a good choice for the part of Leland Gaunt, and Ed Harris is great as ever, although he has to work with a rather mediocre script. The sidecharacters are okay for the most part, even though Polly Chalmers and Wilma Jerzyck are maybe exaggerated.

Unlike a lot of latter King adaptations this one seems to have been made with a decent budget. The locations look good and there are a few nice special effects. At times the explosions and the score can be too much, though. It's as if director Fraser Clarke Heston realized his movie wasn't turning out as exciting as he hoped, so he decided to blow it up with some dramatic music and fire.

Well, as I've said in the headline. This movie could have been a lot better, but it could also have been a complete failure. As it is, it's good for one viewing but if you've read the novel you're going to be disappointed.

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Needful Things (1993)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Campy movie...and not in a good way... hannahp1
Better picks for Gaunt glemay25
One of the worst movies I have ever seen! aj-1985
Song question emilys_sister
Max von Sydow - Greatest Actor Ever ss_xfp
Region 2 DVD? mjj24_2002
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