"Nightmares and Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King" (2006) TV mini-series

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

12 July 2006 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Fantasy | Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Plot:

A television mini-series adaptation of Nightmares and Dreamscapes, Stephen King's collection of short horror stories.

Plot Keywords:

Stephen King | Elvis Presley | Anthology | Elvis | TV Mini-Series

Awards:

Won 2 Primetime Emmys. Another 5 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

Robert Mammone	...	Dr. Peter Jennings / ... (2 episodes, 2006)
Kodi Smit-McPhee	...	Brandon / ... (2 episodes, 2006)

Runtime:

480 min (8 episodes)

Country:

Australia | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

Singapore:PG | Finland:K-15

Filming Locations:

Central City Studios, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Company:

Coote Hayes Productions

Trivia:

Of the eight stories, only five are from the "Nightmares and Dreamscapes" collection. "Battleground" is from "Night Shift", and "The Road Virus Heads North" and "Autopsy Room Four" are from "Everything's Eventual".

Goofs:

Errors in geography: In the "Crouch End" segment the Freemans are at an outdoor café in London the afternoon before heading to Crouch End. There is a clear shot of a passing Melbourne (Australia) tram in the background.

Quotes:

Lonnie Freeman: I won't go this way!

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 59th Primetime Emmy Awards (2007) (TV)

Good Stories, Disappointing Conclusions

Warner do Brasil released on DVD the following episodes:

1) "Campo de Batalha" ("Battleground"): In Dallas, the hit man Jason Renshaw (William Hurt) breaks in the headquarter of a toys company and kills Hans Morris, the manufacturer and owner of the company. He returns to his fancy apartment in San Francisco, and later he receives a package of toys with soldiers, helicopters and heavy weapon. Suddenly he is attacked by the commando, and he tries to survive.

"Battleground" is a very silly and naive episode, without dialogs and with the character performed by William Hurt being attacked by toys. The explosions and shootout on the fortieth floor of the elegant building do not bother any neighbor. My vote is six.

2) "Crouch End": The career devoted Lonnie Freeman (Eion Bailey) and his wife Doris Freeman (Claire Forlani) are in London in honeymoon. Loonie receives a message from the important client Squales inviting the young couple to have dinner with him in his house at Crouch End. While going to the dinner party, Doris is advised by the cab driver to return from Crouch End, which would be a thin spot in another dimension. Lonnie does not accept the non-sense explanation and have a weird experience with Doris.

"Crouch End" seems to be a bad homage to "Twilight Zone". The mysterious story has a great atmosphere, but an absolutely disappointing conclusion. My vote is six.

3) "O Último Caso de Umney" ("Umney's Last Case"): In 1938 in Los Angeles, Clyde Umney (William H. Macy) is a divorce private eye successful with women. On the weirdest day of his life, he sees his world turning upside-down when he discovers that he is a character of a series of novels made-up by the writer Sam Landry. Sam is grieving the loss of his son and wants to swap position with Clyde.

"Umney's Last Case" has a stylish noir production and an original story (I believe this show was produced before "Stranger than Fiction"). I liked the whole story, but the conclusion is abrupt and seems that the original intention could be to be continued. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Nightmares & Dreamscapes Vol.1 – Pesadelos e Paisagens Noturnas" ("Nightmares & Dreamscapes Vol.1 – Nightmares and Nocturne Landscapes")