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Reader reaction: "Storm of the Century" ((part 3 of 3))
SPOILER ALERT !!
Glen here...
THIS PAGE IS RESERVED FOR "TALKBACKS" ABOUT THE FINAL EPISODE OF
ABC'S "STORM OF THE CENTURY" 3 PART MINISERIES!!!
Please feel free to post your thoughts, comments, likes, dislikes, creative input, etc. about the
third episode of Storm of the Century , which debuted the evening of Thursday February
18, 1999 on ABC.
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ENJOY!!!
to access Talkbacks re: Storm of the Century Part 1
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Zzzzzzzzzzzz....
I'm on the west coast. 2 hours before part three starts.
Slept through parts one and two....But I was tired.... -
I really like the town meeting sequence; I was really rooting for Tim Daly there- good performance!
But then the rest after that just sorta...I don't know, I guess it went by too quickly. Before we had this nice plodding piece where everything could be digested and thought about for a few moments until the next piece of information came about (and it worked well, IMO). It just seemed to me that the ending was entirely too rushed.
Anybody know if the book ends differently at all?
-Matt Kelly
aka
Brimley -
What kind of crappy ending was that? Seems like SOTC was trying to capitalize on downer endings and having the bad guy win, however...in this case, it just left a bad taste in my mouth. It wasn't like at the end of John Carpenter movies where you don't mind the mysterious ending, this just sucked. All that buildup for nothing. I was actually hoping Linoge would've been explained a bit more(would've been cool to see a flashback of how he got his powers, if he's a Warlock or Demon, etc). I mean, WHY does he want to teach a child in the first place? Since when does he care about the expanding the intelligence of others? Blah...yet another crappy Stephen King adaptation.
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The whole "Legion" thing didn't jive at all- I thought that they were going down a definite Christian path with this, and I guess Stephen dropped the ball.
Legion was a demon..or more of a collective, like the Borg. I was thinking that Linoge wanted the child as part of fuel for the collective..but that didn't happen, as you know. And what was with "I'm not a god nor am I one of the immortals"- once again not jiving with the pre-established Christian background. I mean, if they were going to deviate from that, it should've been cleared up at some point (esp. for a 6 hr long movie)
Read the book,
Brim -
AHA!!! I KNEW IT I KNEW IT!!!!!! I'm on the west coast and here its 8:38pm and I KNOW NOW the ending SUCKS JUST BY READING FIVE POSTS!!!!!!!! WHADDA RIP OFF HAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA!!!! It hasnt even started here...thats why I love the internet!!!
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I agree that more closure was needed ... but a downer ending isn't anything bad (er, it is, I mean, but ... well, you know what I mean ... ). FIRST: not everything in life has a happy ending. More films need to end like this, instead of shiny, happy Hollywood endings (take WHAT DREAMS MAY COME, for example). I think a longer "final confrontation" on the streets of SF would have given a stronger finish--words passed between them, and such, maybe Ralphie saying how *happy* he was to be evil, maybe Linoge finally explaining what the blasted fark "Croaton" meant. But I liked it. Read King's novels--Carrie, Christine, Needful Things--they don't all have happy endings.
As far as the entire Town Meeting sequence went--great. Very tense, very gripping, and I never knew Tim Daly had it in him. -
I really like the King televised adaptions that ABC continues to deliver. From It too Langliers I have liked them all..This one is probably the second or third best of the tv adaptions. The first being The Stand and the other being Mick Garris version of The Stand.I was really hoping for a big battle between good and evil and was cheated but King still delivers a chilling moral fable
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Don't get me wrong, I like downer endings when they(like a previous poster said) leave a sense of closure. There was no closure to this. I too would have liked a longer confrontation at the end on the streets of SF, but I suppose it wasn't meant to be. Question for all those out there that read the novelization, how would you compare the book to the adaptation? Was the ending exactly the same?
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First, to those who said it was the best or worst adaption of a King novel----SOTC was not a book, it was an original screenplay by King so any problems are with King. The book that is out is just the screen play, its not a novel.
I wasn't really disappointed with the ending too much. I mean I wanted to know who Linoge really was---we know he wanted a child to teach his ways before he dies. But overall I was pissed, especially at Mike's wife. She agrees first then says no, its her fault Ralphie was taken away. I don't blame Mike for leaving.
The whole island deserves to go down in flames. They didn't have the balls to say no, and so they damned a child to a life of evil. The folks at Roanoke apparently had more faith in God, etc, they might have perished for it, but they died in grace and goodness.
KK -
I really loved this mini series, despite the fact that it could have easily been done in two nights, despite the extra long buildup. I think that part 3 was definatly worth waiting for though. I liked the fact that there wasn't a cop-out ending. When Linoge was walking out of the town meeting with the boy in his arms, I was smelling a really cheesey "break his cane and he'll lose all his powers!". Thank God it didn't come to anything like that. I think this leads the way for a great sequel set maybe a few years later. They can make it half prequel/half sequel. King can delve into Linoge's past, tell how he got his powers and tell what he truly is. I would really like to know the origins of Linoge. There can also be a great Father and son confrontation ala Star Wars, only reversed in this situation. They would have to come up with some reason as to why Linoge and the boy would return to the island. Of course this would draw Tim Daly back, still pissed at everyone, definatley by now a changed man, having to confront his son who should be in his early 20's or so. I don't know, but its something I would really like to see. Just my two cents.
