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By
WAYNE KLEIN
We've all suspected that
hospitals are less than hospitable places.
"Kingdom Hospital," with its bizarre and eccentric
staff and "guests" only confirms this.
Unfairly attacked by critics, Stephen King's
"Kingdom Hospital" developed a quirky charm all of
its own, more "Twin Peaks" than "Salem's Lot." The
series set at a hospital build on the site of a
burned down mill where many people were killed,
focuses on the odd goings on at the hospital and
the haunting visage of a little girl's ghost that
needs some sort of help. In the first episode
we're introduced to most of the main characters at
The Kingdom -- Hook (Andrew McCarthy); Sally
(Diane Ladd), the psychic who appears to be more
than a few bricks shy of a full load; and Jack
(Peter Rickman), an artist who, due to a terrible
accident, becomes a paraplegic and is a stand-in,
so to speak for King in a bizarre collision
between art and life. These main characters become
the "team" that tries to help Mary, the little
lost soul haunting the corridors of the hospital.
First, let's clear up a misconception. "Kingdom
Hospital" was created specifically as a limited
series with a beginning, middle and end. Like "The
Prisoner," King had envisioned it as a novel for
television. If ABC had chosen to renew it, King
would have developed a series on different story
arcs. So, it wasn't cancelled as much as it
concluded. King's series is every bit as effective
in its own way as Lars Van Trier's "The Kingdom"
but one made for a very different audience. Since
Lars Van Trier was an executive producer on the
series, I doubt that he would have given it his
blessing if he didn't see King's version as a
quirky complimentary vision to his own.
Mastered in high definition, "Kingdom Hospital"
looks terrific with the complex, textured visuals
masterfully reproduced. As with many Columbia
Tristar releases, there's edge enhancement but it
doesn't distract to a noticeable degree. There are
no analog blemishes to note and the images are
sharp and clear, with nice reproduction of fine
detail and vivid colors. The series, shot on 35mm
film (at King's expense, because the director felt
the textures would look better and he's quite
right), has a rich look to it matched only by "Six
Feet Under." The sound is equal to the image,
reproduced with almost no issues with compression
or distortion -- the dialogue rings clear and the
music and numerous sound effects are well placed
in the 5.1 mix. There's also a very funny
commentary track from King, the director, visual
effects supervisor and producer of the series on
the pilot.
There are also a number of great featurettes
included on this four disc set, including "Inside
the Walls," which focuses on the making of the
series, a discussion of the various characters, a
discussion on the creation of the visual effects
for the bizarre looking Antubis, as well as a tour
of the hospital. King also contributes a two-page
essay on the series in the enclosed booklet. While
there's no featurette on how this ties into King's
various novels (particularly the "Dark Tower"
series), fans can figure that out for their own.
While the series doesn't quite live up to its
potential by the conclusion, it's still a
fascinating and fun ride while it lasts. It's not
exactly a horror series per se but more of a
glimpse into the haunted lives of those bound to
serve in "The Kingdom." |
