This is the original film based on King’s short story starring Tim Matheson. Unfortunately, the film has been sequeled to death, but the original isn’t half bad in my opinion. However, it doesn’t live up to the bloody promise of King’s short story.
Jim Norman (Tim Matheson), his wife Sally (Brooke Adams), and son Scott (Robert Hy Gorman) are returning to his old hometown where he’s secured a teaching job. He didn’t want to come back since he and his parents left town after the death of his older brother Wayne (Chris Demetral).
Seems some punk kids attacked him and his brother on the way to the library to return to overdue books. They follow them into a train tunnel in their car. A fight ensues and his older brother was fatally stabbed by one punk’s switchblade. Soon a train whistle is heard. As Jim runs away he happens to pick up the keys to the car because one of the punks dropped them during the fight.
The punks get in the car, can’t start it, and get crushed by the train. Now many years later, Jim’s temper has found him without a job and the only place that has one open is his old hometown. On returning he keeps hearing a lonely train whistle even though the tracks are unused. One day after school he sees the punk’s car (complete with flaming tailpipes) run down one of his students.
The next day the empty seat is filled by Richard Lawson (Robert Rusler), one of the punks from the past. It seems that sometimes they do come back and they’re out to get their revenge on Jim for leaving them to die a fiery death on the tracks.
I suppose that one day we’ll have a movie with the moniker “based on a shopping list written by Stephen King” since the author’s work has been a well for filmmakers. I guess you’re going to think that I’m about to start ripping Sometimes They Come Back but I actually enjoyed the show.
Now it’s true that the movie has been “lightened” compared to the short story (Jim has to chop off a few fingers to call forth a demon to get rid of the punks) but I guess it was that I thought that Tim Matheson was so good in it. It’s not exactly plowing any new ground as far as the “spirits with a vengeance” storyline goes, but I still liked it well enough.
It cops out a happy ending where the original short story ended rather blackly. I had always assumed that this was a TV movie but in a strange turn this DVD releases the film in an aspect ratio that I’d more associate with a theatrical release. Perhaps this is a version that was show in theaters in Europe but I’m not sure?
I thought that it was a decent little film no matter where it aired, however several low budget sequels may have darkened the “Sometimes” name. Whatever the case, it’s much better than Lawnmower Man and its sequel in my opinion.
Sometimes They Come Back is presented in anamorphic widescreen (2.35:1) and is
I think that Sometimes They Come Back is a decent King adaptation, but probably isn’t the best one out there but is an entertaining one thanks to the lead performance.
Sometimes They Come Back is now available at Amazon . As of yet, this version of the DVD is not available in the UK. Visit the DVD database for more information.
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