Sometimes They Come Back (1991 TV Movie) User Reviews (86)

Transferred From Milford, The Hoods From Hell

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 24 April 2009]

The film Sometimes They Come Back explores the proposition that if you got a big enough grudge against someone, especially if they helped aid your leaving this mortal coil rather abruptly, you can come back for payback. Doesn't matter if you've been good or if you've been bad and these three were definitely bad.

Tim Matheson comes back to his hometown with wife Brooke Adams and their son Robert Hy Gorman for a teaching job at the local high school. Tim's got some anger management issues which is why he left the last school he taught at in Chicago. He's got no great attachments to his hometown with his parents gone and his older brother killed back in 1963.

That's what this story is all about. He and his brother were stopped by some hoods in a train tunnel and the brother killed, but so were three of the hoods when young Matheson played by Zachary Ball stole their car keys as he ran. It's these three who kill three of Matheson's students with him having some peripheral involvement even if its premonitions and take their place. The three hoods from hell are malevolently played by Robert Rusler, Bentley Mitchum, and Nicholas Sadler. All transfered from Milford, Milford Cemetery that is.

Tim Matheson and the rest of the cast give good performances in this film adapted from a Stephen King short story. Fans of Stephen King and the horror genre should really like this one.

They've just come up from Milford

[EJBaggaley · 7/10 · 9 November 2004]

This film is a classic 'Stephen King' film. The scenes from this film I mostly enjoyed was Jimmy Normans flashbacks from his childhood memories 27 years before as well as very cool and brutal Nick Sadler (Vinnie 'Vincent' Corey) and Richard Lawson(Robert Rusler) while slaying Jimmys students until they got they're own personal revenge on Jimmy for when they were killed 27 years before. A performance well done! What I liked about this film was the grimness/ darkness of the movie, which brings a shiver in my skin every time I watch it. This feeling brings upon me a sense of realism as though what happened to Jimmy Norman as a child when his brother was murdered by the 4 gangsters and when they came back to haunt him years later has actually happened in real life. Which is amazing because all this would never happen in real life, other than the part when Jimmys brother was murdered.

I found this film both scary and humorous (in one) for there were scenes that I didn't know whether to laugh at or scream at (ie. when the 3 gangsters turned into burnt corpses in their car just before they killed one of Jimmys students and the way Jimmys other students body was positioned and the way his face looked when he fell off his bike and landed in the ditch under the bridge. If you haven't seen this film, I suggest you should as you'll be laughing and screaming all the way through it.

There was a bit of a vagueness in this film as to what Vinnie Vincents actual and full name was. Was his first name Vincent or was his last name Vincent. This was very unclear to the viewers. In the scene when he first revealed himself in Mr. Normans classroom he didn't tell Jimmy his name - nor did the schools principal before hand like he did with Richard Lawson. Just that he was a transfer from Milford. However he knew what Richard Lawsons name was as the principal told it to him before they met in his classroom. Also the part when Jimmy Norman visited the three gangsters graves at Milford cemetery as Vinnie Vincents was the only grave that wasn't shown properly as it was darkened out. Though Richard Lawsons and David Norths graves were readable. For anybody who has seen this film who is interested in knowing his actually name - I now know what it is. I have researched his name via various sources on the internet and his full and actual name is Vincent Corey. Vinnie Vincent was obviously his nickname.

"You can't kill, that's already dead".

[lost-in-limbo · 7/10 · 30 October 2011]

