Sand Clown

Here are a couple of pictures that were on MSN's home page today. It is from the World Championship of Sand Sculpting. This is an annual event that actually brings people in to Federal Way, Washington, from around the world. It has previously taken place in Canada.

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Anyway, if that nasty clown in the sand isn't Pennywise, then it's got to be Artist inspired by Stephen King!

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The caption reads: "Krazy" the clown was inspired by a character in a movie that Quebec's Marc Lepire watched with his son. The day before this photo was taken, the clown had hair on both sides of his head, but a bird landed on one side and collapsed that part of the sculpture. Lepire compensated by carving the skull open and exposing the clown's brains.

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http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39347001/ns/today-todaytravel/displaymode/1247/?beginSlide=1&GT1=43001

King agent Ralph Vicinanza dies

Posting from Associated Press, forbes.com reports that Ralph Vicinanza died of a brain aneurysm Saturday night in Bronxville. Stephen King was one of his clients.

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The article includes this interesting section about the Green Mile, in which King credits Vicinaza with the idea of a serial novel. I loved the idea, since it was exactly what Charles Dickens had done. And I wish King would do it again!

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King would credit Vicinanza with the idea for serializing "The Green Mile," his 1996 novel about a prison supervisor and death row inmate during the Great Depression. In the book's introduction, King wrote that he was having a difficult time because he had other projects going on and knew little about the story's setting. King knew he needed to do research but worried that research "might kill the fragile sense of wonder" he had developed.

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So the author "pressed on, stacking words and hoping for a kindling, an epiphany, any sort of garden-variety miracle."

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"The miracle came in a fax from Ralph Vicinanza, my foreign rights agent, who had been talking with a British publisher about the serial-novel form Charles Dickens had employed a century ago," King wrote. "Ralph asked - in the dismissive way of one who doesn't expect the idea to come to anything - if I might be interested in trying my hand at the form. Man, I leaped at it."

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http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2010/09/28/entertainment-us-obit-vicinanza_7967233.html

Escape From Alcatraz and Shawshank

I've been reading The Shawshank Redemption. It's wonderful. A few weeks ago TCM ran Escape From Alcatraz. I DVR's it... and forgot about it. Today in an attempt to clean up my DVR, I decided to watch the Eastwood film.

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Of course, it reminds me a lot of Shawshank and The Green Mile. Mostly it's just the mood of the film. Escape doesn't have the same energy that Shawhank Redemption has; nor does it have characters you would ever want to meet.

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1. It's an escape from prison film.

2. There's a mouse.

3. Hiding stuff in the Bible.

4. There's a man who can get you things.

5. The method of dirt removal. (Sprinkeling it when out for a walk)

6. Posters are important in both.

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I know there's more, so post them for me.

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Having been to Alcatraz, I can say that it is the only prison I've ever paid to get into. Yes, I have been to others... but those were freebe visits. Funny story: I go to visit this guy in a medium security prison. I tell the clerk who I want to see and that I have an appointment. She sends me to a guard at the door. he has me sign in, and then says, "It's the fifth door on the right." I just stared at him. You mean you don't escort me there? I'm just free to walk through the prison and find door 5 on my own? I've got to tell you, I've never counted doors so carefully!

King and Hill honor Margaret Atwood

From left, Stephen King, Dan Brown, Joe Hill, and Patricia Lynch, executive producer of Writers on a New England Stage. Seated: Margaret Atwood. David J. Murray photo / ClearEyePhoto.com
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Deborah Mcdermott at seacoastonline.com has this very interesting slice of news in an artile titled, Writers on a New England Stage hosts author Margaret Atwood.
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PORTSMOUTH -- The stars came out Tuesday night for Canadian author Margaret Atwood, who was at the Music Hall as part of Writers on a New England Stage. Mega-best-selling authors Stephen King and Dan Brown both came to hear Atwood and were back stage afterward to mingle during an author's reception.
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Atwood let the news slip when she first appeared on stage. She said King was somewhere in the audience, to an audible intake of breath from the near-capacity crowd. And she said she also heard Brown might be attending, adding that she read “both his books” and she knew at the time that the lawsuit for plagiarism against him wouldn't succeed. Next up for the Writers on a New England Sage series is NY Times best selling author Simon Winchester on Nov. 8, to discuss his latest work of nonfiction, “Atlantic.”
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http://www.seacoastonline.com/articles/20100922-NEWS-100929932

Next Dark Tower Comic Series

This is from digitalspy.com,
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Marvel Comics has announced its latest miniseries set in Stephen King's Dark Tower continuity.
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The Little Sisters of Eluria will be based on the short story of the same name, which sees the last gunslinger Roland Deschain doing battle with an order of vampiric nuns.
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The series will be penned by regular Dark Tower scribes Peter David and Robin Furth with art by Luke Ross.
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Dark Tower: The Gunslinger - The Little Sisters of Eluria will debut in December.
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http://www.digitalspy.com/comics/news/a277939/marvel-unveils-new-dark-tower-series.html

Sons Of Anarchy Commercial

Here's the commercial for tonight's Sons Of Anarchy. Notice King is in the commercial.

