Desperation

Plot synopsis:
In the Nevada desert, a couple, Peter (Henry Thomas) and Mary (Annabeth Gish) Jackson are driving and pass by a 50 mile speed limit sign which a dead cat has been tied to. Mary points it to Peter, who was driving and didn't see it. Soon they are followed by a police car. Without rhyme or reason, they are stopped by a sheriff, Collie Entragian (Ron Perlman). He soon learns they are in possession of marijuana. In response, he takes them to jail. After they enter the police station, they see a little girl, dead, on the floor and Collie shoots and kills Peter. Mary is thrown in a jail cell along with a young boy called David Carver (Shane Haboucha), his parents, Ralph (Matt Frewer) and Ellen "Ellie" Carver (Sylva Kelegian), and an old man, Tom Billingsley (Charles Durning). It's also learned the little girl is the Carver's daughter named Pie Carver (Sammi Hanratty). In jail, David is praying to God and he's been doing it because of his best friend, Brian Ross (Darren Victoria). David and Brian were riding bikes just as a crazy drunk guy (Glenn Wilder) in a car was coming towards them. David saves himself while the car hits Brian's bike making him fly. The car crashes and injures the man while Brian flies and smashes his face on a nearby house, causing David to pray for him, which works. The doctor at the hospital where Brian had to go called it a "miraculous recovery".Meanwhile, Steve Ames (Steven Weber) is in his moving company truck following famous author John Edward "Johnny" Marinville (Tom Skerritt) who is 50 miles up ahead. Steve soon picks up a young female hitchhiker named Cynthia Smith (Kelly Overton). Johnny stops in the desert to urinate just as Collie shows up behind him and puts the same weed with the smiley tag he got from Peter and Mary under Johnny's motorcycle seat and "arrests" him, not after dancing in front of him singing out "You say tomeito, I say tomato" and then punching him. Johnny phones Steve but the connection is very bad, and they can't almost make out what the other one is saying. While Collie is driving Johnny to the village, he sneezes and blood stains the front mirror.Later, David realizes Entragian's skin is breaking out and he keeps saying "Tak" because he is possessed. Collie then takes Ellen so he can shift his spirit into her body and puts a vicious dog in charge of things. Pie's ghost appears, at the beginning jumping rope and looking quite happy and contented in heaven, and gives David a bar of soap although the sheriff, with a bleeding face, appears in spirit to scare Pie away. However, the bar of soap appears inside the jail magically. The young boy proceeds to scrub his body with the soap and while the dog is distracted by the rest of the prisoners, David slips through the bars of the jail cell and gets out of the room, although his head seemd to be about to become stuck between two bars. David searches the police station and finds a gun on the corpse of another sheriff. He returns to shoot the guarding dog to free everyone.Meanwhile, Steve drives up to where Johnny was arrested by Entragian to find Johnny's motorcycle hidden behind dry bushes. Cynthia and Steve later search the town of Desperation, where they find all the residents dead. That night, they both meet up with the gang. They gather at a theater and Tom tells a story that took place 120 years ago, when Chinese workers digging in a mine discovered an evil spirit named "Tak." The now possessed Ellen sends in a mountain lion and Tom is killed. Mary is captured by Ellen so that she can have a new body.David sees the ghost of Pie in the theater again and she leads him to the movie editing machine revealing the truth of how Tak came to the town. Pie tells her brother to watch a particular piece of film and he does so. There, he can see how Chinese miners were beaten and mistreated by the white overseers. They don't retaliate until they find a particular room in a cave and a spirit dust makes them violent. With their pickaxes, the miners kills many ex-owner. The mine gets blown in the process. Two Chinamen are about to be hanged, because everybody thinks they were the culprits of the mine sabotage. However, when they are standing in the scaffold, they began to change physically, becoming monsters of their own and showing that they have been possessed by Tak. David becomes entranced while seeing the film, until he is rescued.Mary wakes up to find herself trapped in a shed waiting to be the next host for Tak. With the help of Pie, she manages to escape, while seriously injuring Ellen's body forcing Tak to take over the body of a raven.Johnny later confesses 40 years ago in Vietnam he (Tom Parker) saw a guy, possessed by Tak, blow up the bathroom of a bar killing 87 people. The group decides to return to the cave with some explosives they found to put an end to Tak. At the entrance, a vulture comes out and kills Ralph. In order to redeem himself, Johnny goes into the mine and falls in a hole leading to a small hole where Tak is. His motorbike helmet kind of protects him from the yellowy dust which is the shape of Tak while it is not possessing a body. The arm of that yellowy substance pulls Johnny in the well. They can talk to each other while Johnny is doing his thing. Tak tries to convince Johnny to let him / it be, promising anything he may wish for. Johnny is in huge pain. Johnny ignites the explosives, blowing up the mine while the rest of survivors drive away in Steve's truck.They drive through the avalanche and the fire which ensue. The dust arising from the explosion, as seen by the survivors from the town looks as the mushroom from a nuclear bomb. They enter their vehicle once again, just in case. Along the route driving away from the town, they pass by the RV vehicle owned by David's family and Peter's sister's car. Mary tells Steve to stop the truck to retrieve an overnight package from the car. In the back seat Mary finds an album belonging to Pie, which Steve identifies as being signed by Johnny.

