31 DAYS OF HORROR YEAR 3 DAY 20

Nightmares &and  Dreamscapes

2006
Warner Brothers DVD

This is the DVD collection of the short lived TNT original series. Each episode took a Stephen King short story and made it into a 40 odd minute episode. For some reason I never bothered to watch it when it was originally airing. And really had forgotten about it till this year. At Coast Con there was a dealer who had a nice selection of brand new DVDs for $5 each or 4 for 20. So I picked up this and 3 other DVD.

Episode 1 is based on the story "Battleground". We get William Hurt as a hitman. Who ends up having to fight off a group of green plastic army men. I am pretty sure this story is from the Night Shift collection. And I keep thinking it has been adapted before. Maybe on Tales from the Darkside or as a "Dollar baby".

The second episode is "Crouch End". We get Claire Folani and Eion Bailey as a couple on vacation in London. Who get lost and end up in a neighborhood that is very very Lovecraftian. This was one of my favorite short stories by Mr. King and the adaptation is well done.

Episode 3 is "Umney's Last Case". I am sure I have read the short story before,but didn't remember shit about it. William H. Macy is a writer who swaps places with the hard boiled detective he created. As always the amazing Mr Macy doesn't let me down.

The 4th episode is based on "The end of the whole mess". In which a guy's genius brother discovers something in the water of a small Texas town that makes people more peaceful. He replicates this and releases it onto the whole world. But there is a small side effect he didn't count on. A few things have been changed from the short story but nothing major.

Episode 5 is "The Road virus heads north". A famous author is on his way back home. And stops off at a yard sale and buys a painting. But the painting seems to be evil. This one has great pacing and conveys the emotions that the short story did so well.

Episode 6 is "The Fifth Quarter". Again I am sure I read the short story this is based on. But I don't remember anything about it or this episode.

The 8th episode is "Autopsy room Four". Which is about a man that comes too and realizes he is about to be given an autopsy while he is still alive. But he can't move or speak. Great tension filled episode. Well done and the ending is nice.

The final episode is "You know they got a hell of a band". A bickering couple on a road trip and make a wrong turn. They end up in the town of "Rock n Roll Heaven". Where it seems every dead rock star is still alive and working in the town. This is my favorite episode of the series. And it seems to be a word for word adaptation of the great short story.

As extras on the DVD we get some behind the scenes features. Interviews with various cast members. A few commentaries. And nice featurette on the FX work on Battleground. Outta the 9 episodes only one of them is truly bad. I wish this could have been a continuing series. Cause there is plenty of King short stories that would work great as 40+ minute episodes on basic cable. Nightmares & Dreamscapes gets a A-.