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQH_SpfIQlA

SOA Interview With King

Here is an FX interview with King on the set of Sons of Anarchy. The questions are actually pretty good. No, "Where do you get your ideas?" Also discussed is his collaboration with Riachard Mattheson and his son Joe.
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Notice his answer about who in history he would like to torture. We could title it: The Stephen King Chainsaw Massacre!
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqHsSTsABgI&feature=player_embedded

King Appears On SOA This Week

The Orlando Sentinel offers this news about Kings upcoming appearance on Sons of Anarchy. I dn't normally watch this show. . . but hey, if SK is on it, I'll be there. Hal Boedeker writes,

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Fabulously successful author Stephen King visits “Sons of Anarchy” this week.
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He will play a character named Bachman. FX explains that Bachman is “highly skilled in an unusual profession” and he is “called upon to help Gemma (Katey Sagal) and Tara (Maggie Siff) out of a bind.”

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The episode airs at 10 p.m. Tuesday and is called “Caregiver.” FX says the plot concerns the club exploiting “its porn connections.” I’m hoping that Bachman has no connection to the porn plot.

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http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment_tv_tvblog/2010/09/sons-of-anarchy-to-feature-stephen-king-in-unusual-role.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+entertainment%2Ftv%2Ftvguy+%28TV+Guy%29

Also check out: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/showtracker/2010/09/stephen-king-cleans-up-on-sons-of-anarchy.html

Christine Journal 9: Final Death Count

I finished my drive through Christine last week. I enjoyed the book very much.

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Frustrations:

While Dennis' narration is used to set the stage, and then to conclude things, it really doesn't work for me. The first person narration leaves a lot out, and this is particularly revealing at the end. There are spots where Dennis passes out, and the reader is dropped into the dark with him.

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For instance, exactly what happened to Arnie and how it happened is left rather confusing to the reader. If King had been giving the narration directly, we would have gotten very very specific details. But Dennis is drugged up, seeing everything in a haze at the end of the novel.

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And, it feels like a novel that can't find an end! Dennis manages to talk on and on in the final pages, without giving the reader wanted information. What happened to the heap of metal that was Christine? Well, Dennis has thought of that too -- but he doesn't know.

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Strength:

What makes Christine a great horror novel is the middle section. King, in his own voice, gives edge of your seat narration that is way over the top. He is descriptive, creepy, and sometimes all out gory. It's wonderful. Bodies are left everywhere, and the tension between the characters is thick.

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At the heart of it, the raw -- almost joyful -- horror of Christine makes the book work. King loves dishing this story out, and you can feel it. Characters get knocked off like domino's falling in a line, and as a reader, you can't wait for the next death scene.

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It is strange that the book is a mix of serious "novel" and raw horror. There are times you get the feeling that King might be taking this a little too serious. But then, he always recovers and gives us another sweet Christine scene.

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Characters

The characters in Christine work; but they aren't King's best. Lea's scenes are almost painful. She's very wooden; cardboard. Some of the best scenes are with Arnie and his parents. Fights spiral out of control as the family comes unglued. King gives us a picture of a healthy family environment through the eyes of Dennis, who's parents both love and trust him.

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Of course, my favorite character is Christine. She has a life of her own, and some pretty awesome abilities. We're talking super-hero stuff. In particular, her ability to regenerate makes her a formidable foe.

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The Movie:

After reading the book, the movie paled. In fact, I had trouble watching it to completion. Scenes from the book were there, but not with the same energy. And some wise guy had rearranged a lot of the scenes. So stuff that happened mid novel are at the opening. For instance, Arnie is threatened by Buddy before Arnie even sees Christine. This makes no sense.

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I enjoyed the book so much that I don't think any movie could do it justice. But what does come across on screen is almost an altogether different story. People have the same names, and I could pinpoint scenes from the book -- but they just weren't as much fun. There wasn't any sheer delight when Christine dished out her sweet revenge. It is, I guess, rather hollow after reading the book.

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FINAL DEATH COUNT:

Well, my not so accurate death count comes to a final tally of 13.

1 by Suicide.

1 by choking.
1 by running over. (3x forward, 3x backward. Nice job, Christine.)
10 more by auto.
--attempted murder: 1 by choking. Creepy!

