The Empire Strikes Back Turns 30

30 years ago today we were transported back to the world of Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader and Princess Lea. With the release of The Empire Strikes Back, George Lucas hit a home run. Of the six movies, Empire is by far my favorite. It’s dark, the snow battle is beyond awesome, the chase through the asteroids is great and most of all we learned that Darth Vader is Luke’s second cousin – or something like that.

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Oh, and another great thing about Empire – there was no annoying Death Star super spaceship that could blow up planets. The Death Star left me rolling my eyes, even as a kid. A cool idea, but who’s the idiot who connected an external tunnel to the self destruct button? Did they not think that someone might fly down their little canyon and press the self destruct button? And then they did it again in Jedi! But I digress. Anyway, Empire is full of good, head on battles. Walkers, Falcon, Star Destroyers – and no teddy bears whomping on the Scout Walkers.

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I'm passionate about Star Wars because it was so central to my childhood. It was everything! I had the toys, posters (I hung them with nails, to my parents chagrin) and used metal shelves to land spaceships on pretending they were mighty Star Destroyers -- never a lame Death Star. I went to school every day with a Empire Strikes Back lunch box, until it rusted. Star Wars was something my grandparents knew nothing about; my prents accepted as important, but didn't know just HOW important it was.

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The King Connection:

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So I found myself asking: is there a connection to the Stephen King universe? Well, of course there is! Lawrence Kasdan co-wrote the script for The Empire Strike Back also directed Stephen King’s Dreamcatcher.

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In Wolves of the Calla, King described the robot andy as looking like C-3PO.
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Under the topic, "Stephen King writes Star Wars" poster Johnny Flynn writes, "the villains in the book, the Wolves (riders on horses), use these futuristic weapons called light sticks to do their dirty work. In the finale of that book, when the riders come to town and finally use them in a battle, it is revealed that the light sticks are actually light sabers. King says this with some awe in the book and, in fact, It seems that most of the wolves’ weapons are derived from Harry Potter or the Star Wars series, just as most of the books’ language derives from Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings." http://boards.theforce.net/star_wars_community/b10012/14802220/p1/

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I already suggested that the best director for the Dark Tower would be George Lucas. I won't repeat what a good idea I think this is -- inspired -- brilliant -- like it's from another universe -- we're talking Yoda level of thinking here, okay. http://talkstephenking.blogspot.com/2010/05/just-thought.html

.Dark Tower Star Wars Connection

Remember what the file about Big Jim in Under The Dome was named? You bet you do. . . it was the "Veder file" wasn't it! Liking Big Jim to Darth hismelf was a little over the top. Just because Big Jim wasn't nearly as cool as Darth Vader. See, Darth wasn't one bit wimp, but Big Jim was really a giant wimp. Big Jim wouldn't have fought Luke Skywalker, he would have gotten one of his pee-on's to do it.

.Stephen King Empire Strikes back

I also already noted that Stephen King's Carrie shared casting with George Lucas' original Star Wars.

.Stephen King Star wars

In 1980, when Empire Strikes Back came out, Stephen King had two big projects hit the public. First, the movie The Shining was released and second his novel Fire Starter was published. Also in 1980 Stephen King's short story The Mist first appeared in a collection of stories titled Dark Forces.

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Now for the big question: Dare I tell my wife that when I drive our mini-van, I still pretend I'm flying the X-Wing fighter? Then she might understand those tickets. . . 　

That's One Small Step For Randall Flagg

Randall Flagg may not have to wait much longer to unleash his terror on us little mortals. Is our world looking more and more like the world that birthed the super-flu? The amazing thing about The Stand is that with each new decade it becomes even more relevant.

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USA Today's Dan Vergano has an interesting article titled, "Scientists create 1st bacteria strain from man-made DNA." Yikes! See, some of us can think of a certain author who already thought of this storyline. . . over thirty years ago.

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Vergano writes that Genome researchers Thursday have unveiled the first bacteria strain from man made genes. He's drawing from the journal of Science, which notes that it is a $40 million milestone in "the nascent field of synthetic biology."

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So -- bottom line -- what does that mean? According to Jim Collins of Boston University, the breakthrough "represents an important step in our ability to engineer organisms."

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Now enter Liz Heinecke at MinnPost.com -- she points out today that this breakthrough is disturbingly reminiscent of The Stand. She writes, When I told my husband that scientists at the J.Craig Venter Institute had assembled a functioning bacterium from bottles of chemicals, he said exactly what I was thinking. “It’s like The Stand.” Even if you’re not a Stephen King fan, you’ve probably heard of his novel where a genetically engineered strain of the flu virus wipes out almost every human on earth."

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LINKS:
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http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/discoveries/2010-05-21-genome21_ST_N.htm

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http://www.minnpost.com/mnblogcabin/2010/05/21/18360/kitchen_pantry_scientist_new_synthetic_bacterium_could_bring_us_closer_to_jurassic_park

SYFY Crossovers

Over at techland, Graeme McMillan observes, "With Syfy announcing yesterday that characters from Warehouse 13 and Eureka will be swapping series this August, I started thinking about the other possibilities of crossovers from the dyslexic network." He then offers five fun crossovers -- with this one, of course:

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Eureka/HavenSyfy's secret genius town and Syfy's upcoming secret supernatural (and based on a Stephen King novella, which has to earn it some points) town, both with law enforcement professionals from outside having to deal with fitting in and the locals. What if there was some way the two could come into some kind of rivalry or conflict? Science versus faith! You know you want it.

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Personally, I want to get a grasp on Haven first.

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http://techland.com/2010/05/20/never-mind-warehouse-13eureka-here-are-5-better-syfy-crossovers/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+timeblogs%2Fnerd_world+%28TIME%3A+Techland%29

Haven Writer: Show different than King novel

Dreadcentral has a very interesting article on how the Haven series "differs from its source material." Now, I've got to admit, this is something I've been wondering about. Haven has sounded fromt he beginning like many things -- but none of those many things included the Colorado Kid!

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Here's the relevant King information -- check the link for the fulls story.

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Several comments along the lines of "Haven seems to have absolutely nothing to do with the Stephen King novel (The Colorado Kid) on which it's based" got us wondering about the upcoming Syfy series. Luckily, thanks to the magic of Twitter, the show's co-writer, Sam Ernst, has cleared things up a bit.
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According to Ernst, who is scripting the series along with his partner Jim Dunn, "We basically absorbed the whole book and then added a supernatural storyline and back story for the characters."
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He also added, "Stephen King read the supernatural storyline we added and the mythology and emailed us: 'sounds like a blast!' Then Jim and I drank."

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http://www.dreadcentral.com/news/37636/haven-writer-how-show-differs-its-source-material

photo: http://anhkhoi.blogspot.com/2010/04/haven-premieres-july-9-on-syfy.html

Link: Marvel Comic D.T. Review

Jesse Schedeen offers a review titled, "Dark Tower: The Gunslinger - The Journey Begins #1 Review."

