Link: Lilja's Library Posting STEPHEN KING AND THE SIMPSONS

liljas-library.com is my favorite Stephen King website.  Today, he posted a great article on Stephen King and The Simpsons.  Lilja writes:

The new King Simpson’s figurine got me thinking. King and Matt Groening (the creator of The Simpsons) both played in the band The Rock Bottom Remainders and I know Matt used King and his books several times in the show. Here are a few, maybe you know more?

Go check out the article, and the youtube video's he compiled.

The Simpsons All Work And No Play

SOURCE: Facebook Fans Of Stephen King

Cheat Sheet Offers Their 5 Favorite SK Screen Adaptations

I like articles  that rank Stephen King works.  Not sure why -- except that I think it has something to do with the fact that this is completely subjective.  No one can actually say what the "best" are -- so everyone's opinion is good.

It's so random, list makers don't even have to be consistent with previous lists they've made.  That is my way of saying -- I'm sure I've listed what I think are the five best  adaptations, and so when I make the list again it might be different.

Wallstreet Cheat Sheet has a list of the 5 Best Stephen King Film Adaptations, by Thomas Mentel.  Yep, they choose five goodies!

5. Carrie.  

"In recent years, the film has continued to rank as one of the greatest horror movies of all time; director Quentin Tarantino has named the film among his favorites as recently as 2008. The consistent critical acclaim the film has received has led many to wonder why a second adaptation was necessary in the first place."   

Do we know why they remade it yet?  I'm still not sure.  I liked the remake -- but I'd rather they remake Needful Things.

4. Misery.  

"Bates would later go on to win both the Golden Globe and Academy Award for Best Actress, while her turn as Wilkes placed the character at No. 17 on AFI’s list of the top 50 villains in the past 100 years. The scene in which Wilkes takes a sledgehammer to Sheldon’s ankles will forever be burned into the memories of moviegoers who were able to keep their eyes open."   

That's true, we will remember that moment forever.  However, the book was even better (of course.)  

This is from my MISERY Journal: (There are spoilers)

Now, for the worst part: The famous scene in which Annie breaks Paul's legs. . . that's not in the book.  No sir.  No leg breaking here.  It's worse -- fantastically worse.  Instead of breaking is legs,  she chops off his foot with an ax and cauterizes with a blowtorch.

What King is really good at is build up.  Annie doesn't just swing and ax and ouchie. . . Paul has a new boo-boo.  No, King builds  up to this.  It is painful as he watches Annie set up shop and prepare to do the deed.  More than that, there is a lot of dialogue here as Annie talks on and on.  And, she just happens to mention she gave him a pre-op shop.  As she rambles, the reader and Paul both wonder the same thing -- why did a serial killer just give Paul a pre-op shop?  What kind of operation is Mr. Sheldon in for? 

I would have thought so much talking without action would be a writing no-no. . . but it actually builds incredible suspense.  As a reader, you connect deeply with Paul because you are wondering, "Where's she going with this?  What's that crazy lady about to do?"
Once Annie has decided what she is going to do, and has explained to Paul why she's going to do it -- she drops into something like a trance.  She's no longer just crazy Annie, she is now deadly Annie. "he understood that when this was over, she would have only the vaguest memories of what she had done, as she had only the vaguest memories of killing the children and the old people and the terminal patients and Andrew Pomeroy."

3. Stand  By Me

"Stand By Me has garnered universal critical acclaim in the years since its release, and it was nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay at the 1986 Academy Awards. The film has notably left a sizable pop culture imprint, with references in all manners of entertainment, including an episode in The Simpsons in which Homer discovers a dead body."

 2. The Shawshank Redemption

"Although The Shawshank Redemption now firmly holds a spot in movie history, the film was not always the success it is today. Despite highly favorable reviews from critics and a slew of Oscar nominations — including Best Picture, Best Actor (Freeman), and Best Adapted Screenplay — the film’s box office performance of $28 million barely recouped the film’s budget, leading the film to be labeled a financial disappointment at the time of release. However, The Shawshank Redemption experienced an impressive resurgence on home video. Cable television, VHS, DVD, and Blu-ray have consistency lead to the film being one of the highest performers at home."

