"Storm of the Century" (1999) TV mini-series

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Craig R. Baxley

Writer (WGA):

Stephen King (written by)

Release Date:

14 February 1999 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Thriller | Drama | Fantasy

Tagline:

An Unspeakable Evil Has Arrived.

Plot:

A small village off the mainland is about to receive a huge winter storm. It won't be just another storm for them...

Plot Keywords:

Storm | Island | Small Town | Suicide | Secret

Awards:

Won Primetime Emmy. Another 2 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Tim Daly	...	Mike Anderson
Colm Feore	...	Andre Linoge / Reporter on TV / Minister on TV
Debrah Farentino	...	Molly Anderson
Casey Siemaszko	...	Alton 'Hatch' Hatcher
Jeffrey DeMunn	...	Robbie Beals
Julianne Nicholson	...	Cat Withers
Dyllan Christopher	...	Ralph Emerick 'Ralphie' Anderson
Becky Ann Baker	...	Ursula Godsoe
Spencer Breslin	...	Donny Beals
Myra Carter	...	Cora Stanhope
Nada Despotovich	...	Sandra Beals
Kathleen Chalfant	...	Joanna Stanhope
Jeremy Jordan	...	Billy Soames
Ron Perkins	...	Peter Godsoe
Steve Rankin	...	Jack Carver

Also Known As:

"La tempête du siècle" (Canada: French title)
"Stephen King's Storm of the Century" (USA) (complete title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for intense thematic elements and violence/gore.

Runtime:

240 min (4 parts)

Country:

Canada | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

USA:TV-14 | Iceland:16 | South Korea:15 | Australia:M | Germany:16 (video rating) | Spain:18 | USA:PG-13 | Argentina:16 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

San Francisco, California, USA

Company:

Greengrass Productions

Trivia:

Cameo: [Stephen King]Does an ad on the smashed-in TV in Martha Clarendon's house for the litigation law firm of Macintosh & Redding (1-800-1-STIK-EM).

Goofs:

Continuity: When Mike Anderson is riding in his van around dusk en route to the scene of the first murder, his beard has reached an obvious black stubble stage. A few hours later in the plot, he is clean shaven. His activities are all accounted for over this time period, and taking time out to shave was not one of them.

Quotes:

Andre Linoge: Give me what I want, AND I'LL GO AWAY.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Cinemania: Stephen King: O vasilias tou tromou" (2009)

Beautiful atmospheric suspense behind a darkly Machiavellian story

Quite honestly, at first, I did not know what to make of this film. Upon first viewing, it seemed like an overly-long, over-dramatized, superficial piece of cinematic sludge.

However, upon a second viewing, I've come to appreciate the fiendish wit, and slow building suspense which is comparable to the malevolent Hitchcock-ian style suspense fans will quickly recognize. However, it does lack the subtlety of said director's style but gives you in-your-face evil in its place.

These performances are really quite indicative of America's New England accents, mind-sets, and coastal way of life. Everyone contributed above-average performances, so there is no need to single out anyone other than Colm Feore.

Colm Feore takes on the character of Andre Linoge; the personification of evil itself. As a Being of great power and extreme longevity, his quest for a prodigy is actually quite understandable. However, the way he goes about it, was psychologically sound in execution, and provides him the very end he desired.

He divided. He terrorized. He manifested. He planted the seeds of apathy, and he conquered. Very cleverly written and portrayed with a marvelously Machiavellian execution.

You never even notice that it was actually, Made for TV.

There was one issue, I had with this film. You never discover what Linoge's race is. You are told he is neither a God, nor an Immortal. He has Vampyric teeth, and lives a long, long time, but he is obviously not a Vampyre. He demonstrates some of the elder Vampyric abilities, but I got the feeling there was much more there than mere Vampyrism. It would have been nice to have been told.

I must also add that the DVD version contained about 30 minutes' worth of snips of scenes which the 2-tape VHS edition I had for years did not possess. The DVD version, marked "the Complete Mini-Series" thereby gives the viewer a much greater understanding of the details surrounding the events.

It rates an 8.2/10 on the "TV" scale from...

the Fiend :.