Check it out here: http://comics.ign.com/articles/109/1091288p1.html

IT Journal 3

In the opening scenes, King spent time giving us peeks at Pennywise. In chapter three he introduces the seven protagonist who will face off against the monster. All of the adults have forgotten the events of their childhood, until Mike gives them a call.

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The sub-chapters are titled, making this very long single chapter a series of short stories. When the mini-series was filmed, they paired these introductory scenes with an encounter with Pennywise. So each character got a shot as an adult, then a flashback. Anyway, the book doesn't do that.

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Interestingly, just from a literary standpoint, is that King tells several of these scenes from the viewpoint of someone who loves the central character. So Stanly Uris' story is told from the standpoint of his wife; Beverly Rogan's story is told through the eyes of her abusive boyfriend.

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It is scary how easily King takes the reader inside the head of an abuser. In this case, a violent abuser who likes to whoop on Beverlay Rogan. No slow build-up like in The Shining, you're just dropped right into this guys head. Ouch.
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Some quick notes:
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1. I really like Bill asking, "can't you guys let a story be a story?"
2. Eddie marry's a fat woman who reminds him of his mother. She is both pathetic and icky.
3. George Orwell makes appearances in this book also, as he also had quite a role in Firestarter. It is obvious that Orwell's work has had an influence on King.
4. King also gives honorable mention here to Ray Bradbury and William Goldman.
5. Bill Denbrough appears to be King's closest alter-ego in this novel. He's not only a writer, Denbrough is even published by Viking.
6. The cultural references are more than I can count. Grateful Dead, Carson, O.J. Simpson (Hertz ad), Esquire -- and a trillion more.
7. All of the characters are very successful. I'm not sure how King is going to play on that. But they're certainly not "losers" as adults.
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Foreshadowing - The Scar
The foreshadowing is awesome in this section. I especially like Bill showing his wife his scarred hands, a sign of a blood covenant. But it is a scar that has suddenly appeared -- come back with a single phone call. How cool is that?! And then, King delivers a true shiver: Stan did it. What did Stan do? He cut their palms. Now this is powerful because Stan just killed himself.
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Bill tells his wife, "I can' remember Stan doing his own hands last, pretending he was going to slash his wrists instead of just cut his palms a little. I guess it was just some goof, but I almost made a move on him . . . to stop him. because for a second or two there he looked serious." p. 131 pb
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The titles all make use of the verb "take."
Stanly Uris takes a bath
Richard Tozier takes a powder
Ben Hascom takes a drink
Eddie Kaspbrak takes his medicine
Beverly Rogan takes a whuppin
Bill Denbrough takes time out
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Hemingford Home

In the section about Ben Hascom, we learn that he lives in Heminford Home. This is the same place mother Abigail from the Stand lives. It is also the site of one of the upcoming stories in King's upcoming book, Full Dark, No Stars. We are given this description of Hemingford Home, "Downtown Hemingford Home made downtown Swedholm look like New York City; the business district consisted of eight buildings, five on one side and three on the other." These include a barber shop, a hardware store, a bank and a 76 gas station and the Red Wheel -- the local bar.

Strange Maine

Can a blog turn in to a book? Sure! Michelle Souliere has written a fantastic little book, Strange Maine, drawing largely on her blog http://strangemaine.blogspot.com/

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The book is a small treasure chest!

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Joyful Writing

Souliere's humor is sprinkled generously throughout the book. Her introduction assures readers that her book should not -- ever -- never ever! -- be used for trespassing. This peaks the readers interest at once. Where am I not supposed to go?

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Souliere offers energetic prose and a refreshing attention to details. Her writing style is chatty, like she's talking to a good friend about a beloved subject. You can sense her passion as she shares these strange stories about her home state.

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Souliere does a good job documenting her sources. Personally, I get tired of chasing end notes and footnotes. And I get very annoyed at the author who could just care less. Souliere discloses her sources right in the text of the book itself. So, as you read, she explains where she found an item, and then moves forward with her quote or retelling.

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Content

Souliere wastes no time taking the reader straight into the heart of strange Maine. Or, more appropriately, spooky Maine. She gives a haunting tour of several graveyards, including first hand testimony from someone who was literally chased out of the cemetery by a very angry spirit. I'm not going to recreate the scene, but it was wonderful and that freaky story alone would have kept me up late bug eyed.

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She also tells a pretty scary story about a ghost caught in a "loop" wandering from his living room to his sauna. Again, I was spooked.

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Souliere dives into the strange history of Maine. This includes a chapter on crime (let's just say Lizzy Borden had a few country bumpkin rivals up in Maine). She gives a wonderful chapter on monsters and other odd creatures. My wife was impressed by Dr. Doves Unicorn, "cracked me up," she laughed.

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With so many monsters ghosts and creatures roaming the borders of Maine, at least part of the always annoying question "where do you get your ideas, Mr. King" might be answered here. Of course, I've always said, Who cares where King gets his ideas, just so long as he writes them down. But I must admit a certain pleasure in thinking at certain points, "Ah, I wonder if that might have inspired Stephen King!" After a serious description of a place called "Hubcap heaven" I found myself thinking that maybe some of these people King describes in his novels aren't really so far fetched. By the way, she included directions to Hubcap Heaven, if you're interested.

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Photo's

This might sound childish, but I like books with pictures. There, I said it. I worked my way toward pictures when I read the updated version of the stand. Throughout this book Souliere offers unique photographs that both work with her text and stand alone. They are well captioned, allowing punks like me to read ahead and anticipate upcoming stories.

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Strange Maine and Stephen King

If you're remotely interested in the world of Stephen King then you will be interested in the State of Maine. And Strange Maine is a great guide for those of us who can't jump in a car and explore the wonderful state. Souliere points out that Maine is known for its eccentrics. . . Like Stephen (p.18)

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Things that don't make sense to a Californian suddenly spring to life as Souliere explains the raw details of Maine. I had trouble with Salem's Lot partly because it was so hard for me to believe a town in America could really be that far off the beaten path. However, Souliere notes "Maine contains over 400 unorganized townships." (p.17) Suddenly Salem's Lot registered as much more interesting in my book.

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And where did the green glow in Tommyknockers come from? Well, Souliere has a suggestion. Of course, you must remember, to Souliere the interest is never in if something really inspired King or not, she is chasing the story itself. But this is worth a nod, okay! Interested? Check out page 34.

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While the book is not directly about Stephen King, it is a great resource full of insights for anyone who wants to dig just one layer deeper. My wife wants to make sure I tell everyone that it's a "fun" book. So there.

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AMAZON IT: http://www.amazon.com/Strange-Maine-True-Tales-State/dp/1596299363/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1274165437&sr=8-1

It Journal 2

Not what you expect:

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This book doesn't start where you expect it to. If you are familiar with the mini-series, the second opening to the book is pretty chopped up. if you previously read it, this is stuff you probably forgot. Because it's not what you expect.