1. The Shining

Part of me sighs deeply at this point.  Does every list of Stephen King movies have to place the Shining on top?  Is it really the best of the best?  And do we always have to talk about King's dislike for this particular film?  You all tell me -- is The Shining the best?  Really?  I actually like the film a lot, but I don't find it terrifying.  

My five favorite:
1. Pet Sematary
2. Cujo
3. Carrie
4. The Green Mile
5. Stand By Me
And an honorable mention to The Shining.  But let's face it, it wasn't really much of an "adaptation" of the King novel.

Your turn. . . 

The Simpsons Under The Dome

Vulture.com has a fun article by Jesse David Fox that compares Under  The Dome to The Simpsons movie. Yes, we all know King did not steal from the Simpsons -- he wrote The Cannibals, an early version of Dome, int he 80's.  But, the comparisons are still pretty cool.

Domed Town	Springfield	Chester's Mill
Domers	The EPA.	Unknown.
Reason for Doming	To quarantine the highly polluted town.	Unknown.
Can You See Through It?	Yes.	Yes.
Can You Hear Through It?	No.	No.
The Domed Band Together To...	Try to kill Homer.	Put out a fire.
Who's in Charge?	Emperor of Springfield Moe Szyslak.	Councilman Big Jim Rennie.
Charismatic Newcomer?	Spider Pig.	Barbie.
Ominous Chanting	Abe Simpson's church meltdown: "Epa! Epa! Epa!"	Joe and Norrie's "pink stars are falling" seizures.
Dome-Crossed Loves	Lisa and her Irish environmental dreamboat Colin.	Deputy Sheriff Linda Esquivel and her fireman fiancé.
Means of Escape	Sandbox sinkhole.	Unknown.
Useless Escape Tools	Swordfish, bubbles, pies, jackhammer, elephant's head.	Bulldozer.
Failed Dome Punchers	Drederick Tatum.	Junior Rennie.
Shooting It Results In...	Bullets bouncing back and wounding Hometown Security agents.	Bullets bouncing back and killing a cop.
Other Objects That Bounce Off Dome	Head of the EPA Russ Cargill's binoculars.	Reporter Julia Shumway's tennis ball.
Outside Military	Easily duped by forged leaf note.	Loves spraying dome with water.
School	Seemingly in perfect condition, but kids don't go because city has descended into chaos.	Likely in perfect condition, but kids don't go because they're having phone-charging parties.

Under The Bowl

photo credit: www.deadline.com

Is it Springfield, or Chester's Mill ?

This does solve the mystery of what the dome is.  It does not explain how  it goes down under the ground.

CBS gives shout out to The Simpsons

EW reports:

the upcoming series version of Under the Dome will throw a reference back to The Simpsons in its third episode. “We do make a reference to The Simpsons Movie,” showrunner Neal Baer told EW. “We have a ‘recharge party’ in episode 3 and the kids are watching it.” 

There won’t be actual footage of the film in the scene, but it’s definitely in the script. “We make a verbal reference,” Baer teases.

Full story: insidetv.ew.com

Signed Books, Do They Matter?

I collect a lot of Stephen King books.  I do not collect his signature.  I have  one book signed by Stephen King (Under The Dome) and that is really enough to satisfy me.  Because. . . I don't get it.  How does his marking the page increase or change the books value?  I'm serious.  Couldn't he just check mark each book, acknowledging that for 1 second he was in contact with that copy of that book?

I do seem to have a lot of signed books!  Most of them were given to me.  Sometimes I've bought books, only to discover later that they are signed. yes, it does make me happy -- no, I don't know why.  I'm waiting for someone in the psychology department to tell me why.