Fall Tommyknockers Tour

Meghan Hayward from WABI 5 has this article posted about the King tour. I sure do wish I was getting on that bus! Actually, Richard Laymon lived in California and often referneces places I'm familiar with. But. . . King is in a galaxy far far away. Here's Hayward's post:
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Bangor - Folks boarded a bus in Bangor Sunday and took part in the Tommy Knockers Tour.
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The annual tours have been taking place since 2004 and is the literary tour for well-known and Maine native author, Stephen King.Organizers say Sunday's trip had people from Maryland and Canada.
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They also say it's not uncommon to have international folks wanting to take the tour. Two of the stops include the Thomas Hill Standpipe and the Mount Hope Cemetery.
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The other stops are kept a secret." Stephen King is world renown. Everybody knows Stephen King and he has a home here in Bangor so a lot of his books and movies are inspired by the sites and sounds of Bangor.
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"There are four tours a year and there is going to be another one next month.
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For more information go to www.visitbangormaine.com or call 1-800-916-6673
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http://www.wabi.tv/news/14335/tommy-knockers-tour

Corny Sequels

There's another Children of the Corn movie being made. That should come as no surprise. I guess they'll be making Children of the Corn movies long after we've colonized Mars and mastered deep water oil drilling.

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Directed by Joel Soisson, this latest edition is titled "The Dweller" and stars Barbara Nedeljakova, Billy Drago, Kelen Coleman and Tim Rock. (If it was Christ Rock. . .) Here's the catchy synopsis: "On a trip to California, a family's car overheats leaving them stranded in the home of a creepy couple and their kid." Original! But, wasn't that the general theme of the last 82 Children of the Corns? I mean, can't a plane crash or something? Why does the car always break down?

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What's happening with the IT remake, and UTD, and that Pet Semetery remake, and Cell and movies I might actually get excited about. Apparently everyone in Hollywood has to try making at least one Children of the Corn movie. It's a right of passage. Will they ever, ever, ever stop making these? Hey, why doesn't someone go make a few Richard Laymon films, or remake those Ed Wood classics. How about: Plan 10 From Outer Space.

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Know what I would pay for? I would put down good money for a DVD set of Children of The Corn Mystery Science Theater 3000.

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I might be alone on this, but I can pretty much say that I'm done watching Children of the Corn movies. I don't care to see:

Children of the Corn in space;

Chldren of the Corn go to college;

Children of the Corn take Manhattan;

Chldren of the Corn Christmas special;

Children of the Corn meet the woflman;

Chldren of the Corn Home Alone

Children of the Corn remastered second camera man's edition with commentary and lost scenes.

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LINKS:

http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/film/4950

Here's the character breakdown: http://www.dreadcentral.com/news/39262/synopsis-and-character-breakdown-children-corn-the-dweller

Full cast revealed: http://www.moviehole.net/201026424-full-children-of-the-corn-cast-revealed

King In Youtube Time Machine

John Hester at NBC has some very interesting reporting on you tubes new site, YouTube Time Machine. What is that? It is an arrangement of videos by year. It appears to be the work of Justin Johnson. This gives the surfer the opportunity to view all kinds of recorded events (TV, movies, music, news, sports) by year.

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Hester writes, So 1986, for example, yields some 78 videos, ranging from a trailer for “Maximum Overdrive” (Stephen King’s hair-raising directing debut) to Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ on a Prayer” video (when the group was livin’ with big hair) to a Sy Sperling Hair Club for Men commercial (“I’m not only the hair club president – I’m a client”).

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So drop clear back to the earliest entry and you can listen in on an 11-second snippet of the first recorded sound. That's pretty cool. Jump up to 1889 and you can hear Robert Browning recite his poem. Well, you can almost hear it. You can also see an 1891 boxing fight. Or, just pull the time lever forward to 1972, and you'll be watching a commercial for Ramada Inn. Check out the 1976 Lifesaver comical. And while you're surfing 1976, check out the Carrie trailer.

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Try this: Go to 1895 and check out the clips. Then give this some thought: That was the year H.G. Wells published The Time Machine.

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So here it is, the time machine: http://yttm.tv/

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NBC article: http://www.nbcwashington.com/entertainment/music/Back-to-the-Future-With-YouTube-102883614.html

http://justin.tumblr.com/private/1097959100/tumblr_l8jl9oc8jq1qz4rk2

King Mii

Do you wii?

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http://www.showmii.com/?cat=173

Clown Therapy

Belper news reports that a touring circus is offering 'clown therapy' sessions before its shows.

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The article claims that no less than 200 million people suffer from coulrophobia (fear of clowns). It also notes that the fear is "long-standing." Of course, that's just the beginning of what I've learned! For instance, Coulrophobia comes from the Greek word 'coulros', meaning 'one who goes on stilts'. Coulrophobia was placed just behind the fear of spiders and needles in a recent poll of phobias in the UK.

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A circus touring in Duffield is offering "clownselling" sessions. Gosh Wally, just the name gives me shivers. In fact, one of the clowns says that they hope to help people find their "inner-clown." Oh, I hope so!

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Now get this, "Ringmaster Mr Endresz said: The situation has been made worse by the media. There are many horror films such as Stephen King's It, or even The Joker in Batman that portray the clown in a sinister light, and have subsequently heightened the fear of the clown."

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HAS ANYONE CONSIDERED: Maybe people are scared of clowns because they are actually scary. and perhaps the fear goes far back because a certain clown named Pennywise has been terrorizing generations! Maybe the problem is that all the adults who actually realize the clown is scary go to therapy instead of taking the evil on!