Another adaptation from the Stephen King staple, but this small story is given a little more weight and probably from that gets a little too bogged down and brightly overwrought. Making it somewhat irregular in tone, mainly around the jaded flashback sequences that always inter-cut the present time. Although atmospheric (those sounds we hear which are not there) and unpleasant in parts, it could have been a much darker journey than it was. Still what we got were some solid performances, creepy imagery of our demonic thugs and their done-up car, well placed suspense and a gripping little tale of history repeating itself, but with our protagonist trying everything to make sure it doesn't. A man and his family head back to his hometown for a teaching job, but are still haunted by the childhood death of his older brother caused by a teenage gang who died at the same time in a train accident. But then the heartache comes flooding back when he is harassed in and out of the classroom by the demonic teenagers that killed his brother wanting revenge for their deaths. The plot actually at first plays around with the idea that maybe it's all in the protagonist's weary mind after the first death, but soon enough that's psychological angle is shot down when the first dead teenager makes a classroom appearance. There the tension, while basic gradually builds up as Matheson's character goes toe to toe with the vengeful dead while no one around him believes him. Robert Rusler is truly menacing as the hot-headed leader and Nicolas Sadler is devilishly sly as one of the members. In their decayed make-up, it was a ghastly sight. Tim Matheson's tormented turn is very well pitched, as he battles past events and reality as the two come together in a nightmarish ordeal. Brooke Adams' is affably good and William Sanderson also shows up a minor part. Director Tom McLaughlin (who was behind other horror efforts "One Dark Night" and "Friday the 13th Part 6") gets the most out of this TV production, as while it looks cheap and it could have been much tauter it has some stylish touches, lyrical camera-work and a hankering for numerous slow motion reactions.

"I can't keep running."

Sometimes they need a better ending

[Cujo108 · 26 September 2012]

Along with his wife and son, a man reluctantly returns to his hometown years later to take a teaching job. It isn't long before ghosts from his past come back to haunt him and do much worse. Tom McLoughlin, director of the most overrated film in the "Friday the 13th" franchise, directed this made for TV adaptation of the Stephen King short story.

Tim Matheson stars as the man tortured by memories of his brother's death and the men responsible. The film is strong on mood, successfully bringing to life that sense of time, place and small town atmosphere that King's stories thrive on. The film's best quality is it's villains. Robert Rusler is particularly intimidating as leather-clad gang leader, Lawson. The scene where Matheson first sees him again, posing as a student in his class, makes for a potent moment. Another great scene takes place in the gang's phantom car as they show their true forms to a jock victim.

Unfortunately, the film doesn't keep it's momentum going as we head toward the finale. The climax is a bit of a mess, and the ending gets overly schmaltzy. The ending to King's original tale would have worked a lot better than what we get here. As it is, this is worth seeing for the villains and overall mood, but it's definitely flawed. Brooke Adams doesn't get a lot to do as Matheson's wife.

Slightly flawed but highly enjoyable effort

[kannibalcorpsegrinder · 7/10 · 21 November 2016]

Returning to his home-town, a teacher and his family find that the traumatic incident involving his big brother while he was growing up has caused the greaser-gang also included in the event to come back and torment them forcing a final showdown to right the wrong.

This one here wasn't all that bad even though it does have some issues. One of the film's biggest positives is the fact that this one really manages to get the fear of being involved in a traumatic incident from the past in a small-town. The fact that the initial accident itself feels like the kind of accident that really could happen in such a location, with the greaser gang tormenting them and then getting caught up in the train coming through the tunnel does come off like a rather enjoyable setup for later, and with the way this holds up the different incidents later on that trigger the incidents later on. From the dropped set of car-keys to the shoes and the kids coming one-by-one into the classroom, the set-up from these incidents plays a great part in how this one manages to come off when it starts to reveal what their actual purpose is for returning. Those are quite fun as the different variations of them appearing as students in his classroom while taunting him in the town, the ways in which they manage to fool everyone in class as well as the town who constantly think he's having mental breakdowns based on his past history which comes into play quite nicely and overall manages to give this one a great build-up for the story to play out in the later half. With the group out and tormenting him and his family with some rather impressive stalking scenes of the family at the house and the later scene in the church where they get taken away leading into the final confrontation in the tunnel once again as this makes for a rather thrilling and engaging finish that plays out the fateful accident that came through in the rest of the film. With these action-packed scenes that come together into giving this a lot to like alongside the few fine make-up effects on the ghouls who look quite creepy and chilling, there's enough to like here that really manages to hold off the few minor flaws present. The film's biggest issue is the fact that we're not given a reason to care about why the greaser club is seeking revenge, as the film makes the point of them coming back for him killing them only they deserved their fate so it's really troubling to get into the story. The gang is a total joke that simply act like tough-guy greasers but are just so over-the-top in their silly threats that it makes for a pretty hard time to find fear in them for the whole film as they're return doesn't make any sense. The other big issue here does manage to carry on about that with there not being any real reason stated about why they come back to begin with as there's just nothing explained about why they come back to life here at that point in time. By simply showing up saying they want revenge but never explaining how they manage to do so when they clearly never deserved to do so in the first place makes them so simply non-threatening that as a whole the film really stumbles with the main villains. That it also gets a little too schmaltzy with the fantasy-driven finale that looks quite goofy and silly against the more realistic elements, these here do hold it down somewhat.

