"The Tommyknockers" is one of the few science fiction mini shows that's based upon a Stephen King novel. The production values aren't exactly lavish and some of the acting is rather over-the-top. It's the writing and the narrative which I enjoy the most. The characters are depicted as being ordinary ones and no more brave or heroic than anyone else. The fact that thy have no idea what is about to be unleashed upon their small town, adds to the tension. Each of the main cast members are given quite a lot of depth which is all the better. It isn't as if we witness loads of aliens with bald heads and big, dark eyes roaming the countryside. Both the novel and the teleplay opt for a more subtle approach and it works. Having the story set and filmed in the countryside helps to keep the narrative on an even keel and also makes the whole thing more imaginative. The ending is a bit of a letdown as it all feels rushed and is rather clichéd. Even so, I still enjoy this production.

I love bad movies. Therefore, I love this movie. This is a bad movie. I love it. Don't let the positive reviews fool you, this is a delightfully terrible piece of movie-making. It ranks up there with the worst Stephen King adaptations, with overwrought acting and terrible special effects. It would be best served by MST3K. Marg Helgenberger and Jimmy Smits turn in some of their worst work to date.Traci Lords isn't even sexy.The "Tommyknockers" are funny, and not even startling, never mind scary. And then there's the patented ham-handed Stephen King kid dialogue. It's just crap.I love it.

It's the small town of Haven Falls, Maine. Bryant Brown (Robert Carradine) owns the local diner. Sheriff Ruth Merrill (Joanna Cassidy) is a doll collector. Nancy Voss (Traci Lords) is the vain postmaster who is having an affair with fellow postal worker Joe Paulson (Cliff De Young) who is cheating on his wife Deputy Becka Paulson (Allyce Beasley). Bobbi Anderson (Marg Helgenberger) discovers something mysterious in the woods and feels driven to start digging it up. Jim Gardner (Jimmy Smits) is her recovering alcoholic boyfriend. Trooper Butch Duggan (John Ashton) is sweet on Sheriff Ruth who was his partner's wife. People in town start putting together gadgets that are powered by a green light and reading others' minds.I wonder if this is better as a shorter movie rather than a 3 hour mini-series. There isn't any mystery since almost everything is laid out right away anyways. It feels too extended with sections that has no tension. The acting is generally good with solid TV actors. It's definitely not cinematic. It's a middling adaptation of yet another Stephen King novel. It's like an extremely extended Twilight Zone episode.

The story: The Tommyknockers is a pretty interesting movie about a quiet, friendly town called Haven. Everything's peaceful and perfect until a woman uncovers a strange rock in the woods. Slowly, yet surely, strange things begin to manifest amongst the townspeople. People are disappearing into thin air, people are inventing new, unbelievable machines, people are acting really strange all of a sudden... One man is skeptic about all of this and decides to put a stop to this madness. Only one problem: the whole town turns against him. I won't spoil how it all ends and how the mysteries are explained, since that would destroy the purpose of watching this.I liked the acting; it's pretty solid and all the characters do their part well. There's the local sheriff, the seducing femme fatal, the kind grandpa, the ambitious kid, the alcohol addict and so on. It may be not Shakespeare, but I think they did a good job.I also have to note the music. It fits the movie and it adds a certain creepiness to the whole story. If I have to name a bad thing, I have to look pretty hard. Maybe the last few scenes are a bit.. off compared to the rest of the film, but that's just me. For some reason they didn't seem to fit in the story. When everything is explained, it took away a part of the charm this movie had for me. I liked it better when it was all a mystery.Last, but not least, I must mention the duration. The Tommyknockers is about 3 hours long, so just make sure you got the time for watching it.I give this 8 out of 10 stars.