picture
      of
      the
      human
      capacity
      for
     
     
      brutality.
      The
      oppressive
      atmosphere
     
     
      of
      imminent
      doom
      is
      reinforced
      by
     
     
      Patrick
      Doyle’s
      soundtrack,
      incorpo-
     
     
      rating
      some
      chants
      and
      classical
      tunes
     
     
      that
      are
      both
      disquieting
      and
      infec-
     
     
      tious,
      hurtling
      into
      chaos
      along
      with
     
     
      the
      characters.
      The
      film
      successfully
     
     
      sustains
      the
      impression
      of
      all
      Hell
     
     
      about
      to
      break
      loose.
     
    

    
     
      As
      is
      often
      the
      case
      in
      stories
     
     
      about
      the
      devil
      visiting
      Earth,
      this
     
     
      story
      is
      fraught
      with
      palpable
      dra-
     
     
      matic
      irony
      fostered
      by
      the
      inability
     
     
      of
      the
      people
      to
      recognize
      either
      the
     
     
      devil
      in
      their
      midst
      or
      how
      vulnerable
     
    
   
   
    
     
      "The
      film
     
     
      successfully
     
     
      sustains
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      impression
      of
      all
      Hell
     
     
      about
      to
      break
      loose."
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      character
      as
      the
      actress,
      but
      Bedelia
     
     
      comes
      across
      as
      more
      object
      than
     
     
      character,
      playing
      “stand
      by
      your
      man”
     
     
      for
      the
      early
      part
      of
      the
      movie
      but
     
     
      later
      being
      seduced
      into
      becoming
     
     
      Gaunt’s
      plaything.
      Her
      character’s
      pain
     
     
      and
      turmoil
      do
      emerge
      very
      clearly
      at
     
     
      times,
      but
      the
      character
      is
      still
      hardto
     
     
      like
      or
      believe
      at
      times.
      The
      leads
      are
     
     
      backed
      firmly
      by
      a
      strong
      supporting
     
     
      cast
      including
      J.T.
      Walsh
      and
      Amanda
     
     
      Plummer.
     
    

    
     
      Needful
      Things
      is
      a
      disturbing
      and
     
     
      thought-provoking
      film
      in
      its
      caution-
     
     
      ary
      depiction
      of
      the
      horrible
      destruc-
     
     
      tive
      potential
      of
      human
      pettiness
      and
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      to
      his
      power
      they
      are
      through
      temp-
     
    

    
     
      tation.
      In
      some
      scenes
      it
      can
      be
     
    

    
     
      darkly
      funny,
      as
      when
      the
      Baptist
      minister
     
     
      welcomes
      Gaunt
      to
      Castle
      Rock
      in
      the
      name
      of
     
     
      the
      Lord,
      to
      which
      a
      mildly
      discomfited
      Gaunt
     
     
      replies,
      “Why
      not?”,
      and
      then
      goes
      onto
      refuse
     
     
      the
      minister’s
      anti-satanic
      posters
      on
      the
      grounds
     
     
      that
      he
      is,
      in
      his
      own
      words,
      “non-denomina-
     
     
      tional”
      (truer
      words
      were
      never
      spoken).
     
    

    
     
      The
      actors’
      performances
      range
      from
      very
     
     
      good
      to
      thoroughly
      unremarkable.
      Max
      Von
     
     
      Sydow,
      as
      Gaunt,
      begins
      on
      a
      rather
      subdued
     
     
      note
      in
      his
      guise
      as
      a
      common
      merchant,
      but
      as
     
     
      his
      villainy
      progresses
      we
      catch
      flashes
      of
      Gaunt’s
     
     
      cruelty,
      caprice,
      and
      lusts,
      however
      much
      he
     
     
      buries
      these
      qualities
      beneath
      his
      facade
      as
      a
     
     
      detached,
      businesslike
      entrepreneur.
      In
      this
     
     
      guise
      Sydow
      succeeds
      at
      making
      the
      devil
      come
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      across
      as
      human
      (albeit
      the
      worst
      of
      humanity),
     
     
      a
      self-deprecating,
      falsely
      humble,
      self-serving
     
     
      wretch
      who
      tries
      to
      come
      across
      as
      an
      ordinary
     
     
      joe
      trying
      to
      make
      a
      living.
      When
      asked
      by
      one
     
     
      character
      why
      he
      doesn’t
      just
      simply
      blow
      the
     
     
      town
      off
      the
      map.and
      be
      done
      with
      it,
      Gaunt
     
     
      replies
      that
      he
      isn’t
      a
      miracle
      worker:
      “I’m
      not
     
     
      the
      Father,
      the
      Son,
      andthe
      Holy
      Ghost.
      I’m
      just
     
     
      one
      lonely
      guy”.
      Ed
      Harris,
      exuding
      earnest
     
     
      dedication
      and
      grim
      determination,
      givesa
      strong
     
     
      performance
      as
      the
      town
      sheriff
      and
      the
      one
     
     
      person
      who
      is
      seemingly
      immune
      to
      Gaunt’s
     
     
      temptations,
      trying
      to
      keep
      the
      peace
      and
      get
      to
     
     
      the
      bottom
      of
      the
      havoc
      in
      Castle
      Rock.
      Bonnie
     
     
      Bedelia,
      who
      plays
      his
      fiancee,
      is
      much
      less
     
     
      impressive.
      This
      may
      be
      as
      much
      due
      to
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      greed
      in
      asociety
      obsessed
      with
      things,
     
     
      material
      wealth
      and
      comforts.
      This
     
     
      message,
      with
      some
      interesting
      symbolism,
      irony,
     
     
      and
      good
      acting,
      puts
      Needful
      Things
      a
      notch
      or
     
     
      two
      above
      your
      average
      gorefest.
      It’s
      still
      a
     
     
      darkly
      bloody
      film,
      though,
      and
      despite
      its
      better
     
     
      points
      it
      can
      leave
      a
      rather
      unpleasant
      taste
      in
     
     
      your
      mouth
      from
      the
      carnage
      alone,
      to
      say
     
     
      nothing
      of
      the
      cynicalaspects
      of
      the
      film.
      Needful
     
     
      Things
      does
      suggest
      in
      the
      end
      that
      there
      is
      some
     
     
      hope
      for
      humanity
      and
      that
      the
      devil’s
      power
      is
     
     
      ultimately
      limited,
      but
      whether
      you
      care
      about
     
     
      the
      themes
      of
      the
      film
      or
      not,
      you
      may
      want
      to
     
     
      see
      it
      just
      as
      a
      competent
      supernatural
      thriller,
     
     
      as
      long
      as
      you
      can
      stomach
      the
      bloody
      violence
     
     
      and
      disturbing
      concepts
      that
      typify
      films
      such
      as
     
     
      this
      one.
     
    

    
     
      SEAN
      MCQUAID
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Apothecaries
      Lounge
     
    
   
   
    
     
      corner
      of
      Queen
      &
      Grafton...
      downstairs
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Bring
      in
      this
      ad
      for
      a
      free
     
     
      beverage!
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
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      cover
      .
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Scott
     
     
      Parsons
     
     
      with
     
     
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      Wise
     
    
   
   
    
     
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      Dogs
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
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      Nite
     
     
      with
     
     
      host
     
    

    
     
      Scott
     
     
      Parsons,
     
     
      no
     
     
      cover
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
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      1993/X-Press/13