I have heard that “Lathe of Heaven” will air on PBS this month, being shown publicly for only the third time (previously, '81 and '89 or so).
I don’t know all the details, but this movie was just sorta “forgotten about,” and it took some finagling to “get the rights reinstated” or some such other bureaucracy. Plus, WNET’s response (they produced it) basically amounted to “We don’t feel like messing with it.”
It is scheduled to be released on VHS and DVD, too.
What is “Lathe of Heaven” about?
And speaking of great PBS shows, does anyone know how I could get copies of all the episodes of I, Claudius?
For “I, Claudius,” check Ebay. There’s some stuff out there right now.
For “Lathe,” its premise is this:
George Orr has dreams that change reality, but not always, just occasionally. He doesn’t know exactly what part of the dream will be the item that changes, and when he awakes–he is the only person who realizes that reality has changed.
Strange things start happening when an ambitious, utopian-seeking psychiatrist learns of this power and attempts to control it.
Check out the book sometime. The film adaptation was pretty faithful to it.
This is one of my favorite movies. Sort of a combination of “be careful of what you wish for; you just might get it” and “what is reality/what is only a dream” (think Total Recall minus Mars and the mutants).
George isn’t wishing out loud, but he is in his dreams, and … well, you’ll have to watch it. I highly recommend both the movie, and the book by Ursula K. LeGuin on which the movie was based.
Jor-jor Jor-jor Jor-jor …
BratMan007: “I, Claudius” is available from BBC America, as a 7-tape set:
“Lathe of Heaven” was unavailable for years due to litigation over the royalty rights. That was finally settled sometime last year. PBS was finally convinced to show it again due to constant pestering by some guy running a LoH fansite.
You can find more information here.
When I saw it in 1981, I was already an adult, experienced sci-fi and horror moviegoer, and I thought it was one of the scariest movies I had ever seen. I’m not sure I even want to see it again, let alone tape it.
I didn’t catch it the second time around. Just a big psychological tune-out.
(No blood, no guts, not that kind of scary. Just terrifying mind games out the wazoo. And ever since, that Beatles song gives me the creeps, just raises the hair right up. Such an innocent song, too.)