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List Price: $14.98 | | Label: MGM (Video & DVD)
Salesrank: 6161
Released: August 1, 2000 |
| Our Price: $9.95 |
| Used Price: $3.69 |
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MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
A "heart-stopping psychological thriller" (Joel Siegel) this Academy AwardÂ(r)-winning* film is "one of the best horror movies" (Time) ever. Adapted from a Stephen King story by OscarÂ(r)-winning** screenwriter William Goldman (All the President's Men) and directed by Rob Reiner (A Few Good Men), this chiller starring Kathy Bates (Titanic) and James Caan (The Godfather), is "a Hitchcockian kind of cat-and-mouse" (The New York Times) gameplayed between two cunning mindsone as sharp as a tack and the other as blunt as a sledgehammer. Novelist Paul Sheldon (Caan) doesn't remember the blinding blizzard that sent his car spinning off the road. Nor does he remember being nursed back from unconsciousness. All he remembers iswaking up in the home of Annie Wilkes (Bates)a maniacal fan who is bent on keeping her favorite writer as her personal prisoner for the rest of his "cock-a-doodie" life! *1990: Actress (Bates) **1969: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid; 1976: All the President's Men
Description of Misery:
Based on the chilling bestseller by Stephen King, Misery was brought to the screen by director Rob Reiner as one of the most effective thrillers of the 1990s. From a brilliant adaptation by screenwriter William Goldman, Reiner turned King's cautionary tale of fame and idolatry into a mainstream masterpiece of escalating suspense, translating King's own experience with obsessive fans into a frightening tale of entrapment and psychotic behavior. Kathy Bates deservedly won an Academy Award for her performance as Annie Wilkes, an unbalanced devotee of romance novels written by Paul Sheldon (James Caan), whose books provide Annie with a much-needed escape from her pathetic life and her secret, violent past. After Annie rescues the injured Sheldon from a car accident, she seizes the opportunity to nurse her favorite writer back to health, but her tender loving care soon turns to terrorism as she demands that Sheldon write his latest novel according to her wish-fulfillment fantasies. From this point forward, Misery percolates to a boil as equal parts mystery, thriller, and cleverly dark comedy, with the helpless author pitched in deadly warfare against his number one fan. While Bates carefully modulates her role from doting kindness to sympathetic loneliness and finally to horrifying ferocity, Caan is equally superb as the celebrated author who must literally write for his life. It's essentially a two-actor film, but Richard Farnsworth and Lauren Bacall are excellent in supporting roles as they investigate the writer's mysterious disappearance. Frightening, funny, and totally irresistible, Misery was such a hit that some of Bates's dialogue entered the popular lexicon (particularly her nagging reference to Caan as "Mister Man"), and its nail-biting thrills remain timelessly intense. --Jeff Shannon
Misery Reviews:
Horrifying Movie 
2009-10-24 - We've known people like her. Sweet one minute, over the edge the next. Kathy Bates' performance is realistic and convincing. This movie will not keep you on the edge of your seat; it will drive you out of it! You want to run while you legs are still in working order! Close your eyes when she grabs that sledge hammer!
M.L. Paxton
"Sshh darling, trust me...it's for the best!"
2009-10-10 - I don't own the "Misery" DVD, but I have seen it three times, and each time, the movie is just as shocking and intense as before. Rob Reiner is the director, and adapts the Stephen King novel to the screen. Considering most of the film takes place in a bedroom, you're going to need a pretty good script to keep such a concept alive and interesting. Fortunately, "Misery" is full of interesting plot developments, and as the story moves along, nothing feels boring or tedious. In fact, two of the times I saw this movie were back-to-back on TV (thanks for that, AMC!), and I can honestly say I watched it both times, in a row, without ever getting bored.
In addition to Rob Reiner's great directing, we have the talented acting of James Kahn and Kathy Bates, both of whom portray their characters quite realistically and believably. The realism of their acting is partially what makes this movie so frightening, because James Kahn and Kathy Bates make it seem like this sort of things could actually happen, which is a powerful tool in horror movies. In addition, there's no way you can give this movie less than 5 stars after seeing the heart-pounding, realistic terror in the climax!
Well, my time here is done. In closing, this is a highly-recommended horror movie for those that want to see an excellent, entertaining and nerve-wracking work of horror genius, especially if you're interested in seeing the realistic side of horror movies. Thanks for the time, and peace.
Great Horror Movie
2009-06-24 - This is one of the three Stephen King books that actually turned into a good movie. Usually, the movies made from his books cannot hold a candle to his writing. But Misery does. Kathy Bates is fabulous as a crazy fan who thinks she knows the author intimately and holds him hostage and tortures him. James Caan does a wonderful acting job as well. Anyone with even a tiny dose of fame knows that sometimes people can interpret some really strange things from what you say or write. I hope I never meet someone like this. If you like horror movies don't miss this one!
Power Path to Love
Misery-Good Steven King Story 
2009-06-18 - Misery was a good 4 to 5 star Steven King story which I enjoyed very much. It concerned stalkers and fameous writers and must, therefore, be a subject close to Mr. Kings heart. Since my son and I are both fans of Steven King, my family went to Bangor Main a few summers ago to visit the town, take in some of the local tourist attractions and on site filming locations of many of his films.
We also briefly stopped in front of Mr. Kings home to take a photo. I hope this didn't qualify us as stalkers, but we also visited fameous Bettes Book Store in hopes of the possibility of seeing Mr. King (which we did not). We picked up some books and were treated to some interesting stories concerning Mr. King from the shops staff. Bettes book store also provided us a map of Bangor annotated to show exactly where many of King's movies have been filmed.
Except for getting a flat and getting lost while looking for some of these filming locations it was a great trip and I would recommend it to all fans of Steven King.
Kathy Bates at her best.!
2009-05-31 - This have got to be one of the best movies of the century, I don't care what anybody says,. it has everything a great thrillers needs,.. suspense, horror, great acting, a psycho woman who is obsessed whith the character heroine of a book and wants the writer to give her the perfect ending,..she wants a Happy ending,.. and will kill if she has to, to get it.
