The Stephen King movie thread - Page 2

I think Darabont has always talked up wanting to do it, but I can't remember there being any substantial news concerning any real movement on the project. Other than The Jaunt, Long Walk may be the only King adaptation I'm still waiting to see filmed.

I don't think Carrie is as good a film as The Shining exactly, but all of DePalma's Depalmaisms work more for me in Carrie than anything else. The performances are top notch all around, and I really care about the characters a lot. She's so fucking happy during that prom, it kills me every time. I keep hoping that maybe this time the movie will be a happy teen drama about an outcast who gains the school's acceptance.

That walk to the stage is some of the most excruciating use of slow-mo I've ever seen. I can see it going on too long for some, but for me, it's perfect.

CUJO the book is nutsy. Was my favorite King reading experience (though not fav book), which I won't bore y'all with here. Fun fact: in ON WRITING King confesses that he has absolutely no memory of writing CUJO.

Sad, cause his stuff just was never quite the same once he sobered up. Sigh.

Anybody got feelings on King movies that are BETTER than the books? It's been a long time since I read it, but I think I like THE SHINING film better than the book.

I believe it's widely accepted that The Shining is better than the book. I think Carrie is better than it's book, but I'm not a fan of the novel's format.

Shawshank Redemption is probably better than the short story.

I did like that the film SHAWSHANK condensed the three wardens into one to make him more of a villain.

The other thing I dug about The Dead Zone was that it was the first of the early adaptations to really embrace the shit out of King's New England settings. Snowy, Pepperidge Farm accents on all the old people.

In my dreams I'd love to hear that someone gave Romero the financing to do another Creepshow and he went to King to script five more tales of terror. In my dreams. Of course, even in my wishful thinking, all the stories would have to be centered around vengeful zombies for him to even get a shoestring budget to work with. I wouldn't mind, though. You'd also have to get Savini on board as well.


To this day I still can't believe that some company had the rights to make a Creepshow sequel and they just shat out some awful direct to video travesty. I love Creepshow so much that I find the very idea of that DTV sequel existing disrespectful. There may have been no hope of a good movie coming from it but that doesn't mean you can't try a little.

Not to mention there's a fourth sure to be shitty DTV sequel coming out and I'm pretty they also did some shitty web shorts under the Creepshow banner.

Creepshow never hurt anyone. It's only brought joy to all who have experienced it. It deserved better.

ETA: Oh crap... Creepshow 3D http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/news/18055

I should correct myself, apparently the 4th Creepshow movie is the WB remake. Though that still has a good chance of being shit, but at least it seems to be out of the hand so of Taurus Entertainment, who were the cocksuckers behind the part 3 and the shitty Day of the Dead sequel and remake.

And it looks like the web series, titled Creepshow Raw never got past the first episode, which starred Michael Madsen.

I've only read parts of The Shining, but I can certainly agree that the movie is better than the book. Haven't read Carrie, but the slow motion opening of Carrie blissfully taking a shower, then becoming horrified at her first menstrual cycle.

All the naked girls running around didn't hurt either.

I recently picked up a collection called The Bachman books which has Rage, The Long Walk, Roadwork, and The Running Man.

I haven't read any of them, save for some of The Running Man, but the fact that The Running Man movie isn't anything like the book makes it a must read. Also since Rage is OOP, that's something else I'd like to read.

Coincidentally, a few days ago I took out my SE of Cujo so I can revisit it. Still need to listen to the commentary.

Dolores Claiborne is a really great little movie. It's a pity it's mostly forgotten these days, as it's a stellar performance piece, with Kathy Bates and Judy Parfitt in particular worthy of accolades they somehow never got. And Christopher Plummer, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and David Strathairn!
For some reason, I'm not super-fond of Misery, because it seems to have an ugly undertone of misogyny.

Cujo is lots of fun to read, and probably a worthwhile revisit.

I've always thought Spileberg would do a hell of a job with a King adaptation, or at least 80s Spielberg doing 80s King. They were both gripping populists, and combined suburban normalcy with the supernatural. He was gonna do Talisman for a long ass time, but nothing came of it. But what I really would have enjoyed was Spielberg's Salem's Lot, although even now he probably doesn't have the dark streak to fully engage with it.

Favorites: The Mist, The Shining, Carrie, Creepshow and Misery.

