Search - Misery on DVD

MPAA Rating: R Content Advisory: Violence, Not For Children, Adult Language, Profanity Movie Release: 1990 DVD Release: 12/22/1998 Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV,Pan and Scan Audio Tracks: English Subtitles: English, French, Spanish SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 1 hrs 44 mins Studio: PolyGram Entertainment Members Wishing: 9 Genres: Thriller, Psychological Thriller See Also: Misery, Misery [Collector's Edition] [Special Packaging], Misery [Blu-ray/DVD]

Adapted from a Stephen King novel, Rob Reiner's Misery cast James Caan as a writer at a career crossroads. The film opens with Paul Sheldon (Caan) completing work on his latest novel, a break from his popular series of novels featuring the character Misery Chastain. He gets into a severe car accident and is saved by Annie Wilkes (Kathy Bates), a reclusive woman who nurses him back to health. Annie is a huge fan of the Misery novels, and she finishes reading the new one while Paul is convalescing. She becomes enraged when she discovers that Paul has killed off Misery. Annie injures Paul's foot severely so that he is unable to leave her house, and forces him to write a new Misery novel. A local sheriff (Richard Farnsworth) and Paul's agent (Lauren Bacall) both attempt to track down what happened to the missing author. Misery shot the relatively unknown Kathy Bates to stardom, winning her one of the few Best Actress Oscars ever bestowed for portraying an evil character. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide

James Caan - Paul Sheldon
Kathy Bates - Annie Wilkes
Frances Sternhagen - Virginia
Richard Farnsworth - Buster, Sheriff
Lauren Bacall - Marcia Sindell

There are two Misery DVDs on the market and both of them are essentially the same, although this PolyGram edition employs the theatrical poster for its cover artwork. The film does come in both pan and scan and widescreen versions, though not in the superior anamorphic format. Regardless of this last fact, the widescreen images are sharp and clear and unblemished. Likewise, the Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo track is dynamic and well balanced whether the audio is played through a home entertainment system or the television. There aren't any meaningful extras besides trailers but this disc is still superior to previous video versions of the suspenseful, darkly comic Misery. ~ Nick Dedina, All Movie Guide