Cast: Ed Harris, Max von Sydow, Bonnie Bedelia, Amanda Plumber, JT Walsh, Ray Mckinnon...
Adaptation of Stephen King bestseller. When devilish stranger Leland Guant opens a quaint antiques store in the small town Castlerock, residents get more than they bargained for.
From its opening, panning across the forested coast of New England, you can tell that you're in for a Devilish, mischievious ride. Leland Gaunt purrs into town in his classy black Mercedes, with its tinkling little bell that will later signal the entrance of willing customers to 'Needful Things'.
Gaunt acts as a catalyst for the true horror of the film; people's avarice and desire for material possessions. As Leland says in his own defence, "I show people what I have to sell and then let them make up their own mind... it's not so wrong."
Frustratingly, Leland is rumbled by town sheriff Alan Pangborne (Ed Harris) as Castlerock is on its knees, though before he has the chance to polish its residents off en masse. Like some monsterous phoenix, Gaunt strolls calmly from the burning timbers of his shop and glides off in his Mercedes, setting up what might have been a moderately successful movie franchise.
'Needful Things' has a wonderful original score by Patrick Doyle, and utilises well a range of other classical pieces. A favourite scene is of Gaunt infront of a roaring fire doing, well, whatever devilish characters do - expressing both pain and perverse pleasure at the events unfolding in Castlerock. The scene is set to Schubert's angelic Ave Maria.
While 'Needful Things' isn't in the league of other King adaptations such as 'Carrie' or 'The Shining', it certainly gives its audience a run for their money --- largely due to Max, hailed by critics in lukewarm review of the time as the film's greatest asset.
A popular favourite among Max fans, his turn as Leland Gaunt is, quite simply, devilish perfection. This was the second ever von Sydow film I saw and the one that ultimately hooked me onto his screen presence. It always strikes me that he somehow looks different in this film than in many other of his performances, even around the same time. This might be because the make-up artist on the film
(almost every line Leland Gaunt comes out with is quotable)
Rev Rose: "What faith, sir, are you?"
Gaunt: "What faith?..."
Rev Rose: "Yes, what religion? You're not Catholic are you?..."
Gaunt: "I am, well, non-denominational"
Rev Rose: "I knew it! Then you'll have little objection to me putting this [ 'SAY NO TO THE DEVIL' poster ] in your window?"
Gaunt: "Er... I couldn't possibly do that. You see... I, like you, am here to serve everyone"
"If it's too hot in here Mr Jewett, just say the word! I'm afraid I have a tendency to turn up the heat"
"When I started out I was just a pedlar moving across the blind face of a distant land. Moving, always moving. Always gone... and in the end I'd always offer weapons. And they'd always take them. Of course I was gone before they realised what they'd purchased"
"Don't be afraid of it, Hugh. Guns don't kill people. People kill people"
"The young carpenter from Nazareth? I know him well. Promising young man. He died badly"
"Don't blame me, blame it on the bossa nova"
"You know there are some days when I really hate this job. Not my best work, not by a long shot. Oh, sure, a few murders and a couple of rather lovely explosions, I would hardly call it a rousing success, but what the Hell, I'll be back..."
In the final explosion scene, where 'Needful Things' is blown up, many people on set were apparently hurt.
The director, Fraser Heston, is Charlton Heston's son. Charlton played John the Baptist opposite Max's Jesus in 'The Greatest Story Ever Told'. See quotes for accompanying anecdote.
There is an extended, 3-hour version of 'Needful Things' that was screened on US television in 1996 . It is perhaps telling that there was little more of Max, whose performance was good enough to make it largely to the final cut.
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