8 | / 10 |
Users | 4.8 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
A successful romance novelist, after being disabled in a car crash, is held captive by a psychotic fan.
Starring: James Caan, Kathy Bates, Richard Farnsworth, Frances Sternhagen, Lauren BacallHorror | 100% |
Psychological thriller | 23% |
Thriller | 2% |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (locked)
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
At an airport bookstore one day in 1990, producer Andrew Scheinman spotted a hardcover of Stephen King's 1987 novel Misery, which he bought under the assumption that his friend and collaborator, Rob Reiner, may want to adapt it into a movie. But Reiner was skeptical that Misery hadn't already been optioned by one of the Hollywood majors. To his great surprise and delight, no studio had purchased the rights to it. Misery was a very important and deeply personal book to King, who was leery of the potential harm filmmakers may inflict when cinematizing it. King had liked Reiner's Stand by Me and the two had an agreeable phone conversation, with King indicating he would sell the novel (for a lot of money). Reiner would produce it under the aegis of his production company Castle Rock Entertainment but would find someone else to direct.
According to Misery adapter William Goldman in one of his screenwriting volumes, George Roy Hill was the first choice to direct. Hill initially agreed but when he read the script's version of King's "lopping scene," he couldn't sleep all night. It entails psychiatric nurse Annie Wilkes sawing off the feet of her favorite author as punishment for his attempts to flee his room. That scene convinced Goldman to write the screenplay while he was still reading the book. However, Hill couldn't picture himself ever directing Annie's maiming of Paul Sheldon so he reneged. When Goldman was about to send his script to Barry Levinson, Reiner stepped in and vowed that he would direct Misery himself. Reiner first had no qualms about directing the lopping scene but sought opinion from others at Castle Rock who read the script. Reiner recounted to Goldman that three secretaries told him to leave the scene alone. Warren Beatty, who was interested in playing Paul, read Goldman's treatment and thought the lopping would render the already-injured author a loser. While Goldman went on vacation before principal photography began, Reiner, Scheinman, and Beatty made some revisions to the script to make it tighter and more taut. Upon his return, Goldman was furious at the changes (including the major scene in question). Lopping had been replaced with hobbling so Paul was a more active protagonist rather than a permanent cripple. Had Annie sliced Paul's feet off, Reiner felt that he would have lost the audience completely. When Goldman saw a cut of the film at a cast/crew screening, he discovered that he was wrong as the new scene more than served its purpose without going over the top.
When offered to play the mostly bedridden role of Paul Sheldon, nearly every major Hollywood actor passed. As Reiner and Goldman have recalled, William Hurt, Kevin Kline, Michael Douglas, Harrison Ford, Dustin Hoffman, Robert DeNiro, Al Pacino, and Robert Redford all declined. Richard Dreyfus had a preliminary agreement with Reiner but that came before he read the script. Beatty remained interested but he had too many responsibilities to juggle on Dick Tracy. Scheinman suggested James Caan and Misery ended up being a comeback for the Bronx native after he sporadically took acting roles throughout the eighties. The equally important role of Annie Wilkes was much more straightforward. Goldman penned his screenplay with Kathy Bates in mind having seen her perform in several plays. Reiner had also watched Bates on Broadway and agreed that the part should be portrayed by someone relatively unknown on the silver screen. Bates delivers a precise and pitch-perfect interpretation of the hyper-obsessed fan, rightfully garnering the Golden Globe and Oscar for best lead performance.
Paul Sheldon's number one fan introduces her patient to Misery the Pig.
