Scott LeBrun This engaging adaptation of the novel, which Stephen King wrote under his Richard Bachman pseudonym, stars the under rated Robert John Burke as Billy Halleck. Billy is a lawyer in Maine who happens to be grossly overweight. After he accidentally runs down an elderly Gypsy woman, his judge (John Horton) and cop (Daniel von Bargen) friends conspire to help Billy avoid any punishment. This infuriates the old womans' even more ancient father (Michael Constantine, "My Big Fat Greek Wedding"), who places one of those old fashioned Gypsy curses on Billy. Stroking Billy's cheek, he utters one word: "Thinner". Soon, Billy is rapidly losing weight, which he enjoys at first, until he realizes that he really is going to waste away to nothing unless something is done.Just personally speaking, this viewer has a blast with this particular King story. Yes, it's unrelentingly downbeat, but he didn't mind that so much. And it's true: other than Billy's daughter Linda (Bethany Joy Lenz), there isn't a single character in the story who's remotely sympathetic. Still, this viewer found it refreshing that so many people here turn out to be such a-holes. It's a highly entertaining tale, well told by co-screenwriter and director Tom Holland ("Fright Night", "Child's Play"). And it's fortunately not completely without a sense of humor, although the humor tends towards the dark.There's wonderful music by Daniel Licht, but the real marvel of the movie is the astonishing, convincing makeup effects (supervised by Oscar winner Greg Cannom) that transform the thin Burke into an obese man. There's also a gem of a supporting performance by the always entertaining Joe Mantegna as a mafia man whom Billy had successfully defended in court. Therefore, the mobster feels indebted to the lawyer, and is more than willing to help Billy in his quest to convince the ancient Gypsy to remove the curse. The supporting cast is solid right down the line, with Lucinda Jenney as Billy's possibly unfaithful wife (the script tries to leave this aspect as ambiguous as possible), Sam Freed as a doctor friend, the intoxicatingly sexy Kari Wuhrer as Constantines' great granddaughter, Elizabeth Franz in a bravura turn as Hortons' wife, and Peter Maloney as an information provider. Director Hollands' son Josh plays Frank Spurton; King has his usual cameo (playing a pharmacist). What is a real laugh is the fact that actress Irma St. Paule, as the accident victim, actually looks OLDER than Constantine!Good gloomy fun, but it won't be to all "tastes", especially the ending.Eight out of 10.

padawanmovies *contains spoiler possibly* Just found myself wanting to watch something new after working out... Saw this on a list of things that were leaving Netflix in May so I said "what the hey, let's give this a try" Although I haven't read the book the book I find the premise Fascinating & Frightening: grossly obese man cursed to becoming as thin as a skeleton. I'm not a horror/gore person but I thought this would have just enough to not completely gross me out(it did not minus that one scene in the car with that cute younger dude). I agree the acting was laughable as well as the fat suit. My biggest critique is with the ending. I haven't the faintest idea where the main character got the idea of his wife's infidelity from or why the story switched from Billy's revenge on the gypsy chief to trying to kill his wife and the man he THINKS she's sleeping with! Plus what was the deal with mantegna's character becoming more obsessed with killing the gypsies than billy?? Also nothing gets resolved nor was there a cliffhanger. I think had the second half of the movie been better I woulda given a higher rating. Think being inebriated and having a free afternoon/night would make this more enjoyable :) OK decided to watch again after reading the other comments and found the movie to b worse than my initial rating of 3! The acting from EVERYONE was lifetime quality (maybe worse) like when Leda tells Bill about her husband dying she says"he always wanted to be cremated" after running into a gas truck. Who says that after their husband jus died? Plus the final line of the movie: horrendous. And the actor playing Bill (that steely cold demeanor works on SVU) but in this he seemed better suited for a serial killer role. Ultimately I think this movie would've been better if it was really scary or if it played on the bad acting as a dark comedy

ericrnolan "Thinner" (1996) was a fun enough outing; I'd give it an 8 out of 10. You can easily tell that this story originated with Stephen King. Only he can take an antiquated plot device like a gypsy curse and actually make it frightening.I do get the sense that screenwriters Michael McDowell and Tom Holland stuck closely to the original novel (which I have not read). It seems like a character-focused story; I'll bet the original prose really explored the incongruous friendship between Robert John Burke's mild-mannered attorney and Joe Mantegna's apparently psychotic mobster. I'll bet that King's unique style would have perfectly rendered certain plot points in the movie, such as one key conversation being overheard early on.I feel like an idiot ... For the life of me, I thought that actress Kari Wuhrer was Marissa Tomei. Her resemblance in this movie is striking. I can't be the only one who made that mistake, can I? Anyway, I really panned Wuhrer's performance in 2005's disappointing "Hellraiser: Deader." But she is damn terrific here in her role as the beautiful banshee adversary -- she damn near steals the movie. Also outstanding is Michael Constantine as her haggard, curse- casting gypsy father.

Python Hyena Thinner (1996): Dir: Tom Holland / Cast: Robert John Burke, Joe Mantegna, Kari Wuhrer, Michael Constantine, Lucinda Jenney: Gruesome horror film about evaporation. It stars Robert John Burke as a lawyer with an eating disorder. On his way home one evening he accidentally hits an elderly woman with his car and she dies. Seeing that Burke is a respected lawyer he is rendered innocent by the judge and arresting officer but outside the courthouse he is touched by an old gypsy with a curse that will evaporate him regardless how much he eats. To add to problems his wife is having an affair. The judge and arresting officer are cursed also but he is advised to seek revenge. Interesting concept is quite detailed but wayward. Directed by Tom Holland who previously made one of the best vampire films of the 1980's in Fright Night. He also made the doll possessed Child's Play. Burke plays his role with subtle humour despite plans that don't quite fan out. Joe Mantegna is interesting as a client who owes Burke favors. He is a criminal who answers Burke's problem by disrupting the gypsies. Kari Wuhrer plays a gypsy girl given a unique interrogation. Michael Constantine steals scenes as the old gypsy who may have met his match. Lucinda Jenney plays Burke's cheating wife who may meet karma. Clever horror about consequences that evaporate our senses. Score: 8 / 10