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With: Max von Sydow, Ed Harris, Bonnie Bedelia, Amanda Plummer, J.T. Walsh, Ray McKinnon, Duncan Fraser, Valri Bromfield, Shane Meier, William Morgan Sheppard, Don S. Davis, Campbell Lane, Eric Schneider, Frank C. Turner, Gillian Barber
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Written by: W.D. Richter, based on a novel by Stephen King
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Directed by: Fraser Clarke Heston
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MPAA Rating: R for violence and strong language
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Running Time: 120
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Date: 08/26/1993
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Obscure Objects of Desire
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
This not-bad Stephen King adaptation is too long, but benefits from a snappy script by W.D. Richter and a top-notch cast. Leland Gaunt (Max von Sydow) arrives in a small, New England town and opens the title shop, where customers can get whatever they need -- for a price. Ed Harris plays the sheriff who suspects that something odd is up. Fraser Clarke Heston (Charlton Heston's son) directs. Kino Lorber released a decent 2015 Blu-ray edition with an interesting commentary track by Heston and a trailer.
In 2023, Kino Lorber released a fine Special Edition Blu-ray, featuring both a new 4K scan of the original 35mm camera negative, and the ever-elusive 191-minute television cut. The theatrical movie, which has (I'm told) picked up something of a following since its disappointing 1993 run, looks terrific. The longer version, which is an "HD up-res," is less so, with some smeary, blurry spots, although I'd wager that it looks better now than it did on television. (It also includes optional subtitles.) While it still varies quite a bit from the book, it's better paced and balanced, and the large collection of characters interacts more clearly. It's well worth seeing. This set also includes the aforementioned Heston commentary track, an interview with screenwriter Richter, and a trailer. Recommended.
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