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Except for the tense town meeting scene and Daly's performance, it was total crap. First of all , I wished all the townspeople got killed b/c of their stupidity. That demon guy-I can't even pronouce his fuckin name- should've doubled crossed the people just on the account that they were retarded. Secondly, what was w/ those scenes where that badass is showing off his teeth. Is that suppose to scare the audience? B/c is didn't fuckin scare me. Thirdly, I wished that Daly's wife just offed her sorry self during the prologue.How in the hell could u give up your own child. Daly should have killed her at the end. Fourthly, what a slow climbing action. I can't believe it took until the final hour of the mini-series to find out what the guy wanted.His phrase was so weak. Motherfucka, maybe they would've given u the thing u wanted if u just told them earlier. And finally, y do they keep on adapting S.kING'S stories for tv. They're never scary and they always fall short of the preceded hype. U know how cool "The Stand" would be if they made it a real motion pic. That would be a badass epic and a blockbuster. Nowadays, S.K is just making novels for the money. He is what my english teacher and jd salinger call a whore. Stephen, stop making so much gay shit.
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I enjoyed SOTC because it was thought provoking as well as entertaining. I knew by the third installment that Linoge wanted a child but it was still a bit of a shock to have the terms of his offer so plainly spoken. The following are some thoughts that ran through my head after it was over.
First of all I liked the way Linoge spoke. The inflections and tone of voice was somehow quite sinister and pervasive, especially when Linoge would recite the sins and vices of the townspeople. It was a strong and commanding voice. Also the showing of his teeth every once in awhile was a metaphor for how his smooth mask of a face was just like a wolf in sheeps clothing. I think that Linoge(Legion) is an entity that serves a purpose within the world or universe at large. Perhaps Linoge is one of those demons that escaped Pandora's box. I think Linoge is representative of humanity's hidden guilt and secrets within all of us. Perhaps this Legion is dictated by rules set at the beginning of time as to it's succession like the child had to be freely given.
I believe that Linoge has to have either a human vessel or soul to inhabit for when the predetermined span of his lifetime ends.
If there is good, then there must be it's opposite, evil, to maintain a universal balance. I believe each person is capable of both good and bad intentions. There's always a constant struggle between the two.
Linoge(Legion) probably has a place within the universe, serving its purpose. It would have been too pat to succinctly explain what Linoge was. Most people believe in a higher power based on faith alone, yet none of us have concrete proof to justify our beliefs.
I knew predictably that Ralphie would be picked but it was still interesting and tension filled to watch how the characters reacted and interacted with the decision.
SOTC was a morality tale that pointed how we, just as the townspeople, have to continue to deal with the decisions we make. How some things can never be resolved when hidden and even if the truth is out there, a person still would need to deal with it. It may never give them a piece of mind.
The ending wasn't a cop out because it had to end that way. The Islanders kept the secret and kept it well but that decision will continue to make its mark upon the island. It will never go away. That's the reason the island was chosen by Linoge because they had a well ingrained tradition of keeping secrets and maintaining appearances.
I think Stephen wanted the audience to question our own integrity, the very fiber of our beings. Would we be able to live with that kind of a decision or would we, the audience, be able to muster up the courage to take a risk to fight for our own piece of minds? Were sacrifices worth risking for the insurance of others?
There were probably a lot of other symbolisms in the series, like the blizzard, the teapot song, and how being cooped up with so much uncertainty can definitely make people stir crazy.
All in all I thought it was one of Stephen King's better TV series, but "It" and "The Stand" are definitely the best of his TV adaptations. -
I enjoyed SOTC because it was thought provoking as well as entertaining. I knew by the third installment that Linoge wanted a child but it was still a bit of a shock to have the terms of his offer so plainly spoken. The following are some thoughts that ran through my head after it was over.
First of all I liked the way Linoge spoke. The inflections and tone of voice was somehow quite sinister and pervasive, especially when Linoge would recite the sins and vices of the townspeople. It was a strong and commanding voice. Also the showing of his teeth every once in awhile was a metaphor for how his smooth mask of a face was just like a wolf in sheeps clothing. I think that Linoge(Legion) is an entity that serves a purpose within the world or universe at large. Perhaps Linoge is one of those demons that escaped Pandora's box. I think Linoge is representative of humanity's hidden guilt and secrets within all of us. Perhaps this Legion is dictated by rules set at the beginning of time as to it's succession like the child had to be freely given.
I believe that Linoge has to have either a human vessel or soul to inhabit for when the predetermined span of his lifetime ends.
If there is good, then there must be it's opposite, evil, to maintain a universal balance. I believe each person is capable of both good and bad intentions. There's always a constant struggle between the two.