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http://www.belpernews.co.uk/features/Roll-up-roll-up-and.6530566.jp

Carrie Trailer

Here's the original trailer for Carrie. I like the way they used to do this. The main difference is that movie trailers today don't often use a narrator to explain the main idea. Just scenes out of context all jammed together. Anyway. . . I like this. Notice that the narrator simply says, "Based on the best seller..." without saying "by Stephen King." Today that would be unheard of.

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJe0iVo8y3A

Questions That Don't Matter A Bit

So, here are some Stephen King questions that I've got. They don't matter one bit. Feel free to add your own questions to my list. I don't have any answers.

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1. Why do the British Editions have better covers?

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2. Why is The Stand smaller in height than the other books of that era? It's fat and short. What's up with that? It looks funny on my shelf. and, the book club edition isn't he same size.

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3. Are there more books by King, or about him? No, I'm not going to actually check Amazon. I just wonder.

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4. If the new Viking editions are supposed to look like the later Grant editions of the Dark Tower, then why don't they have shiny covers like the Grant editions? See how important these questions are!

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5. How come the early books don't have a number line?

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6. Has King ever been mentioned on Big Bang Theory? No, they're stuck on Star Trek and comic book heroes.

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7. King says that in the Dark Tower movies, he would like to do the voice of Blane. Making me ask, why doesn't Stephen King play -- Get this -- Stephen King?

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8. Where's the audio edition of Pet Semetery?

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9. In The Stand, why did Larry and the others need to go to Las Vegas when ultimately the bad guys would blow themselves up (with help from the Finger of God)? Wouldn't everything have developed the same if they'd stay'd home in the nice, mostly safe Free Zone? And why didn't God pull them out before igniting the nuke? And why did God need a nuke? Was there a shortage of fireballs that day?

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10. What would a sequel to the Stand be like? And, on that subject, will we ever see Dr. Sleep?

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11. Does MOON really spell all that stuff?

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12. Are there more Bachman books out there?

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13. Exactly which Stephen King villian took over google and made it so hyper? I can't even get my entire search typed in and it's already searching. Calm down, old friend! What have the Tommyknockers done to you?!

9-11 And The Dark Tower

[repost, 9/11/09]

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In The Song of Susanna, King’s own life becomes intertwined with the novel itself. Roland meets his creator – and, delightfully, doesn’t like him much! It was here that King began to draw all things together – tightly. No more hinting around, he was ready to begin tightening the screws.
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3 things were brought together: King’s own life, current/recent history, and the Dark Tower itself.
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King not only writes himself into the novel, he moves events from his life into the flow of the fictional story. This leaves no room for reality and fiction – King has become a part of his own work. He is a character. I heard Tom Nelson say that at the incarnation (when God became flesh) that God wrote himself into our story. The author became a part of the narrative and moved among the characters. Of course, in Song of Susanna, King becomes incarnate in the novel. The terrible car accident and other actual events of King’s life become part of the book.
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Something else rather striking happens: King moves pieces of American history into the book. Now we all are a part of the Dark Tower – in the since that we were all part of 9/11. Certainly those killed were most directly impacted, but the nation and world as a whole shared in the experience. And so the nation and the world are invited into the Dark Tower to imagine a twist. What if the villains in the Dark Tower played a role in the destruction of the Twin Towers?
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No longer did the Dark Tower simply loom over Roland – it loomed over all of us.
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It is under the World Trade Center that Black Thirteen is hidden. Bev Vincent explains it this way: "The idea is that Black 13 will be buried at the bottom of tons of rubble and will therefore be out of anyone's reach. As Callahan says, "one glass ball under a hundred and ten stories of concrete and steel? Even a glass ball filled with deep magic? That'd be one way to take care of the nasty thing, I guess."
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Steven Wu of Steven Wu’s book reviews, says: "And have I mentioned an extremely tasteless reference to 9/11, where King suggests that the terrorist attacks were just an attempt by his villains to destroy a fictional artifact of great value to them?"
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This is an interesting review, since I remember reading Song of Susannah with a sense of breathless glee. We – all of us – had been drawn into the plot. King, me, you, everyone was now a part of this book. I wasn’t offended that King used fiction to draw us in.

EW Interview With King About Dark Tower Movie

Phot credit: http://geektyrant.com/news/2008/9/3/the-dark-tower-movie-update.html

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EW has posted a great interview with Stephen King. The questions focus on the movies and television series announced yesterday. Asked if he would like to be in it, King said he wouldn't mind being Blane the Mono. Of course, the question is: Who will play King?
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King says that it was Ron Howard's idea to mix movies and television series to give the series its needed space. I liked his answer to who should be cast in the lead roles. His answer... check it out for yourself, it's classic!
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http://popwatch.ew.com/2010/09/09/stephen-king-twilight-dark-tower-casting/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ew%2Fpopwatch+%28Entertainment+Weekly%27s+PopWatch%29

Dark Tower Movie Again

picture: http://www.stephenking.com/promo/dark_tower_film_and_tv/news_tracker/

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"...It might be the challenge of a lifetime but clearly a thrilling one to take on and explore.”

