Devil in the Details

Directed by Fraser C. Heston

Starring Ed Harris, Max von Sydow, Bonnie Bedilia 

Released August 27th, 1993

Rated R

Castle Rock Entertainment is a production company that took its name from a fictional town that is the setting for numerous stories written by Stephen King, who himself took the name from William Golding’s classic novel Lord of the Flies. In 1991 King released Needful Things, a book subtitled The Last Castle Rock Story. The book is notable for oddball characters and a memorable ending, though it is decidedly lesser King. As of this writing, Castle Rock Entertainment has produced seven adaptations of Stephen King books, though 1993’s Needful Things was only the second, following Misery in 1990.

The wonderfully named Leland Gaunt (Max von Sydow) comes to Castle Rock to open a curio shop named Needful Things (the shop’s name is displayed in the same iconic font used for most of Stephen King’s book covers, a nice touch). The locals are intrigued by the shop, and by Gaunt, who promises them everything they ever wanted. I’m sure everything is on the up and up, and there are no strings attached. It’s not like this guy is the devil! The film benefits greatly from the casting of Max von Sydow. He delivers a delicious performance, managing to bring a touch of warmth to the malevolent Gaunt. 

The townspeople are played by a who’s-who of character actors, including Don S. Davis, Amanda Plummer, Bonnie Bedilia, and J.T. Walsh. Davis is solid as per usual, Bedilia proves once again that she’s underrated, Plummer is always a treat, and Walsh gets to go full gonzo with his performance. Ed Harris is perhaps too intense as Alan Pangborn, the good cop who puts the pieces of Gaunt’s plan together a bit too fast. W.D. Richter’s script brings a dark comic undertone to the proceedings, but it’s the same story beat over and over. It’s noticeable that important events are skipped over as we careen toward an ending that falls flat. The film isn’t scary in the least, and the lackluster conclusion makes the film tough to recommend even with the more than capable acting on display. 

The special features on Kino Lorber’s two-disc release include a nifty slipcase cover, the film’s theatrical trailer (which gives everything away), and an eighteen-minute interview with screenwriter W.D. Richter. Richter details the challenges of adapting Stephen King’s long book into a short screenplay, and the project moving from originally being directed by Peter Yates to being helmed by Fraser C. Heston. Heston provides an audio commentary, moderated by Walt Olsen of Scorpion Releasing. During the conversation we learn how he landed the job and hear that this was the first time a feature film was edited on the AVID digital system. When Heston talks about one of the actors in the movie, he has a habit of listing their previous credits. It’s endearing. Heston also mentions that he thinks the three-hour version of the film is too long. 

Yes, along with the 120-minute theatrical edit, Kino Lorber’s Blu-ray of Needful Things comes with the 191-minute “TV Cut,” upscaled to High Definition. Starting with a car chase, the 191 minute “TV Cut” immediately feels different. There is an entire subplot that was removed from the theatrical cut involving a woman who loves Elvis. Existing scenes are longer, allowing us to spend more time with the characters and better understand their failings and motivations. The end result is a film that’s creepier and better realized than the theatrical edit. The leisurely pace makes the moments of violence come across more shocking than in the shorter cut, which at times borders on camp. I watched the theatrical version first and didn’t much care for it. The “TV cut” makes for a much better experience. A longer film doesn’t necessarily make for a better film, but it does in the case of Needful Things. Turns out, we just needed more.