King and Creepy Friend

Just visiting with a friend from Derry, Maine.

Are King's Towns A Tribute To Lovecraft?

Stephen King Summer Vacation

Let's have fun. . .

1. If you could go anywhere in the Stephen King universe for Summer Vacation -- where would you go?

2. If you could SEND someone you don't like anywhere in the Stephen King universe, where would you send them? 

A few suggested vacation spots:

1. Under The Dome (Chester's Mill)

Points of interest:

•  Cloud Top Ski Resort
• The Sweetbriar Rose 
• Drippers Roadhouse
• Chester Pond

Talk Stephen King recommends you avoid Big Jim's Used Cars. 

2. Midworld

Points of interest:

• The Dark Tower
• Lud
• Gilead
• The Way Station

Talk Stephen King recommends you avoid The Wastelands

3. Castle Rock

FROM: thekingofcastlerock.blogspot.com

Castle Rock is the flagship town in Stephen King’s work, and is located in southwestern Maine, between Rumford and Augusta. The town, created by SK was to be more than a mere location for a story. The Complete Stephen King Universe asserts that it was designed to “function as a scale model of contemporary American society”. 

On the surface, Castle Rock is a postcard snapshot of everyday America. It is the exact kind of town that politicians are referring to when they mention “helping Mainstreet America”, and Norman Rockwell painted in his Saturday Evening Post covers. However, this tranquil town, filled with Mom-and Pop stores and community spirit, has had a violent history; most of the tragic events occurred after 1978. Many people wonder what exactly happened in the little rural town in Maine that ultimately led to its destruction.

FROM: Stephen King, A Face Among The Masters:

In Lord of the Flies, the bullies name their headquarters on the island “Castle Rock,” which is what King named his fictional town . More than a few bullies found their way to Castle Rock, Maine, including the gang in the novella, The Body, led by Ace Merrill.

4. Derry

Points of interest:

• The Sandpipe: The Standpipe was a large watertower in Derry. In its earlier days, it remained unlocked so that patrons of an adjoining park could climb a spiral staircase around the tank to look out over Derry from the top. The Standpipe was closed to the public after several children drowned in the tank, most likely the fault of It. The Standpipe was where Stan Uris first encountered It, which took the form of drowned children.  After the grown-up Losers Club kills It in second Ritual Of Chüd in 1985, a huge storm ensues, destroying many buildings and landmarks in Derry, including the Standpipe. In Dreamcatcher, Mr. Gray drives to Derry to find the Standpipe, only to discover a memorial featuring a cast-bronze statue of two children and a plaque underneath, dedicated to the victims of the 1985 flood and of It. The plaque has been vandalized with graffiti reading, "PENNYWISE LIVES". In 11/22/63, Jake Epping buys a pillow with a picture of the standpipe on it. He hides a gun in it, the gun he uses to kill Frank Dunning. (SOURCE)
• 29 Neibolt Street, a run-down, abandoned house near the trainyard. It is in this house – or rather, under the house's front porch – that Eddie Kaspbrak first encounters It, which shows itself as a mix between a homeless leper and its familiar Pennywise form. Later, after Eddie tells them his story, Bill and Richie go to investigate the house and are chased off by It, the creature having taken the form of a werewolf. (source)
• The barrens
• The Canal

Talk Stephen King advises you not to feed the clowns.  

A FEW MORE:

5. Palm Desert, Ca (mentioned in Duma Key)
6. Duma Key
7. Desperation
8. Las Vegas of The Stand
9. Chamberlain (home town of Carrie)
10. Little Tall Island - Just off the coast of Maine (Dolores Claiborne)
11. Tarker’s Mills - The small town of Tarker’s Mills was a nice place to live, except during the full moon. As chronicled in Stephen King’s “Cycle of the Werewolf” (www.syfy.co.uk/blogs/top-10-stephen-king-towns)
12. Haven
13. 'Salem's Lot (also known as Jerusalem's Lot)
14. Dallas (11/22/63) -- NOT!

Of course, if you really want a Stephen King vaction, Stu Tinker, who used to run Betts Bookstore has a tour that has great reviews.  "Stu's knowledge, love of the subject, friendship with Mr King all make this tour THE BEST and most important thing to do if you're a King fan. So much knowledge, humour and honesty in this man. Loved it!" tripadvisor.com

PENNYWISE Is Alive

Pennywise might have been chased off from Derry Maine, but he's not dead!  The evil clown has been making appearances throughout the United Kingdom borough of Northampton.

Shea Bennett of Media Bistro says, "Residents are, as you’d imagine, spooked, and you can understand why – imagine seeing this guy standing outside your window?"

