THE LAWNMOWER MAN

 

THE LAWNMOWER MAN AT 25: THE GROUNDBREAKING VR FILM - VFX Voice MagazineVFX Voice Magazine 

One of the biggest regrets of my life was watching this film.

On magic mushrooms. I had watched it once or twice beforehand unfuddled by those natural little mindtwisters and had really quite enjoyed it. The trip happened in 1996.

So naturally I was dreading this rewatch, just in case I had a mad flashback and started gibbering. 

I survived but had a migraine and had to have an early night.

The first time I read 'The Lawnmower Man' was in the 30th Pan Book of Horror Stories - a paperback that's now quite expensive due to its low print run, but of course you can read it in King's Night Shift collection.

Love that The Shop features in this. Love that Stephen King went to court to have his name removed from the title. 

The film, of course, has very little in common with the source story. But those graphics, for the time, were truly brilliant. And there was a SNES game of it as well! 

                                              The Lawnmower Man | Nintendo Super Nintendo Entertainment System 

So, to the mushroom trip. It was bad. I had a proper rough one. Thought my body was stretching all over the place. That bit where they have sex - thought my mouth was being pulled from me and into the television. Horrific.

I've never watched the sequel, and will probably do that towards the end of the King watch. 

There are worse films out there. It's dated badly, but everyone's game in this film. And I suppose it's an influence of sorts on The Matrix. It shows you at the very least how far effects propelled forward in 7 years. 

And Jobe would have utterly dominated in the Matrix - with no physical body, he can't be bested.



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