- Ron Howard

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Stephenking.com has put out a press release today to announce plans for the Dark Tower movie are on again. Unfortunately, my nomination for director/producer/writer for the movie has been overlooked. http://talkstephenking.blogspot.com/2010/05/just-thought.html

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This movie has had more lives and deaths than Ross Perot's political career. Actually, there is something exciting in the many starts and stops in this project; it indicates Hollywood is aware of their tendency to seriously mess up King's work! I appreciate the willingness to slow down and get it right. I also appreciate the apparent screen time this project is going to get; which is massive!

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Today's press release revealed that "Universal Pictures and NBC Universal Television Entertainment have acquired the rights to produce three films and a television series based on the seven epic novels, short stories and comic books from Stephen King’s The Dark Tower."

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Ron Howard gets the directors chair for the first film. This is going to be a tough one; especially if it is based on The Gunslinger. (I'm already anxious for Drawing of the Three).

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KING

King said, "“I’ve been waiting for the right team to bring the characters and stories in these books to film and TV viewers around the world. Ron, Akiva, Brian along with Universal and NBC have a deep interest and passion for the The Dark Tower series and I know that will translate into an intriguing series of films and TV shows that respect the origins and the characters in The Dark Tower that fans have come to love.”
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Howard echoed this sentiment, “We are excited to have found partners at Universal who understand and embrace our approach to King’s remarkable epic,” said Howard. “By using both the scope and scale of theatrical filmmaking and the intimacy of television we hope to more comprehensively do justice to the characters, themes and amazing sequences King has given us in The Dark Tower novels. It might be the challenge of a lifetime but clearly a thrilling one to take on and explore.”

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THE PLAN:

The first film will be immediately followed by a television series that will bridge to the second film. After the second film, there will again be a television series. It looks like this series will focus on Roland's young years. (Sounds like the comics and Wizard and Glass to me). After the second series, there will be a third movie and "beyond."

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Akiva Goldman said, "The worlds of Stephen King’s The Dark Tower series are richly detailed, inter-locking and deeply connected. By telling this story across media platforms and over multiple hours—and with a view to telling it completely—we have our best chance of translating Roland’s quest to reach The Dark Tower onto screen. We are proceeding with tremendous excitement, fidelity to the source material and, quite frankly, no small amount of awe at this opportunity.”

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QUESTIONS:

Actually, just one question. What about Wind Through The Keyhole? Is it figured into the timeline? Is it a novella, or a full length novel?

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LINKS

• the press release is here: http://www.stephenking.com/promo/dark_tower_film_and_tv/news_tracker/dark_tower_pr1.pdf
• See Liljas Libary: http://www.liljas-library.com/section.php?id=45
• Check out TVguide.com here: http://www.tvguide.com/News/Dark-Tower-Series-1022747.aspx
• Follow my posts on The Dark Tower Movie!http://talkstephenking.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Dark%20Tower%20Movie

You Remind Me Of A SK Character!

Do you ever run in to people, or see them on the news, and think: Man, they're just like ____ from that King story! I go to church with a lady who reminds me of Mother Abigail. Exactly! M-O-O-N, that spells Mother Abigail!
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It's a sign of good writing. King introduces you to characters who remind you of people that are friends, or public figures.
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Sometimes when reading King, I feel like I've met the characters in another authors book. For instance, Tom in The Stand reminds me very much of Lenny in Of Mice and Men. Only, Lenny is dangerous while Tom is passive.
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Here's a quick list of people I know. . .
--Arnie Cunningham (Christine). Moody teen who becomes obsessed with a thing and transforms into a very dark person. Know any of those?
--How about Alan Pangborn from Needful things. Good cop with personal problems -- but faithful to the end. Yep, met him too! Thankfully, I have never met a Sheriff like the one in Desperation!
--I have known at least one, maybe more, Carrie's. Back in high school, we had a Carrie. Not happy memories, so I'll move on. But again, what made the book so strong was that Carrie is the kind of character you already know.
--Norton! You know, the angry neighbor in The Mist. Ever meet that guy? Thankfully my neighbors have been pretty good, but I do have friend's who have a Nortion.
--Have you ever known Jack Torrance? A dad who loves the bottle more than his family, and will kill if they get in his way. Sadly, I've known a few of them.
--What about. . . drum roll, please . . . Lester Coggins? Have you ever met him?

I've been watching with quiet dread the story of a Florida pastor who decided a great way to get some free publicity is to burn the Quran. The dread comes from the fact that I am a pretty conservative follower of Jesus. So when people who also claim to be Christ followers act crazy, or hateful or like buffoons or just plain stupid -- I fear the reputation will rub off on all of us. And it does. I think pastor Jones might do well to study Paul's response at Mars Hill in the book of Acts.