Linoge(Legion) probably has a place within the universe, serving its purpose. It would have been too pat to succinctly explain what Linoge was. Most people believe in a higher power based on faith alone, yet none of us have concrete proof to justify our beliefs.
I knew predictably that Ralphie would be picked but it was still interesting and tension filled to watch how the characters reacted and interacted with the decision.
SOTC was a morality tale that pointed how we, just as the townspeople, have to continue to deal with the decisions we make. How some things can never be resolved when hidden and even if the truth is out there, a person still would need to deal with it. It may never give them a piece of mind.
The ending wasn't a cop out because it had to end that way. The Islanders kept the secret and kept it well but that decision will continue to make its mark upon the island. It will never go away. That's the reason the island was chosen by Linoge because they had a well ingrained tradition of keeping secrets and maintaining appearances.
I think Stephen wanted the audience to question our own integrity, the very fiber of our beings. Would we be able to live with that kind of a decision or would we, the audience, be able to muster up the courage to take a risk to fight for our own piece of minds? Were sacrifices worth risking for the insurance of others?
There were probably a lot of other symbolisms in the series, like the blizzard, the teapot song, and how being cooped up with so much uncertainty can definitely make people stir crazy.
All in all I thought it was one of Stephen King's better TV series, but "It" and "The Stand" are definitely the best of his TV adaptations. -
yes finally the west coast people have seen the last of Storm of the Century thank god. 1)it was HORRIBLY predictable, I just knew that the deputy's wife had the black rock and everything played straight from that. No suspence, no nuthin, no deviating from what one would expect.2) the towns people REALLY had no choice in the matter, They were forced into making the best of a bad situation 3) WOULD SOMEBODY PLEASE EXPLAIN WHY Le`NOSHE KILLED ALL THOSE PEOPLE? there was no killing in the third part (just one dead body) and it seems that he was doing all those tricks and mind control for nothing and it was nothing but scare tactics. he could have been nice and reanimated all the people he killed. 4) I'm screaming Sequel only because I WANT to see the deputy get his son back and the good people win....5)the sequel will never happen.--:O)) McK
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As the father of two small boys, it scared the shit out of me. Linoge spent the first two episodes establishing his credentials. If the town didn't believe that all of their lives were threatened, they never would have given over a child. Yes, it was obvious that the sheriff's boy would be selected. The question is how does each character handle that event. Not only do they lose a child, but they perpetuate the evil of Linoge by letting him have a successor. Instead of a cheap scare, it made me reflect of the choices I would have made.
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This was a word carved in a tree found by the people who discovered that the settlement at Roanoke had disappeared.
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If all the townspeople would have died at the end and Tim Daly would have lived along with his son, then the whole six hours would have been worth it. Tim was right when he said, "We don't give our children to thugs!" As it really finished, all we learn is that if you have principles and are willing to die for them, you're an idiot. If I had been in that meeting I would have said, "Fuck you, asshole. Go ahead and waste all of us. It'll be worth it just to see you unhappy." I guess the early roanoke settlers had more integrity than we do today and paid the price for it. Personally, I think King made this pile of shit to test the audience in the same way we were led to believe the townspeople were being tested-- If it gets good reviews then he'll know we're all worthless.
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The conclusion didnt quite live up to the creepiness established by the first two parts, but it was satisfying still... Definitely the best King TV movie next to Salems Lot. The last hour was like an extended Twilight Zone, more of a parable/moral fable than a horror story, and I was impressed that they didn't cheapen it at the end by ending it with some huge confrontation or epic good-vs-evil battle with lightning bolts flying and cheesy TV SFX. Instead they just allowed the horror of Linoge taking away this child to sink in, and have its inevitable effect on the town. I'm glad Tim Daly's glimpse of his son at the end was just a glimpse and not some longer confrontation, because I'm sure it wouldve just ended up in stupid melodrama. When the kid flashes his teeth to his father, that's tells us all we really need to know from the scene. There are a few loose ends, and overall I think the story could have been told more effectively in a single 2-hour movie (plenty of the town stuff could've been pared down or cut out, and still leave the essence of the town's nature). The pacing wouldv'e been better too. I think the killings in the first two parts are necessary tho, because its how Linoge establishes that he has the power to carry out his threats against the town, and it breaks down the townspeople to the point where, when he finally tells them what he wants, there's no way they won't give it to him. If he just showed up in town and asked them to give him a kid, they wouldve laughed at him and he'd have to start killing anyway. As far as why he didn't bring back the people he'd killed after they gave him the kid, maybe that's because he's EVIL!!! Overall, it coulda been shorter and more effective, but I enjoyed it.