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After George's death, the book starts with the year 1984. This is to let us know that IT is back. IT was spotted while some gay-haters beat a homosexual youth to death. But it appears that the monster himself got a few bites of his own in. In particular, a big chunk of the victims arm pit. This is actually a powerful opening, since it gives the reader an inside look at how police are going to deal with this "clown" story (several people saw the clown, but police ignore this). It also shows that Pennywise enjoys attacking those who are culturally oppressed.

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The next chapter leaps us ahead one year, to 1985. Stanley Uris is the focus of this section -- and his unfortunate demise. Again, the humanizing of the characters is strong. King moves quickly to sketch his characters. Interesting that he chooses to show his hand so early. There will be numerous scenes to come that include Stanley, but he lets the reader know up front that things will not come out well for poor Stan. This would be an out right gamble for any other author -- can this be pulled off? But in the hands of Stephen King, it is a master stroke.

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The turtle?

I might note that there are several references in this chapter to "the turtle" that I somehow missed the connection to. Dark Tower connection? I'm not sure.

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The writing:

Another note on King's narration is in order. On page 37 of the paperback he once again speaks directly from writer to reader, stating, "At the time of this writing, all three sentences are under appeal" Leaving that section of the story open-ended. That is, King does not always choose to write as omniscient narrator, but sometimes acts simply as a story teller who is also locked in time and space and is relying on what information he has at his disposal. It does give the story a deeper sense of reality.

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The reading

Weber's reading is awesome! The voice for Pennywise is no Tim Curry rip-off. But you don't realize just how good Weber is, what a joy he is to listen to, until the scenes with Richard (Richie) Tozier appear. These call for him to do the voice of Kinky Briefcase, WC Fields and so much more.

IT Journal 1

Well, I'm off and running on this long narrative called IT. Actually, I'm listening to the book on my computer, read by Steven Weber. I think this is the same actor who starred in The Shining. The reading is very good. He gives Pennywise a great voice!

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Already King shows that he is the master of characters. And these are not easy characters -- they're children. But with ease, King takes us back to a world we had forgotten. He resurrects thoughts and fears long buried; the thing in the cellar, arguments about who's the biggest a-hole, and the love/hate tension with siblings. What's amazing is that he so skillfully does this in just the opening pages.

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George's death sets the stage for everything that's going to follow. He is the first of the terrible killings, and King gives us a front row seat. I could smell that drainage ditch -- and I swear I saw teeth -- yellow eyes for sure. There's no messing around in this novel. No wondering if maybe it's the work of a serial killer; King shows us right up front who enemy is. He pulls back the curtain quick, giving us a long hard look at Pennywise before moving on. That face will haunt the reader as they proceed.

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I was wondering if you could do that:

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King's narration is a college course of its own. He is the master of his craft, and this book stands as one of his strongest.

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First, notice King's ability to speak to the reader outside of the time period the story is set in. I was working today on a story set in the 30's. I wanted to reference something from the 40's in my narration. Could I do that? This lead to a family discussion. Wife said yes, friends said yes, mother-in-law said no. Could I mention Roadrunner, even though it was the wrong decade? Well, Stephen King answered my question. "If George had been inhabiting a later year, he would have surely thought of Ronald McDonald before Bozo or Clarabell." p.13 Ah, thank you Mr. King.

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Second, even when writing in third person, there are times King himself speaks directly to the reader. Note the opening of IT, "The terror, which would not end for another twenty-eight years -- if it ever did end -- began so far as I know or can tell, with a boat made from a sheet of newspaper floating down a gutter swollen with rain." Those prose are beautiful, by the way. He sets the stage for a true horror story, promises a beginning, middle and maybe an end. But did you catch the "I"? There it is, boldly at the very beginning of the novel. I wonder if he had to fend off some editor telling him you can't use "I" in a third person narrative.

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He done it again! Check this out, "The boat dipped and swayed and sometimes took on water, but it did not sink; the two brothers had waterproofed it well. I do not know where it finally fetched up, if ever it did; perhaps it reached the sea and sails there forever, like a magic boat in a fairytale. All I know is that it was still afloat and stilling running on the breast of the flood when it passed the incorporated town limits of Derry Maine, and there it passed out of this tale forever."

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Again, he speaks directly to the reader. Also notice that he takes ownership of tieing some knots int he story. For instance, he doesn't let some college professor make a symbol out of the toy boat. . . he does it himself! I like that a lot.

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Of course, there's a whole world of publishing out there that will warn you not to take your cues from Stephen King. As one published writer told me, "Stephen King can do what he wants because he's Stephen King. You need to play by the rules." But, I want to object, we read Stephen King, don't we?! Why not write what that inner-voice says is true?

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IT and Me

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This is a strange novel to me. I was born in 1973, so the stories about the children happened sixteen years before I knew this world. I grew up in the 80's. This means that things feel a little reversed in this novel to me. the 80's in the book are supposed to represent the harsh reality of today's world. But I have fond, tender memories of the 80's because that was my childhood! And don't knock the 80's, they gave us the best of the Star Wars films, Michael Jackson, Atari, and Sam the Eagle. All I'm saying is that the "now" portion of the book, the section that is supposed to represent harsh modern reality, is romanticised in my own heart.

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One of the things I didn't like when I heard about the upcoming IT movie was that they changed the time frames -- moving everything by 20 years. So the children's scenes take place in the 80's. But, as I listen to this novel, I understand why that change would be made. The 50's weren't my generation -- I can't identify with that world; that world belonged to my parents.

Screening Of Kubrick's The Shining

this is from pr-inside.com
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Writers In Treatment, Sunset Statue Sober Living AND www.ModeraXL.com/witdiscount presents:

• 30th Anniversary Screening of Stanley Kubrick's THE SHINING by Steven King.
• Introduction by Dr. Seth Kadish, author of the seminar, A World of Fright: Alcoholism and the Work of Stephen King
• Food and beverages available.
• To attend you must RSVP Leonard at 818-762-0461

The announcement notes:

This is a community screening sponsored by the Quit Smoking Beverage~www.moderaXL.com/witdiscountA man, his son and wife become the winter caretakers of an isolated hotel where Danny, the son, sees disturbing visions of the hotel's past using a telepathic gift known as "The Shining". The father, Jack Torrance, is underway in a writing project when he slowly slips into insanity as a result of cabin fever and former guests of the hotels ghost's. After being convinced by a waiter's ghost to "correct" the family, Jack goes completely insane. The only thing that can save Danny and his mother is "The Shining".

