The Lathe of Heaven

Rating:
Summary: Very very well done "made for public TV" movie.
Review: The Lathe Of Heaven is a very very well done movie, considering it was made for public television. Granted, seeing it twenty years later, the special effects aren't very grand....compared to all the movies made since then. But the story is interesting and thought provoking! I've been waiting for this to be released ever since I saw it on PBS twenty years ago (I didn't have one of those "new-fangled" VCRs at that time).

As with many movies, it's advised to have a "willing suspension of disbeleif" when viewing this one.

You will be pleased!

Rating:
Summary: Lathe of Heaven
Review: I saw this in 1980 when it first came out in San Francisco. KQED played it 5 nights in a row (something they were doing at the time during the week), and I saw it all 5 times. The title comes from a passage in the Taoist Chung Tzu's writings, and I finally found it in a James Legge translation. The movie is a perfect illustration of the passage. The movie is great; see it.

Oh, the passage? You'll need to read Chung Tzu for this.

Rating:
Summary: Lathe of Heaven
Review: If I had the option of giving this picture a negative rating I would have jumped at the chance. The story is fair and the main character is a decent actor...everything, and I mean EVERYTHING else was horrible and painful to watch. I enjoyed the novel and expected the movie to be as thought provoking and unique as the text. The movie was trite; filled with extremely BAD actors, scenery, dialogue, setting and direction. The narrative plot tries to construct a linear timeline for the audience, but fails miserably. Instead the plot progresses as a frustrating collage of mise-en-scene and predictable plot "twists". The score is an ailing appendage that the producers tacked on to try and create an element of suspense or simulate the future. The disturbing sounds did nothing to enhance the plot or the mood--rather, it was just an annoyance to the already annoying screenplay. To fans of the text--the ending has been changed in the movie. I don't want to give anything away, but don't expect to see the same depth of character and altruism. I truly enjoy science fiction/fantasy. When I heard that this book (which is a fantastic read!) was made into a TV movie--I joined the bandwagon of anticipated fans and snatched up a copy when they hit the shelves. I am very disappointed in this movie and I suggest that others rent the movie first before buying it. To fans of the text--trust me; rent first then decide if you want to waste your money on such a shoddy, predictable and diluted interpretation of this unique text. I understand the seduction of nostalgia and how some fans will blind themselves to the mutated version of the true text because they remember it as "a good TV movie". Becasue of all the release hype, I went into the movie expecting caliber performances and a true-to-text screenplay. This movie did not deliver anything except annoyance and disgust.

Rating:
Summary: Just what exactly is reality anyway?
Review: This one is unique. At first blush this film seems to be substandard; the dialog and acting seem to be a bit underdeveloped, the directing is a bit stilted and the storyline definitely follows a logic all its own. But make no mistake, there is a definite literary presence here. At the core this film is an experimental and open-ended meditation on our ability (or inability) to grasp reality and it is cunningly conceived. It's also about the philosophical and moral struggle between two main characters. On one hand there's George Orr, an ordinary but passive man who has inexplicably acquired the unconscious ability to change reality through his dreams. On the other there's Dr. William Haber, the well-intentioned psychiatrist who comes to believe that George's claims about his dreams are in fact true. Haber soon becomes obsessed with attempting to harness George's untapped power in order to single-handedly change the world for the betterment of humanity. But the unforseen results call into question more than simply his wisdom. Along the way some of the major "problems" of our time are touched upon: pollution, overpopulation, racism, etc. Some movies are good at suspending our disbelief but only keep our interest until they're over. It's after the fact that we realize how forgettably insubstantial they really are. But The Lathe Of Heaven is the opposite. Even if there is any problem with the suspension of disbelief to start with, the intelligent and literate content shine through and it keeps you thinking about it for a long time afterward. In fact it's one of those movies that sparks discussion. So open-ended is this work and so sucessful are its meanings (particularly when it comes to our inability to grasp reality) that I'm reluctant to criticize this work for what may or may not be bad filmaking (it may be even more unfair considering the slim budget this film was produced on). But if after watching the dvd you are still not convinced of its merits, then definitely consider the well-produced Bill Moyers interview of Ursala Le Guin (the author of the novel) mandatory. It will help put some things into perpective. It's a shame the original film elements were not available for the release to video. Apparently they have been lost forever, but the video master is at least servicable. I think this one is a keeper. The ending is excellent.

Rating:
Summary: It's about time.
Review: I saw this amazing movie on PBS in 1980 and later tried to locate it for VHS rental, I even called PBS to see if they could help me with broadcast times, but the movie seemed to have fallen off the radar screen. On a fluke, I just checked to see if the title would be available, and I really can't believe it is. I've found a long lost freind!

This movie is a must see for sci-fi lovers that like mind twisting plots. You really appreciate the twists and turns and the final scene will leave you feeling, well, you'll just have to see the movie. You won't be disappointed.