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McKracken: Yes, it was predictable. With Stephen, not only do you get the unexpected twist in an often twisted situation, BUT he also likes to maximize painstakingly the agonies involved in even the very basic conflicts of his stories. You don't read King, do you? As for the black rock - Yes, it was obvious. Tim Daly (I was with him on the vote, btw) was targeted by LeNoge, in a way. I wish I had seen all of the first part, then I might have more of an idea as to why. The interaction between LeNoge & Ralphie previous to the Selection is called "fore shadowing", giving you the 'obvious' to fret over throughout the course of the sotry. I believe the townspeople dod have options they couldn't see, (snow)blinded by the fear of what LeNoge had done and obviously could do. Do you really think LeNoge would have reanimated the dead, like some sort of "I'm sorry for bothering you secret-hiding fools"? hehe yeahright. Bad guys don't often have a good streak in then w/Stephen. The scare tactis were like a lion tamer snapping hiw whip - keeping the restless animals in line. A sequel *could* happen, but the Sheriff would NOT get his son back. Of that I am sure. Unico: I agree wholeheartedly with your musings on the origin of LeNoge. Do you think that the ones among us lucky enough to NOT have secrets are more likely to be targets? Btw, this was NOT an adaptation. He wrote this specifically for tv. You saw what he wanted you to see. LaneMyers is right about one thing. Roland is WaY worthy of celluloid - large or small screen. Say10, Stephen doesn't often, if ever, explain where his bad dudes come from or where they got their powers (like some superhero). Examples: the antagonist in Gerald's Game (if you read) or Randall Flagg (if you don't, you'll still know of him). As Stephen King is not John Carpenter, his movies aren't going to feel the same. StyLe, babaY. As to the why, LeNoge said he was dying (a long process, in human terms). He needed a successor. *I* feel that if these folks, and any others he tortured for this, could have denied him, he would have eventually ceased to exist. But then again, we didn't learn his true nature - what he actually does beyond this questing for a successor. What is LeNoge's job in the grand scheme of things and on which level is it in the Dark Tower.... THAT's what I wanna know and will probably never find out. Respectfully, DaNiTo
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Did anyone else think that after the town had made the decision to give Linoge a child, and Linoge was walking down the isle to take center stage again, that it was all a test? That Linoge was just the force of a cruel god that wanted to see if the sinister people of Little Tall are still believers or willing to condemn all their souls by commiting the ultimate sin of delivering a child to evil in order to save their mortal lives? Those were exactly my feelings at that moment, and I was expecting Linoge to waste everybody with a comment like: "by choosing to condemn a child you condemned yourselves". But I wasn't disappointed in the way it ended either... the image of Linoge in its true shape standing over the peaceful Ralphie before taking him was just bone-chilling. Also, I didn't care much for Linoge's snarl, but it was worth it to see it in the older Ralphie's face at the end. I think we'll see Linoge again, it wouldn't surprice me if he's also known as Randall Flagg.
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I thought the movie was damn good. The effects were mostly very well done, and the dialogue and setting was perfect King. Tim Daly was great and Colm Feore was perfect as the demon/wizard. He was extrememly charismatic and King gave him some great, unsettling things to say. I would have liked a little more explanation as to what Linoge actually was (I would guess he is probably another incarnation of Randall Flagg since time and dimension jumping didn't seem to be a problem for him) but I think it was better vague. Linoge represented all the uncertainty and "evil" in the world and how it can take everything you have away in the blink of an eye. I loved the ending and was glad it stayed as dark as the script. Great job to all involved.
On a side note for King fans, wouldn't it rock if most of the people that survived Flagg in all his incarnations joined up with Roland and the other gunslingers in a quest for the dark tower to stop him once and for all? -
I agree with the point that apparently, the people of Roanoke had the courage to turn down such a inhumane demand. Yeah, they all died or disappeared, but they did it without caving in. The townspeople apparently value their own lives above any kind of basic value system. I was especially surprised when one of the lead women said that she would rather her child go to a bad man than to die. Are we supposed to assume that it is better to suffer for an eternity at the hands of an evil force/ abuser/ child abductor than to die instantly? Okay, they "live" but what kind of life is that? Each parent agreed to the demand, hoping/believing that their child couldn't possibly be picked, for if each parent believed that their child would be picked (as did Tim Daly's character) they would never have agreed. Even the second to last woman couldn't stop from smiling even though she knew that her friend would lose her son- because her own child had been spared. I enjoyed this series much more than some of King's over-the-top movies, because this speaks more to me about human nature, and that's a heck of a lot scarier than any ridiculous alien or mutant psychopaths. Just like little Ralphie, just because the townspeople are spared, doesn't mean they will have peaceful, conscience free lives. I, too, wanted to see Linoge turn around at the very end and condemn the townspeople's immoral act of sacrificing a child. I also couldn't believe that Tim Daly's character's wife couldn't support him and was actually surprised when her son was selected and then turned to her husband and asked him to do something. duh.
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I was very impressed with this show--it did leave a lot to think about and I was frustrated with the lack of a more positive ending, but how often does Stephen King have a perfectly satisfying ending (except for the Shawshank Redemption, of course)?
Tim Daly rocked. My only concern was that Linoge had the power to remove free will whenever he wished, forcing people to do his bidding, yet suddenly couldn't STEAL the child he wanted?
