…and we're back with the better (but also worse) half of the Mini-Series. If you're just joining us, this is Stephen King's The Tommyknockers, a 1993 TV Movie/Mini-Series.
Here's a recap...
- A small Town in Maine
- An alcoholic Writer
- Strange green rocks that make people smarter (and also talk to them)
- Slow corruption
- Kid goes missing.
- Town is a bit crazy...
Things are still getting weirder in Town. The green energy seems to be controlling them more directly, leading to a big Gathering in the Town Square
As the first exposed (and most looking like a Meth Head), Helgenberger seems to be the Leader.
Sure- why not?!?
Things get even sillier when the remaining Cops get taken out...
One of them is apparently killed by her Dolls coming to life. Mind you, she keeps DOZENS of Dolls in the Lobby, so death is probably a sweet release.
As for the other one (who played Taggart in Beverly Hills Cop), we get the 'ironic comeuppance' for him drinking too much soda as a rigged machine traps him...and explodes.
That seems...logical.
Smits takes out one of his teeth to pretend like he's 'connected' like the others. He sees what she has been hiding...
The missing people are covered in weird alien goop with random sci-fi shit attached to them.
He pretends to be with them and gets Helgenberger to take him into the craft with her first.
After all, 'they' found it.
So here's where things inevitably go bad in a Stephen King Mini-Series- the big reveal.
It was Aliens.
Aliens who look like big mouth bass and go down really easily.
Aliens who look like big mouth bass and go down really easily.
Seriously, the first one roars and gets instantly decapitated like he's Jango Fett.
Oh and the 'Controls' make you do the Jesus-pose, so maybe this is more like Christmas than I thought.
In a confusing bit, killing the Alien that attacked returns Helgenberger to normal, but not everyone else.
Instead, he gets her and the hostages out and flies the ship away. When the Aliens get reinforcements, he blows all of them up. The End.
A pretty silly, but kind of fun finale. The second half still takes a bit to get going. The silly stuff really starts to pile on though. Everyone has crazy devices. The Mail Boss can read people's minds. Everyone is losing teeth and sleep like the frequently buy from Walter White. Is there an Los Pollos Hermanos in Maine? That's the extent of my Breaking Bad knowledge FYI. The Film raises so many questions and never quite answers, well, any of them. The Aliens control you with...their machines? They want you to be smart to...help them? The Aliens big plan is to just get back home? There's a line about them 'feeding' on the Townsfolk and 'using them,' but it is never elaborated on. I kept waiting for the devices they were making to be important to help the Aliens in some way, but nope! Plus let's consider how many things could have been going on. Satan could be at work. A Lovecraftian Horror. Creatures from another Dimension. Evil Leprechauns. I vote for that last one, obviously. Instead, it is just Alien Catfish who are, kind of, catfishing the Town. It has apparently happened to some degree before, but nobody dug it up, so it just ended in like one crazy guy. Finally, let's discuss the Title. The kids are told/talk about The Tommyknockers, who are evil spirits or something. They aren't in the Film. Instead, it is just something they remember and the eldest Son speaks about 'seeing them,' but actually doesn't. In Italy, this was released as Creatures of the Dark, while in Mexico it was Strange Energy. Both make more sense, to be honest. This one is...weird, but kind of fun...but mostly just weird. For instance, here's an early version of the CPAP Machine...
Next time, I get more in the mood. Tis the Season...or whatever. Stay tuned...
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