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A short rant

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I actually found myself thinking: "This guy reminds me of reverend Lester Coggins." Remember him? Under the Dome's fundie preacher who secretly looks at porn, deals drugs and beats himself as punishment. I hated the character in UTD. I found him to be one of King's most unbelievable characters. Suffice to say, I don't know many pastors secretly running a drug operation.

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It irritates me when guys like Jones fuel the fire. I'm not accusing him of dealing drugs or looking at porn; but he does agitate the view that conservative Christians hate anyone not like them. And let's be very honest, burning another religions holy book -- even if we believe that book is wrong -- is a hateful thing to do.

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Like Coggins, there is a sense of genuineness about Jones' beliefs that is scary. You get the sense that even if he doesn't live up to his own ideals, he actually believes them. And other people are ready to follow and drink the kool-aide. Ever heard of Jones Town, gang?

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I read lots of conservative Christan's who are very upset that King characterizes them the way he does. Frankly, Pastor Jones is one of the reasons we get that kind of press. Being strong for our faith, standing firm, does not give us permission to be jerks for Jesus.

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Note this line from the Seattle Times, "The book, according to Jones, is evil because it espouses something other than biblical truth and incites violent behavior among Muslims." I think that perhaps what will incite violent behavior is burning their holy book.

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I can't see Christ behaving this way.

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Ranting Continues. . .

Burning books doesn't make any sense. Where are they getting these Qurans? Are they buying them to burn? Somehow I doubt they have stockpiles of Qurans given to them by their many Muslim friends!

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By burning a book that stands in opposition to Biblical truth, Jones is communicating that Christianity cannot stand scrutiny along side the Quran. The answer appears not to simply burn the opposition. It violently shuts doors and makes enemies of people we are commanded to love. (Commanded means it's not an option, fellow Christians).

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Book burnings! Does it remind anyone of a certain German in the 1930's?

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Back To King

What does it mean when we can spot people we think we've met... only to realize we've met them in a Stephen King book? It might mean we read too much Stephen King! Or, it could be that his characterizations are often on the money. Exaggerated?--Yes! But they still bear enough resemblances to life that we can spot them.

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By the way, Christians who get annoyed that King casts them in a "bad light" might note that he much more often casts writers in a bad light!

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See Seattle Times story "Pastor won't drop his plans to burn Quran on Saturday" at: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2012845441_quranburn09.html

Sleepwalkers: Glenn Shadix dies

Fangoria reports that 58 year old Glenn Shadix, who played Mr. Fallows in Stephen King's Sleepwalkers died at his home in Birmingham, AL. He is best remembered for his role in Beetlejuice as Ortho.'

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Fangoria offers this: The actor only had a couple of small roles on his résumé when Burton cast him in 1988’s BEETLEJUICE as Otho, the pretentious interior decorator who’s curious to a fault about the ghosts residing in his clients’ home. He later acted for Burton in PLANET OF THE APES and voiced the mayor in the animated THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS. Shadix’s other credits include Michael Lehmann’s HEATHERS and MEET THE APPLEGATES, Mick Garris and Stephen King’s SLEEPWALKERS, Jeff Burton’s indie chiller ACTS OF DEATH, TV’s CARNIVÀLE and numerous animated series. He retired from acting four years ago and relocated to Birmingham, near where he was born, to be close to his family.

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http://www.fangoria.com/index.php?id=1951:rip-beetlejuice-actor-glenn-shadix&option=com_content&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=167

Richard Laymon Treat

King Connection:

I'd like to introduce you to George Stark. . . his name is Richard Laymon. Seriously, if anyone writes with the nasty evil I imagined Stark from the Dark Half writing, it's Laymon.

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Plastered all over Richard Laymon's paperback novels is a single quote from Stephen King: "If you've missed Laymon, you've missed a treat." He's been called: "Stephen King without a conscience."

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Dead Men Do Tell Tales

Laymon was seriosly messed up - or he was -- he's dead now. The quote from King is pretty short, so I would be interested in what else he had to say about Laymon. His website notes, "Richard Laymon died on February 14, 2001. Many readers are not aware of this fact - especially new Laymon readers. Since 2001, new releases have been sold by Ann Laymon, Richard's wife, and consist of previously unpublished manuscripts that Richard left behind at his death. These previously unpublished manuscripts are: To Wake The Dead, The Lake, Glory Bus."

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Does that remind any of you of this storyline -- "In 1994, while preparing to move to a new house, the widow Bachman discovered a cardboard carton filled with manuscripts in the cellar. The carton contained a number of novels and stories, in varying degrees of completion." http://www.squidoo.com/RichardBachman

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I notice a lot of people really like Laymon -- none of them women. Or, to be more fair, I simply have not seen evidence of female fans. He's gotten popular in America only after his death. He was a real hit in Europe; England mostly. Turned out his American publishers really botched the editing of his second novel, The woods Are Dark, and the results were lasting and negative.

