Misery
Writer Paul Sheldon has decided to unchain himself from Misery, a hugely successful novelist whose frontierswoman Misery Chastain has come to dominate both the bestseller lists and his own life, slightly superstitious in that every novel is created in the same environment as the first, the same lodge in Silver Creek, Colorado, the single copy from the same manual typewriter, the glass of Dom Pérignon to celebrate completion and, an ex-smoker, a single cigarette permitted.
Setting off on the long drive to New York where his agent is expecting the new manuscript even as Misery’s Child hits the shelves, ending the sequence and the life of his celebrated character, a new direction for his literary career away from bodice-ripping romance, in thick snow his black ‘65 Mustang leaves the road, overturns and slides down a bank, Paul fortunate the accident was witnessed by local woman Annie Wilkes, not only a qualified nurse but his number one fan.
Published to great acclaim in 1987 as his career as horror grand master finally outweighed Richard Bachman, the pseudonym under which he had published different fictional strands, and still smarting from the poor reception to his earlier attempt to do something different with his fantasy The Eyes of the Dragon, like ‘Salem’s Lot, The Shining and It, as well as his following novels The Tommyknockers and The Dark Half, Misery is about a writer, Paul Sheldon played in The Princess Bride director Rob Reiner’s 1990 adaptation by Rollerball’s James Caan opposite American Horror Story’s Kathy Bates as Annie Wilkes.
The fearsome role which won her an Academy Award and established her as a fearless leading lady of American film, Annie is not exactly stable, Paul initially grateful if groggy but his apprehension at his vulnerable situation becoming concern as Annie reveals the reason she was in a position to rescue him was that she was stalking him, sat outside his cabin as he wrote into the night, a fan who has very strong ideas about his stories and characters and demanding a happy ending for Misery who she loves so much she named her pig after her.
With The Straight Story’s Richard Farnsworth and Outland’s Frances Sternhagen as husband and wife sheriff and deputy Buster and Virginia and the iconic Lauren Bacall as agent Marcia, the film is a battle of wills between Paul and Annie, he bargaining first for freedom then for his life with his words, the blank page staring accusingly as she ruthlessly edits and overturns his ideas, a woman as of many personalities as the books, unpredictable but more deadly than he first expected, his biggest fan and harshest critic.
Restored in chilly 4K for Arrow, their new edition of Misery is supported by a plethora of new and archive material, separate commentaries from Reiner and screenwriter William Goldman, interviews with Reiner, composer Marc Shaiman and effects artist Greg Nicotero, a new commentary from film critics Teri Gamble and Julia Marchese, seven archive featurettes covering different aspects of the production, trailers and galleries.
Misery will be available on 4K UHD and Blu-ray from Arrow from Monday 21st September
