Desperation (2006) (TV)

User Rating:

5.3/10   

Director:

Mick Garris

Writers (WGA):

Stephen King (novel)
Stephen King (teleplay)

Release Date:

23 May 2006 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Fantasy | Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

In this town, there are no accidents.

Plot:

When a sheriff arrests a writer, a family, a couple, and a hitchiker and throws them in a jail cell in the deserted town of Desperation, they must fight for their lives.

Plot Keywords:

Sheriff | Jail | Nevada | Writer | Mine

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Primetime Emmys. Another 1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Tom Skerritt	...	John Edward Marinville
Steven Weber	...	Steve Ames
Annabeth Gish	...	Mary Jackson
Charles Durning	...	Tom Billingsley
Matt Frewer	...	Ralph Carver
Henry Thomas	...	Peter Jackson
Shane Haboucha	...	David Carver
Kelly Overton	...	Cynthia Smith
Sylva Kelegian	...	Ellie Carver
Ron Perlman	...	Collie Entragian
Sammi Hanratty	...	Pie Carver
Ewan Chung	...	Shih
Alain Uy	...	Cha'an
Trieu Tran	...	Young Viet Cong
Tom Parker	...	Young Johnny

Also Known As:

Stephen King's Desperation (USA) (complete title)

MPAA:

Rated R for violence and gruesome images.

Runtime:

131 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Certification:

USA:R | USA:TV-14 | Singapore:NC-16 | Argentina:16 | Germany:16 | Australia:MA | Finland:K-15 | Denmark:15 | Spain:18

Filming Locations:

Bisbee, Arizona, USA

Company:

Touchstone Television

Trivia:

The film was originally written to air as a two part miniseries but the ABC Network chose instead to show the entire film on one evening in a three hour time slot.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: When Collie walks towards the wild dog and says, "They're not dangerous... ordinarily," a crew member with a utility belt is visible on the road behind the motorcycle to the right.

Quotes:

David Carver: Don't hurt her!
Collie Entragian: Son, I will put a stick through your mother, and spin her around til she catches fire, if I so desire! And you cannot stop me, and I'll come back for you!

Movie Connections:

References All This, and Heaven Too (1940)

Soundtrack:

Good Lovin

Name suits it well

Desperation time, alright. Ron Pearlman hams it up in what appears to be a satire of his own satire character, Hellboy. Annabeth Gish and Tom Skerrit aren't bad in their roles, but the paper thin script and atrocious direction give them very little to do. The remaining cast members blandly deliver expository lines that lead nowhere.

Stephen King has had both success and failure in adapting other books he has written for the screen. This one goes to the goof-ups list. The script meanders wildly, without any cohesion. It's hard to take anything seriously, as the same slick-wannabe camera work shows us people towering like giants from an ant's point of view. Why things are happening as they are? You won't know, and you probably won't care, either. Clichés like the old "evil entity possessing a peace officer" routine are rampant.

Still, it can pass the time if you're really bored. But don't expect much.