One reason  I may hesitate to buy signed items is that I personally have no way of verifying a signature. When it comes to King, I would have trusted  Betts Bookstore -- and now the Overlook Connection and Very Fine Books.  But ebay. . . no thank you!

Some people collect much more than King's signature on books.  When anything the guy signs is instantly of value, I start  to wonder what's really up.  So people put credit card receipts up for sale because. . . SK signed it.

image credit: /www.ashvegas.com

I  find the above quite strange.  Is Stephen King cool because he writes great books and we want to treasure  those  books, or is he cool because he's part of the Hollywood culture of media idols?  We  should have no interest in being like 13 year olds in need of a teen idol -- where anything he touches is of strange significance to the fan.  True fans of Stephen King call themselves, "Constant Readers."  A term King coined -- but I like it.  The name suggests that the Constant Reader's primary interest is in reading the books, not chasing the man.

I read that the value of a signature is greater when it is "flat signed" instead of inscribed with a note  to the person it is intended  for.  Once again,  I think that's nuts!  I'd rather have a book that had meaning when it was signed than one that is "FLAT" signed!

For instance, here is a copy of Carrie that has a pretty cool note (espeically if you're Larry!)

www.icollector.com

Here are some signed books I own.
1. Under The Dome, Stephen King
2. The Dark Tower 7 (signed by Michael Whelan.)
3. The Wind Through The Keyole (signed by Jae Lee)
4. The Talisman (signed by Peter Straud and illustrator Rick Berry.  #2849)
5. Stephen King's Richard Bachman, Michael Collins
6. Bone  Soup, T.M. Wright
7. BAAL, Robert McCammon
8. Forrest Gump, Winston Groom  (inscribed to my wife: "To Rebecca, all best.")
9. The Case for Antioch, Jeff Iorg
10. Money, Possessions and Eternity, Randy Alcorn
11. The Law Of Rewards, Randy Alcorn
12. You The Warrior Leader,  Bobby Welch.  (Inscribed, "To David!  A great warrior leader for  our Savior and Souls!  Bless you!!  Bobby.")
13. The Glory of God, Chris Morgan.  (Inscribed: "David, many thanks for investing yourself  in teaching our CBU students."
14. The Gift of Valor a war story, Michael M. Phillips (Inscribed: "June 7, 2005.  For Pastor David Squyres.  Thanks for the support and prayers you offer for  the Marines.  Michael Phillips.")

I had a book about Alchatraz that I got signed by the author on my visit to the Rock, but I don't know where it is now.   It was about his life of crime, hard time on the Rock, and his coming to faith in Christ.

The Largest Collection Of Signed Books
Who has the largest collection of signed books?  You'll never guess!  According to Guinness World Records, that distinction belongs to Pastor Rick Warren, author of the Purpose Driven Life.

The website states:

Richard Warren of Lake Forest, California, USA, has collected 2,381 books, all signed by their original authors. 

Pastor Rick Warren began building his personal library in 1970 at the age of 16. Over the years as he travelled and spoke around the world, he began asking authors to autograph their books for him. Also many other authors began to send him their books autographed. The collection was verified by the bookseller Ed Postal who specialises in rare books and is a member of ABAA (Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association of America). Of 2,422 books, the total number of books accepted was 2,381.

I wish I had room for that many books!  I wonder if Rick Warren has any signed books by Stephen King.  Or. . . if Stephen King has any signed books by Warren.

I once got a personal letter from Rick Warren, responding to a letter I'd written him in which I thanked him for some insights on preaching.  Imagine, some people would have kept  that letter just for the signature.

The Sneaky Signature:

This 2007 story is one of my favorites --

A bookstore manager was stunned when she saw someone enter her bookstore and begin writing in the books. The person quickly left, causing the employees think they were the victims of vandalism. 

