WTF Happened To Stephen King's Lawnmower Man?

Virtual Reality is all the craze these days. Heck, Playstation just released their second VR headset just this week. But back in the 90's VR was a pipedream, and not entirely understood. So the fact that someone came along and wanted to make a film about it is surprising. It's even more surprising that someone decided to repurpose an already-written Stephen King story to make their dreams come true. We're getting into all the nitty gritty details of NOT-Stephen King's The Lawnmower Man.
WATCH OR OWN THE FILM HERE: bit.ly/3kJITpI
Written by: Eric Walkuski
Edited, and Narrated by: Tyler Nichols
Produced by: Lance Vlcek and John Fallon
Executive Produced by: Berge Garabedian
SERIES SYNOPSIS: Hollywood has had its fair share of historically troubled productions. Whether it was casting changes, actor deaths, fired directors, in-production rewrites, constant delays, budget cuts or studio edits, these films had every intention to be a blockbuster but were beset with unforeseen disasters. Sometimes huge hits, sometimes box office bombs. Either way, we have to ask: WTF Happened To This Horror Movie?
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#wtf #lawnmowerman #joblohorror

[@Luka__1]

Cobson- He will always be a gem

[@merucrypoison296]

Very interesting how they used his exact face for the thumbnail

[@user-zf5ft2bg5s]

@@merucrypoison296 not really, the movie is literally only remembered for that one frame lmao

[@mrlaz9011]

HWABAG

[@yeetmaster8050]

HWNBAG

[@LawnmowerManHWABAG]

@@merucrypoison296 it's quite literally one of the first images you see when looking up "lawnmower man"

[@vovabars1234]

This movie will always be a gem

[@merucrypoison296]

This movie was so nutty

[@s.franco5744]

I am Cob here

[@qombie]

She touch my gem till i cob

[@stevenulch2764]

No where near the book

[@alexanderkrigov8699]

NUTS!

[@DaleDimm-uh7hi]

Spine-tingling, bone-chilling, and genre defining

[@ferreira991]

Slow burning

[@night.figures]

glistening

[@Randomusername56782]

A real gem from start to end.

[@Ywabag]

Character driven with NO JUMPSCARES

[@gamingdudedonal3312]

I see where you got that from

[@mineradce]

this movie is a gem

[@moritzscheucher1220]

he will always be a gem

[@LifeofSquidMann]

Cobby movie thoughbeit

[@merucrypoison296]

Gem thumbnail 💎

[@NoobwithaBaseballBat]

Not again

[@UserName-hb7hw]

No way you chose to use the Cobson frame in the thumbnail by coincidence.

[@ExUSSailor]

The fact that he disowned this movie means a lot more when you remember, he wrote & directed "Maximum Overdrive" personally.

[@ToddsDiscGolf]

Was that the one where the sentient semi trucks terrorized a group of people trapped in an isolated gas station?

[@ragingwerewolfdude3797]

​@@ToddsDiscGolf yup

[@mjwbulich]

Exactly, anyone capable of creating a masterful work of art like 'Maximum Overdrive' knows when a film has merit or not. A true film auteur like King( I have him second on my list of all time great directors,just after Truffaut and before Kurosawa) knows greatness when he sees it.

[@scottieman2]

And it's still awesome.

[@Hoocegotyoursix]

Maximum overdrive was great.

[@Jan191]

gem

[@mikesantillanmx5530]

People use to mock the CGI of this film for looking so fake, but the intention was never make them look "real". There's an interview with the sfx team and they said the whole team tried to make something abstract with "video aesthetic" instead of something realistic. I think the effects look great considering that and the time they were made.

[@tonoornottono]

yeah that seems like the whole point in my opinion

[@loudmusickillsthepain648]

Some of the effects were of an actual early virtual reality program. They took the VR on tour to malls across the country well before the movie released. I played one the VR games that was shown in the movie.

[@MarquisDeSang]

It was the best CG

[@loudmusickillsthepain648]

@@PeechaLaCosh I don't know the name of it but it is seen in the movie. fuck you anyway if you don't believe me. I don't lie

[@CONGTHEGUERILLA]

Bro think we reading allat 😹

[@gachigasm3210]

He created a gemerald thoughie

[@katie_worshipsbbc4145]

lain sisters.......we lost to cobGODS

[@user-fn2xz8dt8f]

No cobson so coal

[@SHinierthennyourforehead]

THIS UNIVERSE IS MINE I AM COB HERE

[@Squeebus94]

GEM GEMERALD!

