Stephen King's Rose Red

Stephen King wrote Rose Red as an original, three-part miniseries for television, and this haunted house horror story is full of fine examples of King's trademark, building-block approach to mounting terror; unfortunately, it's also hampered by derivative ideas and a reliance on special effects over atmosphere. Nancy Travis plays a psychologist researching paranormal phenomena in a Seattle mansion notorious for ghostly activity and mysterious deaths. Gathering a team of psychics, she arranges a weekend visit in the abandoned house, which is, of course, replete with crazy rooms and enough spooky goings-on to induce madness among the interlopers. Despite some fine moments and the master's acknowledged knack for exploring universal fears, Rose Red suffers from a lack of originality, superfluous detail, excessive length, and a weak ending. Not a necessary purchase. [Note: The double-disc DVD's crown jewel extra is an extensive 51-minute "making of," featuring cast and crew interviews (including Stephen King), on-location production footage shot in Seattle, and segments on make-up, special effects, and the use of miniatures in the miniseries. Also included: a 23-minute ABC-aired mini-doc featuring Dr. Joyce Reardon, editor of The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer: My Life at Rose Red; a scene-specific commentary with director Craig R. Baxley, production designer Craig Stearns, and senior visual effects supervisor Stuart Robertson; track three storyboard-to-film comparisons; and artwork. Bottom line: A solid extras package for a so-so miniseries.] (T. Keogh)