Director
Tom McLoughlin
Cast
Tim Matheson Jim Norman
Brooke Adams Sally Norman
Robert Rusler Richard Lawson
Chris Demetral Wayne Norman
Robert Hy Gorman Scott Norman
William Sanderson Mueller
DVD Release Date: September 11, 2007
Rating: R
Running Time: 98 Minutes
The Movie
Sometimes the only way to get rid of a bad memory is to return to the place it first happened. Walk through it, experience it again first hand, and defeat it. If only it were that simple for Jim Norman, then he and his family would be able to live a normal existence, but things really are easier said then done.
Jim has moved back to his childhood town with his wife and son so he can become a teacher. It’s been a few years and he is a tad rusty, but feels that it will all come back to him within a few classes. The move was a big change for all of them from the big city of Chicago, and it certainly will take some getting used to. But for Jim, the move is especially difficult as he also has to deal with the memories of his childhood and the horrible death of his brother Wayne.
Wayne was murdered by a gang of greaser kids when they were little, and Jim couldn’t do anything to stop them and help his big brother. All he could do in that train tunnel was watch his brother get stabbed, and then watch as the gang couldn’t get out and a train destroyed their car, killing them instantly. The memories will never go away, no matter how hard he tries, but things are being made even harder now. He is seeing constant reminders of Wayne all over town and the true test of his sanity comes when the greaser leader, Richard Lawson, somehow enrolls in his class.
Sometimes They Come Back confuses me a bit. Not that I don’t understand the film because it is self-explanatory, but the plot just seems a tad odd. In no way at all was Wayne’s death the fault of Jim. Jim didn’t talk him into going in the tunnel or somehow get his brother stabbed by having to be saved; so why is it haunting him so much? I know that a sibling’s death would be hard to forget, but just remembering it doesn’t seem like much reason for a horror story.
Speaking of horror though, the film isn’t really scary at all either. It sort of reminds me of IT without Pennywise and other monsters. The scares and creepiness come from the psychological aspect of the flashbacks and greasers appearing again. This is nicely done by Robert Rusler (Lawson) as he pulls off the creepy greaser kid with an eerie laugh to perfection. It is understandable why Jim breaks into a cold sweat and briefly loses concentration whenever he sees him. It’s just a shame that other then Rusler; there isn’t much else to get excited about.
The Video
The film is shown in 2.35:1 Anamorphic Widescreen format and looks pretty good, but it shows its age from time to time. Colors are mostly bright and sharp but can appear a bit faded in some scenes. The darker scenes and nighttime shots look nice though without being too dark or appearing purplish.
The Audio
The film is heard in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound comes through really well and gives the overall creepy feel that I think they were looking for. The music, creepy laughter, and echo effects sort of make the film since there isn’t much else to scare you.
Special Features
None
The Inside Pulse
It’s not that this is a bad film, but there just isn’t much to it. And saying “we’ve seen it before” isn’t truly fair either considering this is the first time I’ve ever seen Sometimes They Come Back yet it came out in 1991. More then likely, other films I’ve seen since then are what have already been seen before. Still it just isn’t scary, and I’m sorry but it really has been seen before. It does include my favorite type of villains though in the cocky and evil greasers which gives it a few bonus points. No special features which confuses me. Why release a DVD again considering it has already been released twice with no special features? I don’t know, and don’t think you should pick up this DVD either. That is unless you wait about two months and it’ll end up in the $5.50 dump bin at Wal-Mart.
