Search - Dreamcatcher [Widescreen] on DVD

Content Advisory: Violence Movie Release: 2003 DVD Release: 09/30/2003 Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV Edition: Dual Layered Audio Tracks: English, French Subtitles: English, French, Spanish SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 2 hrs 14 mins Studio: Warner Home Video Total Copies: 72 Genres: Science Fiction, Horror, Alien Film, Sci-Fi Horror See Also: Dreamcatcher [Fullscreen], Dreamcatcher, Dreamcatcher [Widescreen]

Four men are changed forever by an act of mercy -- changes which have a profound impact many years later -- in this blend of horror and science fiction based on a novel by Stephen King. Jonesy (Damian Lewis), Henry (Thomas Jane), Pete (Timothy Olyphant), and Beaver (Jason Lee) were four friends who, as schoolboys, rescued a boy with Down's Syndrome, Duddits (Donnie Wahlberg), from a savage beating at the hands of bullies. Their experience with Duddits left the boys profoundly changed, as they discovered they had developed psychic powers which allowed them to wordlessly communicate with one another, read the minds of others, and see events in the future. The four remained close friends into adulthood, and meet every year for a weekend get-together at a remote hunting lodge. However, one year Jonsey is approached by the spirit of Duddits, which leads him into a severe auto accident, though his wounds heal with mysterious speed and are gone by the time he and the guys get together a few months later. As the guys drink and swap stories, a desperately ill hunter makes his way into the cabin, whose body has become the host for a horrible wormlike creature, which breaks free and soon goes on a killing spree, leaving only Henry alive. In the wake of this attack comes a massive snowstorm, and Henry learns that these events are the first signs of a major attack by a powerful alien force which can assume any form it wishes. As duplicitous military leader Col. Abraham Curtis (Morgan Freeman) comes in to quell the menace, Henry finds himself in communication with the late Jonsey, whose previous near-death experience gives him an unexpected advantage in stemming the alien tide. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Morgan Freeman - Colonel Abraham Curtis
Thomas Jane - Dr. Henry Devlin
Jason Lee - Beaver
Damian Lewis - Jonesy
Timothy Olyphant - Pete
Tom Sizemore - Owen Underhill
Donnie Wahlberg - Duddits

Certainly not the most original film, or one of the better adaptations of Stephen King's work, Dreamcatcher is the type of movie to find more life on home video than it did in the theaters. The DVD, while also far from perfect, will surely help. The 2.35:1 anamorphic transfer (there is a severely cropped pan-and-scan version available separately) is nearly perfect, with great contrast and dense blacks, which comprise the majority of the film. This is a dark film, and the selective use of color stands out. This disc flawlessly captures that balance. The sound, which offers a 5.1 Dolby Digital track, is full of life, all in the correct proportions. Dialogue and sound effects are matched effectively, and the proper use of surrounds adds to the overall experience. The supplements, while not overwhelming, do offer some insight on this production. The main gist of the extras are three featurettes, none of which provide any real depth alone, and which probably should have been used for one single documentary. These three include a brief interview with King, a longer look at the production with interviews from director Lawrence Kasdan, the cast, and a number of crew members, and finally, another all-too-short piece on the visual effects of the film. Finally, along with the theatrical trailer, are three deleted scenes, an outtake, and a decisively anti-climactic alternate ending. ~ Trent Fordham, All Movie Guide