The Lathe of Heaven (1980)

I loved this movie...even at age 11

I watched this movie on PBS when I was 11 years old. I'm 40 now and believe me this movie has stuck around my memory since then.

I dont even truly think then I understood what the backstory of the movie was about but it was one of my first forays into Science Fiction and I do know that i watched it several times when it aired and still loved it. That and Doctor Who:) I love you PBS:) July 8, 2008

Better than the Lukas Hass version? You must be dreaming!

I'm not putting this down due to the cheap production, but if this version is more authentic than the newer version starring Lukas Hass/James Caan, then I'll take the less redo.

I don't know Bruce Davison as an actor, but he played this like someone who can barely get a job at Taco Bell. The newer version is much more taut and draining. This 1980 version had its interesting points, but the overall quality is too low to recommend. May 12, 2008

Science Fiction

A very good science fiction story, but the video quality is not as good, obviously as per the backaging information. This story is a good one for Hollywood to pick up and re-do using a bigger budget. It certainly is a worthwhile classic to have. April 16, 2008

More than Science Fiction

This is a classic work that will be very difficult to view only once. I will not repeat the plot as many reviewers have, you get the idea if you've read all the reviews. No matter how many times I view Lathe, I find something new that can be drawn from the story. Even with the lack of video quality and dated effects, I can completely suspend my disbelief simply because the story is so compelling. Do we not all dream and wake only to find the world has changed around us as a result of what we have dreamt? Isn't there a part of us that would like to set the ills of the world right, and haven't we all been on the wrong end of the best laid plans of mice and men? The story really has no villains, only circumstance. On some level there are parallels with the gothic novel "Frankenstein", the conflict between morality and science, experimentation with noble intention without thought of consequences. You decide what the story means. Le Guin won't tell you in her interview. Just a word of caution: be careful what you wish for. February 11, 2008

The Lathe Of Heaven

I saw this movie when I was a kid & didn't know what the title was. It stuck in my subconscious till I finally tracked it down a few years ago. One of the best sci-fi movies ever made. Highly recommended! January 9, 2008

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