Jack Torrance becomes the caretaker of the Overlook Hotel up in the secluded mountains of Colorado. Jack, being a family man, takes his wife and son to the hotel to keep him company throughout the long and isolated nights. During their stay strange things occur when Jack's son
Danny sees gruesome images powered by a force called "The Shining" and Jack is heavily affected by this. Along with writer's block and the demons of the hotel haunting him Jack has a complete mental breakdown and the situation takes a sinister turn for the worse.

http://www.pr-inside.com/stephen-king-stanley-kubrick-s-the-r1893636.htm

Fire Starter Journal 6

Wow, this book may be a little slow in the middle, but the last few chapters are a bang. I mean, really good. Typical King, he spends lots of time building up to an incredible ending. And, King did something nice, something he didn't give us in Carrie -- an emotional conclusion. With Carrie, you were kinda left wondering "what happened?"

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Both books are very much the same:

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1. Both Carrie and Firestarter have a girl at the center.
2. Both are coming of age stories.

3. Both experience serious betrayal. Carrie at school / Charlie by John Rainbird.

4. Both are driven to a destructive conclusion. Carrie, to destroy her high school / Charlie to destroy agents of The Shop. Actually, High School is a lot like The Shop.

5. Both Carrie and Charlie have abilities usually dulled out by the likes of Rod Serling. For Carrie, it's telekinesis / for Charlie it's a pyrokinetic ability.

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Firestarter might have a better ending than Carrie, but it doesn't have a seriously messed up character like Carrie's mom. I think that role was meant for John Rainbird, but for some reason he just doesn't work for me. I was glad to see him go.

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I have just a few pages to read and I'm really enjoying it. The thick of the plot is done, King is just sweeping up the floor and tightening up loose ends. Again, I like it when he does this. Often with King novels we are left to wonder what happened with a lot of the lose ends.

The Viking Crisis

Viking has put my life in a serious crisis. They released a LOT of Stephen King audio books all at once. We're talking everything from Cujo to Christiane to mega novels like Tommyknockers and IT. IT!!!

.Come back Roland!

What's the crisis? Well, it's obvious, right? What do I read next. Just finishing Fire Starter, which was wonderful. But the options are overwhelming.

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Having given this problem serious consideration, pricing things at Amazon, reading through Bev Vincent's Stephen King companion again -- I decided on my next book. I loved Vincent's chapter on Pet Semetery and decided I would give it a fresh reading. So, off to Amazon I went -- only to realize something incredible: Pet Semetery wasn't published by Viking! It's not among the books on audio. NO WAY! Can you believe my life?

.I'm really waiting for wind through the keyhole

So, alas, it's time to break down and read IT. Cover to cover. No skimming, no skipping like I did in High School. It's me and this book. I'm ready for a long read, like Under the Dome. Best to get it read before the new IT movie comes out -- of which I've heard absolutely no news.

.the darkman fled across the desert

By the way, I do have all of these books -- in digital format from audible. But my car is still CD. So. . . I'm listening on my computer, trying to convince my wife how wonderful a new stereo would be in the mini-van. She's not going to go for it, though, because she knows that will mean HOURS of driving and listening to the evil clown eat little kids. Yummy.

King Cameo in Sons of Anarchy

From stephenking.com:
Stephen will be filming a cameo role for the FX series Sons of Anarchy. His part is currently scheduled to be in the third episode of the new season set to air in September. Steve promises to give fans a full report of his adventures filming the part later this month in California.

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Wow, California. I hope he stops by.

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What is Sons of Anarchy? According to wikipedia, it's a television series about the lives of a close-knit outlaw motorcycle club operating in a fictional town in Northern California. The show centers on protagonist Jackson "Jax" Teller, the Vice President of the club who begins questioning the club and himself.

High Resolution Cover Full Dark No Stars

This is the high resolution cover for Full Dark, No Stars from stephenking.com



Several things I really like about this cover:
1. It's very simple. Similiar to the other books of four, Different Season's, Four Past Midnight, now Full Dark, No Stars.
2. The cover art is mysterious.
3. I like the ladies handing reaching down beyond the borders of the picture.
4. It looks like a classic book -- not a traditional "Stephen King."
5. King's name doesn't suck up every inch of the page. Same with the title. (ie: Insomnia, Tommyknockers and so on)

An Evening with George Guidall

Have you heard George Guidall? If you listen to books on tape, you probably have! He's recorded more than 900 audio books. In the Stephen King universe, Guidall picked up on the Dark Tower series after Frank Muller's accident.
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Lackawanna Country Library is holding a "evening with George Guidall."
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Thetimes-tribune has this interesting quote from Guidall -- regarding people's tendency to prefer a certain reader:
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"Once they latch onto that person, they rely on that person to give them a vicarious experience they can't otherwise have," he said. "They feel like that person is talking to them."
It makes for some very interesting encounters. Once, he was at a library in West Virginia and a librarian kept pointing out to him the tapestries she had made while listening to his audio books.
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"That's me and you doing 'Crime and Punishment.' That's me and you doing 'Frankenstein,'" she told him.
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"People go into a library and ask for a book by George Guidall," he said. "People are writing me from all over the country. They've all experienced that book the same way, because I'm the one who told them the story. They're in a tribe all by themselves."
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What: "An Evening with George Guidall," presented by the Lackawanna County Library Lecture Series
Where: Scranton Cultural Center at The Masonic Temple
When: Thursday, 7 p.m.Details: Admission is free with a library card.
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http://thetimes-tribune.com/arts-living/books-on-tape-narrator-geoge-guidall-next-library-lecture-series-speaker-1.777909

Time Warp: CARRIE

So, what was happening in the world when Carrie was published? The year was 1974. Imagine, no Star Wars, no Internet, this was even before a peanut farmer named Jimmy Carter took the country by storm.

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In 1974, Hiroo Onoda, a Japanese soldier, surrendered. He held out a pretty long time, convinced that the Americans were just tricking him. Richard Nixon also surrendered, becoming the first president of the United States to resign in office. Think about it, just as America's political horror story was coming to an end, the master of horror was stepping up to the plate, pen in hand.

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Inflation reached 11.3% -- that's not good. It was the middle of a global recession. Very early word processors hit the market. They looked like typewriters. (Typewriters are machines that were used by primitive people that involved moving plates hitting the paper and leaving a mark when a key was struck. You're welcome.)

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You could buy a house for $34,900. Sound good? Well, the average salary was only $13,900. A new car cost around $3,750 and the cost of gas to fuel that car? Try 55 cents.

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In 1974, the 55 speed limit was set. The Sears tower was completed, making it the tallest building of its time and Leonardo DiCaprio was born. (I was a one year old.)

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This is interesting, because of the energy crisis, daylight savings time commenced nearly four months early. I guess everyone just agreed to get up earlier. A space station called skylab was still orbiting the earth. If you were a patron of the Marshes Supermarket in Troy Ohio, you could see them using the first bar code scanner.