The town chose how I think a lot of people would have chosen, but Daly stood for the higher calling, the true course of ethical action. Preservation of life is not necessarily the highest ideal, and even if the entire island sacrificed themselves, they could have denied Linoge his desire and cast him down.
Anyway, having a young son of my own, the film made me think and stuck with me for a long time. Here's hoping Tim Daly gets more opportunities to shine in the near future. -
Ok, while I am anxious to address the subject at hand, I feel something else needs to be addressed first : Fan Casting of a live-action Dark Tower movie/mini-series. (slight spoiler about Marten's identity, turn away if you havent read DT4:W&G yet) Ok, since they already screwed up the casting of Randall Flagg once (Jamey Sheridan = Too OLD! Yeah Flagg was ancient, but he was supposed to look late 20s, early 30s)we need to recast Flagg/Marten for them. Let's cast the principals, then the secondarys :
Principals -
Roland , Detta/Odetta/Susannah, Eddie, Jake, Walter, Marten/Flagg , Susan, Susan's Aunt, Cuthbert, Alain
Secondarys - Henry Dean, Tick-Tock, Gasher, Alice, That religious chick in Gunslinger
Ok, On to SOTC. This could have been a 4 hour miniseries... it could have even been compressed into 2 hours. All the killing in Ep2 was unneccesary. He could have killed the old lady, been jailed, showed them he had power WITHOUT killing all those people, and got them into the town hall in 4 hours most definitely, if not 2. This is overkill at it's most pretentious. I have to agree with Lane Myers (3rd person to ski the K12 from the glacier and live), Tim Daly was what saved this mess. The guy who played Lenoge was good, I'd like to see him cast as Hannibal Lecter if Anthony Hopkins decides to change his mind yet again. Lenoge never admitted whether or not he had something to do with Roanoke, I would have liked to see that (perhaps if it had revealed Lenoge's origins the 6 hours would have been justified) -
Dear Batman27,
Shut the fuck up. Everybody has their opinion and I respect that, but you're a near illiterate idiot, whose opinion means jackshit. Quit butchering the english language and
close your pie hole. -
...about SOTC was that jacket Ralphie was wearing at the end. I assume it was supposed to be an SF 49ers jacket (the colors were right) but that thing was BUTT UGLY...looked like it was bought at a flea market. If you can't get permission to use the team merchandise, put the kid in a leather jacket, for God's sake! Yeccchhhhhhh!
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I was very impressed by this miniseries. As people said, it was long and contained way too much filler, but that's forgivable thanks to a great final part. As stated, it turned into a moral fable instead of a ridiculous battle between good and evil. It's even more impressive if you take it in the context of all of King's work, I think. I
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Finally, saw it on the west coast since my first posting.....
I remember it like this....
Zzzzzzzzz.......
Zzzzzzzzz.......
Oh look, he took the kid....
Zzzzzzzzz.......
Mom wishes she could have pocketed one of the white stone when she had the chance...Dad moves to the west coast for decent Chinese food..
And the lucky kid will not grow up on that boring island hoping to become constable someday... He will get to live for thousands of years... gets a great dental plan... and can realy kick butt...
Who else can walk down the street singing "The Teapot Song" and still act tough????
Mom and Dad should be proud! -
Storm of the Century left me with a real uneasy feeling towards the end. King eschewed the typical battles betweeen good and evil and made this one into a moral fable. It didn't quite work for me, however.
I've seen people talking about how they should have refused Linoge's decision and perished like the people at Roanoke, but I don't think it was as simple as that. After all, Linoge held all the cards: he could have killed the children at any time, or killed all of them as he pleased. There was no way of defeating him except death, and he probably would have just gone on to the next town if that happened.
I can't condemn the townspeople for making the decision that they did. King's thesis is bascially that they're all losers except for the Tim Daly character, whom I found to be very self righteous, quite frankly. Although Daly was terrific, the character came off as very smug in the end.
Yet, he's punished as well by getting a glimpse of his son. What, exactly is the point here? You're damned if you don't play by God's rules? What if Linoge had simply killed the children? What if he had killed everyone? I guess then our heroes would be able to sleep at night...then again, they would be dead. If Randall Flagg could be beaten, then why not Linoge? I felt uncomforable with King's moral fascism.
Storm of the Century turned out to be a disappointment, with Daly and Feore's perfpormances being the best things about it. I felt it could have been only two hours long- the conclusion was, well, the anticlimax of the century. I would like to see a sequel, isnce this one felt unfinished. -
Im am very very disapointed to this movie series of stephen king. Those who like the ending to this 6 our series sure hasn't seen the shining last year. The shining ending was a twist of both amazing special effects and an touching ending. I give the part before the very end where the mysterious man tells why he here and what he wants was pretty good too,but,there should have been more action on thispart though. I give the mystreriouse man two thumbs up for me for good acting. gotta go see ya lata
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As some are making it out to be. It was enjoyable. A tad too long and drawn out, but enjoyable. He probably could have accomplished the same thing in four hours instead of six. But now as I write that I wonder if it could have been accomplished. The secrets beign told, the people being murdered. Yes. Linoge was establishing his credentials. You don't just believe a guy is a nasty demon because he wears a Navy Peacoat. No. You see him kill a few people and drive a few others to suicide. That is convincing.