Video presentations of Misery have come a long way since Polygram first brought the film to DVD in 1998 with a non-anamorphic transfer. (MGM recycled the letterboxed print two years later.) In 2003, MGM Europe released a Special Edition in Region 2/4 territories containing a new anamorphic widescreen transfer, two audio commentaries, and a couple of new featurettes. It wasn't until 2007 that MGM in the US unveiled its own Collector's Edition (with Fox handling distribution). It ported over the EU extras and added several mini-featurettes. Misery then made its inaugural debut on Blu-ray in 2009 on a bare bones BD-50 with all the supplements relegated to a separate DVD. Fox also released the movie on Blu-ray in several countries but sans the bells and whistles except for the German Limited Edition offered by 84 Entertainment. This fall, Shout! Factory has put out a Collector's Edition on a BD-50 with an MPEG-4 AVC-encoded transfer. The studio advertises it as a new restoration from a 4K scan based on the original film elements. Color timing varies between the Shout! and the MGM transfer that Dustin Somner reviewed eight years ago. Skin tones are generally redder on the MGM, which also has its brightness levels boosted. For the skies, the Shout! has a cool pale blue tinge while the MGM is grey/white. There is a darker look to Shout!'s image. MGM also has random video noise and a muddier palette. There is more information on all four sides of Shout!'s picture frame. Both transfers are presented in the film's original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1. Shout! sports an average video bitrate of 27996 kbps while MGM's is slightly higher at 30961 kbps. The Shout! transfer is not perfect. There are white speckles that pop up periodically throughout the run time. These could have been expunged. My video score is 4.25.
There are just a dozen chapter breaks. My MGM UK S.E. has thirty-two scene selections.
Misery's sound track options consist of a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 Surround remix (2866 kbps, 24-bit) and the film's original DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Stereo (1619 kbps, 24-bit). The latter track was not on MGM's Blu-ray, which also featured alternate tracks comprising eleven language dubs. Misery is a dialogue-driven film mainly restricted to two characters talking so much of the activity occurs along the fronts. The satellite speakers spruce up during the playing of Junior Walker & The Allstars' "Shotgun" and when the timpani is performed on Marc Shaiman's Herrmannesque score. The surrounds also spring to life when Buster and the helicopter pilot (played by Reiner in a cameo) circle around the Rockies. The entire movie was recorded in a THX Sound System Theatre so it has a certificate of high quality. Re-recording work for Misery was conducted in Skywalker Sound South's facilities. There are no source flaws on either track. Audio direction on the lossless stereo is maintained on the front speakers.
The English SDH for the main feature are mostly complete. There are a few words missing from longer sentences uttered but they give a largely accurate transcription of the dialogue.
Shout! has licensed most but not all bonus materials from the Misery DVDs. Missing is a photo gallery from the EU discs which amass ninety images. These are divided into eight sections with a "Play All" option. Unfortunately, as a stylistic touch, MGM superimposed typewriter text on the pictures and they're not enlarged to the max for 16x9 playback. Also not retained on this Blu-ray is an eight-page leaflet containing a compilation of production notes and quotes from Misery's press kit and newspaper articles. My UK DVD had English subtitles for the extras but the Shout! disc provides none.
Misery (1990) is a top-tier Stephen King adaptation that is one of my favorite thrillers to revisit. Rob Reiner watched as many Hitchcock films that he could gain access to and there is the Rear Window influence of L.B. Jefferies on the Paul Sheldon character. Also, I can't imagine another actor being able to deliver the "Oh, Paul..." and "Cockadoodie!" lines with as much devilish charm and gusto as Kathy Bates. Shout! Factory has assembled a respectable Collector's Edition for the film but I wouldn't call it definitive. The new transfer offers improvements in color temperature over the MGM but I don't think those who own the older disc will notice huge differences. While Shout! offers an hour's worth of new interviews, it's disappointing that the label wasn't able to arrange new interviews with Bates and Caan. The disc still comes HIGHLY RECOMMENDED but my hunch is that there will be a more deluxe edition at a later date.
1990
DVD Packaging
1990
1990
1990
1990
1990
1990
2009
2018
Unrated Collector's Edition
2007
Unrated
2010
Uncut
2013
2018
2014
Collector's Edition
1978
Warner Archive Collection
1962
Unrated
2005
2005
2016
2015
2004
2007
2008
The Secret of Marrowbone
2017
2015
2016
2013