Ms. Ellis said, "So we immediately ran to the books and lo-and-behold here was the signature in several books. We sort of spun around on our heels, [saying] 'where did he go, where did he go. . . So I went over and introduced myself ... He was lovely, very nice, charming." 

King signed a total of six books. I don't know, I just find something fun about that story! Imagine going to the bookstore, not a specialty store or something like that, just a regular store, and choosing to buy a Stephen King book -- and it turns out to be signed! Cool.
www.abc.net

Here is King signing books on The Simpsons:

I wonder if book signings are one of those things that authors hate.  I would!  It takes away from time that could be spent writing!  And, it forces the writer to have to be nice to all those annoying fans  who want to talk about why Carrie's father died before she was born, but managed  to save her  mother from killing her when Carrie was a baby.  And you can't say to these fans, "Because it's just a book.  I'm making this stuff up!"  No -- they actually think there's an answer!

Tell me what signed books you have.

Rock Bottom Remainders Simpsons

photo credit HERE

Thanks to the person who shared this link with me.  You know you've hot stuff culturally when the Simpsons make fun of you.

Famous Authors Featured on the Simpsons

 I spotted this link first at Lilja's Library.  HERE is a list of authors who have appeared on the Simpsons.  #2 on the list is Stephen King.  #9 is J.K. Rowling.  Stephenie Meyer isn't on the list.  Doesn't TWILIGHT seem like Simpson material?  Oh well, here's what the article said about King:

Stephen King is one of the most prolific and popular authors today, publishing numerous best-selling novels during his long career, so it only makes sense that'd he show up in an episode of The Simpsons. King appears comes into an episode when the family decides to take in a book festival, repayment to Lisa for the destruction of her room in a VCR repair gone wrong. When they meet the iconic author, Marge tells him to, "Call me when you start writing horror again," a jab at the author for getting away from his core audience, perhaps. King dutifully notes her request, however, with no hard feelings.

Appearing more often than King himself is his work.  Under The Dome was mentioned by Mr. Burns.  King was also mocked in The Shinning. 

A Culture Of King

With a sequel to The Shining set to appear almost 34 years after the original was released, it is worth asking if there is still an interest in the original book.  Actually, if any King book has entered the American cultural psyche, it's The Shining!

Notice how often things are compared to The Shining.  For instance, get this recent line from an article titled "Meal Delivery Brings Food, Company To Shut In"

The local Smart & Final with its aisles and aisles of food, shopping carts and shoppers holds for her the kind of terror offered up by the Overlook Hotel in Stephen King's "The Shining."

Now, what does an article about food to shut ins have to do with The Shining?  It's not exactly the most natural connection!  But the book is so deeply embedded in our thinking that the author could not help but use it as a hook for her story.

Of course, the books popularity is deeply linked to the Kubrick film. But there's more to it than just the film!  America's love the story itself.  That's why they still flock to special tours at the Stanley Hotel.  (Check out this article, titled Ghost Hunt At The Stanley Hotel.)  I mean, if they were just drawn to the movie, there would be no interest int he hotel, since the movie did not use it as a shooting location.  The Stanley is connected to the book!  The novel itself has become an American classic.

The Simpsons have famously spoofed King more than once.  One my favorites was when they poked fun at The Shining in The Shinning.

Sometimes a book becomes more than a book.  In fact, people who have never read the book are familiar with themes, characters or lines from the book.  The story becomes a shared experience.  what is it about The Shining that so deeply touches Americans?

Other King books that are part of our collective experience:
1. Carrie. 
2. Cujo.  Just the name has entered American vocabulary to mean "Crazy Mean Evil Demon Possessed Dog."
3. The Stand. 
Another King book to enter the collective American culture is The Stand. Get his opener by Shane McGlaun about scientifically created bird flu:
If this sounds a bit like something out of a horror novel, it’s because this sounds a lot like what starts the evens of the horror classic from Stephen King called The Stand. Apparently, researchers working on bird flu have created a strain of the bird flu virus that is lethal and easily spread through the air. Some fear that the mutated strain might be used as a bio weapon. (article Here)

In Politics:
Speaking of cultural references, King is sometimes referenced simply because he is so well known.  The Bangor Daily News recently published an opinion article by Carroll Conley, arguing against gambling expansion.  (article here)  She launches her article by discussing King's "Storm Of The Century" and how the town sold their souls. 