As for the ending. I was worried that the ending would be extremely lackluster due to all the foreshadowing that was leading up to it. Four just to get to an ending? It better be good. And right there it failed because of too much intensity. Yes, I found it extremely predictable. That didn't mean it wasn't shocking. COmpletely and totally shocking. You think to yourself, "What would be a shocking and impossible thing to as of people such that the only way they would give it to you is if you gave them no choice." Why children of course.
Happy ending necessary? Probably not. King went a tad overboard on the Biblical references? Probably. I wished that they went into a tad more depth about Legion/Linoge. The Roanoke thing was like the rest of the miniseries... predictable, yet entertaining.
It was a very sobering look over what you can and cannot keep as secret. And what happens when they are revealed? And just how much can you keep under your hat with succumbing to guilt? Mike Anderson had no choice to leave. He needed to, for there was no way to look anyone else in that town in the eyes again. No way.
Just a note on performances... What accent did the Town Manager have? At some times it was Bostonian and others it was Scottish? Am I the only one who noticed.
King has this fetish for Wings actors, eh? What's next? Lowell as Roland?
It's always good to see Casey Siemaskzo (sp?) working again. -
If you want to see a Stephen King movie with a happy ending, go watch that hatched job they did with Cujo that had the boy at the end live. Pleeeeze. Stephen King has a talent for putting ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances, and this was no exception. The only difference is that instead of having some sort of epic confrontation between good and evil at the end, in this case the evil side is overwhelmingly powerful and the battle is one of moral values, but one which doesn't have black and white sides. I comment King for keeping his characters real, and I prefer this ending over a pull-rabbit-out-of-hat ending that would have the Little Tall people win. There is nothing unresolved here, and this movie does not need a sequel. I'd like to see the characters again, but a "Revenge of Mike Anderson" movie will make me puke.
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When my sister and I where watching Storm of the Century last night, we were expecting that Tim Daley would somehow at the last minute find a way to defeat linoge. We where trilled that this was not the case. that Stephen King kept the ending downbeat.
Horror films should not have happy endings. They are suppose to disturb the audience, not entertain them. That is why there are not any good horror films anymore. They don't seem to have the ability to truely frighten the audience. A monster poppng out and going blah is not scary. After a seen like that, audiences laught for christs sake. You are not suppose to laugh at a horror film, you are suppose to be scared. I don't think there has been a truely frightening horror film since The Haunting in 1963. -
Wouldn't this sound better, after the town decides to give of the children, the sheriff kill his child to prevent Linoge from corrupting his soul. Linoge would be very pissed at the betrayal and decides to take out his wrath on the entire town. The town plead for mercy, but none is shown as one by one they fall of into the ocean. THereby the foreshadowing comes true, where they see the newscaster and the people searching for them. Also, that would show the consequences of trusting a demon--giving two depressing endings along with one good one (where the sheriff saves the child's soul). THis would have been a better ending than the very very slow paced one King gave. I could not believe how all the suspence he created from the first 2 parts came to a crashing halt. THe thriller fizzled to nothing. The only thing that happened in the first hour was the grey haired lady (who reminded me of a bad Ripley from Aliens impersonator) calling out for BUster, Buster annoyingly. BUt the ending was Ok for the statement it made about how evil humans can really get in a world which thinks it can do anything, if not entertainment value.
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They all felt that they were ready for the Storm. The Storm was Linoge, who came into the town with devistating force. The townspeople were left to deal with the destruction and decisions that they made. It's not easy standing up against overwhelming forces and even if you do, you still have to deal with what has happened. Overall I liked it.
By the way, I stopped reading Stephen King when he merged Wizard and Glass with The Stand. Didn't even finish the book. That much recycling I can live without. -
I enjoyed part one, and lost more and more interest as the series went on. Having a day to think about it, I think the reason was the pacing. It went like this:
5 Hours: Linoge establishes his powers
.25 Hours: He makes his demand
.5 Hours: The town gives in
.25 Hours: Epilogue
A more satisfying pace might have been:
Part 1: Linoge establishes powers
End of part one: He makes his demand, the town is horrified, and immediately says "NO!"
Part 2: The townspeople resist, Linoge gets REAL mean, and starts "punishing". (In ways that Stephen King has become rich imagining, but that we didn't really see here.) One by one, the townspeople want to give in.
Part 3: The tide turns, with Tim Daly in the minority. He eventually loses as the town gets more and more desparate.
Now that I think about it, sort of a "Lord of the Flies" feel.
To me, the town gave in far too easily at the meeting. Not a single person agreed with the constable in the vote??? Please...no decision like that would be made in half an hour, and be that close to unanimous. They made the decision fairly rationally. To agree to this, they should have been out of their minds with terror first, and I just didn't get the feeling that they were. It was more that they made a cold, logical decision that they were making the best of a bad situation.