Tags: insanity, violence, murder, storytelling, flashback

Review:
Besides a mediocre performance from Tom Skeritt this adaptation of Steven Kings 600+ page novel is up to par with some of his best big screen productions.
If you read the book you'll notice that they changed little things to get with the times, like the hitchhikers shirt instead of being Pete Tesh is Bob Dylan, and there's a small reference towards the end to Donald Rumsfeld and Adam Sandler.When I saw that there was going to be a TV movie version of this book I was worried because of the graphic sequences needed to do Desperation justice.
Everyone else was good, down to the Chinese actors who had absolutely no lines.In summary if you read the book you will like this movie the only thing that wasn't in the movie was the tree-house that David went to in his mind (not necessarily a bad thing).
I could go on and on about how the acting is terrible and the script sounds like it was written by a middle schooler and the cheap special effects for TAK, but i'm just gonna leave it at...trust me...read the book, skip the movie.
This has to be, by far, the worst movie adaptation of a Stephen King book ever, and that's definitely saying something.The script is absolutely terrible, with the characters saying some of the most unbelievable and bizarre comments that I've ever heard.
The acting is sufficiently B grade for a bad horror film, and the plot fantastically predictable.One of the most painful things about the movie is the complete lack of a connection between the actors or characters.
Even when the script indicates a strong emotional connection, there is no spark between the actors.Like with most Stephen King adaptations, the storyline skips ahead rapidly in parts, with characters discussing issues which were introduced in the book but omitted in the movie -- so they come as a complete surprise, or just as a confusing side remark that leaves the audience wondering where the heck it suddenly came from.
Well-done television adaptation of the Stephen King horror novel proves not only to be quite faithful to the novel, but an enjoyable treat for any horror fan.Folks driving through rural Nevada are being captured by a crazed policeman, but something far more evil is at work in the town of Desperation.Director Mick Garris is no stranger to the works of author Stephen King, in fact I believe this is his sixth film adaptation of one of King's stories.
Between Garris directing and King himself having written the screenplay, Desperation comes off as a very faith adaptation that also keeps the same sense of suspense and bizarre atmosphere of the novel.
When Stephen King's work started being turned into movies, they were  always great, but the newer stuff, has really been hit or miss.
Unfortunately, about  half way through this film, the movie changes focus to young David,  played by the kid from the Stacy's Mom video, Shane Haboucha.
So I am a big fan of Stephen King novels and movies alike and there is rarely a time i argue about a movie that deviates from a book.
It runs at about two and half hours and – sometimes – feels every bit as long.It's about a collection of various characters who all get (unfairly) 'caught' by – the slightly unhinged – Sheriff of a town in the middle of nowhere, subtly called 'Desperation.' Then, once incarcerated inside his cells, they have to come up with a way of escaping from more than just the immediate bars that surround them.First of all, it's worth mentioning that we have Ron Perlman on the cast list, who – as usual – turns in a brilliant performance as the afore-mentioned nutter-Sheriff.
for the most part, like most Stephen King movies (not all), this was a B-rate film!
For me, movies are good if you get so caught up in them you feel it's real, but with the "redrum" stuck on the wall it brought up "The Shining" and it kind of ruined the pace.The one thing I did like was the solid acting by the actor who played Collie.
One of the problems in translating such a novel to the screen is to keep intact the cohesive eerie feel that the whole book has, and the organic way King links the horror and religious aspects of the text.
I have not read the Stephen King book, but if it's anything like the movie I'm not missing anything.
No way does it stand a chance with the Stephen King favorites like "The Stand" and "IT!" Did it ever explain how the town got in that condition and who this demon was possessing people?!
I have been an avid King fan for years but all I can say is I hope the book was better than the movie.
At the end of the film a yearbook magically appears in the back of a car they decide to look at on their way out of the area and inside it there is a photograph of 2 people who died during the film (and had not previously met before the adventure) holding hands etc etc so they all give thanks to god and pray.Apart from various other goofs, there are some good points which horror fans will enjoy: Sudden and rather meaningless killings seemingly just for the hell of it.