Rated R: Language and Violence.

Revenge of the Ghosts

[Rainey-Dawn · 6/10 · 4 February 2017]

An interesting ghost story about Jim Norman and his older brother Wayne. Both of the young boys were touted by a group of older boys, greasers if you will. These greasers ended up stabbing Wayne in a train track tunnel one day, a train came and during the madness all were killed except Jim and one of the greasers - both got away safely. Years later Jim ended up married with a young boy of his own and became a school teacher. They moved back to Jim's hometown where his older brother and the greasers were killed. Now the the vengeful greaser ghosts are wanting Jim dead - they will stop at nothing.

Not a bad film. These are a gang of evil vengeful spirits, just as nasty and no good as they were when they were alive. They can manifest themselves, materialize, into solid matter. They seem to be seen by others only when they want to be seen and they seem to have the ability to chose who sees them.

6/10

Boring movie actually...

[paul_haakonsen · 3/10 · 11 March 2019]

Right, I remember watching this movie back in the 1990s, but haven't seen it since then. Then come 2019 and I got the chance to revisit "Sometimes They Come Back", so of course I did that. Especially since this is branded as a horror movie and it being based on a Stephen King novel.

Well, let's just say that the years have definitely distorted the memories of what I had of "Sometimes They Come Back". Why? Well, this movie was nowhere near as interesting as I remember it being. And it was quite far away from being a horror movie actually. It was more like a drama laced with horror elements.

The storyline is so simple and stupid that it was almost an insult to the audience. But if that was what could pass for being solid entertainment back in 1991, then sure, why not. But today, then the storyline was horrible and so generic to watch that it was almost painful.

What carries "Sometimes They Come Back" most of the way was the cast ensemble, which includes Tim Matheson (playing Jim Norman), Brooke Adams (playing Sally Norman), Robert Rusler (playing Richard Lawson) and Nicholas Sadler (playing Vinnie Vincent). These names and faces should be very familiar to you, especially if you watched movies during the glorious 1990s era. I must admit that it was actually Robert Rusler whom stood out as the most memorable in the movie.

As for scare factor for "Sometimes They Come Back", then it was zero. There was absolutely nothing scary in the movie at all, unless you are less than 5 years old and watch the three returned young men in the car turning into the dead. Nothing scary about 4 guys driving around in a black classic car primed with fire paint and flames shooting out of the exhaust, while they laugh maniacally.

Now that I have revisited "Sometimes They Come Back" in 2019, I now know that this is a movie that I will never return to again. Odd really, considering how much I enjoyed most of the movie adaptations for Stephen King novellas back in the day.

The Students from Milford

[claudio_carvalho · 7/10 · 4 September 2020]

The unemployed high school teacher Jim Norman (Tim Matheson) finds a job in his hometown and moves with his wife Sally Norman (Brooke Adams) and their son Scott (Robert Hy Gorman) back in town. Twenty-seven years ago, his family left the town when Jim and his older brother Wayne (Chris Demetral) were bullied and Wayne murdered by a four-teenager gang in a lonely train tunnel. However, the gangster's car was hit by a train and exploded, killing Billy (Matt Nolan), North (Bentley Mitchum) and Vinnie (Nicholas Sadler); only Mueller (William Sanderson) survived. Soon Jim's best students mysteriously dies and are replaced by Billy, North and Vinnie that claim they are from Milford and harasses Jim and his family. What will Jim do to get rid of these demons?