Also, we're asked to believe that if the town refuses, Linoge kills everyone immediately. A good threat, but what would really happen if the town said no? I'd imagine Linoge would turn up the pressure on Little Tall, rather than wipe everyone out and start over somewhere else. I would have liked to have seen that... -
Great mini-series.
Now some explanations:
-Linoge's teeth weren't really there to scare you. Maybe just to creep you out, but mostly to remind you that he's not human (at least not anymore).
-His phrase "Give me what I want and I'll go away." Is weak if you don't consider what he's doing to the town while he stays. His plan to terrorize the town first before telling them what he wanted was a good plan. If Linoge would of told the town right away, they would of answered "No." and then he would have no way of getting any of the children (I suppose you can't get permission through torture, or else it wouldn't of been such a big deal (could of just nabbed one of the parents and wailed on him or her until they caved)).
I think that maybe if the town would of resisted that would of been the last time Linoge would of had the power to confront another town for a child. (The last town was how long ago??) So the town really blew it in the fight of good vs evil. Linoge was at the end of his rope and the town gave him a student. A student that would grow to be just as powerful and just as evil, to terrorize another group of people in the future. -
Like I said, I didn't get to see any of this. If anyone out there taped this mini-series and would be so kind to forward a dupe, I'd cover the cost of the tape and shipping. I'd prefer something with the commercials edited but losers can't be choosers, can I?
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Hey, I'm just wondering if someone who taped Parts II and III could possibly make me a copy? For some reason, my VCR didn't tape the end of Part II, about how much of the movie is left after Ralphie is about to open the bathroom door? Thanks in advance.
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Obviously this Linoge character picked Little Tall Island because he knew these people would do exactly what he wanted. He watched them for God only knows how long and then made his move when the constables son was just old enough to still be molded in his dark image. Yeah he wanted the Constables son all along and knew that his father would be the only one to stand against him. So moving on to the next town was not an option, if they had thrown him a curve ball and rejected his offer it would have sealed his doom.
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I thought SOTC was excellent. People that can't take the "sad" ending need to examine reality a little more, life has all sorts of bad resolutions to the problems presented. Furthermore, I much prefer this rather toned down, restrained ending as opposed to the outlandish clashes of good and evil in his previous works (Needful Things, IT, The Stand), it was simple, tragic, and real. Linoge needn't be more explained, he's a demon. He didn't want a student to teach, he wanted a child to pass his legacy on through. Similar to some people today, who bear children only with the thought that this is the only way to achieve immortality, to keep their lineage alive. I thought they should've stood up to Linoge in the end, I really don't think they would've perished. His ability to make someone do something against their will was limited as was evident when he tried to make the one young man kill his girlfriend, the guy was so cowardly he couldn't do it even under Linoge's persuasion. It's a small thing, but it shows that Linoge didn't have ABSOLUTE power over people, and if they had a will stronger than his, even if motivated by fear of something else, then he was powerless. Also, the threat of the children dying I believe was a lie. Linoge had dropped the older man from the sky to his death earlier, but that was an actual PHYSICAL human being, he literally dropped him to his death. But the children weren't physically with Linoge in the sky flying, more like their consciousness. Their physical bodies remained on the ground, in the presence of everyone else in Little Tall, making their state comparative to a dream. And what happens if you die in your dreams? You wake up! Linoge said he couldn't take the child, it had to be given, again showing his lack of absolute power. But the people in Little Tall were so devoid of morality, and so terrified of this stranger who could reveal every single one of their worst secrets, that they willingly sacrificed a child's soul just to be rid of him. In other words, they took the easy way out. Even at the end Linoge let them know that they really didn't make the right choice, despite what he'd said earlier. "You tricked yourself" is what he told them, and it was true. They tricked themselves into believing that aiding evil so that it will move on is better than confronting it. If Linoge wanted to kill everyone in town, he could've done it and then took the kid if he wanted to. He didn't, because he couldn't. That's what makes the ending so great, it didn't need to be a special effects spectacle, it had depth that most people aren't even seeing. You must realize that King isn't just some rookie screenwriter, he's a top notch novelist and author. And this isn't just a movie, it's a work of literature. Taking everything at face value limits what you see drastically. You have to recognize the little things that really make a world of difference.
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Linoge's make-up was good!
Way to go Steve Johnson!
