The Tommyknockers

Year: 1993

Director: John Power

Written by: Lawrence D. Cohen

Threat: Aliens

Weapon of Choice: Lipstick

IMDb page: IMDb link

      The Tommyknockers - DVD

Other movies in this series:
None

The tyranist's thoughts
I was going to assert that there had been almost as many TV movies and mini-series made from Stephen King's work as there had been theatrical and video release films. Then I checked. It is currently 4 to 1 in favor of the films. At least it seemed like there were a lot of made-for-TV King movies.
I have to admit that I have never read The Tommyknockers. I know that you are asking yourself how this is possible. Well, I wasn't always a King fan and there are a lot of books to read besides his. I promise to read it soon. Still, I enjoyed the mini-series for the most part. Jimmy Smits is always hard to endure, but he does a fair job here. Marg Helgenberger is pretty fantastic as the possessed Bobbi Anderson. Really, this is pretty well-thought out and paced. There are certain creepy moments (none are truly frightening) and there is a lot of the feeling of say The Stepford Wives. It is good for three hours entertainment.
I feel obligated to explain one skull on this review. Unfulfilled promise of nudity. "But you knew it was made for TV, how could you expect any nudity." Well, as I see it, anything with Traci Lords that doesn't have her appearing completely naked is an unfulfilled promise of nudity. It's just what we've come to expect of her. I mean, really she isn't a very good actress anyway.

Total Skulls: 12

Sequel
Sequel setup
Rips off earlier film
Horror film showing on TV/in theater in movie
Future celebrity appears
Former celebrity appears
Bad title
Bad premise
Bad acting
Bad dialogue
Bad execution
MTV Editing
OTS
Girl unnecessarily gets naked
Wanton sex skull
Death associated with sex
Unfulfilled promise of nudity skull
Characters forget about threat
Secluded location skull
Power is cut
Phone lines are cut skullskull
Someone investigates a strange noise
Someone runs up stairs instead of going out front door
Camera is the killer
Victims cower in front of a window/door
Victim locks self in with killer
Victim running from killer inexplicably falls
Toilet stall scene:ØFÀ>
Shower scene
Car stalls or won't start skull
Cat jumps out
Fake scare
Laughable scare
Stupid discovery of corpse
Dream sequence skull
No one believes only witness
Crazy, drunk, old man knows the truth skull
Music detracts from scene
Death in first five minutes
What the hell?
x years ago . . .
Dark and stormy night
Killer doesn't stay dead
Killer wears a mask
Killer is in closet skull
Killer is in car with victim
Villain is more sympathetic than heroes
Unscary villain/monster
Beheading skull
Blood fountain
Blood hits camera
Poor death effect
Excessive gore
No one dies at all
Virgin survives
Geek/Nerd survives
Little kid lamely survives skull
Dog/Pet miraculously survives skull
Unresolved subplots
"It was all a dream" ending
Unbelievably happy ending
Unbelievably crappy ending