Acting varied lot, but in average it was good I think; at least it didn't bother me.If you like movies with mysteries and battle between the true evil and true good give a shot and watch this film..
Ron Perlman makes this movie work he is just as written in the book,their are various scenes lifted directly from the page to the screen in a deft and exacting manor.
He captured the character from the book totally and was the best character interpretation from any actor.I get a bit miffed when I read other peoples reviews in here, and how they are put off by the religious content of film.
The fans of King should enjoy this movie for one simple reason; it follows the book very closely (thanks to the screenplay of the master himself) and it is always a joy to see his works come to life on the screen and produced with a generous budget..
If you haven't seen the movie yet, I recommend reading the book first, and If you really like the story, then watch the movie, if you just thought the book was OK then pass on the film.
In my opinion, this is one of the best stories I have ever heard, I hope they make a re-make of the movie, or make a really good sequel to it based on the second book called "the regulators" I'm in the middle of reading that one now, so I can't really judge it yet, but so far it's 2 thumbs up, just like the first one..
When watching this movie and the end, I know a lot of people were disappointed...But you have to remember, Stephen King's movies are based on his books, and Desperation is not a lone story -- it ties in with The Regulators.
OK were to start.I'm a massive Stephen king fan but recently I've been disappointed in 2 TV productions of his, this and nightmares and dreams capes.1} now the film stared of OK, started like hills have eyes kind of.then it went downhill, little boy's character was prolly the only one acting in the film, Ron pearlman's dialect was hard for people with half a brain to understand loll my girlfriend was asking too many questions loll2} most of the film was SO obvious it was unreal.
The whole god thing is in there which is good as the film is an adaptation of said book.Every time a new Stephen King book is made into a film everyone goes on about it not being as good but i think this one has done the book justice.
I read Desperation (and its twin, the Regulators) years ago when they were released and like most King novels, though "gee, this would be a good movie if done right." I never knew about the miniseries and found it here on IMDb. Upon that discovery, my internal argument went: "Five stars, meh.
The movie itself plays out more like a horror flick of King's in the vein of Carrie or his earlier work, which is not a bad thing, but I felt it detracted from the deeper story underneath at times.
Kudos to King for providing the back story that is necessary to the plot in a concise way that the movie format needed instead of trying to weave it in more subtly.My wife, having not read the book, had more questions about what was going on at times but agreed that it kept her interest right up through the end.
I read this book some years ago and at the time thought what a great movie it would make.
This is the DVD version, I'm not sure if it differs from the TV version.I read this book a few years ago and thought it was one of Kings best novels.
It's fun to watch a movie come together so poorly that a scene with Charles Durning, Matt Frewer, Stephen Weber and Tom Skerrit can actually unfold in a way that makes you wince at the ham fisted delivery of dialogue that sounds like it's coming from a poorly rehearsed high school play.
Additionally, a scene where retired town veterinarian Charles Durning explains the history of Desperation brings the movie to a halt (in their defense, I don't know where else King or Garris could have inserted this necessary bit of exposition).But when all is said and done, "Desperation" is a keeper.
A film can be true to a book and still be awful because the original material is so ridiculous.Had this film/book perhaps not included an actual 'holy' presence and simply someone who believed they would be saved, who subsequently got offed in some gruesome manner and therefore put in their place, it would have made it sooo much better :P I really think personally that Ron Pearlman was wasted in that respect as he played the role so well, only to be thwarted by a little boy and his 'god' + a green bar of soap, bah, what a crock.So rarely you see a good horror/thriller these days where evil prevails in some way, shape or form and gives religion the kick in the teeth it deserves.After seeing this film and being told that King's films are often based on religion, I don't think I'll be watching any more of them, its such a spoiler to an otherwise cracking set and great acting.That being said, for the couple of laughs, especially at the end (not funny if you are religious I suppose as you may find praying a serious business), the acting by Peralman and some decent horror sequences, I'll give it a 3.5 (or 3 as there's no .5).
As much as I admire King, I never even read the book after learning of the plot, the first book of his I missed.Anyway, like I said, routine, and pretty good considering who made it, which I'm sure many will echo.
Stephen King is a good writer but this is without discussion his worst movie.It's got a bad plot and a bad story.
"Stephen King's Desperation" is a fine if somewhat-flawed entry.**SPOILERS**Moving to the Nevada Desert, Mary Jackson, (Annabeth Gish) is arrested by Collie Entragian, (Ron Perlman) a local policeman and hauled off to the town's jail.