[@genericwhitemale9566]

Oh my fauci

[@DamnCredibleFart]

gemerald

[@nickdirienzo2849]

I was fascinated by this movie as a kid, it still sticks with me. It wasn't bad, just instantly dated.

[@toypianos469]

I felt the same. You never know how special effects will hold up, but when it comes to tech you have to be cautious. VR was exiting, disappeared, reappeard, disappeared again... Google glasses came and went in the same year. If you were making a film in 2033 what would cell phones look like?

[@angelaanaconda5837]

Yes. I remembered seeing it in my childhood and it being so weird but interesting it creeped me out but I kept rewatching it 😂😂

[@diamlierx]

i liked it as well

[@krisztianunpronounceable]

I still love it

[@brandansampsan]

Yeah there was something about this movie i really loved

[@rig-zag]

This adaptation was more like a retro cyberpunk version of "Flowers for Algernon". Not surprised to discover the director was tasked with adapting the short story, but opted to make something completely different that he already had in the works. It bears virtually (pun intended) no resemblance to the source material.

[@brianfisher6799]

Came to comments for the Flowers for Algernon mention

[@roddmatsui3554]

I was there working on prosthetic makeup and some animated effects. It was a weird project, I had read the original story, and I knew the script we were filming had nothing to do with that story, and was off in la-la land, in a sense. Many of the prosthetic effects became deleted scenes or were seen only in longer cuts of the film.

[@FogHazard]

Cool! Do you remember which scenes/effects you worked on?

[@jimreaper1337]

Thats pretty awesome

[@abbcc5996]

did you make cobson?

[@meeoo7856]

Source: hey, guys, you actually believed it

[@radicalmaggot7272]

His name is credited as one of the visual effects artists, now are they the actual guy? I would like to believe that but realistically prob not.

[@keklord4128]

Hwabag

[@merucrypoison296]

What are the odds that they actually used his exact face for the thumbnail, is there a possibility this is a fellow chud party member?

[@alikhidzam9007]

Cobson

[@notgedd]

Are there three orange girls in this movie?

[@lukethekuya]

It's not Zellig albeit

[@weaponizedaesthetics4677]

Cobson movie

[@wellsshady]

Kobuson-san, daisuki I rabu Kobuson Uwa uwa uwa OPPA GANGNAM STYLE

[@NeurodivergentSuperiority]

They shall be spared from TND

[@wojakthecrusader1410]

​@@NeurodivergentSuperiority TND? I thought it was TTD?

[@NeurodivergentSuperiority]

@@wojakthecrusader1410 It can be both doe

[@kaspersaldell]

​@@wojakthecrusader1410TND, TTD, TKD

[@freakyjim2131]

HWABAG

[@friedchicken8440]

Cobby on the 'oggy

[@darthwiizius]

Lawnmower man wasn't cheesy at the time, it was astonishing. This was still the early days of CGI and they made an entire film based around CGI.

[@josef_fritzl]

[@pumcaliber7483]

Gemson

[@gtjjo]

gem of a movie :))))

[@markrichards7452]

Her voice is SOOO affirming😍

[@RealSnuuy]

Xher*

[@groidcel]

Gem thumbnail

[@lateralrook]

he became a gem

[@flexsea4387]

"𝐈 𝐀𝐌 𝐂𝐎𝐁 𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄."

[@nutrizzlean]

Slow burning, media defining gem

[@jamesmoss3424]

Jeff Fahey is excellent as Jobe Smith and Pierce Brosnan is excellent as Dr. Lawrence Angelo. 😀👍

[@itzamemario1222]

hwabag

[@wstine79]

I remember watching this on VHS. The virtual reality world was crazy.

[@jennyanydots2389]

Everyone's going back to VHS.... it's the future son. I got the first two Teenaged Mutant Ninja Turtle movies on VHS.

[@jimreaper1337]

@@jennyanydots2389 Floppy Disks are the future (again) 👌

[@merucrypoison296]

Yea me too it was nuts

[@blippitybloo]

DIRECTORS CUT. It's so much better than the theatrical.

[@WordUnheard]

I love that Stephen King called the director, told him he liked the movie, that he was going to "probably sue those bastards", but quickly let the director know that he was fine and that he wasn't going to involve him.