All-in-all, most of King's stories just aren't that cinematic. I think the most successful adaptations are the one's where the director has a different vision, a la The Shining and The Mist. Most of the films are just dreck; Dreamcatcher is one of the few movie's I've ever walked out on. The Green Mile is well made, but I think it's overly-sentimental fluff.

The Mist is certainly top 10 King. Saw it when it was released to theaters and the pre-release hype was not overblown. I knew I was watching a masterpiece.

I also quite like Thinner. Joe Mantegna steals the movie, and it's just one depressing downbeat film.

The Langoliers in probably the most accurate in terms of the least deviation from the book.

One of my favourite shorts, along with Survivor Type. I'd always assumes EVENT HORIZON was a loose adaptation.

Pet Semetary's greatest asset is Miko Hughes. Horrid looking thing. I've never read the book, so I don't know how it plays in that but the parents deserve everything they get, they're so bloody inept: i've got an idea! let's fly a kite 100 metres away from a main road, "hey son, fetch!".

The film would have probably worked better with someone else in the father role, Midkiff looks and sounds bored throughout.

I think it's funny that Gage is hit by a tractor-trailer, and he has nothing but a scratch above his eye. The book is much better, however, it's a bit hammy, too.

"It's eternity in there."

Survivor Type sounds like it would make a good tv episode. Never read it, but the story on Wikipedia sounds pretty disturbing. "Lady fingers, they taste like lady fingers."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Survivor_Type

Thirding The Jaunt. Shit still creeps me out just thinking about it.

When I make my fortune, I'm sinking a shitload of cash into a legit adaptation of THE RUNNING MAN. Sure, I'll have to come up with a new ending - I'm pretty sure audiences won't go for the existing one - but I really want the Arnold version stricken from the record.

My favourite King adaptations? Frank Darabont is three for three (I love THE GREEN MILE), Rob Reiner is two for two, CARRIE is great (has anyone seen the telemovie with MAY's Angela Bettis in the title role?) and DOLORES CLAIBORNE is pretty darn effective. But I probably dig THE DEAD ZONE most of all. (Also, the TV series with Anthony Michael Hall started well but eventually ran out of puff.)

There's some good stuff in the IT and STAND miniseries (mainly Tim Curry and Jamey Sheridan as the villains), but I'd love them to get a do-over.

My dream projects? Gary Ross tackles horror with a faithful SALEM'S LOT remake (if he can handle the scary aspects well, I think Ross' sturdy, all-American style would be great for this). The M. Night Shyamalan who made SIXTH SENSE and SIGNS remakes PET SEMATARY. And George Miller, Peter Weir or Peter Jackson finally brings THE TALISMAN to the screen.

Oh, and Darabont gets carte blanche to make THE LONG WALK any way he sees fit.

Am I really going to be the only person who says they prefer the book of 'The Shining' to the film? To be fair the two are so different that's it's hardly fair to compare them. I know it's gone down in law that King hates the film, but I believe that he said that as a horror film it's fantastic, but as an adaptation of his book it sucks. Which is certainly a fair point to make. It's obviously a very personal story for King which is why he seemed so intent on getting it 'right' (Wrong).

There's a tragic arc to Torrence in the book that the film lacks, and that's what makes it work for me. Yes the ending is daft to say the least, but the rest of the book works great.

And the lack of love for 'Storm of the Century' here is making me sad.

You're right, James, STORM OF THE CENTURY has some good stuff, especially Colm Feore's ultra-creepy Andre Linoge.

It also has a great kicker of an ending. It's unusually dark for a network mini-series.

'Rose Red' sadly isn't as good, though it has some good ideas.

Is Survivor Type the one with the doctor stranded on the tiny island who does... questionable things to survive? If so, love the hell out of that one. Need to read it again.
Hear hear. I have a soft spot for the Arnold one, but that story is awesome(and would make a genuinely great film). Easily my favorite from The Bachman Books.

All Storm of the Century has going for it was Colm Feore. It was a decent idea, but I wish he'd written it as a novel.

The Shining is a pretty damn good book, but you can totally compare it to the movie. They have the same premise and characters. It's fascinating to do so too, because it's two very different artists doing very different passes on the material. King's the optimist, and Kubrick is the pessimist.

I've always thought King's take on the film was really narrow-minded of him. One of the great filmmakers makes a great and historic film from one of your books, and you want to get in a spat with him? As if that It miniseries really did your book justice.

“Father…the devil is trying to blow up your Church!”