Indeed, the clown has become so popular that a Facebook Page erected on Friday has already picked up more than 25,000 Likes, with the clown using Facebook to update fans, as well as fend off a few slightly sensationalised reports. 

As for why he’s doing all of this, that still remains unclear. But, as we can see from the photos, he has balloons. So, I guess the only question that really matters, is…

(Source: www.mediabistro.com)

Now. . . a question --  If you saw Pennywise,  would you pause to take a picture?  Well, I probably would.  But I don't think I'd have the courage to go up and say howdy.  Just for fear of hearing him say, "They float!"

And -- another question -- does anyone think the British Pennywise is perhaps a bit more, eh, scary than  the American versions?  I don't know why,  but I find that clown just flat out creepy.  And that's not to put down Curry's performance in the mini-series.  In fact, it's probably good Curry didn't look that scary, or I would have died watching it.

UPDATE: Here's a story about IT from CNN:



from huffingtonpost

Why Is IT So Mean?

I've been on vacation with my family.  My mother loved the Stephen King novel IT. She mentioned several times that she wanted to see the mini-series, even though I discouraged her.  However, I finally gave in (okay, she didn't have to push too hard) and spent the $7.  I might have paid too much.

I haven't seen the entire mini-series in years. I was startled to discover just how good it is!  "This thing still bites," I said. The first half is excellent.  I find the scenes with the children over the top scary.  When the clown in interacting with children, their fear is very real.  But then something really bad happens -- and it's not Pennywise -- it's part 2.  All of it.

Part 2 should have been the stronger part, since it not only contains Pennywise's defeat, but well known actors take the stage.  These are people who, by 1990, had plenty of time to hone their craft.  But they were terrible!  The show sinks into melodrama.  Scenes that should scare, get a laugh.  When Pennywise makes bad  things come out of the fortune cookies, it's just flat out funny.  In fact, not once does the second half of IT produce a scare of any kind.

There is something sincere in the children's portrayals, and something quite plastic about the adults. Interesting how young people who did not have the time to learn to pretend brought the real deal to the small screen.

The second half fails to produce any real drama, romance or tension.  The viewer is not left wondering if Pennywise  will live or die.  In fact, by the time we get to the final battle with the monster, we've lost so much interest in these characters that it would be just A-Okay if the monster did take them down.

My favorite scenes: 

• The attack at the beginning of the show.  The girl playing on her trike, then you see a clown through the hanging cloths on the cloths line, then just a knocked over trike with the wheel still spinning -- outstanding!
• Pennywise and Georgie.  This is great stuff because it's so scary.  Everything about the scene is perfect.  Georgie scared of the dark basement; the rainy day; the boat floating in the drain; and that clown.  The scene is so good, it leaves you talking to the TV.  "Don't do it, Georgie!  Run!"  But his brother made him that boat, and your heart just goes out to the little guy.
• Pennywise and Bev.  When Bev hears the children's voices coming from the drain, I think that is down right spooky.   Worse, when the balloon explodes with blood all over the bathroom, it seems a little silly at first -- until she realizes her father can't see the blood!  She is a quick thinker and tells her daddy it was only a spider that scared her.
• Stanley's suicide, with the word IT written in blood in the bathtub.  My mom thought the scene was reminiscent of Psycho, where Janet Lee slides down the shower wall and you see a trail of blood.
• The scenes with the scrap book are kinda fun.  I like it when the thing drips blood, or when the pictures from back-when comes to life with Pennywise taking center stage.

Least favorite scenes: 

(Please keep in mind that this does not mean I disliked the same scene's in the book.  In fact, often these were scenes I thought rocked in the novel and was saddened they were not brought to life with any zeal.) 

• The attack on Pennywise at the end.
• Bill's final ride on Silver.  Great in the book -- not so great on TV.  Because, of  course, if your ride fast enough on a bike, people come out of their monster-induced coma.  
• Library with blood balloons.  Seriously?  And, only the Loosers Club is supposed to see the balloons, or Pennywise for that matter -- but there is a lady in the scene who definitely jumps when the balloon pops.
• . . . this list can get too long and critical.  You get the idea.

My favorite stupid line: Adult Bev to Ben, "Why is IT so mean?"  Why is it so mean?  WHY IS IT SO MEAN? BECAUSE IT'S A MONSTER!  They don't make nice monsters in Derry, you have to go to Mayberry for that one!

The 50's
The show authenticates a small town circa 1950's so well, it makes the stuff with the children more believable.  You get the feeling this really happened back then.

I was a Knotts Berry Farm with my family this week when a quartet came into the Johnny Rockets there  and asked if they could sing for us.  Sure!  Their song?  "It's alright."  Same song used in the movie during the dinner scene.  (The group was The MoonRays)

Final thought: There isn't much they can do on screen that beats what Stephen King can do with a  typewriter. 