"Sometimes They Come Back" is a creepy horror movie based on a short story by Stephen King even almost thirty years after its release. The tension is increased while the new students from Milford arrive in the high school where Jim is the history teacher. The screenplay entwines present with flashbacks and is scary and well-resolved. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Às Vezes Eles Voltam" ("Sometimes They Come Back")

The worst of the worst when it comes to Stephen King adaptations

[Leofwine_draca · 2/10 · 23 December 2016]

A very below average adaptation of a Stephen King short story, hindered by being a TV movie. Unfortunately, after an interesting first hour, the film begins to fall apart in the second half. The best moments in the film are when the gang begins to appear in Matheson's class and he can't believe it. The thugs aren't really very scary and don't do much, apart from killing some extras.

The 'exciting' ending occurs when Norman is forced to re-live that fateful night which occurred 27 years earlier. The acting is nothing to write home about and there are hardly any special effects. The trouble is that it's very, very mundane and we've seen it all before, this film offers nothing new. Some parts of it are silly, very silly indeed. Now I like a laugh as much as the next person...but not at the expense of this boring, stupid movie!

Watchable Stephen King adaptation.

[poolandrews · 6/10 · 9 May 2006]

Sometimes They Come Back starts with Jim Norman (Tim Matheson) returning to the town where he grew up after 27 years along with his wife Sally (Brooke Adams) & their young son Scott (Robert Hy Gorman) having had to take a teaching job there at the local high school. The town holds painful memories for Jim which come flooding back, all those years ago Jim's Brother Wayne (Chris Demetral) was killed in a train tunnel along with three teenage bullies who were trying to steal money off them, Jim was the only survivor. One of Jim's new students Billy Sterns (Matt Nolan) is killed when his bike is forced of the side of a bridge by a car, then a new student named Richard Lawson (Robert Rusler) takes Billy's place in Jim's class but Jim is shocked to recognise him as one of the bullies from the day his Brother died. Another student named Kate (Tasia Valenza) is then found hanged in an apparent suicide, her place in class is taken by Vinnie Vincent (Nicholas Sadler) who again Jim recognises from all those years ago. Have the spirits of those killed come back to haunt Jim? Is he imagining it? Watch it to find out...

Directed by Tom McLoughlin this was the first of a trilogy of supernatural horror films which have little to do with each other bar the titles. The script by Lawrence Konner & Mark Rosenthal was based on the short story by Stephen King which I have not read but is apparently quite different especially the ending which would not come as a surprise considering the ending that made it to the final finished film is pretty poor with far too much awful sentimentality which comes off as embarrassing & cringe inducing. A bit of a shame really as the rest of Sometimes They Come Back is decent & fairly watchable, the first twenty odd minutes plays out like a drama as Jim recalls the events of all those years ago in various flashbacks but then the story becomes more interesting when Lawson turns up out of the blue followed by his ghostly friends soon after. No real explanation is given as to why they return from the grave apart from the fact they want revenge, well all I can say is I don't think they have any right to demand any kind of revenge as it was their fault they were hit by a speeding train & it's Wayne & his Brother who should be looking for revenge. Sometimes They Come Back also tries to portray a moral message, you know the sort of thing like the way the past can come back to haunt you, don't brood over the past, don't try to change things & not to run away from a bad situation but to stand up & face them otherwise they'll never leave you alone, yep pretty much everything is here you would expect from a film dealing with horrible events from ones childhood. The film takes itself very seriously & it can drag a little in places but I found it a decent way to spend 100 odd minutes.

Director McLoughlin does an OK job, it's hardly going to win any awards for style but I have sat through worse. There's a really bad special effect of a toy train crashing into a toy car which looks very fake, there's not much in the way of blood or gore I'm afraid. A few rotting zombies which to be fair look pretty good, a few severed body parts thrown out of a car window & a bit of blood is as gory as it gets.

Sometimes They Come Back was made-for-TV & to be honest you can tell, it's competent & well made although somewhat flat & a bit dull to look at. The acting was OK.

Sometimes They Come Back is yet another Stephen King adaptation in a list that is seemingly endless, it's not the best but it's by no means the worst. It's certainly worth a watch if you've nothing better to do. Followed by two unconnected sequels, Sometimes They Come Back... Again (1996) & Sometimes They Come Back... for More (1999) both of which I have seen & also thought were decent enough.