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If you were headed to the movies, you might be watching: The Sting, The Exorcist, Death Wish, or Murder on the Orient Express. King noted that Carrie was written "after Rosemary's Baby but before The Exorcist, which really opened up the field. I didn't expect much of Carrie. I thought who'd want to read a book about a poor little girl with menstrual problems? I couldn't believe I was writing it." http://en.allexperts.com/e/c/ca/carrie.htm

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On television you would probably be watching The Price Is Right (say it ain't so!), The Waltons , Kojak and The Six Million Dollar Man.

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Out of this strange time period, Stephen King gave us his first masterpiece: Carrie. It mirrors the dark mood of the country. Carrie is set in the the world of the 1970's. While it is not heavy on cultural references, you will spot marks of the 70's. (Just the idea of women showering together in High School -- that wasn't happening in my high school in the 1980's. Though my wife and I are "discussing" this, since she thinks open showers stuck around long past the 70's.) you still took "gym" class instead of the now watered down "P.E."

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Main source: http://www.thepeoplehistory.com/1974.html

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What are the time warp posts? -- http://talkstephenking.blogspot.com/2010/05/time-warp.html

Time Warp: The Gunslinger

Fantasy and Science Fiction
Date: February 1981
Cost: $1.50
King story: The Oracle and the Mountains
Also in this edition: Isaac Asimov
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ads of interest:
"Hypnotism revealed. Free illustrated details powers. . ."
"ESP Laboratory. this new research service group can help you. For free information write. . ." (hey, careful now, this might be a shadow ad for the Shop.)
"Mimeograph Press, type, write or draw you own full size pamphlets, newsletters, etc. SASE for details; shipped complete, $50." (Do you all remember mimeograph's? I do. . . from school.)
"Beautiful Mexican-Oriental ladies needing American husbands. Free details. . ." (Talk about time warp! That's pretty blatant, though.)
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Articles of interest:
Next to the King story, my greatest interest was Baird Searles' article "Films, strike stricken." He was sad about an actors strike. In fact, poor Searles writes, "So here I am, nearing my deadline and no new season on which to report. Well, not quite true. PBS apparently being above such sordid things as labor disputes, did indeed debut a new series which is of peripheral interest to this column." (The series he was referring to was Cosmos, by Carl Sagan.)
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What is interesting reading this column is that a reporter would be stumped by a actors strike. No cable television to bridge the gap
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Story of interest:
I did enjoy Michael Armstrong's Short story, "Absolutely the last, this is it, no more, the final pact with the devil story." Yes, that's really the story. And it's wonderfully strange. It's a series of short letters between and editor rejecting a story and the author. Today this correspondence would be done by email.
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The King entry:
It is interesting to me that Fantasy and Science Fiction was the place where these stories were published. I don't think there was any way to know the King story was upcoming -- if you subscribed to F&SF, then you just got a nice surprise. But, a strange one, since you had to keep up with a story that was last printed years earlier!
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What are the time warp posts? -- http://talkstephenking.blogspot.com/2010/05/time-warp.html

Time Warp

If you just want to read Stephen King, paperbacks from used bookstores will do just fine. If you want to collect Stephen King, first editions are a must. Now, if you want to super-collect Stephen King, you have to look for special first editions, signed items, and so on.

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Know what I like? Well, like everyone, I like first edition hardcovers. But I also like to get stories in their original format. How cool is it to thumb through the magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction as you read an entry to the original Gunslinger. I like stuff that has King's work printed in it, but also has other things that mark the times. The entire thing becomes something of a timewarp. From ads to other writers, politics and so much more transports you back to -- the 70's, 80's and 90's.

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So, I'm going to do a series of short posts that relate various stories by King, and the time warp reading them in their original publication will put you in.

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One of the reasons for King's success, I think, is that he writes about our time. NOt a lot of heavy historical fiction in a King novel. Now sometimes he'll drop back a decade or two, but I can't even think of a World War Two novel, or a Civil War novel. His work is usually set in the now. Thus, the stories themselves preserve a bit of America in the time they are written. Add to that the story in its orignal publication, and you have a taste of another era.

Lucas and The Dark Tower -- Just A Thought!

Who should be doing the Dark Tower series? Put aside all the Ron Howard excitement for a moment, okay. This is just a thought -- but it's a good one; How about George Lucas. You know, the Star Wars dude!
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Here's why:
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1. He used to making strange movies. And Dark Tower needs to be strange.
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2. They can do awesome stuff over at Skywalker ranch. The special effects won't be a repeat of the Langoliers.
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3. He knows what's involved in creating an entire universe. And that's what the Dark Tower is, a universe. Lucas thinks big. He's dealt with stories with massive amounts of characters.
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4. He's already a ka-jillion-aire, so he wouldn't be in it for the money.
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5. If he's focused on a new project, he will finally stop re-cutting the Star Wars films. And giving us cartoon versions of Star Wars. And, not to mention, Star Wars 3D. . . please, give this man a new project! Redoing Star Wars every few years is like Picasso painting over his classic's with new touch-ups because he can finally afford better brushes.
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6. He could get Harrison to be Roland. By the way, did you knwo that duel audions were held for carrie and Star Wars? Yep, it's true! Harrison Ford would make a great older Roland (Wolves and beyond). And Roland ages quickly in the series.
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7. The idea of a "used universe" is perfect for the Dark Tower series.
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8. The Dark Tower has several Star Wars moments. (Roland hypnotizing people -- "these aren't the droids you're looking for.") C3PO is mentioned in Dark Tower 7.
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There you go. No news, just another annoying opinion from a nervous fan. I think everyone wants to say to those preparing to put their hands on the Dark Tower series, "Don't mess this one up!" We better not get another Children of the Corn here.

Suicide By Garbage Disposal?

Is it possible? I reflected earlier that while I really like the scene in which Dr. Herman Pynchot sticks his hand in his garbage disposal (while wearing his wife's undies), I'm not sure a garbage disposal would really create as much damage as King conjures up.
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Now, this brings us to an interesting news article. The CNN reports that NBC is getting sued because its show Hero's shows a woman getting her hand chomped up by the garbage disposal. Who's suing over that? A garbage disposal company!
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The article includes this:
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Dan Callahan, spokesman for Emerson, said the company, of course, does not recommend anybody put their hands in a garbage disposal that is turned on.
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But he also pointed out that, according to data from the government's Consumer Products Safety Commission, you are actually ten times more likely to get injured by your dishwasher than your garbage disposal.
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And I've been told that if you did stick your hand in a garbage disposal (not that I've tried) you would hurt yourself but you would not wind up losing any fingers as was the case with the girl on "Heroes."
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http://money.cnn.com/2006/10/17/commentary/mediabiz/index.htm