SK Fans Can Tour Bangor With iPhone App

You can now tour the local Bangor landmarks that appear throughout the Stephen King canon thanks to the Bangor Haunted: Stephen King’s Derry app, available for iPhone and Android.

Bangor Daily News explains,

"The app was designed and launched by Brett Hiatt, a writer and developer from Melbourne, Australia and a self-described “huge fan.” He visited Maine, and Bangor, two years ago, and was inspired to develop the app after trying to find King sites in town on his own, and not having much success."  (bangordailynews.com)

The article also notes, "The app, available for $1.99, offers up several views of town, from a Google map with all the locations plotted out, to an alphabetical list, with pictures and information. It’s customizable, so you can plan out your own King tour of Bangor, and in addition to just Derry, there’s lots more locations listed throughout the state, including a number in the Portland area."

If given the choice, I would rather go on Stu Tinker's tour than mess with the app.  But then, my cellphone might look like this. . .

The article also reports that the developers are hard at work on a Twilight app.  I just can't wait.

REPOST: King Books That Deserve A Sequel

With all the talk about a possible sequel to the Shining, and then all the quick moves to quiet any excitement -- not to mention an addition to the Dark Tower -- got me to thinking about books that deserve a sequel.

Of course, much of King's work has built on itself. There were the Castle Rock stories, Derry stories, and in some cases the Dark Tower actually served as a sequal. In particular Salem's Lot -- Which really serves as redemption for Father Callahan.

Sometimes Hollywood has offered us sequels. Children of the Corn, Salem's Lot, Pet Semetery, Carrie and others I can't think of off hand. None of these were really very good. There was a version of Carrie that had an extended ending (beyond the King book) that I thought was well done.

A quick list of books I wish had a sequel. Please offer your own.
1. The Eyes of the Dragon
2. Black House. ? I think there will be one.
3. The Shining. Dr. Sleep, as King has suggested, but not promised.  (2012, okay, we now  anxiously await the novel)
4. Firestarter. So. . . what did happen to Charlie?
5. Pet Semetary. King style, not Hollywood.
And. . .
6. IT. Did Pennywise really die? Really? Are you sure?

(Originally posted: November 26, 2009)

11.22.63 Journal #2: Derry Doesn't Welome You

I don't know how many novel's Stephen King has written.  Do you count Blockade Billy?  Why is the Mist a novella, but The Girl who Loved Tom Gordon is a novel ?  Whatever the number -- it's a lot.  In fact, King has written a whole lot of novels.  Every one of them have been entertaining.  Each novel is also practice.  Put another way, King's writing keeps getting better.

I weary of people who suggest that King's greatest novels were the first dozen.  While I enjoy those novels a lot, I think it is naive to think that King's writing has not strengthened with time and experience. 

King has said that he tried to write 11.22.63 years ago, but discovered he was not ready to take on such a monumental challenge.  The novel is different from other King novels just by the amount of research and historical data required to build the story.  What is not different is King's crisp, entertaining and often lively narration.  While the book is long, King does not belabor scenes or commit the sin of boring the reader! 

That sign from the IT mini-series ought to read "Derry Does Not Welcome You."

King skillfully weaves history and fiction.  For instance, we all know Derry is really Bangor.  But it's a messed up Bangor!  A city where a monster roams and kills little kids.  In 1/22/63 King lets us in on a side of Derry we missed in IT.  He reveals what the city and it's adults are enduring as its children are killed.  How do child murders darken a city?  Makes me think of Atlanta. 

Derry is a city where people are not just guarded, they are down right unfriendly -- suspicious. 

In his wonderful book, "Stephen King Country", George Beahm writes

"In reading King, the sense you get is that his literary landscape -- a geographic jigsaw puzzle -- is an ongoing exploration, for not only was IT set in the mythical Derry, but so is Insomnia and, most recently, Bag of Bones." (Stephen King country, p.107)

Beahm also notes:

"Equipped with a street map of Bangor, you would be able to identify on a walking or driving through much of the geography found in IT.  In addition, the references to Bangor and the greater Bangor area dot the novel's imaginative landscape."  (p.104)

Beahm then takes us on a tour of real world / fictional world linkages.  I have added notes at the end of Beahms comments to connections I spotted in 11/22/63. (Beahms list is on pages104, 106-107)  Beahm's writing is in yellow and my notes are orange. 

The Barrens:

There are several photo's of the Barrens HERE.

 "[A] messy track of land about a mile and a half wide by three miles long.  It was bounded by upper Kansas Street on one side and by old Cape on the other."  (In the novel, this is where the sewer pipes lead underground to IT's lair.) 

