17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Disappearance is Twilight Zone Meets Stephen King, February 22, 2003
This review is from: Disappearance (DVD)
The thing that amazed me most about this DVD is that the film was a made for TV thriller starring Harry Hamlin and Susan Dey (best known for their performances on L.A. Law) and although the plot may seem contrived to some viewers, I found it to be chilling, entertaining and well acted. Some viewers, I understand, were confused and unhappy with the conclusion (which I will not give away) but I believe the director's idea was to put you into this family's struggle and see it from their viewpoint, so maybe it's fair to say, all questions should not be answered. In the tradition of the older, thinking-man's films, this movie leaves much room for discussion, which is sadly missing from a lot of today's supernatural thrillers where people always want set answers and happy endings. If you want this in this movie, then don't bother. If you are looking for something that is entertaining and leaves room for debate , this is YOUR type of thriller. Plot wise, all I'll say in synopsis is: Harry Hamlin plays a father of two whom has lost his wife five years previously. In an attempt to help with a bonding relationship with his children and his new wife (Dey) they embark on a vacation out west. Hamlin's son, an avid photographer has an interest in stopping in a "Ghost town" of Weaver to shoot some photos. But no one in the neighboring town of Stepford people claim to have never heard of the town.Well, they find Weaver ...or does Weaver find them?
Some critics may shun this movie for it's Stephen King/Twilight Zone overtones. There are many to be found here, throw in a sprinkle of Blair Witch for good measure. Harry Hamlin is great as the protective father and Susan Dey, sadly missing from today's films is a great highly underrated actress and does well as the protective stepmom whose expectations of bonding with her two new stepchildren are taken to a much higher level. You may remember Dey as Laurie Partridge from ABC's Partridge Family or as the tough but sexy DA Grace Van Owen from L.A. Law.
Overall, I thought the movie had many chilling moments and suspense which will undoubtably earn it cult status if even only for it's "Partridge Family", "LA Law" and "7th Heaven" alumni. In the tradition of Stephen King, Twilight Zone and Night Gallery, this movie scores! Definately worth your time!
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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
I WISH I COULD HAVE GONE TO SLEEP, April 3, 2004
This review is from: Disappearance (DVD)
I just saw Disappearance with Harry Hamlin and Susan Dey. That is 91 minuets of my life I will never ever get back and I fear God will comdemn me to hell for wasting those precious minuets.I thank God I got this thing at the library for FREE......even then the price was to high. This movie had no plot, no logic and no ending. When my TV screen went black, I sat on my sofa with my mouth open and the little man in my brain was screaming....."What the hell just happened"?!I'm not going to wast our time telling you any more about this movie...but I will tell you one thing. If you see this DVD at the video store or at Wallmart for sale....RUN! Run like hell! At least the sprint will be more exciting.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Disappearance is annoying, September 4, 2007
This review is from: Disappearance (DVD)
Although there were some incongruities in the movie, it could have been a good one - the suspense was there and I watched it with interest but you kind of want to know the explanation at the end of the movie and it wasn't even something one could figure out. Two possible explanations were given:
1. the ghost town was built on Indian burial grounds and those responsible for the problems encountered there were spirits
2. they detonated a neutron bomb there in 1948 - the people got away and hid and their kids were mutants.
But neither of these work for the end of the movie where the protagonists were apparently unharmed but we are not sure what is going on with them - maybe made into stepford people but very uncertain. They are now living in the neighboring town (the one they first stopped at before they went to the ghost town). No hint at what happened except a vague mention of aliens. It's just like recording a movie and having it cut off just before the ending only you see the ending in "Disappearance" but it's a non ending with not so much as a hint about what is going on. Too bad, it could have been a good movie - it definitely had its moments. However, in my opinion, writing a good ending is an important part of the film and a film like Disappearance which gets sloppy with the ending is not worth watching.
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