“It’s not the Devil, it’s those god damn Baptists”

Yeah, I’m going to throw my hat in the ring for the adaptation of Needful Things. It’s one of those films that isn’t particularly good, it’s actually kind of dull, but I respect it for going big and going bonkers in its third act.

I also really need to get around to watching The Mist one day, all of the people falling over themselves to praise the film sort of put me off it for some bizarre reason.

People sometimes exaggerate the differences between The Shining book and movie. The story is reasonably accurate, it's just the handling of the material that's massively different.

The main strength of the book is that Jack's character and mental decline are explored in much more depth (in the movie he's practically bonkers from the start). Writing appealing characters has always been one of King's best qualities. The strength of the movie is that it has a beauty and elegance to it that King's chatty prose never has, and it corrects a problem with King that has always stopped me finding any of it scary, which is his habit of killing the atmosphere by over explaining everything. Kubrick gets that things are much more creepy and compelling when they're kept mysterious. In the book it's just a haunted house.

Also other than the antagonist being a woman, what's misogynistic about Misery?

I much preferred the book of The Shining to any of the film adaptations. It's one of my favourite King novels.

Hated Storm of the Century though.

Fun fact: Alex Cox was asked to direct The Running Man, but was too busy with Walker.

I'm a Walker fan, so I'm good with how things shook out, but can you imagine an Alex Cox adaptation of Stephen King?

Yeah that's the one. It's haunted me since I first read it. Would make an amazing short film.

Gonna need some explanation on that one. Annie Wilkes isn't some subtle jab at all women. There's nothing in her character that even suggests that she's some cipher through which all women should be judged.

I know Carpenter himself pinpoints CHRISTINE as when he started to not give a shit, but he directs the fuck out of that film. The whole sequence with Moochie Welch being chased down is cracking.

Can I get a cite on that? Because I find it hard to believe that the guy who directed Starman, Big Trouble in Little China and They Live wasn't giving a shit.

Of later day King works, "Desperation" isn't too shabby. But, yeah, the television adaption is asstacular.

Personally, while I'm gleefully awaiting the "Under the Dome" series, I need "IT" done truly and well. Anybody have any news on this? Last I heard, it was going to be reset in the early '80s.

I can't for the life of me remember the interview, but Carpenter himself said CHRISTINE was the first time he struggled to care about the movie he was making, and oculdn't get into it. It might even be on the DVD itself.

Oh, OK. That's kinda different than what you seemed to be implying.

I heard that as well. I think the script is still being developed. I'm against a movie adaptation of "IT". IT didn't work as a mini series, and I can't believe it work as an even shorter movie. The fact that they want to reset some of it in the early 80's suggests to me that they don't get the book.

I agree and, yet, I find myself intrigued by the idea of Pennywise appearing as Bruce the Shark (which is straight out of the book) or Jason Vorhees or something distinctly '80s.

I have a nerd fantasy of remaking IT in England, with the Losers' Club first forming on a diapidated council estate in the middle of the Thatcher doldrums of the '80s.

The Mist, Shawshank, Stand by Me, and The Shining are the best.

Its really a shame that Dreamcatcher was such a mess because, considering most of King's recent output, the book was actually pretty good. Also looking forward to that adaption of Cell (Eli Roth was attached at one point, but who knows where the movie stands now). I loved King's take on the zombie apocalypse (clearly influenced by Romero - equal parts carnage and social commentary) and I think the book is ripe for a big screen adaptation.

Gah, CELL is such a boring mishmash of cliches. To each their own, I guess. I want to see DUMA KEY on the big screen. Definitely King's most evocative novel, in terms of visuals, for a long time.

I think the first 100 pages or so of "Cell" are pretty great. After that, not so much.

Once King starts trying to explain shit and move beyond "holy shit zombie carnage all over" it falls apart super-quick.

Yeah, it has--in my opinion--a great cold opening that really thrusts you into this dangerous, chaotic world. Once the characters get a chance to catch their breaths and the hive mind stuff kicks in, however, "Cell" goes to hell (in the worst way possible).

I'll agree on 'The Shining', 'Carrie', 'Shawshank Redemption', 'The Green Mile', and 'the Mist' all being quality films. I also really liked 'Salem's Lot', but I have to admit that it's been a long, long time since my last viewing of it.

I also loved the 'Quitters Inc.' and 'The Ledge' portions of 'Cat's Eye'.

I dunno, I like the wacky hive mind stuff. There are quite a few missteps along the way, but I appreciate how King sort of takes a standard zombie apocalypse story in his own unique direction.