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Movies / On DVD / Stephen King's Riding the Bullet
Stephen King's Riding the Bullet

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Stephen King's Riding the Bullet (2004)

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Reviews Counted:21

Fresh:6

Rotten:15

Average Rating:4.2/10

Genre: Horror/Suspense

Synopsis: October 1969. The Summer of Love is over and a winter of hate is about to paint the ideals of the Flower Power Generation black. Alan Parker (Jonathan Jackson) is a young, struggling artist... October 1969. The Summer of Love is over and a winter of hate is about to paint the ideals of the Flower Power Generation black. Alan Parker (Jonathan Jackson) is a young, struggling artist studying at the University of Maine whose work is haunted by images of death. Believing he is losing his girlfriend, Jessica (Erika Christensen), Alan's obsession with the dark side pushes him to try to take his own life on his birthday. Some friends thwart his desperate act, yet events go from bad to worse, as Alan soon discovers he has opened a door letting death literally enter his life. Recovering from his self-inflicted wounds and about to embark on a road trip to a John Lennon concert with his buddies, Artie and Hector, Alan receives crushing news -- his mother, Jean (Barbara Hersey), has suffered a major stroke and is lying at death's door in Lewiston Hospital, over 100 miles away. Rejecting his friends' offer to drive him, Alan decides to hitchhike, hoping he'll make it to the hospital before Mom, his last remaining relative, passes. But it is Halloween night -- October 31st -- and Alan is about to discover that he has started down a nightmare road which will take him on both an odyssey into black recesses of the human heart and a journey that will bring him face to face with Death Incarnate. Trapped in a speeding car with the Grim Reaper, manifesting itself in the guise of recently killed redneck George Staub (David Arquette), Alan is forced into a terrible dilemma -- the Reaper will not rest until it forces Alan to make a life or death choice. Alan Parker is on a date with destiny which will answer the question that has plagued him since childhood. Is he ready to go Riding the Bullet? Based on the phenomenal bestselling eBook novella by Stephen King (over 4000,000 readers worldwide downloaded the story in 24 hours), writer-director Mick Garris, who previously collaborated with King on the movie Sleepwalkers (1992) and the acclaimed TV mini-series The Stand (1994) and The Shining (1997), has crafted a classic coming-of-age tale in which a young man must face his own mortality and the death of a loved one. -- © Innovation Film Group [More]

Starring: Jonathan Jackson, David Arquette, Cliff Robertson, Barbara Hershey

Starring: Jonathan Jackson, David Arquette, Cliff Robertson, Barbara Hershey, Erika Christensen, Matt Frewer, Nicky Katt

Director: Mick Garris

Director: Mick Garris
Composer: Nicholas Pike
Studio: Innovation Film Group

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Reviews for Stephen King's Riding the Bullet

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1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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Reviews
Tomatometer Critic Review Category
tomato
3.5/5

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Dec., 06 2005 08:09 PM

Film Threat

splat
2/4

David Nusair

...wholly ineffective...

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | May., 25 2005 03:15 AM

Reel Film Reviews

splat
1/5

Pablo Villaca

As obras de Stephen King já renderam alguns ótimos filmes, mas também muitos péssimos. Infelizmente, Riding the Bullet se encaixa nesta última categoria.

comment Comment | Mar., 28 2005 09:01 PM

Cinema em Cena

splat

Luke Y. Thompson

Imagine a feature-length version of the “Large Marge” sequence from Pee-wee’s Big Adventure and you won’t be too far off, only that was scarier.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Feb., 03 2005 12:53 AM

LYTRules.com

N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Nov., 20 2004 10:32 PM

Los Angeles Daily News

splat

Justin Chang

A ponderous, incoherent horror mishmash that turns King's short story into utter nonsense.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Oct., 21 2004 05:35 PM

Variety

splat
1.5/5

Kevin Crust

The movie is so glum and flat-footed there's no reason to care.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Oct., 20 2004 02:39 PM

Los Angeles Times

splat

Michael Rechtshaffen

Both the anticipation factor and writer-director Mick Garris' slick adaptation fail to live up to the old hype.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Oct., 19 2004 06:35 PM

Hollywood Reporter

splat
D-

Frank Swietek

An incoherent melange of horror movie gimmicks that's genuinely laughable when it strives for profundity. It induces more tedium than terror.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Oct., 15 2004 04:58 PM

One Guy's Opinion

splat
C+

There are lots of cheap scares and mind games that detract from the main attraction: the interesting family drama.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Oct., 15 2004 02:37 PM

E! Online

splat
2/5

Maitland McDonagh

Overall it doesn't amount to much more than a goofy campfire tale.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Oct., 15 2004 12:26 PM

TV Guide's Movie Guide

splat
1/5

Larry Carroll

Goes beyond simply being a bad movie, to the point where it becomes one that insults your intelligence.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Oct., 15 2004 12:05 PM

IGN Movies

splat
2/5

Michael Tunison

Yet another reason to think twice before thumbing a ride, kids.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Oct., 15 2004 12:00 PM

Boxoffice Magazine

tomato

Fred Topel

As good as any Stephen King movie. Not the profound classics ... and not the classy thrillers... but certainly on par with any effective supernatural tale.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Oct., 14 2004 09:10 PM

About.com

splat
1.5/5

Randy Cordova

A better name for the film would be Taking the Bullet, because that's what sitting through this dopey, pretentious mess feels like.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Oct., 14 2004 05:47 PM

Arizona Republic

splat
C-

Gary Dowell

It's a navel-gazing meditation on death smothered under excess and ham-handed direction, better suited for late-night cable.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Oct., 14 2004 04:59 PM

Dallas Morning News

tomato

Chuck Wilson

The ending of which, both on the page and, now, on the screen, lands with an overly elegiac thud. Still, the journey is often fine.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Oct., 14 2004 03:49 PM

L.A. Weekly

splat

Scott Von Doviak

A barely coherent fever dream of automotive anxiety.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Oct., 14 2004 02:35 PM

Fort Worth Star-Telegram

tomato
3/5

Joshua Tyler

A fairly middle of the road fright film that treads dangerously close to being silly.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Oct., 14 2004 02:10 PM

CinemaBlend.com

splat
C

Owen Gleiberman

Falls short of its source.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Oct., 13 2004 12:07 PM

Entertainment Weekly

 
 
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September 20, 2004: Exclusive Trailer: Riding the Bullet Opens in new window
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