The Silver Bullet wheelchair was created by Dean Kamen in 1989. It was designed to be an all-terrain wheelchair for disabled people. It gained popularity after it appeared in a 1992 episode of L.A. Law.
However, the Silver Bullet wheelchair is no longer made and it’s not clear what became of the company that made it.
Students at the University of Utah did try to revive it in 2016. They created another Silver Bullet wheelchair that year. It was designed to give disabled people more independence and was a prototype of a powered wheelchair that you can control with a joystick or through voice commands.
The design team behind the Silver Bullet wheelchair won a $1 million prize in the Unlimited Mobility Challenge run by Toyota. It was hoped that the prize money would help in bringing the wheelchair — inspired in part by the 1985 Stephen King Movie, Silver Bullet, which featured a disabled main character – to market.
Unfortunately, the company that made the wheelchair has since gone out of business and this model — which looked futuristic, sleek, and was the pride and joy of many of its users — has now largely been forgotten.
There aren’t many of them nowadays, and they’re becoming ever rarer. Nevertheless, you might be lucky enough to find one if you know where to look.
Despite the sad end of the Silver Bullet wheelchair, I still think finding out more about the movie that inspired it has merit, as you never know when another movie starring a wheelchair user as a main character, like The Theory of Everything or My Left Foot, might inspire a group of people to create a wheelchair or mobility aid that will help make the world more inclusive so that more people will be able to experience all life has to offer.
Read on to find out more about this 1985 cult classic, based on the Stephen King novella, Cycle of the Werewolf.
Why is Marty in a wheelchair in Silver Bullet?
The protagonist of the movie is Marty Coslaw, a young boy confined to a wheelchair because he’s paralyzed below his waist. He is portrayed by Corey Haim in Silver Bullet. Despite his disability, Marty is determined to live a normal life and likes spending time with family and friends.
In the novella, Cycle of the Werewolf, Marty is blind and not a wheelchair user. However, before shooting the movie, it was decided that in the film he would have paralysis as this would allow Cory Haim to play Marty.
Later, I’ll discover how Marty became paralyzed. Now though, let’s see how Marty gets the Silver Bullet in the movie.
Who owns the Silver Bullet wheelchair?
In the movie, his uncle, Red, gives Marty a custom-built wheelchair which he nicknames the “Silver Bullet.” Red also gives him some fireworks. Marty takes the Silver Bullet out to a bridge in the middle of the night, where he lights the fireworks.
Where was the movie Silver Bullet filmed?
The fictional town that Silver Bullet is set in is called Tarker’s Mill. It’s a small town located in Maine with a population of around 3,000 people. The town is a settlement around a lake and is surrounded by forest.
The film was shot in California, primarily in the San Bernardino National Forest. Other filming locations used included Idyllwild-Pine Cove, Big Bear Lake, and Wrightwood.
The story follows young Marty Coslaw as he tries to uncover the identity of a werewolf that has been terrorizing his town. With the help of his Uncle Red and his sister Jane, he sets out to find the werewolf before it can attack again. Now it’s time to find out how Marty ended up paralyzed.
How did Marty end up paralyzed in Silver Bullet?
In Silver Bullet, Marty Coslaw is left paralyzed from the waist down as the result of a childhood ilness. It leaves him with a with serve damage to his spinal cord and means he must use a wheelchair for the rest of his life.
Surgery to try and repair the damage is unsuccessful. As a result, he must rely on others for help with almost everything.
Marty discovers that his town is being terrorized by a werewolf and sets out to stop it with the help of his uncle Red.
A remake of Silver Bullet has been in the works for years, but there have more recently been signs of progress. In 2016, Paramount Pictures hired Dirk Wittenborn to write a new version of the script.
The 1985 version was directed by Dan Attias and is narrated by Marty’s sister, Jane.
Did Stephen King have a cameo in Silver Bullet?
Stephen King is well known for having cameos in many of his films, including in Pet Cemetery, as a priest. He had an anonymous role in Silver Bullet as one of the parishioners in a dream sequence.
Before wrapping up this piece. I’ll briefly touch up the idea of modifying a wheelchair, as the wheelchair in Silver Bullet was modified too. The wheelchair in Silver Bullet is a cross between a wheelchair and a motorbike.
Can you modify a wheelchair?
You can alter and customize some wheelchairs. It’s a bit like customizing a car. You can present yourself to the outside world however you choose. The aim is usually to make your wheelchair more comfortable and easier to use.
You could:
- Have custom cushions.
- Add cup holders.
- Add LED caster wheels.
- Add spoke reflectors.
Summary: Where is the Silver Bullet wheelchair now?
So, there you have it. Hopefully, you had fun learning about the Silver Bullet wheelchair. Why not give Silver Bullet a watch when you get the chance? It might even be a good one for Halloween or a Friday Night Horror Movie Marathon.
Great work It was a thrill to work on a film set with Corey. He made no notice that I am half paralyzed, very refreshing in a world that is so focused on negativity. He was one of the good ones.