A strange teacher/pupil relationship.

[michaelRokeefe · 4/10 · 17 December 2000]

Based on a short story by Stephen King...that was enough to get me to watch. A young man returns to teach in his old home town, where he was terrorized as a child. Three dead hoodlums hanging around in limbo just to avenge their deaths makes for a creepy show. Some suspense, not very much gore, and a slow moving plot keeps this from being a pretty decent movie. Not the worst, but kind of stagnant and punchless. I have to admit reading this was more fun.

Cast includes Tim Matheson, Brooke Adams, William Sanderson and Chadd Nyerges.

underrated quality horror flick

[pepekwa · 9/10 · 18 November 2007]

90's character actor tim matheson stars in a surprisingly scary adaptation of a stephen king short story about a guy returning to the town he lived in when he was a child which brought back nightmares of the incident that led to the deaths of his brother and the three hoodlums who tried to mug them. It takes a lot to spook me but the 3 main villains in this really played their part and played their bad guys role to the extreme. I was surprised to see this was merely a TV movie, there's always a diamond in the rough and this is one of them. While there are some glaring plot holes and some questions that are not answered, it doesn't detract from being a chillingly entertaining tale about past indisgressions in small town America.

Nice little TV movie. Some of those slick teens are very cool.

[Finfrosk86 · 7/10 · 12 June 2015]

Here's that Stephen King-feeling! I typically love Stephen Kings work. I am also of those who think several of the movies based on his stuff, are pretty good. Some film makers manage to get that feeling, that Stephen King-feeling across very well. Others don't.

This is clearly a TV movie, but that doesn't mean it can't be good! I really like this story, I haven't read it so I don't know if the movie differs a lot from Kings original story, but that doesn't matter, because this is a movie!

The story is cool, like I said, I really like the setting and some of the performances from some of the actors. Some slick teens. Very neatly done. It's an eeriness, and a am-I-dreaming?-kind of feeling. I loved that.

I didn't find it very scary, but it was entertaining, and the King-feel really shone through.

One of the worst movies of all time

[TexMetal4JC · 1/10 · 11 January 2002]

What can you say about a movie as terrible as "Sometimes They Come Back"? Based on an OK Stephen King story, this movie not only mangles the story beyond almost any point of recognition, it makes the plot dumb and incomprehensible! Added to terrible acting, awful special effects and a complete lack of credible storyline (which the original at least had), and you can count this being just a smidge better than "Random Hearts", making "Sometimes" the 2nd-worst movie of all time. Why did filmmakers insist on destroying Stephen King's literary genius in the 1980s-early 1990s? Why??

1/10

better than I thought

[stones78 · 7 September 2010]

I'm not saying this is a great film(it clearly isn't), nor a great horror film, but it had its' moments and I expected a bit less than what I saw, and that was a pleasant surprise. I was impressed with Tim Matheson's performance, although I'll forever link him to Animal House, but he portrays a serious role in fine form in this film and is very convincing. I never read King's story so I can't compare one to the other, but this version was fairly easy to follow with creepy moments throughout, although it seems that I've seen the "car greasers" in other King adaptations before this movie as well, like Stand By Me and Christine. As a horror buff, let me add that this isn't very scary, but as a stand alone film it isn't that bad. I recommend it, but not that highly, as there's a reason this film is rarely on. I would say watch this for Matheson's performance and some creepy scenes too.

Only recommended for dedicated King completionists.

[b_kite · 6/10 · 3 April 2019]

I wasn't a huge fan of Sometimes They Come Back the first time I saw it about 4 years ago. Returning to it now I definitely appreciated it more. It's not one of King's best adaptations, and the fact that it's made-for-tv does hold it back when it comes to the really good stuff you like to see in horror movies, particularly gore. However, the film looks great and its performances and budget lift it into the quality of any normal theatrical movie, and being a car guy I absolutely loved the 1955 Chevrolet 150 that spits fire from the exhaust pipes. It sadly changes some things from King's original short story including adding on a sentimental happy ending which the short story didn't have. Despite this if your a fan of King's work or adaptations then its definitely worth a look.