[@archlich4489]

Nuance.

[@mrhobs]

I’d like to read/watch more about that story…

[@shanestephens4728]

@@archlich4489 Go on?

[@82avidfan]

One of my all-time favorites, Glad to see it getting some recognition after all these years.

[@jennyanydots2389]

There are at least two different porn parodies of this movie.

[@82avidfan]

@@jennyanydots2389 I have to know are they vintage or modern

[@TeamWickedOpinion]

The Lawnmower Man is one of my guilty pleasures🤷‍♂

[@spider-ham7140]

CybooomAaan lol That monkey was the best thing in the whole film

[@filmcrit]

Same!

[@FogHazard]

No guilt here! I love it.

[@jimreaper1337]

Yup, it's just one of those movies that just grabs you with it's weirdness

[@mrhobs]

I just bought it on Blu-ray like a month ago. Gonna be fun when I finally watch it again for the first time since like ‘99 or something lol.

[@seamus333]

gemmy

[@TheRealPsychoGeniusRevengeance]

Cob

[@victorytothepeople]

As a kid this movie was sooo crazy good!

[@vampirascoffin870]

always remember I used to rent this on video from 1993-2001

[@jimreaper1337]

@@vampirascoffin870 yeah got my dad to regularly rent this from Blockbuster back in the day

[@eins2001]

It looked incredible back then

[@trollwaffenunit1garrison784]

the gem that saved the sharty

[@merucrypoison296]

This is the first soyparty comment congratulations chud 🥳

[@FreshHambrgr]

I AM COB HERE

[@zachwhitehorn7926]

I love this movie and can’t understand why Jeff fahey didn’t become a household name still on everyone’s lips. Nice to see him pop up here and there in modern films and tv.

[@nocap4557]

Jeff showed up on Machete and Planet Terror he’s awesome.

[@chinchillaka]

Loved him in the film "Body Parts". Well worth checking out.

[@thecosmicscream918]

He was in Lost. Always like his acting...

[@Chuck_EL]

​@@chinchillaka I saw that at the Theater great film and it has a very scary villian

[@grapeshot]

My birth cry will be all the phone ringing around the world in unison.

[@jart1984]

The film that produced coalson (gemson albiet, snopes said so)

[@thecunninlynguist]

I just remember that weird VR sexy time scene

[@SylvesterAshcroft88]

This movie felt like it was so far ahead of it's time, and it's actually one of my favourite films ever, mainly for the more abstract ideas in the film, as well as the incredible acting of the cast involved, as well as the sad death of one of the characters, which causes Jobe to go absolutely insane on the shop security.

[@Casketkrusher_]

This movie is a masterpiece, this was before CGI was being used commonly. I mean it looks primitive and it reeks early 90s but at the time this was never done before atleast to my knowledge.

[@Stonetemplepilot45]

Makes me love it even more, it served as warning for where we are now with internet/VR

[@OomaGooma]

I like this movie. Jeff Fahey and Pierce Brosnan were fun to watch in it.

[@MichaelMartin-qe5ye]

I saw this movie in the theater with my dad. The part in the VR program where Jobe turns into a fly and traumatizes the sexy neighbor until she's catatonic was pretty scary to everyone watching the movie.

[@ccb.8603]

I was curious about that. I saw this in 94. I didn't understand why he did that

[@NotSexualAtAll]

He would let you option his movies for like a $1. That's why there's so many mixed quality adaptations. That was the "Dollar Baby" program. It just got disbanded, too. Oh, and.. The Lawnmower Man was actually one of them.

[@BipolarBowler]

It was hilarious to me when Pierce Brosnan and Troy Evans (the police lieutenant) interacted. It was like a cartoon colliding with a cologne commercial.

[@EdwardAMartinez]

hello, I enjoyed your video about the Lawnmower man; you bring up some good points. I have a bit of history with Brett Leonard, I worked with him on his first film, The Dead Pit (mentioned at 3:31). I was the special effects director and the film had loads of practical effects. It was a mad doctor runs amok zombie movie. and the star of Dead Pit plays the priest who abuses Jobe in Lawnmower man. RIP Jeremy Slate. 💀🙂

[@tenaciousrodent6251]

One of those "Just run with it!"- experiences. I personally liked it a lot!