Rating:
Summary: Leonard Maltin Goofed!
Review: Leonard Maltin goofed when he gave this movie a mediocre review. I watched it twenty years ago and have never been able to forget it. I enjoy science fiction, but only if it's done well-this movie is one of the best. Watching it again with my family was a delight. The kids picked up on the "70-ish" format, but were quickly pulled into the incredible story of a young man, George, whose dreams alter reality, a power that frightens him into unsuccessfully overdosing on pills in an attempt to stop the dreaming. His "drug problem" leads him to sessions with a psychiatrist who soon figures out the incredible claims of "effective dreaming" are real. The doctor tries to control George and use his dreams to make the world better. What happens next is unpredictable, frightening, and beautiful. This movie is a real gem.

Rating:
Summary: Charming and sweet
Review: How difficult it is to pinpoint what separates a classic from a B-movie. Although the concept of this movie is not especially innovative, it has a charm and sweetness and a Zen-like quality that make it truly exceptional. I've been waiting for many years to see it again, and I was not disappointed by this DVD. Even the low-tech special effects seem to add to the dream-like atmosphere of the production. Without hitting us over the head, the movie gently raises questions about the futility of changing the world, suggesting that our relationships with each other are what really deserve our attention.

Rating:
Summary: Victory for viewers, Ursula Le Guin and "The Sons of Heaven"
Review: Rarely do films do justice to accomplished literary works. This adaptation of Ursula Le Guin's science fiction masterpiece is such an exception. THE LATHE of HEAVEN, like the ingeniously imaginative novel, is exciting, thought-provoking, archly ironic and often scary. The story pits the guileless goodness of its unlikely hero, George Orr, played by Bruce Davison against the megalomaniac Dr. Haber, played by Kevin Conway. Both actors play their roles with reserve. Orr is a young man afflicted with a "curse": his dreams alter the Space-Time continuum; REALITY is changed. Haber is the State-appointed psychiatrist whose initial concern is to cure Orr of his psychosis. That is, until he realizes that Orr's disease is not the product of a disturbed mind but rather a "mutation" that does affect the weave and warp of EXISTENCE. Haber gradually succumbs to the TEMPTATION to play God. He bgins to use Orr's power to experiment with GRAND DREAMS to end war, racism, over-population even "problems" with the weather. Each attempt ends with a disaster approaching cosmic dimension. Yet each catastrophe only serves to spur Haber to more profound abuses of thwarted Will-to-Power. "You cannot out think God!" warns Orr in a rare outburst. Those who try "will be destroyed by the Lathe of Heaven," declare Alien-Guardians conjured into Earth's "reality" apparently to defend it against Haber's increasingly solipsistic machinations. Readers of the novel will not be disappointed by the deliberate, "literary" pacing of the film. Subtleties are not easily yielded. Haber becomes evil incarnate; yet there is no leering or gloating by this obsessed scientist usurping the power of God. Orr, in the end, is a hero who..."with the help of his friends"...saves the remnant of mankind. Ursula Le Guin is a lyrical writer whose themes often subsume New Age, feminist,and Post-Modern philosophy. Foremost, however, she is a great story teller and artist. The Lathe of Heaven as film also succeeds. It is not an artist's Star Wars. Rather, it is about the INNER WAR, the unending conflict of man with his demons and enamoration with his own knowledge. This is highly recommended cinematic story telling...a victory for viewers, Ursula Le Guin and her mythical Sons of Heaven...

Rating:
Summary: One of the best
Review: One of the best Science-fiction psycho-horror films ever made.

Rating:
Summary: 5 stars for the movie & -5 stars for the transfer to video!
Review: I, as many others, have been waiting a very long time for this movie to be available on home video. I first saw this movie 20 years ago along with everyone else. I also had the opportunity to record the movie on VHS tape while it was being aired some 20 years ago. After all this time and many viewings, my copy of this movie has deteriorated. Since I consider this to be one of the best SciFi movies ever made, I was excited when my DVD arrived. My excitement only increased when I read the words "Digitally Remastered" on the front of the package. Upon viewing the DVD, my excitement turned to utter disappointment! Although the movie is GREAT (The 5 stars are for the story alone) the transfer to DVD is horrible! There are many low light scenes in this movie that are over saturated with color and produce 'trails' in the movement of the characters. The print this was transfered from needs considerable clean-up & "Digitally Remastered" indicated to me that this had all been done. Silly me! I will never again purchase any video marketed by Newvideo. This transfer is only a marginal improvement over my 20 year old copy from my own VCR. Again I have to give the movie 5 stars for the wonderful story & presentation, but I also have to give the transfer to home video -5 stars - It's a wash! Worth buying if you love good SciFi but know what you're getting when you order.