Needful Things (1993) from Johnny Web (Uncle Scoopy; Greg Wroblewski)

I mentioned in a commentary a few days ago that great directors sense when an actor is right for a part, seeming to ignore the previous performances delivered by that actor. Cases in point: Stanley Kubrick casting Keir Dullea, Quentin Tarantino casting Robert Forster. Forster even ended up with an Oscar nomination.

I guess you might infer that the opposite is also true - that a bad director can coax bad performances from otherwise competent actors. Needful Things supports that case. I like Ed Harris. His performance as John Glenn is a cinema treasure. He was great very recently as Jackson Pollock. Although he has some pretty good moments in Needful Things, he makes a complete fool of himself in the speechifyin' finale. Max von Sydow - screen icon -  has been solid in everything from heavy Swedish drama (The Seventh Seal) to lowbrow English language comedy (Strange Brew). He's pretty bad here: some lines misread altogether, other lines over-the-top, other lines just odd and distracting, as if he didn't know what they meant.

Max plays Satan. Yes, that same Satan with the whole fallen angel thing on his rap sheet. Instead of languishing in hell with the horns and tail, he's now a distinguished-looking eminence grise, running a quaint antique and curio shop which looks like 90% of the buildings in New England. (The other 10% are bed and breakfasts). As befits the lord of darkness, his satanic majesty drives a black car. A Mercedes to be exact. Max has an accent, and they know he is from out of town, so they ask where he is from. "Akron" he replies. They believe him. I can only surmise that the people of Akron have a very strong regional accent, and that most of them immigrated directly from Jönkoping.

Max's shop includes pretty much anything you want. Are you a kid who collects baseball cards? He has a mint 1956 Mickey Mantle signed to you personally by Mick. Are you a priest? He has the Holy Grail. Gambler? How about a magic machine that predicts the result of every race. You get the idea. What does His Swedish Evilness charge? A couple bucks, and ... a few small things not measurable in currency. Dirty deeds, done dirt cheap. The kinds of things that turn people against each other. EE-VILLLLLLLLLLL, as Richard Burton might say if he still walked among us. 

And so forth. The townspeople don't suspect anything is amiss when a guy from "Akron" has their long-lost high school letter jackets, or the holy grail, or a board game that can predict the future. They accept completely that they can pick up a Lamborghini for less than a dollar. That's what value is all about, man!

It's based on a Stephen King story, as are most other movies, or so it seems. Based on King's output and the first rule of journalism (dog bites man: no story, man bites dog: story), films should be obligated to note when: "this film was NOT based on a novel or story by Stephen King". Is Stephen King the most prolific writer of all time? Is he the most translated? Is he the most awarded? I'm not sure of the answers, but here are some of the facts:

He has published at least 50 books, probably closer to 70. He has won at least 40 literary awards. His books have been translated into 33 different languages, published in more than 35 different countries. There are over 300 million copies of his novels in publication, a larger number than the total population of the United States. He makes $40 million per year from his writing.

IMDb gives him 69 movie and TV writing credits. His works have formed the basis of 27 movies that he admits to (he has disavowed others, like the Sometimes They Come Back sequels). To determine which ones he acknowledges, I took the list from his own site:

• CARRIE
• THE SHINING
• CREEPSHOW I & II
• CUJO
• THE DEAD ZONE
• CHRISTINE
• CHILDREN OF THE CORN
  Adapted from NIGHT SHIFT.
• FIRESTARTER
• CAT'S EYE
  Adapted from NIGHT SHIFT.
• SILVER BULLET
  Adapted from CYCLE OF THE WEREWOLF.
• MAXIMUM OVERDRIVE
  Adapted from NIGHT SHIFT.
• STAND BY ME
  Adapted from "The Body" from DIFFERENT SEASONS.
• THE RUNNING MAN
• PET SEMATARY
• GRAVEYARD SHIFT
  Adapted from NIGHT SHIFT.
• MISERY
• SLEEPWALKERS
  An original screenplay, not based on a previously published book or story.
• THE MANGLER
  Adapted from NIGHT SHIFT.
• THE DARK HALF
• NEEDFUL THINGS
• DOLORES CLAIBORNE
• THINNER
• THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION
  Adapted from "Rita Hayworth & the Shawshank Redemption" from DIFFERENT SEASONS.
• THE NIGHT FLIER
  Adapted from NIGHTMARES & DREAMSCAPES.
• APT PUPIL
  Adapted from DIFFERENT SEASONS.
• THE GREEN MILE

and the following were made into a TV movie, series,  or mini-series:

• SALEM'S LOT
• IT
• THE STAND
• SOMETIMES THEY COME BACK
• TOMMYKNOCKERS
• THE LANGOLIERS
• THE SHINING
• STORM OF THE CENTURY
• THE GOLDEN YEARS (Series, Cancelled after 6 episodes)
  This series was not based upon any of Stephen's published writings.
• ROSE RED

And there are some damned good movies on that list (by IMDb rating):

1. (9.00) - Shawshank Redemption, The (1994), #2 of all time.
2. (8.19) - Shining, The (1980), #87 of all time
3. (8.19) - Green Mile, The (1999), #93 of all time
4. (7.89) - Stand by Me (1986), #176 of all time
5. (7.39) - Misery (1990)
6. (7.34) - "Stand, The" (1994) (mini) TV Series
7. (7.17) - Dead Zone, The (1983)
8. (7.09) - Carrie (1976)
9. (7.07) - Dolores Claiborne (1995)
10. (7.02) - "Storm of the Century" (1999) (mini) TV Series
11. (6.78) - Hearts in Atlantis (2001)
12. (6.48) - It (1990) (TV)
13. (6.39) - Apt Pupil (1998)
14. (6.26) - Salem's Lot (1979) (TV)
15. (6.19) - Running Man, The (1987)