KING'S MAGIC IS UNABLE TO BE CAPTURED ON SCREEN

[ColeSear · 6/10 · 18 December 2000]

I have not personally read this short story yet.

However, the fact that this film begins believably but then collapses at the end is proof that King is very hard to adapt. His writing takes unbelievable circumstances and then through his prose makes you believe the situation. This is something that is most difficult to do visually especially since the best talent is not often drawn toward King adaptations.

Depressing

[nightroses · 3/10 · 3 October 2021]

What would make someone return to a small town where they had tragic awful memories in their childhood? Jim takes his wife and son to live in a small town where he lived as a child. It was where his brother was murdered. He should've stayed in the city. By returning to the small town, he finds himself in danger from the lunatic evil undead teenagers. The film is very early 90's with hysterical villains and the fashions of back turned caps and gingham clothes. Parts of the film were over the top.

Enjoyable enough

[movieman_kev · 6/10 · 5 February 2012]

Tim Matheson stars as Jim Norman, a high school teacher who's having recurring nightmares about a boyhood trauma involving the neighborhood bullies that left most of the gang of hoodlums, as well as his brother dead. It doesn't help that the aforementioned deceased gang members are coming back one by one putting the lives of him and his loved ones in danger.

This is one of the better Made-for-TV films based on Stephen King's short stories. Matheson does a pretty good job, as do most of the others in the cast (with the only exception being the kid who played Jim as a young boy) and the film managed to keep me interested throughout. Its somewhat hampered with a sappy ending though. ever really cared for that myself, but it doesn't ruin the film, so I don't mind much. Followed by two sequels, of which the less said of the better.

My Grade: B-

Absolutely Awful!!!

[Mehki_Girl · 2/10 · 2 November 2022]

Read the short story and saw this film years ago when it first came out. I don't remember it being this bad.

But OMG is it awful. Loaded with cliches and just corny awful. The dialogue is awful. The acting is awful. The kid's fake crying is awful. The 30-year-old looking teenagers in the classroom are awful.

This movie got stuck in a timewarp of some screenwriters' and director's imagination of middle fly over state America.

I'm watching this in horror, because it's so bad that it's taken on a different take of what horror is. I don't remember it being bad. I don't remember it being bad at all, but looking at it again in 2022 I'm just flat out horrified at the awfulness of this thing! It doesn't even meet the, this so bad it's good category take my word for it - it's just bad.

Poor Stephen King they never get his stories right.

More negative than positive, but still 6/10

[erik_s1977 · 6/10 · 21 May 2000]

I don't want to spend much words on this movie, just a few. I like horror, but i must say that the most horror movies are horrible in a negative way.

I got negative and positive feelings about Sometimes they come back. The negative view is that its a bad movie with worse special effects (but by seeing this movie you realize that there is not much money spend to make Sometimes they come back.). About the actors in this movie, they are also bad, anyone can see that. And now the important negative head point: This Horror has the working off a comedy, and that was never meant to be; It makes me laugh. And then we come at my positive view, for me this movie is cult. Yes it was bad, but i enyoy it. It has entertained me.

So drop your brains and just watch it, but if you got something important to do you can better do that.

Great Title - Lousy Film

[Rathko · 4/10 · 7 February 2010]

The best thing about 'Sometimes They Come Back' is the title, and we have Stephen King to thank for that. Little else of the original short story remains. What we have is a very tame, family-friendly TV Movie that despite having been made in 1991 could quite easily be ten years older. It isn't without its moments – Robert Rusler is pretty good as the gang leader and William Sanderson is always fun to watch doing his weird jittery thing – but the whole thing is painfully formulaic without an ounce of horror or even suspense. The two writers gave the world the 'Beverly Hillbillies' movie and single handedly destroyed the Superman franchise with 'Superman IV: The Quest for Peace'. Need I say more? They possess a unique gift for being consistently hired to write garbage. Not even the special effects can save it. Compared to the previous year's 'Night of the Living Dead' remake, they're laughable. I guess 'Sometimes The Come Back' is exactly what you'd expect from a 'horror' movie made for TV by CBS – pretty poor.