Get this, after giving several paragraphs to this analogy, she then writes, "Now, I’ve not read a lot of King. . ."  !  What?  She's not read much King, but she's building this entire article based on Storm Of The Century.  Why?  Not because she's a Stephen King fan, but because King is a common point of reference.  Even Conley, the executive director of the Christian Civic League of Maine, thinks King is safe common ground.  So she uses a parable from King. . . because she can't think of any Biblical analogies where people sell out and lose their soul!  Like, maybe, the entire system of anti-Christ!  But if she said that, she would sound like a religious weirdo.  So the better bet was to use the parable from the world of Stephen King.  Or, put another way: You sound cray if you say "the devil is in this!"  But not so crazy if you say, "this is a lot like a Stephen King story."  But what's in the Stephen King story?  The devil!  (did you track with all that?)

Get Ready: Stupid Is On Its Way!

It's coming, and there is nothing on earth we can do about it -- Stupid is on its way.

This particular brand of stupid has to pop up every time Stephen King releases a new novel. 

• Remember when everyone said UTD was just like the Simpsons Movie?  Only -- it wasn't at all like the Simpsons movie!  Most notably, one had characters named Bart and Lisa, while the other had serial killers and drug lords.  But there is always someone who can't see the differences. 
• There was a guy who said King stole the plot of his book when he wrote Desperation.  Only, a Judge said that was not the case.
• And remember when the author sued King, saying that Duma Key is exactly like his novel -- only they are nothing alike.  I wrote a blog article explaining how the two are nothing alike, and a whole bunch of nuts came out of the woodwork and posted all over the blog.  As if I can't find the delete key.  My favorite, "You seem bias toward Stephen King."  Well, the blog does contain his name!  But more than that, I don't think King is a hack who has to dig through used bookstores to find story ideas.

Well, someone let the stupid out early this time.  The book hasn't even hit shelves, and already I'm reading an article titled, "Stephen King's New JFK Assassination Novel Is Sorta Exactly Like Quantum Leap Episode."  Ma-Muh-Ma-MIGHTY Brain at work here.

Posted yesterday, the article says in part: "A friend of Mixmaster tipped us off yesterday that King's to-be-released novel, entitled 11/22/63, is about a teacher who travels back in time to stop the John F. Kennedy from being shot."  Hold on!  So mighty brain is JUST NOW finding out that 11/22/63 is about time travel and the JFK assassination?  This is news to him?

Okay. . . back to mighty brain: "Which, at this point, is when we ask: oh, hey dude, isn't that the exact plot from an episode of Quantum Leap?  Oh, OK, yeah it pretty much is. In 1992, Quantum Leap debuted an episode called "Lee Harvey Oswald," (a two parter) where, as IMDB puts it.... Sam finds himself leaping back and forth in assassin Lee Harvey Oswald's life while retaining part of his personality."

So, has Mighty Brain read the novel?  Nope! 
So this idea that King stole "the exact plot from an episode of Quantum Leap" is based on. . . what?  A one sentence summery of an eight hundred page book.  800 pages. . . he reads one sentence and declares King stole the story.

The caption under the Quantum Leap picture reads: "Stephen King's plausible inspiration for 11/22/63."  Plausible?  I thought mighty brain said 11/22/63 was "exactly" the same plot as the Quantum Leap episode.  Exactly doesn't leave room for Plausible. 

I warn you now, the stupid comments are on their way.  There will be no end to the people claiming King either stole the story from some 1990's TV show, or from their own out of print self published novel.