[@SteveOnotsky]

The PC video game was quite the experience. The mini-games were difficult, but rewarding when you figured them out. I still listen to the soundtrack from that game to this day.

[@FogHazard]

Played The Lawnmower Man and Cyberwar on PC since I was about 4. Love the soundtrack to this day.

[@stevekasan3105]

I really dig this movie. It's fascinating to see early 90s concepts regarding VR and cyberspace. There's à bunch of early Internet movies with wild ideas. I always thought that Ben Stiller took his Simple Jack idea from Fahey No wonder this movie looks great the people involved with those interior lighting

[@thecosmicscream918]

When I was a teenager we watched this at parties and talked about how we couldn't wait for VR to come out and be like this.. . Fast Forward to today and it's 10x better than we could of ever imagined...

[@mikeyfn-a6684]

I gotta say I didn't hate this movie as a kid, but I'd have to watch again with old man eyes and mind, no seriously I'm 43 and I'm SERIOUSLY trying to write this properly. Bless auto fill! 😅

[@RogueAOV]

I think it is important to note the reason why so many King stories get adapted, he sells the rights for one dollar to aspiring film makers to help them get started (and i am sure he makes money on the back end on top of the free advertising for his books)

[@gingergreek]

It's not King...it's better. This film is great. When I first saw it as a kid I was blown away by the effects and CGI. Jeff Fahey's career not going anywhere really bugs me to this day

[@jugghead82]

For me I remember liking this one Jeff Fahey is a Legend Body Parts is another GOOD One

[@MtnSmithy]

Love the idea of filmmakers trying to make Pierce Brosnan look bad and failing.

[@Sonofholhorse]

As a child (I was seven at the time), I would run screaming from the commercials on TV when ads for this aired; there was something always oddly uncanny and off-putting about Jobe's VR visage that just struck a primal fear in me. As I grew older and gained an appreciation for horror, I ended up watching and enjoying The Lawnmower Man and have a weird softspot for it today. It's not perfect by any measure, but it has some very interesting themes (especially in the emerging age of the technology) and I feel like Fahey and Brosnan elevated the material above just being schlock. Nowadays it feels like a really-upscale Made For TV film, which isn't a bad thing especially (as was touched on in the video) as a King adaptation, however loosely it is adapted.

[@lokisingularity3394]

Loved this movie when I was a kid. I was excited for VR and the future. It kinda fizzles out, but looks like it's making a comeback now that tech is catching up. May have been ahead of its time on VR.

[@RavenWalks27]

After watching Rick and Morty's Lawnmower Dog, I read the short story Lawnmower Man and was so freaking confused about how the two could possibly be connected.

[@Emulous79]

I saw this at the cinema as a teen. Quite the trippy experience.

[@AztecAryan]

I saw it as a soyteen

[@merucrypoison296]

Different teens are now seeing this decades later that is the true power of this movie

[@Scott...]

I think it’s funny how it was disowned despite being probably the most accurate depiction of what Stephen King’s mind looks like

[@JokersVsZombies]

The SNES game was fuckin awesome

[@nipzie]

First off...that movie is amazing. The concept of it is absolutely stellar. Sadly they didn't have the tech to pull it off. Now, it's a clear candidate for a reboot.

[@theelder4797]

Remake in maybe 10 years, it would be hot dumpster 🔥 these days. Jobe would be Job-ette, a disabled, single mother with an Afro weave, who beats up the gas station bully BEFORE getting VR powers, Pierce Brosnan's character would be a F to M transformer who went from making hormones for 5 year olds to accidentally making nootropics when a lightning bolt accident in her/his lab jumped her/his IQ by 20 points. And Brosnan's son, who is non-binary, and goes by they/them, was someone she/he was helping to transition behind they/them's parents backs, before meeting Job-ette, wound up dye-eeng from hew-wyte supreme pizzas (because all str8 hew-wyte men are like that), and after being resuscitated, began the high IQ/transition combo therapy, and that's the story, forget all that sci-fi stuff, this is produced and will premier on Netflix.

[@Kthomasritchie]

Night Shift was such a great book to read. I remember it fondly.

[@lukasketner]

I would absolutely play a Lawnmower Man game on modern VR if it mashed up all that great cyberpunk camp with a "years later" story in a clever way.