Firejournal 5

Moving into the final section of the book is really a joyful thing -- and a relief. King once tied readers down in Gerald's Game. Pinned with Jessie, the reader spent hours in a dark room as she struggled for freedom. He once pinned us in a car as a crazed dog circled it. In Firestarter, he locks the reader up in the deep inner rooms of The Shop.
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The Shop is not really a happy place to spend time. Full of not so bright hit men and equally moronic head-honchos. Hey, I've got to say once again how much I like the idea of a hit man (a guy who literally has blood on his hands) named OJ. The executives at the Shop spend their time trying to figure out ways to keep their government funding. Meanwhile, they fall prey one by one to Andy McGee's mind powers.
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An interesting note here, King has a character put his hand down a garbage disposal. Wonderful! In fact, the line that the hand was more pointed than a sharpened pencil stuck with me. But, I just saw this show on Food Network where they cut stuff up. And here's the deal: At least on that show, they said that you couldn't hurt your hand on a garbage disposal. I haven't tested this myself, and maybe the way they work has changed in the last 28 years.
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Office politics are also a beast at The Shop. Backstabbing and ego play center stage in this novel. If you work near John Rainbird, don't think those computer files are safe just because you password protected you computer. Hey, The Shop is a nasty enough environment to qualify it for a John Grisham novel (think The Firm). Big Brother and Orwell's 1984 continues to have heavy play in the book. Everything in the Shop is taped (at least in Charlie and Andy's rooms), giving even an indirect nod to the "tele-screen" in 1984.
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McGee's ability to "push" and "shove" people mentally is really the star of the book. Of course, the McGuffin, as Hitchcock would say, is Charlie's power to start fires, but it's Andy who drives the story. In fact, not only does Andy push and shove the folk at the shop, at one wonderful point in the book, he realizes he is going to have to "push" Charlie.
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King certainly spends his time building characters and making the reader more and more claustrophobic. By the time King is ready to knock down his final set of carefully placed domino's, the reader is anxious to see them go. Can he make this book end with a bang? I'll bet he can.

C.S. Monitor Review: Blockade Billy

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Erik Spanberg has a great review of Blockade Billy in the Christain Science Monitor. Here's a few quotes:

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Quote 1: The baseball sequences move as well as the character sketches, helped by King’s preference for “Bull Durham”-style baseball pragmatism rather than the weepy “Field of Dreams” nostalgia too often plaguing baseball literary efforts.

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Quote 2: King knows his way around the dugout and makes fine sport of the game’s rhythms and gallows humor, too.

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Quote 3: All in all, “Blockade Billy” merits a curtain call for the endlessly prolific, and inventive, King. His novella makes a perfect companion for scanning the summer box scores and, most impressive of all, even conjures a momentary twinge of empathy for that most scorned baseball species: the umpire.

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http://www.csmonitor.com/Books/Book-Reviews/2010/0507/Blockade-Billy?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+feeds%2Fcsm+%28Christian+Science+Monitor+%7C+All+Stories%29

Cover: Full Dark No Stars

Lilja's Library posted the cover for Full Dark, No Stars. Turns out, it's right there on the Simon and Schuster web page. I would have never thought to look for it there! It looks classy, to me. Like something I would have toted to English Literature class.

http://books.simonandschuster.com/Full-Dark-No-Stars/Stephen-King/9781439192566

Ron Howard approaches The Dark Tower

In a story titled, "Ron Howard Gets Rights to Stephen King's Dark Tower" Lindsey Lee shares the following:

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Stephen King’s Dark Tower book series has been through a bit of a journey on its way to the screen. Lost co-creator J.J. Abrams’s company Bad Robot originally held the rights to it, hoping to adapt it into a TV series. Abrams then returned the rights to the author, according the The Washington Post.

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Now, Ron Howard is looking to acquire them for a film. Howard is teaming with producers Brian Grazer and Akiva Goldsman on the project, reuniting the trio who was behind such movies as A Beautiful Mind and The Da Vinci Code. King is currently working on writing the eighth installment of the fantasy Western series.

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http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2010/05/ron-howard-gets-rights-to-stephen-kings-dark-tower.html

TV and Books

I enjoyed a fun article titled "Tube tomes: Here are some good books to go with your favorite TV shows." Top of the list, of course, is Mr. King.

IF YOU LIKE: "Lost" (9 p.m. Tuesdays, ABC; Seasons 1-5 available on DVD).
READ: "The Stand," by Stephen King (1978). King's post-apocalyptic epic is frequently cited by the "Lost" creators as a major influence. The sprawling tale follows two disparate groups of survivors in the wake of a disaster — in this case, the accidental release of a "super-flu" virus — and features, among other things, a character who doesn't seem to age, the detonation of a nuke, dreams, visions, supernatural touches and a confrontation between Good and Evil.

http://www.contracostatimes.com/tv/ci_15022771?source=rss

Link: LA Times Review Blockade Billy

Under the headline "Stephen King steps to the plate" David L. Ulin of the Los Angeles Times has this review of Blockade Billy. I'll just say this, I believe he's over thinking the novel and failing to enjoy it. You know, reviewers tend to do that. But, you can read for yourself what Ulin has to say.

http://www.bendbulletin.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100502/NEWS0107/5020301/1020&nav_category=

Would Dark Tower Make A Strong Movie?

While there is a lot of discussion right now in the S.K. universe about what will happen to the Dark Tower -- T.V. series ? Movies ? -- I am wondering if the books would make a strong set of movies? I have to admit, I have reservations.

Here are my concerns:

1. The books are extremely intricate.
Could anyone except King pull off all the subplots and nuances? Abrams did it with Lost, but he already gave up the project.

Bev Vincent and Robin Furth are both known for their encyclopedic understanding of the books. But could someone from outside the world of S.K. come in and pick up on what's going on here? Not only does the Dark Tower inner-connect with itself, it links with the entire Stephen King universe. So someone dealing with a visual adaptation, will have to be ready to go through the world of the Stand at points and touch on other King works skillfully.

2. The books are uneven.
I'm sorry to say this, but all books are not equal in this series. Even the rewritten Gunslinger is not as strong as The Drawing of the Three.

3. Massive flashbacks
The books do a lot of flashing back. A lot! Would that work on screen? Because this isn't a brief thing, Wizard and Glass acts almost as a prequel.

4. Who would play Stephen King?
Sure, he could play himself, and that would be cool, but Song of Susannah requires a young Stephen King.

5. This is big budget stuff.
Not the first book, but there are several scenes in New York of yester-year, and the cast would be huge.

6. Stephen King movies are often. . . uh, how do I say. . . not as strong an offering as the novels they are based on. Or, more bluntly, I'm afraid Hollywood will screw this up. Think I'm wrong? Watch Needful Things again! Or any number of the Children of the Corn movies.

7. A story this long would require actors to be consistent from beginning to end.

8. What about Wind through the Keyhole? Will it fit into any future projects?

If they're going to do it -- I hope James Earl Jones narrates it!
All that said, I will anxiously await future news -- hopeful something great is in the works.
Am I excited? Absolutely! But, I also know that in the world of Stephen King and Hollywood, it's sometimes not good to get my hopes up.

