Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		0.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Needful Things 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov August 18, 2023

Fraser Heston's "Needful Things" (1993) arrives on 4K Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the release include exclusive new program with screenwriter W.D. Richter; archival audio commentary by Fraser Heston; and vintage trailer for the film. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

Stephen King’s best-selling novels have inspired several very good cinematic adaptations. There are a few very good made-for-TV productions, too. Also, there are a few hybrid projects, like Needful Things, which are conceived to be seen at the theater and on TV. The TV version is always longer, often even a lot longer, but it is not a ‘complete’ version. The TV version usually has more footage that was shot specifically for it.

Interestingly, the very best of these films, the average ones, and the poor ones all have the same undeniable weakness. They cannot properly replicate the atmosphere that flourishes in King’s novels. A few come very, very close but still struggle, often in obvious ways as well. Do you know why? It is because King routinely produces very detailed descriptions of feelings, emotions, and sensations that become essential elements of this atmosphere. Some of these feelings, emotions, and sensations are attached to complex memories and recollections, too. So, how do you accurately recreate an atmosphere that is so fluid, so unique? It is a tremendous challenge because words and images connect with the mind in completely different ways.

This is the reason King’s favorite playground, the town of Castle Rock, always has a questionable appearance when it is recreated on film. Indeed, even though King has provided numerous detailed descriptions of it in various novels, Castle Rock is defined by a very heavy atmosphere rather than a special appearance, which means that reviving it on film is essentially a doomed mission. To be clear, a very talented director could get it to look as spooky and surreal as it routinely is in King’s novels but its atmosphere is never the same, and this is a serious, undeniable weakness. In King’s novels, for long periods of time, the atmosphere is the story.

A few nights ago, I revisited Fraser Heston’s theatrical take on Needful Things for the first time since the VHS era. I loved how it looked on Blu-ray. It has a terrific style that pays tribute to the Baroque horror classics but brings in contemporary qualities as well. It is very nicely edited, too. Everything flows, there is nothing that looks rushed or abruptly cut. Honestly, I do not see any major flaws in this version that could have been avoided. It is a very solid genre film from the 1990s.

But it is Heston’s take on a different version of Needful Things. It is not an accurate retelling of King’s Needful Things.

The main events from the original story are not dramatically altered. After quietly relocating to Castle Rock, Leland Gaunt (Max Von Sydow) opens a small antique shop and soon after begins corrupting the souls of the local residents. He does it by giving them what they desire the most in exchange for special favors. When Castle Rock begins to crumble, Sheriff Alan Pangborn (Ed Harris) starts digging into the newcomer’s past and discovers that he is a centuries-old manipulator responsible for the greatest tragedies and misery the world has endured.

King’s Needful Things is a big and very rich novel, so I am not bothered by the fact that a lot of the original material from it was changed. In fact, King and Heston worked closely together, so technically what was done could not have materialized without the latter’s endorsement.

However, while enjoyable, Heston’s take on Needful Things has the crucial weakness I described earlier. It visits a place that does not look or feel like Castle Rock, so most of the different pieces of the drama it depicts lack a King-esque quality.

The cast also includes a predictably terrific J.T. Walsh, Amanda Plummer, Bonnie Bedelia, William Morgan Sheppard, Ray McKinnon, Duncan Fraser, and Ron Davis.

*Kino Lorber's release presents both versions of Needful Things. The Theatrical Version is approximately 121 minutes long. The TV Version is approximately 189 minutes long.

Needful Things 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Kino Lorber's release of Needful Things is a 4K Blu-ray/Blu-ray combo pack. The 4K Blu-ray is Region-Free. However, the Blu-ray is Region-A "locked". Also, The 4K Blu-ray presents the Theatrical Version of the film, while the Blu-ray presents the TV version of the film. The latter is sourced from a standard definition master and upscaled to 1080p.

Please note that some of the screencaptures that appear with this article are taken from the 4K Blu-ray and downscaled to 1080p. Therefore, they do not accurately reflect the quality of the 4K content on the 4K Blu-ray disc, including the actual color values of this content.

Screencaptures #1-19 are from the 4K Blu-ray.
Screencaptures #22-27 are from the Blu-ray.

The native 4K presentation can be viewed with HDR and Dolby Vision grades. I viewed it with Dolby Vision and did not perform any comparisons with HDR. I liked the technical presentation a lot. The entire film looks very healthy and often very vibrant, and I have to admit that I have never seen it look this good before. However, I must also admit that the last time I had a copy of it in my library was a long time ago. Delineation, clarity, and depth are wonderful. Darker footage in particular can produce quite impressive nuances, though I do not think that the Dolby Vision grade makes a substantial difference. I think that the 4K master is simply very strong. Color balance is great. The primaries and the supporting nuances are carefully balanced, so the entire film has a very convincing appearance. There are no traces of problematic digital corrections. Fluidity is outstanding, so if you wish to see what a substantial difference it makes throughout the entire film, spend ten to fifteen minutes sampling the TV version. I did not notice any encoding anomalies.

Needful Things 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Theatrical Version can be viewed with English DTS-HD Master 2.0 and English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 tracks. The TV Version can be viewed only with an English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for both versions.

I chose to view the Theatrical Version with the 5.1 track and thought that it was outstanding. There are quite a few areas throughout the film where the 5.1 track produces very effective dynamic contrasts with surround effects. No, these are not the type of elaborate effects you can hear on the latest blockbusters, but separation is still great. The dialog is always very clear, clean, and easy to follow. The music sounds rich and full as well.

Needful Things 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

4K BLU-RAY DISC

• Commentary - this archival audio commentary was recorded by director Fraser Heston. It is moderated by Scorpion Releasing's Walt Olsen. It also appeared on Kino Lorber's original release of Needful Things from 2015.

BLU-RAY DISC

• The Devil is in the Details - in this new program, screenwriter W.D. Richter explains how he approached the original material from Stephen King's novel and discusses the decisions he made while trying to highlight its strengths in the screenplay for Needful Things. Mr. Richter has some very interesting comments about the gradual evolution of the screenplay as well. In English, not subtitled. (19 min).

• Trailer - presented here is a vintage trailer for Needful Things. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

Needful Things 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Accurate cinematic adaptations of Stephen King's best-sellers are impossible to make. I am sorry but it is true. There are some really good genre films out there that have tackled original material from these best-sellers with tremendous imagination and skill and they deserve to be praised. However, King's style is such that essential elements of the stories he tells cannot be accurately replicated by a film camera. How do you film the atmosphere of Castle Rock as King describes it? And how do you make it the story as King often does? It cannot be done in a film. Words and visuals create an atmosphere in completely different ways. Fraser Heston's Needful Things exists in two very different versions and I enjoy both for completely different reasons. Kino Lorber's 4K Blu-ray/Blu-ray combo pack has both versions but only one of them has been remastered in 4K. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.