A mysterious new shop opens in a small town which always seems to stock the deepest desires of each shopper, with a price far heavier than expected.
Director:
Fraser C. Heston
From metacritic.com
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Title: Needful Things (1993)
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| 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 | |
Castle Rock, New England, is a nice place to live and grow and Sheriff Alan Pangborn moves from the big city to the town expecting a quiet life. When Leland Gaunt opens the store Needful Things, he seems to have the object of desire for each dweller. He charges small amounts to the things but requests a practical joke for each of them against another inhabitant. Soon hell breaks loose in town with deaths, violence and riot and Sheriff Pangborn discovers that Leland Gaunt is the devil himself. Further, Gaunt is manipulating the population like puppets exploring the weakness and greed of each person. Written by Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Despite the fact that this film is based on yet another Stephen King novel, it is worth watching -- especially for the performance by Max von Sydow as the "old boy himself."
I watched the "director's cut" once on TV that had many scenes in it which were cut from the theatrical version. None of the restored scenes was especially good. It is interesting to note that practically every moment of Max von Sydow's performance is in both versions. He holds the screen with every sly look, every smooth utterance. He is a true joy to watch in this retelling of the Fause legend. It proves what a wonderful actor he is -- he has played Jesus (THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD), Ming the Merciless (FLASH GORDON), and many other parts. Playing the Devil allows him to chew the scenery in grand style.