This is also mentioned in 11/22/63.  Where half a dozen murdered kids were discovered.  There is a grassy pic-nic area between a fence and the drop into the barrens where Jack encounters a couple of the children from IT.  This meeting is a particularly magical scene for readers of IT.

Bassey Park:

 In IT, this is the park that flanks the high school.  Real-life Bangor has a Bass Park. 

In 11/22/63, this is where the "so called" kissing bridge is.  There are a lot of carvings on the bridge, including the words, "I will kill my mother soon" and someone else has carved, "not soon enough, she's full of diseeze."

Derry Library:

For two of the Losers -- Ben Hansomb and Mike Hanlon -- this library was especially significant: It was Ben's favorite place as a child; and as a adult, it was Hanlon' place of employment.  (He also kept in its vault his manuscript, "Derry: An Unauthorized Two History."  Real-life Bangor's Public Library is situated on Harlow Street. 

In 11/22/63, Jack visits the library to try and find census records.  Also at the Derry library, Jack researched the murders that took place between 1957 and 1958.  In 2011 Jack used the Derry library system to do research online.

The Derry Mall:

 In IT, Dave Gardener had one of his Shoeboat retail stores in this mall.  Bangor has Bangor Mall, now the major shopping area of the city. 

In 11/22/63 Jack uses the cover that he is scouting for a mall.  Though he never quite says this, he just says he's there on business.

Mount Hope Cemetery:

photo credit HERE
The empty spot in the middle is where Stephen King presided over the funeral in the movie Pet Sematary

In IT, this is where George Denbrough was buried.  (Readers of Pet Sematary will probably notice that this was where Gage Creed was buried.)  In Bangor, the Mount Hope Cemetery is where, for the film version of Pet Sematary, Stephen King, as a minister, presided over Creed's funeral at this real life cemetery in Bangor. 

In 11/22/63 the Cemetery is Longview -- where Frank Dunning visits his parents grave, and where some sweet justice is delivered.

The Standpipe:

 A prominent landmark in Derry, a water tower that holds almost two million gallons. Real-life Bangor's Standpipe, on top of a hill, is one of its most prominent landmarks, towering over the city. 

In 11/22/63 there are decorative pillows with the Standpipe embroidered in gold thread on them.


The Paul Bunyan statue

The statue is mentioned in 11/22/63 -- small replica's are sold in Benton's drug store.

The University of Maine:

Two of the losers -- Bill Denbrough and Mike hanlon -- graduated from here. . . Stephen and Tabitha King -- and Stephen's childhood friend Chris Chesley -- are graduates of this university. 

In 11/22/63 the narrator, Jack Epping has a B.S. from the University of Maine. He also says that Carolyn Poulin went to the University of Maine as a Business major. Frank Dunning seems to have a sweet spot for the school. It was his school of choice, but he got a girl pregnant and life took other turns. Dunning also took his kids to the football game at the University of Maine.

Penobscot County & River

Fictinal Derry as well as real-life Bangor are located in this county.  Penobscot River: The sewers in Derry empty into the Penobscot; running east-west, it bisects Bangor and Brewer.

St. Joseph Hospital:

After she broke her leg in a car crash, Cheryl Tarrent was taken here.  In reality, located in Bangor.

West Broadway:

The street in Derry known for its mansions and Bangor's most famous street historically, where the lumber barons at the turn of the century made their homes. The King's home is on West Broadway. 
Also:

• Shawshank (fictional): A Maine prison where an Air Force colonel is sent after getting Cheryl Lamonica pregnant.  (This is also where Andy Dufresne was incarcerated, in "Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption.")  In 11/22/63, Harry's dad was sent to Shawshank, and died of stomach poisoning.  There are about 3 references to this prison in the novel.
• The Viking Press: The publishing house in New York City where Bill Denbrough submitted his first novel, a horror story about ghosts.  before King defected to Scribner, he was published in hardcover by Viking.  There is no mention of the Viking Press in 11/22/63.  What a surprise!
• The Frati Brothers Pawnshop: In the novel, this store was replaced in 985 by a Trustworthy Hardware Store. In Bangor, not far from Betts Bookstore, you'll find the Frati Brothers Pawnshop.  In 11/22/63 it is called "Chaz Frati's Mermaid Pawn & Loan."  I was unable to locate this.

Other places in 11/22/63 that I don't think are actually in Bangor:

• Machen Sporting Goods.
• Derry Townhouse.
• The Lamlighter (a bar and grill.)
• The Center Street Market

George Beahms book "Stephen King Country" can be purchased HERE.

Insane clown Machines

Brickfair 2009 Insane Clown Machines Derry Maine: flicker.com

Stephen King's Maine

What does a California kid know about Maine? Well, nothing, actually. See, I've been totally messed up by Stephen by a place called: "Stephen King's Maine."