Movies I am looking forward to:
1. The remake of IT
2. Eyes of the Dragon ?
3. HBO's Under The Dome
4. The dark Tower
5. Pet Semetery remake ?
6. Needful Things remkae. (actually, there is no remake, I'm just hoping. . .)

My Collection: Dark Tower

Not much to be said for this. Someone suggested recently I post pictures of my collection. never did much because truth is, every book Kng's published has been well photographed. And so any collection just looks like a very familiar line-up. But it does give us a cool excuse to pull the books down and handle them. So, I'll post pictures of my collection and you all can just roll your eyes and think, "what a Harold Lauder."

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Dark tower Books:

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1. The Oracle and the Mountains, Magazine: F&SF, Feb. 1981

2. The Slow Mutants, Magazine: F&F, July 1981

3. The Gunslinger and the Dark Man, Magazine: F&F, Nov. 1981

4. The Gunslinger 2nd edition.

5. The Gunslinger 3rd edition

6. The Gunslinger Viking reprint 2nd edition

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7. The Drawing of the Three, 1st edition

8. The Drawing Of The Three, viking edition

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9. The Wasterlands, 1st edition

10. The Wastelands, viking edition

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11. Wizarda and Glass, 1st edition

12. Wizard and Glass, viking edition

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13. Wolves of the Calla, 1st edition

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14. Song of Susannah, 1st edition

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15. The Dark Tower, 1st edition

16. The Dark Tower, artist edition, signed by Whelan

.the gunslinger fled across the desert

17. The dark Tower, Gunslinger Boarn, hardcover.

Poe and Dolan's Cadillac

Dolan's Cadillac is another example of Edgar Allan Poe's influence on Stephen King. King honored Poe's short story The Tell Tale Heart with his short story The Old Dudes Ticker. Dolan's Cadillac is shows the markings of the Cask of “The Cask of Amontillado."
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Just some quick notes:
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1. Both are stories of revenge.
2. Both use the idea of being buried alive. Dolan in his car, Fortunato is buried in the wall.
3. Both are told in the first person.
4. Both Dolan and Fortunato die very slowly.
5. Both Fortunato and Dolan have similiar pleas:
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Poe writes:
“For the love of God, Montresor!”
“Yes”, I said, “for the love of God!”
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King writes:
“For the love of God!” he shrieked. “For the love of God, Robinson!”
“Yes,” I said, smiling. “For the love of God.”
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I found this fantastic article that goes into some depth on the subject of the two short stories. Check this out: http://www.ablemuse.com/erato/showthread.php?t=4893
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More on The Cask Of Montillado:
http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/poestories/section11.rhtml
http://thecaskofamontillado.info/

Face It! Lilja’s Facebook is Cool

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Liljas-Library-The-World-of-Stephen-King/112537032112502

The Old Dude's Ticker

Cemetery Dance has an announcement that "The Old Dude's Ticker" by Stephen King, which you can only read in The Big Book of Necon -- a hardcover oversized special edition.

Here's a snippit of Kin g's the introduction from The Big Book of Necon,

"In the two years after I was married, I sold nearly a dozen stories to various men's magazines. Most were purchased by Nye Willden, the fiction editor at Cavalier. Those stories were important supplements to the meager income I was earning in my two day jobs, one as a high school English teacher and the other as an employee of The New Franklin Laundry, where I washed motel sheets. Two of them, however, did not sell... The second was the one that follows, a crazed revisionist telling of Poe’s 'The Tell-Tale Heart...' I hope some of Poe's feverish intensity comes through here... and I hope the master isn't rolling in his grave too much."

The book is $40.

http://www.cemeterydance.com/page/CDP/PROD/booth01

Firejournal 4

The middle section of Fire Starter slows down significantly. The book started with an intense chase, culminating in an awesome battle at a farmhouse. We're talking, fireballs and burned agents of the shop. It was sweet. Then, after a brief description of their life on the run, Andy and Charlie are captured by the shop and brought into custody.
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Character Building
For hours I've listened as King builds his characters. In particular, he is working to build a relationship between Rainbird and Charlie, while Andy is dulled out on drugs.
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While the energy of the early story certainly slows, King's writing remains strong and engaging. Reading King's earlier work shows me how much stronger he's gotten as a writer. Fire Starter is good -- really good -- and King is even better today. Books like Under The Dome, while huge and full of characters with depth, never slow or drag while building those characters. It's as if King has learned to refuel in flight!
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You can do that?
The narration itself is interesting. Often King does things I didn't know were allowed. I've always liked it that King doesn't feel a need to obey every rule. For instance, in narration he says something like: after about 3 or 4 days. . . wait a minute! Isn't he writing in the all knowing third person? And this wasn't said from someones head, this was the narrator speaking. Is the narrator allowed to be unsure? Well, in this scene it helped the story along because it gave the reader a sense of confusion that the characters were experiencing.
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1984
King makes several references to George Orwell. Specifically, to Orwell's famed novel 1984. Also to Orwell's lead character, Winston Smith. In the novel, Smith quietly rebels against his State, represented by Big Brother. In Orwell's London, people are always watched on tele-screens, drugged when necessary, and put to work like drones.
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Of course, in Fire Starter, Andy McGee quickly connects the dots. Once he decides to no longer take the drugs that the shop is giving him, he is essentially rebelling against Big Brother. He feels euphoria, like Winston did, at his quiet disobedience.

Blockade Billy Arrives

A package was in our mailbox today. That's big news when you live in the stix! Of course, it was a package inside a package. The inside package was torn up, and the outside package contained an apology from the mail for damaging my package. However, only slight harm done to book.
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The book came shrink wrapped, which always leads to a dilemma. Do I break the shrink wrap open and enjoy my new book, or keep it perfect for some future generation to struggle with the same frustration. So, I helped those future generations by opening the book up! Actually, I never keep anything in shrink wrap. Even the signed Talisman/Blackhouse combination books, I broke them free. Hey, how do you know they're signed unless you open the shrink wrap, right?
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Anyway, the picture is of my oldest daughter and our proud new addition to the Stephen King collection. Which leads to another problem. . . do I read it, or keep it unread? Forget it, I'm reading it! You all can keep yours in shrink wrap and pretend that unread books are better -- I'm going to enjoy my favorite writer.

Stephen King Library Red Leather

For the moment. . . I've given up on collecting a full set of first editions. It is difficult to Convince my wife to fork over the moolah for a first edition Carrie, The Dark Tower (she doesn't see the need, since I have a second edition. . . I'm neglected) or even a true first of the Shining. I do have nasty reporductions of Carrie, Salem's Lot and The Shining. Gag. But, for the the time being, I'm just going to give up on the hunt. Gasp. I did manage to get a full set of first edition Richard Bachman's. Not hard, though.

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Most recently I have been buying copies of the Red Leather Stephen King Library books. I like these, and they do look cool on the shelf (though not as cool as a first edition Gunslinger, honey.)

