Skip to main content

story identification - Movie which ends with man sitting in a chair and drilling into his head with a machine


I have a very loose recollection of a film - the last 5 or 10 minutes actually - where a guy sits in a sort of dentist/torture chair, and there is a machine which drills into his brain. He seems to be doing it voluntarily, maybe to cure himself of something?


I think before then he was walking through the woods to some sort of facility or maybe even just a shed or shack where this scene took place...


I also remember the whole scene being bathed in green light!


It was probably early to mid 90s as I recall my dad renting it from the local video store (UK).




Answer



This is Tommyknockers, the TV miniseries based on the Stephen King novel, where a UFO buried in the ground is dug up and starts psychically infecting the citizens of the nearby town, turning them into aliens.



I think before then he was walking through the woods to some sort of facility or maybe even just a shed or shack where this scene took place...



The UFO was buried in the woods, that's probably the facility you remember the main character walking to. As for the shed, that plays a very pivotal part in the plot.



I also remember the whole scene being bathed in green light!



Green light is the signature of all of the Tommyknocker's technology.




It was probably early to mid 90s as I recall my dad renting it from the local video store (UK).



The miniseries aired in 1993, so that fits.



I have a very loose recollection of a film - the last 5 or 10 minutes actually - where a guy sits in a sort of dentist/torture chair, and there is a machine which drills into his brain. He seems to be doing it voluntarily, maybe to cure himself of something?



At the end of the movie,



the main character, who has only partially 'become' a Tommyknocker, gets into the control center of the ship. A device drills into his head, which lets him take control of the ship with his mind, and he flies it away. You can see that part here on youtube.




On a personal note, I only saw this when it first aired, when I was very young, so I remember none of it - if I even watched it at all. However, it's one of my favorite Stephen King books, which I've read probably 10+ times, and the exact scene you remember is my one memory of the movie (besides the creepy opening song).


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

harry potter - Did Dolores Umbridge Have Any Association with Voldemort (or Death Eaters) before His Return?

I noticed that Dolores Umbridge was born during the first Wizarding War, so it's very likely she wasn't a Death Eater then (but she is pretty evil -- who knows?). After that Voldemort was not around in a way that could affect many people, and most wouldn't know he was planning to rise again. During that time, and up through Voldemort's return (in Goblet of Fire ), did Umbridge have any connection with the Death Eaters or with Voldemort? Was she doing what she did on her own, or was it because of an association with Voldemort or his allies? Answer Dolores Umbridge was definitely not a good person. However, as Sirius points out, "the world isn't split into good people and Death Eaters". Remember that he also says that he doesn't believe Umbridge to be a Death Eater, but that she's evil enough (or something like that). I think there are two strong reasons to believe that: Umbridge was proud to do everything according to the law, except when she trie...

What is the etymology of Doctor Who?

I recently decided to watch Doctor Who, and started viewing the 2005 version. I have the first two episodes from the first season, and I can't help but wonder what is the etymology of the name "Doctor Who"? And why does the protagonist call himself "the Doctor" (or is it "the doctor")? Answer In the very first episode of Doctor Who (way back in 1963), the Doctor has a granddaughter going by the name "Susan Foreman", and the junkyard where the TARDIS is has the sign "I.M. Foreman". Barbara, who becomes one of the Doctor's companions, calls him "Doctor Foreman" (probably assuming that is his name given his relationship to Susan), and Ian (another early companion) does the same in the second episode, to which the Doctor says: Eh? Doctor who? What's he talking about? "Foreman" is most likely selected as a convenient surname for Susan to use because it happened to be on display near where the TARDIS landed....

story identification - Animation: floating island, flying pests

At least 20 years ago I watched a short animated film which stuck in my mind. The whole thing was wordless, possibly European, and I'm pretty sure I didn't imagine it... It featured a flying island which was inhabited by some creatures who (in my memory) reminded me of the Moomins. The island was frequently bothered by large winged animals who swooped around, although I don't think they did any actual damage. At the end one of the moomin creatures suddenly gets a weird feeling, feels forced to climb to the top of the island and then plunges down a shaft right through the centre - only to emerge at the bottom as one of the flyers. Answer Skywhales from 1983. The story begins with a man warning the tribe of approaching skywhales. The drummers then warn everybody of the hunt as everyone get prepared to set "sail". Except one man is found in his home sleeping as the noise wake him up. He then gets ready and is about to take his weapon as he hesitates then decides ...