The only reason this gets really annoying, is that it amounts to an attack on King's credibility -- his character.  is he a hack?  I don't think so.  I don't think he has time to be replotting Quantum Leap episodes into 800 page door stops.  To accuse King of intellectual plagiarism before the novel is even in the Amazon warehouse is premature.  Hey, I have an idea. . . read the book before saying it is "exactly like" Quantium Leap.

http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/mixmaster/2011/08/stephen_king_writing_jfk_assas.php

More Nods From THE SIMPSONS

Stephen King and the Simpsons have a special relationship. The other night I was watching an episode in which Bart's girlfriend for the episode was reading a vampire romance novel. Of course, Bart had to explain that vamps are supposed to be scary. Wonder where he learned that, eh!

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Now I know some of you will say, "Get real, the writers of the Simpsons are not watching Stephen King that closely." Well, I would simply ask -- did you see last nights episode of the Simpsons? Did you? Did you? DID YOU?!

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The Fool Monty:

Episode 503

11/21/2010

So, I don't have the attention span to recap an entire ADHD Simpson's episode; but bottom line -- Mr. Burns loses his memory and the town tortures him in a variety of ways. When he gets his memory back, he decides to punish Springfield. His plan is sweet revenge, Stephen King style. Literally!

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Mr. Burns, "Taking an idea I got from a Stephen King book, I'm going to cover this town with a dome!" Burns holds up a copy of Under The Dome. Burns laughs -- Mahahahah. Trailing his helicopter is a fleet of government choppers towing a huge dome with birds nesting on the top.

Lenny, "It's been done."

Mr. Burns, "Really? You don't say." To Smithers, "Did you know about this?"

Smithers nods.

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I am not going to explain all the reasons this is funny; if you don't get it, just resign yourself to a lifetime of confusion as a cultural underling.

Stephen King and The Simpsons Part 1

I'm reposting a short write from January, 2010. It's about the Simpsons and Under The Dome. Why? Becuase I can't believe there's still web chatter about this.

http://www.neatorama.com/2010/07/26/which-came-first-under-the-dome-or-the-simpsons/

http://johnnycat.wordpress.com/2010/07/22/which-came-first-under-the-dome-or-the-simpsons/

This annoys because it calls into question Kings integrity. Plagiarism is a bad word. What is right under the surface of this kind of argument is the notion that King is out of ideas; he is now turning to the Simpsons for material. So both the Simpsons and Under The Dome had a Dome -- might I point out that Old Yeller and Cujo both have a rabid dog?

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If King is looking to the Simpsons to steal stuff, then wouldn't he be ripping from the Halloween episodes? Truth is, the Simpsons have often spoofed King's ideas.

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Anyway, here's the orginal post:

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STEPHEN KING AND THE SIMPSONS, 1

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shhhh, quiet. I have to confess -- I like the Simpsons. Okay, so most Stephen King fans won't care if I like the Simpsons. But, from the conservative circles I move in, the Simpsons do not smack of family values.

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As a kid my father and I bonded over the Simpsons. That was before we got the memo they were bad. Now my wife makes me watch it when the kids are in bed.

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Mix Stephen King with the Siimpsons. . . I'm in heaven.

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Now, before I do the post I was thinking about -- connections between King and the Simpsons, let's deal with this stupid question: Didn't King Steal Under The Dome From The Simpsons?

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As for all the complaining that Under the Dome is a rip-off of the Simpsons Movie, that is just people who either didn't see the movie or didn't read the book; they are not the same!

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First of all, the dome on the Simpsons is visible. ha!

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Second, the Simpsons are able to dig under the dome. (Remember Maggie?)

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Third, Holmer is able to ride a bike on the wall of the dome. I don't see Big Jim trying that.

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Fourth, cities characters are different. Reverend Lovejoy is nothing like Lester Coggins. nor is Krusty anything like Pennywise. well, actually...

