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The Tommyknockers
is a TV miniseries based on Stephen King's 1987 novel.
An alien spacecraft has been buried beneath the Burning
Woods near the small rural New England community of
Haven for millions of years, but has now by chance been
unearthed by Bobbi (Marg Helgenberger) while digging
around in the woods behind her house. The structure in
the woods begins to exert a glowing-green influence on
the town, causing the people to invent Rube
Goldberg-like gizmos, develop the gift of telepathy,
lose their teeth, and form a hive-mind mentality bent on
digging up the ship and revivifying the desiccated
aliens within. Luckily, Bobbi's significant other is an
alcoholic poet (Jimmy Smits) who needs to learn to face
his fears. He also has a metal plate in his head that
prevents the hive-minders from reading his thoughts and
makes him immune to the neon-green influence of the
aliens. Ultimately, it's up to him to save the day.
Although the
acting is topnotch, especially from Smits and
Helgenberger, and there are plenty of gooseflesh
moments, there are also enough plot holes here to fuel a
very long and enjoyable evening's conversation. Why do
the aliens start in at this time, when they've been
causing legends in the woods for ages? Where does an
alien ship buried for ages get all that dry ice? How
does the Smits character make a living as a poet? One
suspects that King's fine sense of New England
characterizations is given short shrift here, and that
the woods in his mind teem with more alien thoughts than
the TV miniseries form could embody. Welcome appearances
by congenial actors abound, notably Joanna Cassidy, E.G.
Marshall and Robert Carradine. And there's a slutty
postal letter-carrier played authentically by Traci
Lords.
Originally aired
on the ABC television network May 9-10, 1993!!
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- Attractive Retail Box
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Genre:
Horror/Suspense, Aliens, Horror, Psychic Forces,
Suspense, Made-For-Network TV
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Rated:
18A (Canadian Home Video Rating)
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Starring:
Mary Helgenberger, Joanna Cassidy, Jimmy Smits, Traci
Lords
- Directed By: John
Power
- Release Information:
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Studio: Lions Gate Home Entertainment
- Theatrical Release Date: May 9, 1993
- DVD Release Date: June 30, 2000
- Run Time: 181 minutes
- Production Company: Lions
Gate Films
- Package Type: Keep Case
- Digitally Mastered
- The Complete Miniseries
- DVD Features:
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Encoding:
Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only).
This DVD will probably NOT be viewable in other
countries.
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Aspect Ratio(s):
- Full Screen (Standard) - 1.33:1
- Available Audio Tracks:
- English (Dolby Digital 2.0
Surround)
- Available Subtitles:
Spanish and French
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Closed Captioned: Yes
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Bonus Features:
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Trailer
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Interactive Features:
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Scene Access
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Interactive Menus
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