The Diary Of Ellen Rimbauer (DVD, 2003)

A PREQUEL TO THE HIT STEPHEN KING'S ROSE RED,THE DIARY OF ELLEN RIMBAUER UNVEILS THE TWISTED MARRIAGE OF A MATRIARCH TO A PROMISCUOUS EARLY 20TH-CENTURY INDUSTRIALIST AND THE HAUNTED BEGINNINGS OF AN ENORMOUS SEATTLE MANSION THAT HAS COME TO LIFE.

I am a Stephen King and haunted house story fan, so I was excited to watch this prequel to King's movie, Rose Red. Set in the early 1900's a young and naive Ellen falls in love with and marries a much older and very powerful oil tycoon, named John. However, soon after thier marriage her feelings of love and admiration for him turn into love/hate, as she discovers he has an unsatiable and depraved sexual appetite and has committed numerous marital indiscretions. She wants his love and attention, yet it is always just out of her reach. She also begins to feel ashamed by her own feelings of sexuality- feelings that being with John brings out in her... Then strange things begin to happen. It begins when one of John's mistresses disappears in her house (which she has affectionately named, Rose Red). At first she believes that the house is acting as her allay- to punish those who have betrayed her. But later she realizes that the power that lies in the house is much deeper and darker than she could ever have imagined...

I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of continuity between this movie and Rose Red. The background/theme music and even a few of the same actors are the same. Although this movie is only LOOSELY based on the book of the same name, the main themes and end results are much in the same. The strong sexual component that is found in the book is also present in the movie (although the movie doesn't take it nearly as far as the book does). I would have enjoyed this movie much more if there had been more resolution at the end. It didn't seem as finished as the book ending. The story just kind of stops.

If you like this movie I highly recommend watching Rose Red and reading the book- The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer.

[**NOTE that both Rose Red and this movie are based on the book, The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer, which was NOT written by King- along with stories about the real-life Winchester Mansion in CA. Rose Red focuses on the story of the HOUSE, while this focuses on the story of ELLEN.**]

Set at the turn of the century, this is the tale of Ellen Rimbauer who just received this mysterious mansion as a wedding gift from her new husband. Her husband is a Seattle oil tycoon who has a dark past which Ellen eventually finds out about. She becomes fearful of her husband when she learns of some disappearances of people that were close to him. Also there are some unexplained happenings at the Rose Red Mansion that might have a connection to these people who have disappeared. Now Ellen is worried she might be next.

This is a Great movie by STEPHEN KING..Ok If you don't own ROSE RED...you got to get it watch ROSE RED first then this movie.. it will remind you of the WINCHESTER MANSION..Both movies were filmed at the THORNEWOOD CASTLE...Which you can read about on line they have a website...also Stephen King wanted to film these two movies at the WINCHESTER HOUSE but the rooms there were to small..Anyhow these are two great movies and you will be on the edge of your set...the endings will surprise you I know i was.......A must to own both of them i'm glad i did......
{Mrs. puman}

I purchased The Diary Of Ellen Rimbauer after watching it's related movie Rose Red. The movie was okay..it left out many things from the book that could have made it really good. There were changes/inaccuracies that negated & detracted from the story line. Overall, it was a decent movie but could have been so much better, given the quality of the excellent movies based on Stephen King novels in the past.
(this is a review of the MOVIE, NOT the seller..they were awesome!)

The diary of Ellen Rimbauer is yet another movie trying to make money off Stephen Kings name. The movie does not even shadow the first movie Rose Red, This is supposed to be a prequel but is a total flop.
So many of Stephen Kings books have been buthered on screen but this is one of the worst, Not only is this a bad movie but King did not even write it they use his name to make money and for people that have not read his work this just makes him look bad.