The Shining was the only movie/book worth watching/reading coming from Steven King.
This is one of the most pathetic tries to make money based on a trademark (Stephen King's).All the common tricks seen in old-fashioned movies, those that maybe 10 or 20 years ago could produce some kind of fear and surprise on us, well, you will see them one more time.
The question is, what can someone really expect of a film based on a Stephen King's movie?
But that goes for all the characters I've mentioned here.The rest of the cast fits pretty well, Ron Pearlman, should have played a bit more on the false sense of security and kindness Entragian originally uses.The speed of the movie, I don't get.
I think this was a good way to spend time watching a movie if you're a Stephen King fan.
It seemed like everyone in the movie was acting in a high school play written by a social retard whose perception of human interaction was forged only through reading comic books and Judy Bloom novels.
Desperation is a horror movie based on the novel by Stephen King.The film has a very interesting plot narration where in the initial 30-40 minutes the whole action takes place along a highway.
One of the good TV movies based on Stephen King's novels.
Once things finally pick up, out of nowhere 25 minutes from the end of the movie some story is given about miners and it is never really connected in the film to what has happened up to that point.
I love the book Desperation (ok, big King fan, I admit) and I adored The Stand and The Shining (I thought the The Shining miniseries was amazing) but this movie...
Now I know it's always a gamble with Stephen King adaptions from book to film.
Whether or not you're a fan of Stephen King (books of movies) this film should be avoided at all costs!.
Wait, Stephen King didn't write "The Apostle," and this was actually "Desperation..." The book was far better, as I remember.
I've Read the Book Roundabouts of Twenty or so times, one of my Favorite SK Novels and Am Quite Displeased with both Characters and Ending of movie.Point A.
The characters especially David Carver talk a lot about faith and God and although King always has a bit of a religious tone to his books in one form or another this film especially really does preach a faith driven message.
Instead of having her in the story they just gave Tom (the old drunk who lived in Desperation) more lines to describe things and keep the audience up to speed although it was still way confusing if you didn't read the book.
Also, They didn't show them trying to escape and the road being blocked, which if I didn't read the book I'd be like, "what the hell is your problem, just drive out of town, why are you still there?"What really bothered me though, is this - David had these voices he heard, which were meant to be the voice of God. In the movie it was his dead sister talking to him.
It all came together in a really cool way like an episode of Lost and was the coolest thing about the book and NONE OF IT HAPPENED in the movie.
And the worst part is, if I try to tell someone how good the book is and they've seen the movie they're gonna be like, "oh yeah, I saw that on TV.
If you haven't seen this movie version of "Desperation" then I say you should definitely read the book if you like Stephen King novels.
I haven't read the book which is an adaptation of Stephen King to the screen so I can't tell you how close to it this film is.
However there are many blanks and failures in the plot which can make you really confused and angry with it.But what stroke me most was the fact that it was the first movie I've ever seen which is called thriller and involves god and religion so much at times that you feel you are watching an informative show about religion being led by a 15 years old boy who seems to know the gist but gets entangled at the same time.What really annoyed me was that stupid correlation with TAK "god" which makes ordinary people wonder "this film involves the god we all know with...
Like I said, lazy.Without these flaws it could have been a good movie, but as it is you might want to look for something better to spent your time on..
So when I saw that a made-for-TV film based on Desperation was out there, I felt compelled to check it out.The characters read very much the same dialogue from the book (the teleplay was written by King), but they lack the conviction and emotional balance that was a big part of the book.
It's not rife with bad attempts as wit, just a dude who's losing his family and is going through hell.Shane Haboucha SEEMS like he's giving a go at the same thing (and he CAN act, quite good, I've seen him on Law & Order, CSI, and Monk), but both the script and the director (Mick Garris, in his sixth Stephen King adaptation) seemed to pass him off as a breathy, holier than thou zealot that's totally unlike the book's version of David.
I watched this after I read the novel, which I thought was awesome.The actors I thought were pretty good, especially Ron Pearlman who played the psychopathic cop, Collie Entragian.
Steve King's work is often changed dramatically from print to movie (see Dreamcatcher as an example, much better as a book), so I was surprised to see how well it followed the novel.
And I think it was the best Stephen King movie ever!.
If you have not yet read the novel or seen the TV Movie, reader discretion is advised.) I am a fan of Stephen King.
One movie of adaptation of one of King's books that I can recommend is "The Green Mile".
I'm glad to see that there are others still making good stories and movies.I want my time back.
i never read the book but i liked the movie so i'll try to get it someday.
Desperation is classic Stephen King good v evil.