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So all of that is lame, I admit. Here's a better set of answers:

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1. King gave his word he did not steal the idea from the Simpsons. He's got a good track record of honestly telling us where his ideas come from. He said his idea for a dome came when he pictured a news conference where all looked normal until someone reached out and tapped on mid-air.

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2. King proved it when he released the Cannibals. The main ideas for inner conflict with people locked into a situation were already present in that draft, which came long before the Simpsons.

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conclusion: The Simpsons should be paying royalties to Stephen King. So there.

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Check out part 2, http://talkstephenking.blogspot.com/2010/01/stephen-king-and-simpsons-2.html

Maximum Overdrive

Good news / bad news -- Hollywood Video is going out of business. Of course, I don't rent from Hollywood Video, so for me it's goodnews/goodnews. They're selling the entire stock. So right now I have King movies all piled up. Summer is usually the time I buy a bunch of King movies, and so cheap DVDs are great. And, guess what they had. . . Maximum Overdrive. We're several days into the sale now, and no one has bought this. Hummm, I wonder why!

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My daughters and I watched this tonight. So, here is our review:

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The characters in this film are certainly not on their way to a Mensa convention. In fact, does anyone in this film have an IQ over 75?

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HITCHCOCK!

According to Creepshows by Stephen Jones (my favorite book on Stephen King movies), King said that the inspiration for the story came from Alfred Hitchcock's 1963 film The Birds. So, you get it, right? Birds go crazy and attack people -- machines go crazy and attack people. Subtle. In Stephen King Goes To Hollywood, another cool book, Jeff Conner says, "Like The Birds and Romero's Dead films, the storyline concerns those few plucky survivors; that group of disparate people thrown together in this trying time of fantastical crisis. yes, mayhem ensues." p.119

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Truth is, this isn't a very good film. I know that you're shocked. King said that a reviewer in New York gave it zero stars.

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But I like it. Here's why, in no particular order.

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1. This is so bad, it sinks to the level of Ed Wood bad. Which is a wonderful kind of bad to sink to. Not just any Ed Wood cross-dressing kind of bad. But the lofty position of Plan 9 From Outer Space kind of bad. So bad, it's good. After I wrote that, I read this quote from King in Creepshows, "There was a long period during post production when I thought I had made a worthy successor to Plan 9 from Outer Space." Creepshows, p.46

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2. It's not boring. Lots of action. My kids particularly liked it when the guy sprayed himself in the face with the gas hose. Brilliant. Remind me that when hiding from rogue cars, it is always a good idea to take refuge near a gas station.

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3. Lots of car chases and things blow up. Man food. Better yet, the woman in the cafe yelling at the sky is just great. You really need to see this film -- just for her.

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4. I like the green sky. What is this "comet" made of -- alien farts?

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5. How many movies start with the director getting told he's an a-hole? And, this is no ordinary director, it's the King of horror himself.

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6. No matter what you think of the movie, the AC/DC sound track is well done. My friend actually said that he wore his copy of the sound track out. I wonder if anyone wore their DVD's out.

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7. Listening to Yeardley Smith play a bride on her honeymoon is great. She screams more than Dakota Fanning in War of the Worlds. Of course, you know Yeardley Smith as the voice of Lisa Simpson.

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8. It's nice to peak in at the world of 1986. Very 80's film. I knew cars had changed, but I was unaware that gas pumps had changed so much.

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9. I wish I had seen this as a kid, then I would have had a story to go with all those toy trucks I crashed up -- other than "Crush-Up-Derby."

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10. It's like an evil episode of the Twilight Zone. Jeff Conner says in Stephen King Goes To Hollywood, "The Trucks story is a Twilight Zone kind of affair, pitting Mankind against suddenly sentient, and pissed off, semi-trucks; sort of a Night of the Living Big Rigs deal." p.119

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DVD QUESTIONS:

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Where is the directors commentary? I know King is a busy man, but this classic would be just great with his voice talking over it.