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Since his passing, Leasure books has been serious about putting him out there in the U.S. And by the looks of it, quite successfully. Too bad Richard isn't around to see his success with his home country.

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Personal:

Laymon was married and had a daughter. His daughter rewrote his second novel, The Woods Are Dark, reporting to have restored the novel to Laymon's original intent. To accomplish this she used several manuscripts, churning out a real labor of love and one good book.

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Laymon was a native of my home state, California. As a result, he often writes about places I've been. I've actually been to some pretty bad parts of Los Angeles late at night; but I think I was mroe scared reading about a midnight trip through LA in Laymon's book Body Rides. Beast House is in San Fransisco. Beast House is a place where terrible murders took place, later turned into a museum. (Sadly, closest I ever got to anything like that in SF was the Wax Museum.)

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Laymon was friends with Dean Koontz, whose introductions appear in some of Laymon's books.

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Characters:

I read one person who said, "I love Laymon because I always remember his characters." I can't say that! All of Laymon's characters are, in my opinion, pretty shallow. He is creating bodies to be stabbed or chopped or shot or beaten or mutilated in some other way.

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Gore

The gore factor is definitely worth noting. Laymon loves gore! He dishes it out liberally. Sprinkled in with that gore is subjects that make me a little uncomfortable. Rape's are frequent in some of his books. There is sex -- lots of it. Bondage and a mixture of sex and the creepy. You know what Laymon reminds me of? Old detective novels. I don't mean Sherlock Holmes, either. Anyway, suffice to say: There is lots of gore and lots of sex. Often sex and violence mix together.
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Books By Laymon:
Laymon was extremely prolific (like anyone else you know?). He not only wrote a pile of novels, but short stories, books of short stories, and his own biography. Here's a list of his novels (from wikipedia). It is interesting that none of his books have been made into movies.
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The Cellar (1980) (First book in the Beast House Chronicles series)
Your Secret Admirer (1980) (writing as Carl Laymon)
The Woods Are Dark (1981)
Nightmare Lake (1983) (writing as Carl Laymon)
Night Show (1984)
All Hallow's Eve (1985)
Beware (1985)
The Beast House (1986) (Second book in the Beast House Chronicles series)
Tread Softly (1987) - aka Dark Mountain (writing as Richard Kelly)
Flesh (1987)
Midnight's Lair (1988) (writing as Richard Kelly)
Resurrection Dreams (1988)
Funland (1989)
The Stake (1990)
One Rainy Night (1991)
Island (1991)
Darkness, Tell Us (1991)
Blood Games (1992)
Alarums (1992)
Dark Mountain (1992)
Endless Night (1993)
Savage: From Whitechapel to the Wild West on the Track of Jack the Ripper (1993)
In the Dark (1994)
Quake (1995)
Bite (1996)
Body Rides (1996)
After Midnight (1997)
The Wilds (1998)
The Midnight Tour (1998) (Third book in the Beast House Chronicles series)
Cuts (1999)
Among the Missing (1999)
Come Out Tonight (1999)
Once Upon A Halloween (2000)
The Traveling Vampire Show (2000)
Friday Night in the Beast House (2001) (Fourth book in the Beast House Chronicles series)
Night in the Lonesome October (2001)
The Halloween Mouse (2001) - children's book
No Sanctuary (2001)
Amara (2002) aka To Wake the Dead
The Lake (2004)
The Glory Bus (2005) aka Into the Fire
The Woods are Dark Restored and Uncut (2008)
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Words
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Reading Laymon made me say (possibly out loud), "Ah! I've always wanted to write like that! I just didn't know you could." The way Laymon structures sentences is striking. Generally his sentences are short. They are descriptive; especially if they involve murder or sex. His chapters, likewise, are short. Laymon usually chooses dialogue to carry the story over narration.
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Favorites:
From reading interviews with Laymon, it appears one of hsi favorite novels to write was Island. Since it was a journal, Laymon liked the idea of the narrator not knowing what would happen next.
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My favorite novels: So far my favorite novels have been: Resurrection Dreams, Beware and Body Rides.
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So tell me, what do you think of Richard Laymon?
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Here's a couple of fun links:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ku1ABLqgEDw&feature=related
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Laymon
Richard Laymon Kills: http://www.ains.net.au/~gerlach/rlaymon2.htm

Christine Journal 8: CarNage

The death count continue as I finish the second "part" of Christine. At the end of part 2 the narration returns to first person. Once again, I am saddened at the transition. It was tough saying goodbye to Dennis, but I got used to King's voice as he narrated the story. It was truly gruesome at points.

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There is one scene in which a prominent character (a not so nice guy) is safe and sound in his house. Outside he spots Christine. Never a good sign! And, as with previous murders, Arnie isn't driving. Sometimes victims see a corpse driving. In one case, the car was full of people Christine had killed! Most often, she's just empty.

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In this scene, our friend spots Christine out on his lawn. But he's safe and sound in his own home, right? Wrong! I thought this was brilliant. Because King went where we feel safe and invaded the safety with his haunted car. Christine blasts a hole right through the house. I like it, I like it a lot!

