Riding the Bullet

Sunday, August 1st 2004 was the World Premiere of Stephen King's Riding The Bullet, which was hosted by DIRECTOR MICK GARRIS.

The story is set back in 1969. Alan (Jonathan Jackson) is a college student who learns that his mother (Barbara Hershey) has been hospitalized after a stroke. He must hitchhike across the state over the course of one night to be with her. Along the way he confronts his past, his future, his demons and fears - and a terrifying personification of death.

This film is brilliantly shot and the cast is fantastic!!! This film works so well because it has everything a TRUE Stephen King fan would be proud of. Excellent character development with thorough storyline added with a dash of fear and terror.

The movie is 100 min.

Okay, so most of Stephen King's books which have made the transition to film have been a little dubious to say the least. However, they always seem to be at least watchable. This one isn't.

It's about a student who learns his mother has had a stroke. Therefore he decides to hitchhike home to see her in hospital. Ignoring the fact that he doesn't seem to have any mode of transport or finances to take public transport, he sets off.

What follows is one random scene after the next. It's like the whole film is just his encounters along the way. Yes, some are well done and quite creepy or unsettling. However, there is simply no story here. He meets one weird character. He leaves them. Rinse and repeat.

Like I say, it has its creepy moments. Plus the acting is decent enough. There just isn't a story here at all. The young man starts at university. He ends up by his mother's side. Along the way are a few instances of weirdness. If you get bored (and I sure did), you can even skip chapters on the DVD. Each chapter is basically one weird/random encounter with a stranger. Therefore you can effectively skip the entire middle part of the film (while he's on the road) and still not miss anything and understand it completely.

Definitely one to avoid. Stick to Pet Sematery.

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I was quite impressed with this film. It obviously wasn't a big-budget or big-marketing film. On my TV, the guide rated this as one-star. But I liked the story, I'm a Stephen King nut, and I enjoy watching films that aren't very well known. Basically, I didn't expect much so I was pleasantly surprised to find a decent movie that had wonderful atmosphere, as well as a strong performance from David Arquette. The movie is a bit random, and yes, it is filled with some cheap, cliché' scares. Basically, this is an exciting horror film that also contains plenty of late 60's music and lifestyle. While it's not perfect, it offers some excellent atmosphere and deserves at least one watch. Definitely recommended for a good Halloween movie.

Not being a big King fan, I don't think I could've asked for more. I've seen IT, I've struggled through the long run of "The Stand", but it is this film which stands out more than any of the other adaptations of Stephen King's work.

A chilling narrative of a man traveling across country in the 70s, Riding the Bullet succeeds where many other movies have failed by presenting a personal conflict, that is, one which exists within the main character's mind.

I don't think I could've asked for a much better acting job from any of the cast, either.

8/10.

I am actually surprised to see this movie has gotten as high a rating as it has, as honestly it doesn't deserve it. Unless you are a die hard King fan this probably won't hold much appeal to you. The almost-horror premise involves a young man's trip to visit his mother who has been hospitalized from a stroke. Along the way he comes to terms with his past and current fears involving death in an almost 'Chistmas Carol' like way. The main flaw with the movie is that it may have a good theme about the value of life, but the 'fantasies' that the lead lives in lend a horror aspect that is mostly conveyed as trite and forced. The acting and effects were convincing enough for what it is (though much of the effects that are supposed to scare us involve menacing conversation), but overall it was too uneven to really deliver either a decent horror or a good coming to terms movie. A good choice for a Sunday night when nothing else is on.