| B | Fantastic Fest 2021 |
This film was definitely experimental. It took the 1995 TV mini-series The Langoliers (based on Steven King’s novella From Four Past Midnight), prints the film’s frames onto paper, and wrinkles/tears/collages those frames to visually enhance the storytelling.
And it works. First, the visual additions are interesting to watch. Second, it wisely boils the original three hours of material down to one. Third, the choice of paper as the medium is not completely random as there is a connection to paper within the movie. (Besides which it added a layer of significance to the “scenery-chewing” performance given by Bronson Pinchot. To me, anyway.)
The original script was pretty bad, as far as I can tell. (“I’m a mystery writer and deductions are my bread and butter,” is how Dean Stockwell’s character tells everyone he’s right about his theories.) And Pinchot wasn’t the only one overacting. But this reimagining of the tale somehow scrubs those sins away and makes for an enjoyable viewing experience.
