Stephen King’s Riding the Bullet (DVD)

Oftentimes, a really good movie is described as a “rollercoaster ride.” I can say that figuratively and literally about Stephen King’s Riding the Bullet. The movie came out in limited release with little fanfare from the studio, then appeared (hacked to pieces) on the USA channel, and now it’s on DVD.

Adapted from a King e-book, and written and directed by Mick Garris, “riding the bullet” refers to many things: A monolithic rollercoaster in Maine called The Bullet; biting the bullet and making a life or death decision; the bullet one could use for suicide; and the cars that bullet down a lonely stretch of dark road.

Sixties college student Alan Parker (Jonathan Jackson) just needs a ride. He has to get to the hospital to visit his mother (Barbara Hershey), who’s suffered a sudden stroke. I imagine the ideal pick-up for a hitchhiker that age would be someone who can drive well, doesn’t talk much, and is preferably a beautiful woman. In Riding the Bullet, Alan’s rides are just the opposite. He first encounters a dope-smoking hippie (Nicky Katt) who can scarcely keep control of his van; then a creepy old man (Cliff Robertson) who is so obsessed with his crotch and the memory of his dead wife, he can barely keep his eyes on the road; and an eerily intuitive thrill-seeker (David Arquette) who drives his devil-red ’58 Plymouth Fury at dangerously high speeds.

When Alan isn’t riding, he’s walking. It makes sense that Garris’s adaptation of the story is changed from present-day to the 1960s, because seriously, Alan must be on a bad trip. Along the way he encounters a snarling, “Cujo” dog; “Sometimes They Come Back” bullies; his own “Secret Window” doppelganger; and a “Carrie” style cemetery. But you needn’t be a King fan to enjoy all the spooky little nuances, because Garris makes Riding the Bullet his very own. It’s a nifty standalone supernatural drama that features some truly terrifying scenarios, while also offering up a bit of well-placed humor and poignancy.

From top to bottom, the casting is beyond reproach. Jackson is wholly believable as the artistic young man who is haunted by the underlying ghosts of niggling fears and regrets from his past. Arquette, who’s usually a sore-thumb oddball in his roles, slips into the insidiously eerie character who trolls for souls along the cemetery’s byway. Hershey runs the gamut of what a mom is, and Robertson makes a lasting impression as the wistful and pensive elderly person we’ve all met. The incidental characters are all memorable and there is even a director’s cameo, which is always fun.

The cinematography of Robert C. New is crisp and effective; we aren’t made to view the 60s through rose-colored glasses, and while the night scenes are dark and misty, you can see everything you need to see. The soundtrack is stellar, and particularly effective with the use of period songs by the original artists like The Chamber Brothers’ Time Has Come Today, and The Youngbloods’ Get Together.

The director commentary on the DVD is particularly interesting — Garris unabashedly talks about how Riding the Bullet is a “love it or hate it” kind of film. He said that he believes it plays better with audiences, but I respectfully disagree: I’ve seen it three times (once with a small audience, once on TV alone, and once again on DVD alone) and I’ve liked it just as much every time. I think it’s actually more absorbing and easier to get drawn in when you’re by yourself watching the movie. But who am I to disagree with the Master of Horror? (“Masters of Horror” is Garris’s next project.) Fans should enjoy hearing about who else was considered for various roles in the film — and why — plus little errors, the pointing out of covert (and some overt) symbolism, personal stories, etc.

There is also a commentary track with Garris, producer Joel T. Smith, actor Jackson, DP New, and f/x supervisors Greg Nictero and Howard Berger. This commentary track is not as interesting as Garris’s alone, but it’s probably more entertaining because of the interplay between all the speakers.

There are also several making-of featurettes: David’s Makeup; Alan’s Artwork; Picture Cars; Cemetery Shoot; Fury Crash; Thrill Village; and a Storyboard Comparison. Each featurette is extremely short, yet there is no “play all” option on the menu. Also, the featurettes are rife with spoilers, so don’t watch them first.

The Bernie Wrightson gallery of gruesome, haunting horror sketches (and the “Alan’s Artwork” companion featurette) is of particular interest, and it’s well-done as it shows the art moving fluidly in and out of the frame; it’s not just your standard slideshow.

Stephen King’s Riding the Bullet is a great DVD, particularly for fans of ghost movies.

Reviewed by Staci Layne Wilson