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These are beautiful books that were originally published by Book of the Month Club. I'm not sure of the whole history of them. They are bound in faux leather and King's signature appears in gold on the front cover. They appear to be almost exact reporductions of the original hardbacks, with these exceptions:

1. The cover is obviously red leather instead of a bookcover.

2. They do not have a numberline or much copywrite information.

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Anyone know the full story on these books?

Robert Mccammon's Wolf's Hour

For those of you who are Robert Mccammon fans, it is noteworthy that Cemetery Dance is taking preorders for a limited edition of Wolfs Hour ($75).

In the world of Stephen King, Mccammon's Swan Song is often compared with The Stand. Of course, hardcover limited copies of Swan Song now go for around $500.

http://www.cemeterydance.com/page/CDP/PROD/O_MCCAMM03

Haven News

this is an article from digitalsphy.com by Catriona Wightman.

Adam Kane has signed up to direct Syfy's new pilot Haven.
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Kane, who has previously worked on Heroes and The Mentalist, will now helm the adaptation of Stephen King's novel The Colorado Kid.
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The supernatural show follows Damages star Emily Rose as an FBI agent investigating the murder of a local ex-prisoner.
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According to Syfy, the programme is set in a town "where people with supernatural abilities have migrated for generations because it mutes their powers, allowing them to lead normal lives".
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Lucas Bryant and Eric Balfour have also signed up for the show, which is currently shooting in Nova Scotia.
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http://www.digitalspy.com/ustv/news/a216637/heroes-director-signs-up-for-haven.html

Plan 9 v. The Langoliers

I read several comments recently that compared the Langoliers to Ed Wood's now famously bad movie Plan 9 from Out Space. "No!" I thought at once. "This wasn't nearly as wonderful as Plan 9!" Of course, Plan 9 sinks so low it can be nothing but enjoyable.

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Just for fun. . . let's do a quick review of Plan 9 and then see if the Langoliers rises to the occasion.

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Here's my notes from Plan 9,

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This is the funniest film I’ve seen!
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My favorite channel, TCM (Turner Classic Movies) gave this introduction to Plan 9 From Outer Space: "Here at TCM we pride ourselves in bringing you some of the best movies ever made. Coming up next, we will fail. We have the film that has for years been touted as the worst movie of all time. After watching it, you’ll agree."

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Plan 9 From Outer Space is about aliens attempting to make contact with humans. However, the earth leaders have denied their existence and refused to talk. The angry aliens turn to "plan 9" to destroy earth. What is plan 9?
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Plan 9 was made by Ed Wood Jr., who started the movie with his friend Bela Lugosi leaving his home. Lugosi, who was supposed to be the star of the film, died after shooting that opening spot. So what did Ed Wood do? He got his wife’s chiropractor to stand in. Of course, the chiropractor didn’t look anything like Bela Lugosi – but that’s okay, because he holds his cape up over his face to that we will all think it’s Bela Lugosi. But, we can all tell: "Hey, mom, that’s not Bela Lugosi!"
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Now to get financing to this film, Ed Wood made friends with a local Baptist Church. The Church was going to make 12 movies of the Apostles. But they only had money for one film. Wood convinced them that if they made one popular movie, the profits would be so great they would have money to make their other 12 films. So the Baptist put up the money. The movie was originally called, "Grave Robbers From Space" but the Baptist objected. So, it was renamed Plan 9 From Outer Space. Reportedly the Baptist made Ed and crew get Baptized before they put up the money. I’ll withhold any comment.
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The movie also stars Vampira, who would later sue Elvira for stealing her act. Director Ed Wood was voted worst director ever, and Plan 9 was voted wort movie ever. Wood was a transvestite (wore women’s underwear), but often clarified that did not mean he didn’t like women. No sissy, Wood stormed the beach of Normandy! (He claimed he did this wearing a red bra. Good thing he didn’t get shot and rushed to the hospital.)
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Some really great lines:

Policeman standing over dead body, "This is murder, and somebody is responsible." (Uh, yeah! Beats that murder where no one is responsible.)

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Grave digger 1: "Did you hear anything?"

Grave digger 2: "I thought I did. I don’t like hearing noises. Epically when there ain’t supposed to be any."

Grave digger 1: "yeah, kinda spooky like."

Grave digger 2: "Maybe we’re getting old."

Now wait! Getting old doesn’t cause you to hear things... it causes you NOT to hear things!
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Pilots wife: "The saucer is up there, the cemetery is out there, but I’ll be in there."
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Conclusion: "My friends, you have seen this incident based on sworn testimony. Can you prove it didn’t happen? Perhaps on your way home, someone will pas you in the dark, and you will never know it – for they will be from outer space!"
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Mistakes:

1. The police officer in the graveyard keeps scratching his neck and pointing with his gun.

2. When the UFO flies by the airplane, the string can be seen holding the UFO. Guess that’s it umbilical cord to the mother ship.

3. The scenes keep switching between day and night. That’s right, night turns to day and day turns to night. (9:13 , 9:25 , 28:10, 31:494. The inside of the flying saucer is awesome! What does an alien space craft look like? Why, a desk surrounded by black curtains, of course. See, the aliens have learned that walls are really unnecessary.

5. The outside view of the cemetery is different than the inside.

6. The aliens raise the dead... but he can hardly get out of the grave! Seriously, this resurrection stuff is a tough gig.

7. When the police inspect the grave, notice how shallow it is. Guess that six feet under is the stuff of legend.

8. Colonel Edwards arrives at Jeff and Paula's house with the detective, but he wasn't in the car when it pulled up!

9. Are those tombstones made of cardboard?

10. Ed Wood claimed he used models for the spaceships, but they sure look like hubcaps!

11. The minister at the funeral never says anything, he just stares at his Bible. Maybe it’s his first funeral.

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Now, for the big question: Is the Langoliers this good? Or, more aptly, does it rise to this beautiful level of badness? The comments are open, so feel free to share your deep thoughts on this subject.

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My opinion: Does Langoliers compare with Plan 9? -- Sadly, it does not. It's just not bad enough to fall in line with Plan 9, because if it was that bad, it would be wonderful!

Syfy upcoming Stephen King

In addition to filming a series based on the Colorado Kid, Syfy is running three Stephen King mini-series in the next few days.

Sunday, April 25
STEPHEN KING'S THE TOMMYKNOCKERS - PART 1/2
STEPHEN KING'S THE LANGOLIERS - PART 1/2

Thursday, April 29
STEPHEN KING'S DESPERATION - PART 1/2

http://www.syfy.com/schedule/index.php

Now for the big question in life: How does SYFY represent Science Fiction ?

Poll Results: Do You Read Joe Hill

10 -- yes
03 -- No
04 -- I plan to
06 -- Joe who?

As indicated previously, I was one of the "plan to."

Original post: Do you read Joe Hill:
http://talkstephenking.blogspot.com/2010/04/do-you-read-joe-hill.html

new audio clips

http://www.stephenking.com/promo/fresh_audio/