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The police work in Christine seems amateurish. Of course, I'm not a cop, so I really have no clue. But the way they go at this case is nuts!

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Christine's ability to regenerate after an attack is awesome. I mean, it makes her crimes very difficult to trace. Obviously it is helpful when she is in serious attack mode. She goes to war for a while, then backs out, recovers (it's like catching her breath) and then finishes the job.

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I do wonder why this book is not more popular with King readers. Does King pull off the haunted car motif? Yes, like only he can.

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The Writing:

Always impressed that this book is just pure horror. Here's a wonderful paragraph:

Leaning out of the window no less then six inches from his own face, was a rotting corpse. Its eyes were wide, empty sockets, its mummified lips were drawn back from a few yellowed leaning teeth. One hand lay whitely on the steering wheel. The other, clicking horridly, reached out to touch him.

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The dead thing beckoned him, grinning, and the car's engine suddenly screamed, piling up revs.

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"Catch yourself a drink, asshole," another voice whispered hoarsely, and Buddy Repperton leaned forward in the back seat, extending a bottle of Texas Driver toward Don. Worms spilled and squirmed through his grin. Beetles crawled in what remained of his hair.

sigh.

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The Fury roared across the living room, knocking Will's La-Z-Boy armchair onto its side, where it lay like a dead pony.

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Revised DEATH COUNT: 8
1 by Suicide.
1 by choking.

1 by running over. (3x forward, 3x backward. Nice job, Christine.)

5 more by auto.

--attempted murder: 1 by choking. Creepy!

Haven: Random thoughts on Ain't No Sunshine

• I really liked this episode! The theme is engaging, even haunting.
• Reminds me of that old radio show, "Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts men. . . the shadow knows!" This is like The Shadow goes bad. Very nice and spooky.
• Never thought about how Nathan's gift (he can't feel pain) could be a curse. . . he can't feel at all! Can't feel love. Poor dude. By the way, did you notice the background music as Jess kisses Nathan? Nice.
• Some of the early awkwardness is wearing off of Haven.
• There are times I wish this was a half hour program. (told you this was random)

Fargo and The Shining

I watched Fargo for the first time the other night. I loved it! My wife didn't get it. I thought it was awesome! I kept asking myself, "Why is this so appealing?" What about this story makes it so engaging? Truth is, I still don't know. What makes a good story?

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The people over at Bright Lights Film Journal have a very interesting article comparing Fargo to Kubrick's version of The Shining. So a lot of it is forced and requires some creative writing, but that didn't stop me from nodding with interest. The comparisons really only work with the Kubrick movie, since it is more focused on Jack's emotional break down than on the haunted hotel. Of course, Fargo shows Jerry very quickly coming unglued as his plans crumble.

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Here are a few favorite points. I'm summarising here, so read the article!

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1. Both Jack and Jerry have struggling marriages. "the emotional temperature of their respective marriages is close to permafrost"

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2. Both Jack and Jerry's wives overprotect their sons.

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3. Neither man intends to murder his wife. "In isolation, from society and then from his wife and child, he devolves into a killer. Jack no more meant to do this than Jerry means for his wife to be killed."

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4. Each man is trapped. Jack by writers block, Jerry by his in laws.

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5. Neither man acts reasonably for the situation he is in.

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6. Both films work to disorient the viewer. Fargo does this very directly through language. "Never, it seems, has the way people spoken stood out so prominently and absurdly in a film" The Shining accomplishes this through inconsistencies. Jack's wallet is empty in one scene, full in another. The back story to Danny's shoulder is not consistent.

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The claims the movies themselves make serve to confuse the viewer. Fargo opens with the statement that these are true events. Of course, they're not! And The Shining ends with a picture of Jack at the overlook in the 1920's. Of course, we know that's also not possible!

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"Jack break open one panel of the bathroom door and only seconds later we see two panels open. And how does the paper reappear in Jack's typewriter after he tells Wendy to get the fuck out of his writing den? Kubrick is daring us to disbelieve."

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7. Both men have the same picture arrangement: "Jack and Jerry are visually merged in one brief shot in Jerry's office of a wall with pictures of the salesmen of the month, which are lined up in rows exactly like those in The Shining's last shot."

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8. Both movies make use of Johnny Carson show. The Shining when Jack says, "Here's Johnny!" And Fargo shows the program running in the background.

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9. Both Wendy and Jean try to escape through a bathroom.

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10. The weather plays a large role in both films. In particular, snow.

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Are these connections intentional on the part of the makers of Fargo? The article states, "Cinching the link to The Shining, the kidnappers enter Brainard and pass a statue of Paul Bunyan wielding an axe. The Coen Brothers use of "Here's Johnny" certifies their film's ethos, just as they had used the P.O.E graffiti in Raising Arizona (1987), which signaled a connection to Dr. Strangelove (1964)."

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http://www.brightlightsfilm.com/42/shining.php