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Where is the "directors cut"? When the movie was rated by the MPAA, it was originally given an "X" for excessive violence. (that would be an NC-17 these days) To get it down to an "R", King chopped a couple of gore scenes.

Another nod from the Simpsons

Are you still watching the Simpsons these days? The spoof episode on the Green Mile (American History X-Cellent) was enjoyable. But there aren't many Simpson's I don't like! Anyway, here are a couple of reviews concerning the section that spoofed the Green Mile:
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TVfanatic.com had this to say: "Is it a crime to want nice things and then to steal them from a public museum where any gum-chewing monkey in a Tufts University jacket can gawk at them? Turns out, yes. Because that's exactly what put Mr. Burns away.
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While much of the actual prison scenes of "American History X-Cellent" were a parody of The Green Mile, a movie the show has already parodied seasons prior, they were surprisingly still funny since they involved one of our favorite characters on the show."
http://www.tvfanatic.com/2010/04/the-simpsons-review-american-history-x-cellent/
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Sharon Kroll at AOL television notes, There's far more 'The Shawshank Redemption' and 'The Green Mile' on 'The Simpsons' when Montgomery C. Burns goes to jail than 'American History X,' but I guess 'The Montgomery Redemption' or 'The Green Monty' just didn't sound as funny. The only similarity to the Edward Norton Neo-nazi flick is that Mr. Burns also has Nazi leanings (like that's a surprise): When he surrenders his personal effects, the guard lists one "Social Security card." "That's just an SS card, you dumkopf!" Burns huffs.
http://insidetv.aol.com/2010/04/11/the-simpsons-american-history-x-cellent-recap/
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Watch the episode here: http://www.hulu.com/watch/139657/the-simpsons-american-history-x-cellent

Homer Under The Dome

Hey, just a quick note:

I noticed twice in a very short space that King mentioned that someone sounded like Homer Simpson. An interesting comparison.

p.629 "Doh wake im." To Thurse she sounded like Homer Simpson.
p.638 "You sound like Homer Simpson," Sammy said.

I guess Homer was on King's mind that day.

Stephen King And The Simpsons, 2

I like the Simpsons. I like Stephen King. What's better than when the Simpsons steal an idea from Mr. King?

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1. In 2000, King was a guest on the Simpsons episode: Insane Clown Poppy.

Marge: So, Mr King, what tale of horror and the macabre are you working on now?

Stephen King: Actually, I'm taking a break from horror for the time being.

Marge: Oh, that's too bad.

Stephen King: At the moment I'm working on a biography of Benjamin Franklin. He was a fascinating man who discovered electricity, and used it to torture children and green mountain men. And that key he tied to a kite - it opened the gates to HELL.

Marge: Well, when you go back to horror will you let me know?

Stephen King: Will do. [writes down a note: CALL MARGE RE: HORROR]

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http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0701137/quotes

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2. The Simpsons did a parody of The Shining (called The Shinning) in Halloween Treehouse of Horror V.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yGJGTjV2WE

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3. According to stephenking.grimpuppy.com, King has had references in 6 episodes and had a cameo in a 7th (noted above).

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4. In the Simpsons episode the Joy of Sect Homer and Bart see a bookstore called "Just King and Crichton." That's funny! I wouldn't mind running that bookstore.

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5. Wikipeida notes, "In the episode "Dude, Where's My Ranch?", Moe asks "Ya ever see the movie Misery?", to which an injured man replies "Actually, no." Moe then says "Then this will all be new to you." and the two drive off while menacing music plays." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_King_in_popular_culture#The_Simpsons

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Obviously the most cited book by the Simpsons is the Shining. They seem to love it! I laugh at all the people who say the Simpsons should sue S.K. for his use of a Dome. There seems to be a pretty good working relationship between the two.

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I just found this link, which is really cool. It's Stephen King in popular culture: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_King_in_popular_culture