Pretty chilling.

[HumanoidOfFlesh · 8/10 · 4 December 2002]

"Sometimes They Come Back" by Tom McLoughlin("Friday the 13th Part 6-Jason Lives","One Dark Night")is an adaptation of the short story written by Stephen King.The plot is simple:a school teacher(Tim Matheson)is chased by the dead punks who killed his brother when he was a kid.The film is well-made and has some creepy moments.The direction is solid,the acting is pretty good,unfortunately I found climax to be the weakest part of the film.Still if you like horror movies give this one a look.Followed by two sequels!

Better than the short story

[amarna78 · 7/10 · 19 January 2011]

I am a Stephen King fan, and it is rare that I find any of the TV adaptations good. This one seems to be the exception. This is the first King Adaption that I actually liked BETTER than the short story. It is a rather emotional story about a man having to face his demons both figuratively and literally. The movie adaptation is very different from the real story, however I find it tells a more complete story. It allows you to feel the sadness Jim feels regarding the murder of his older brother when they were kids. Through a series of flash backs you see how his brother was murdered and by who. In the movie, the punks seem to kill his brother Wayne by accident. However, in the Short story version they deliberately stab him once in the chest and once in the groin. In the book they also did not die in the train tunnel, they died years later in a car accident when running from the police. I think the way they wrote it for the movies makes more sense for the story line. The "ghosts" have more of a reason to come back and haunt Jim, because in their eyes he is the reason they are dead (he has the car keys). In the book, it does not seem clear why they come back, other than he returned to the town?

Also, in the Original King Version his wife Sally is killed by the ghosts and they do not have any children. In the book, Jim actually uses Dark magic to conjure up a spirit that helps him to return the ghosts to the after-world.He actually cuts off two of his fingers so that the dark spirit will help. The spirit takes the form of his brother, but really is not. Where as in the movie his Brother Wayne's Spirit actually comes back and helps.

The movie ends on a happy note. The bad ghosts return to where ever they came from and Jim and his dead brother (Wayne)get closure. The Book version ends with the Spirit he conjured following him and Jim remembering the warning he had read regarding Black magic which was, "sometimes they come back".

The special effects are a bit corny, however the actors do a decent job and it is a creepy enough ghost story (with minimum gore) to entertain you on a rainy day.

Was a favorite of mine when I was younger, but not so much these days

[callanvass · 5/10 · 28 January 2014]

Jim Norman witnesses his older brother Wayne being murdered by a group of bullies as a young kid. Jim has never fully recovered from this tragedy and decides to take his family back to where it all began for a fresh start. Jim's students start dying and The Bullies come back from the dead for revenge. I loved this movie growing up. I watched it quite a few times. I'm sad to say that it doesn't have anywhere near the impact that it used to. I realize that it is a television movie, but it is only slightly above average. There isn't anything that stands out about it, really. It also has some major plot holes. It isn't fully explained, about how they have managed to suddenly appear after being dead for 27 years. We aren't given any inkling what so ever on how they have been able to return from the dead. Why did they wait 27 years to seek vengeance on Jimmy? Wouldn't they have done it far sooner? Also, why does Jim have visions in a telepathic sort of way with the hoods? It is script contrivances like that, which make me shake my head. Nothing is explained fully as I would have liked. There are plenty of flashback scenes involving the incident with Jimmy as a child, but they are delivered as mundanely as possible. The storyline could have been something riveting and chilling, but it ended up going the routine route in every way. Tim Matheson is very solid as the lead. He conveys the proper emotions when needed and I liked him a lot. Too bad he didn't have much to work with. Brooke Adams is OK as the wife, not great. Robert Rusler is a favorite character actor of mine. He's good for the most part and rather bad-ass. My only gripes is the maniacal laughter and the way he taps his unlit cigarette on his hand. They were pet peeves that irked me. The rest of the cast are decent. The finale is probably my favorite part of the movie. It is emotionally well done.

Final Thoughts: I didn't dislike this movie or anything, it just doesn't hold up nearly as well from my childhood. It is a forgettable film for the most part. It is worth a look, just don't expect much

5.4/10