[@JG_Wentworth]

Best we'll probably get is an inspired project from the concepts the movie had. Waaay better imo, less restrictions and more open potential, some of TLM's ideas would translate to modern VR somewhat...awkwardly, to say the least.

[@stolenalt]

I love how in the book the Lawnmower Man is a person. Seriously, the main character just relaxes and when he walks outside he sees the dude eating his lawn and a mole before he faints.

[@themachodan13]

As a kid I got this mixed up with a Hellraiser movie on the Movie channels here in Canada in the late 90’s, watched this thinking it was a Hellraiser and actually didn’t watch the Hellraiser series until like 8-10 years ago because of that mix up

[@TheGreatK0rnholio]

Oh my science! What a genre-defining slow-burn gem!

[@NeurodivergentSuperiority]

[Insert obligatory Cobson comment about him being a gem]

[@fizola88]

i have seen it in 1995 as 7 y.o. on our local TV... I had no idea what I just saw, but I was so overwhelmed by it, it was like the best movie, I wanted to somehow show to all my friends. Ended up just talking about it. Then we finally saw it in 2002, after Matrix, when I told them it is even better than Matrix... rest is history and I still get laughs after all those years

[@meeoo7856]

Yeah, that was awkward

[@briankenney2463]

David Koresh loved this movie which was fitting

[@ShirDeutch]

This was my favorite movie for a long while back in the day. Lots of memorable quotes, and Jeff Fahey gives the performance of a lifetime - he literally hasn't been this good since. The ending was simply perfect - until the sequel came along and ruined it, of course.

[@tonoornottono]

the SNES game was one of my favorites as a kid

[@bgm1975]

I enjoyed this movie and own the longer cut. Also considering King hated Kubrick's The Shining and wrote & directed Maximum Overdrive, it's hard to take his opinion seriously. However I do agree his name shouldn't be on the title since it has nothing to do with his story.

[@Stuart267]

Stephen King has always been an arrogant douchebag, now he just seems like a bitter old man who's more likely to be found whining on Twitter than writing anything worth reading.

[@ashesbaby266]

I find Kubrick’s Shining overrated.

[@lobsterblacc9478]

​@@ashesbaby266opinions are like buttholes. Everybody has one

[@ToddsDiscGolf]

I DO remember playing that Super Nintendo game. I remember at the time I thought it was so cool.

[@Reneebenson]

I love the directors cut

[@michaelmule4582]

I AM COB HERE!

[@benjywalsh]

I absolutely loved this when it came out ❤ Ps I hate remakes, but this should definitely be remade❤

[@jimreaper1337]

Yeah have wanted a remake of this for ages... But lately Hollywood has gone down the drain with their woke agenda

[@marchingham]

I actually really enjoy this movie for the most part! I love the dated graphics because it really hones in on the time period. Plus, I honestly don't know if they could have cast two more charismatic, beautiful men as the leads. Recommend the movie dumpster podcast episode reviewing this movie. It's a hoot!

[@51X_D3MON_B49]

Damn I'm old, I remember watching this in the theater

[@thecooldude7151]

Angel Studios, the studio responsible for the cgi sequences would go on to make video games, mainly Midtown Madness, a success that would have Rockstar distribute Smugglers Run and Midnight Club, another success especially the second aforementioned game that Rockstar would buy out the developer and change the name to San Diego for red dead revolver, they are now apart of Rockstar Studios, but they are still alive

[@SmashAtoms]

Never knew this director was responsible for the Dead Pit. I remember renting it from the video store just because the zombie’s eyes on the cover lit up.

[@jennyanydots2389]

Was that the movie with the basement dog gRape scenes?

[@Kimarnic]

Gemmy

[@jacksontodd7248]

always wondered about this movie, I am actually currently reading the the night shift for the first time and I’m on the story called “battleground”.

[@LowellMorgan]

When this movie was released the effects were absolutely stunning.

[@c.ladimore1237]

the VR scenes were just bad even for the time, but that weird metaballs-blob death effect still holds up today. that must have been so hard to figure out

[@clbaker8356]

The Lawnmower Man could only be adapted as part of an anthology like Creepshow. This film is pretty much an in name only adaptation

[@glyndwr15]

What makes King's books so readable isn't the plot or even the idea behind the stories, it's the interior dialogue of the characters, which is something difficult to translate to film. It can be done though, but it actually requires a director that knows what they're doing.

[@kabbablabba4073]

cobson WABAG