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After Linoge explained what he wanted, and the town meeting got started, I knew, and liked, how it was going to end. Tim Daly was going to get up there and tell everybody,
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After Linoge explained what he wanted, and the town meeting got started, I knew, and liked, how it was going to end. Tim Daly was going to get up there and tell everybody,
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My first post got a "document contains no data" message. A lot of AICN links have been doing that lately; what's THAT all about? P.S. Last post! Woo hoo! :)
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Overall, I enjoyed this Stephen King miniseries better than a lot of his other ones. IT was probably the best of the lot, except for the last 20 minutes with that horrid fake-looking spider. Storm's ending is probably the strongest one I've seen, despite a couple glaring weaknesses: there were many reasons Tim Daly could have given the town to fight Lenoge. But all he did was basically use the Nancy Reagan anthem: Just Say No. In a situation like that, with that much at stake, you need a little more than just your personal integrity to sway people to your viewpoint. I thought that was poorly written and easily the weakest part of the whole series, followed closely by the stone-choosing scene (come on, we all knew it would be Ralphie). But it was a thought-provoking miniseries, despite its flaws, and certainly better television than most crap on the networks today. A couple observations: first, I think it's fairly obvious Lenoge wants to have a protege to carry on his evil work, but for some reason, that person must be "given" to him. And secondly, a lot what takes place is implied, so you have to think about what you are seeing and hearing and try to fill in the blanks for yourself. I think it's refreshing that something would ask you to think instead of just telling you everything like you're a simpleton. Finally, the townspeople are essentially given two choices: give in to his demands, thereby ensuring the evil continues, or refuse him and risk destruction. I believe the buildup of the story when he killed all those people were demonstrations of his power so the town would feel helpless against him. Quite an interesting conundrum King came up with.
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Batman27, I just wanted to thank you for that hate mail you sent me. Every once in a while it's fun to laugh at stupidity and boy did I laugh at your letter. Get a life bozo, and don't be so lazy when you're writing, it simply supports my theory that you're in-bred.
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Ok, so I see where Stevie boy was going with the whole ooh...it's small town/island, they gossip, they keep secrets--their secrets can be much scarier than any demon, etc. (more rehashing from Dolores Claiborne, Bag of Bones, et al.) But the pacing seemed all off to me. If the King wanted to play out a little morality tale, why not bump up the guy's demand to mid-2nd part or at least beginning of 3rd part and give the islanders longer to hash it out amongst themselves. 199 to 1 isn't very compelling, and no wonder Tim Daly ended on such a lame note stuck to the floor (King could've at least given him a little "in a burst of super-human strength..." so he could stand up) Anyway, I kept waiting for the townspeople to throw the gossip that Linoge told them up in each others faces -- now thats a real small town meeting. Ursula should have sided with Mike (she was the third most interesting character I thought) and a little more dissension and venomous speeches would have went a long way, IMO.
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For a Steven King movie, I actually thought it was as good an ending as we're ever likely to see. The clergy are always stupid wishy washy geeks or evil. I thought Le'Noshe taking the child while good, didnt match the preceeding 4 hours AT ALL. 4 hours of brutally killing the towns people one by one while dropping your "give me what I want and I'll go away" plot didnt make sence at all. The town rolled over and gave Le'Noshe what he wanted, why didnt Le'Noshe thank them by returning everyone that he killed? You would think that there would be more than one towns person willing to fight Le'Noshe but seeing that they were gripped in fear and didnt really all wanna die a fate worse than death by seemily vanishing off the face of the Earth without a trace, I'd say thats a pretty realistic thing that they did. They never explained "Croaton" either or the last sucicide in the lake with the word "Croaton" written on the boat, except that "Croaton" was left by the missing Roanoke Settlers in 1587.
The whole bit about the kids falling asleep by touching the invisible cane with the dogs head was cool, did you notice the canes head resembled CUJO?
And dont tell me that you couldnt see the deputies wife holding the black stone from the start of the child raffle. that whole thing was so predicatable, I was just sitting there going "when are they going to do something I'm NOT expecting??" It was long and drawn out and stupid. Le'Noshe held their kid TWICE durring the first 4 hours and knew that the father didnt want him touching Frankie much less taking him, so thats why he did it.
The ending, I thought, seeing as how the events leading up to it were horribly predicatable, was refreshing and terrifying, seeing an older Frankie with Le'Noshe in San Francisco was nice but utterly dumb in that it goes nowhere. (a setup for a sequel that will more than likely never get made)
Mistake: Le'Noshe is suppostly not immortal but he ages rather slowly, then why does Frankie look like he's aged 10 years in San Francisco? Growing up fast? hmmmmmm.... -
I have been a Stephen King fan for well over 20 years now. Read everything he has put out. This adaptation for the small screen was just an overblown twilight zone episode. C'mon..6 hours for this!??? Part one was interesting but part two was slow and three I was nearly dozing. Does anyone know how to edit anymore? Jeez, all this idle banter back and forth was just ridiculous. There was also some real cheesy dialogue and bad performances. Overall, this should have been a 2-3 hour movie. There's a good story here but it is just mired in unnecessary long, drawn out scenes.
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As a King fan I thought "Storm" was alot better that his last TV epics. last years television remake of "The Shining" was awful. I loved the villian in this too.
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I liked the actors/actresses in this miniseries. I thought they brought a lot of character to it. However after six hours of the town getting the crap beat out of it seeing the child being taken away was a heartbreaking ending which left me in a very unpleasent mood. Time for a sequal to make everything better.
ps- I love Debrah Farentino. She is hot!
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