[KING'S CORNER] Autopsy Room Four (2003)

Autopsy Room Four - King's Corner Review

Welcome to King's Corner. A recurring series of reviews based on the film and TV adaptations of Stephen King's novels and collections, reviewed and released in order of the original source material publishing date.

Director: Mikael Salamon

Starring: Richard Thomas, Greta Scacchi, Robert Mammone, Robyn Arthur

Written by: April Smith

Produced by: Jeffrey M Hayes, John J McMahon

Cinematography by: John Stokes

Original Score by: Jeff Beal

Synopsis:

After being bitten by a snake on holiday playing golf, Howard Cottrell wakes up at the hospital paralyzed, unable to communicate, he is the key witness to his own autopsy.

Thoughts:

There are many ways to die in a Stephen King story. Some are kinder than others but the ones that really stick out are the cruel and gruesome ones. The worst that come to mind right away are the likes of the surgeon turned drug smuggler Richard Pine, who resorts to eating himself to survive on a desolate rock in 'Survivor Type'. Another is Eduard Delacroix whose execution by electric chair is sabotaged by the cowardly guard Percy Wetmore in 'The Green Mile' leading him to die in excruciating pain. Of course there are countless other ways in which characters have died horribly, but what of those who are on the cusp of death’s door and there is nothing they can do to stop it? That is the basis of the short story, 'Autopsy Room Four'. 

The story was first published in the 1997 anthology collection 'Robert Bloch's Psychos' before being added to the limited edition collection 'Six Stories' in the same year. It was later included in the 2002 anthology 'Everything’s Eventual'. It follows an average Joe called Howard Cottrell, who wakes up in a state of bodily paralysis only to find he is on a slab in a morgue about to have an autopsy performed on him. With time running out he has to find a way to warn the coroners that he is still alive. In the notes section of 'Everything’s Eventual', King writes about how an episode of 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents' influenced his story. In the episode titled 'Breakdown' a man is so badly injured in a car accident that he is presumed dead. In the end he is saved in the nick of time by shedding a single tear. King opted for a more (in his own words) “modern” approach to prove Howard Cottrell’s liveliness making for a tense story that isn’t without a sense of humour. In a unique twist this story also influenced the episode of 'Lost' titled 'Exposé' featuring Nikki and Paulo.

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Even though it is from the collection 'Everything’s Eventual', it was adapted for the anthology series, 'Nightmares & Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King' where it sits well amongst a diverse range of stories from King. On the show it served as the seventh episode of the series and was directed by Mikael Salomon (who also directed the episode The End of the Whole Mess). It was written by April Smith who also wrote the fantastical noir episode 'Umney's Last Case'. The challenge facing them though was creating a 45 minute episode of television from the perspective of a man who is unable to move. 

The way in which they achieve this is by making the move from being told entirely inside the locked in mind of Howard Cottrell (played by Richard Thomas) to something more exterior exploring the full extent of his situation and the people involved in it. There are a series of flashbacks interspersed throughout the episode which expand upon how he has ended up in this situation and it also explores the relationship with his partner Angela (played by Jude Beaumont). They work quite well at breaking the tension of the ticking clock framing device that hangs over the episode. 

What keeps the episode tense throughout is the inner monologue from Thomas. In a role where he is more or less lying motionless for the entirety of the show, his voice acting is perfectly modulated to the tone of the story. He is giving a vocal performance that wouldn’t be out of line in an episode of the original run of 'The Twilight Zone' with his cynical quips and cries of desperation that align to the arch nature of the episode.

LISTEN TO THE DISSECTION PODCAST

A lot of the humour comes from the playful nature in which Salomon handles the episode from behind the camera. The manner in which the strings are plucked and the gentle nature of the piano playing in Jeff Beal’s score further adds to this. All of it emanates from Smith’s unashamedly mischievous script which takes a lot of King’s story and adds a lot of innuendo based banter (especially with the flirtatious back and forth between the coroners Katie and Peter, who push the boundaries of their professional relationship) before the big reveal in the finale. To spoil this reveal would undo the brilliantly absurd nature of it. The only drawback with all of this humour is that it is sometimes overdone and dilutes the tension too much but it is also what makes it unique compared to the show the story draws inspiration from. 

At its core, 'Autopsy Room Four' is about one man’s growth for survival (wink wink, nudge nudge). It is an intriguing premise that is presented in a darkly comedic fashion that makes for a pacey piece of television. Richard Thomas gives a great vocal performance that sets and maintains the tone throughout in line with April Smith’s gleeful dialogue. It stands as one of the better episodes from the 'Nightmares and Dreamscapes' television show and a fine adaptation of the source material in its own right. 

Verdict: ⭐️⭐️⭐️½

-Joseph McElroy