5 Stephen King Movies

Kellie Haulotte has a short, fun, article at examiner.com titled, “5 Stephen King Movies.”

Her choices:
5. Salem’s Lot
4. Pet Sematary3. Carrie
2. The Dead Zone
1. The Shining.

About The Shining, Haulotte wrote: “I'm never really sure why I love this movie so much. The feeling of claustrophobia and living in a so called haunted hotel, just adds to a good plot. The movie is slow at times but that adds to the suspense. Watching Jack Nicholson go slowly crazy is what makes the movie and Shelly Duvall trying to keep things smoothly. It's creepy.”

Those are all good choices – so good, every one of them has been (or is being) remade.  Salem’s Lot has been made into TV miniseries twice.  There was also “Return to Salem’s Lot” – which I have not seen.  Pet Sematary has a sequel and there has been talk about remaking it.  Carrie got a sequel, a television remake and now a new movie treatment.  The Dead Zone was turned into a TV series.  And, of course, King and Garris remade The Shining as an ABC mini-series.

My current 5 favorites:
5. Misery
4. The Green Mile
3. The Dark Half
2. Stand By Me
1. The Stand

Why The Stand?  That’s another blog post, but primarily because: 1. It kept the bigness of the story.  2. The plot was essentially intact.  3. The acting was great.  I particularly liked Flagg and Stu.  What the Stand failed to do was scare!  The scene in the tunnel wasn’t as scary as it was reading it.  However, I don’t know that was possible.

HERE is a list of all Stephen King movies.

Okay, your turn!

Lealos writing "Dollar Deal"

Shawn S. Lealos is writing a book about the Stephen King dollar babies titled "Dollar Deal."  Sounds interesting, and an area that has been long overlooked.

Lealos’ website states:

He is currently writing a book based on the Stephen King dollar babies, telling the stories of filmmakers from all over the world who used this program to get their foot in the door and further their careers.  (Check it out HERE)

Lealos is also covering Comic-Con 2012 for examiner.

He recently wrote this interesting note about the strength of King’s evil characters as part of a blog entry titled, “Writing Tips: The Importance of a Fleshed Out Villain” :

Here is something to keep in mind when writing your villains. If a bad guy is boring or weak, your heroes will not have to work so hard to beat him. If the Crimson King was not so powerful, would the heroes from Stephen King’s “The Stand” be so interesting? If Pennywise was not such a scary, evil creation, would we care about the kid’s who had to face him in “It?” Sure, you can write wonderful characters but if your bad guy does not pop off the page, it is all for naught.

Check it out HERE.

Pet Sematary Rises On Blue Ray

DVD file has posted news that we can expect Pet Sematary to hit Blu-ray and include a commentary track as well as special features.

2 October will bring the Blu-ray release of Pet Sematary. This Stephen King cult classic will arrive with a 1080p transfer, a DTS-HD Master Audio sound mix, a commentary track, and a slate of featurettes. SRP is $22.98 (Check it out HERE.)

This is exciting  news to me,as  I think this is one of the best Stephen King adaptations out there.  It is both scary and faithful to the plot and mood of the novel.

CARRIE goes to Comic-Con

image credit: Dread Central  HERE

Dread Central's Uncle Creepy posted today:

The first artwork for the remake of Carrie is ready to stare down all who dare to walk through the doors at this year's Comic-Con, and we have a shot of it right here for all those not around to meet her gaze! Dig it!

The Dread Central article is HERE.

Makes me wonder what the scene would look like if Carrie actually did go to Comic-Con.  She'd make a mess of those exhibits, that's for sure.  Actually, a whole series of posters comes to mind.  Carrie goes to congress would be nice.  How about Carrie goes to Disneyland.  Carrie goes to Time Square.  How about Carrie goes to the Stanley Hotel. Carrie visits Haven.

Drew Struzan Still At Work

image credit: HERE

You've seen Drew Struzan's work, even if you haven't heard his name. He is the artist who has made posters for movies such as The Shawshank Redemption, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Back to the Future and more.


He retired after 40 years, but didn't stay out of the game for long! slashfilm.com reports:

Struzan allowed Mondo, the poster boutique of the Alamo Drafthouse, to screen print and release some of his previously created art for Frankenstein and The Thing. Each poster was a massive success and Struzan was extremely happen with the results. So happy in fact, they’re now working on screen printing his work for Stephen King’s The Dark Tower. Still, this is all art he’d previously created. Save for offering some help on Cowboys & Aliens and The Walking Dead, he remained retired.

Check out the full article HERE.

CINEFANTASTIQUE 1977 review of Star Wars

I'll be posting an article in my 10,000 magazines series about the May, 1977 Cinefantastique which featured several of the original Carrie interviews. However, in reading through the magazine, I came upon a short review of Star Wars.

Star Wars and Carrie have a lot in common:

1. DePalma and Lucas shared cast tryouts to save time and money.
2. Both would launch the careers of several movie stars.
3. Both would be landmark films for their directors.
4. Both starred a lot of young unknowns.

. . . still trying to decide if Carrie was a good Jedi or bad. . .
Like a certain lead character in Star Wars, she needed to learn to control her anger and use it for good, not revenge. But all that would come later, in the super incredible prequels!

It's interesting to read what people thought about movies when they first came out. Often the lore of a film slants any new reviews. Would anyone now, knowing what we know, give Star Wars a bad review? I mean. . . a really bad review? Well, there it is! Cinefantastique, 1977 crucified it!

Sense Of Wonder
editorial remarks by Frederick S. Clarke

The big news as we go to press is the opening of Star Wars to what appears to be broad acceptance and popularity. The film is a unique achievement in special effects, but beyond that there's not much more to add. If you ever wondered what Flash Gordon would be like with decent special effects, you now have the answer: Just about the same. I had hoped director George Lucas would add some dimension to the film's bald adventure storyline, but what you see is all you get. Most viewers seems too in awe of the amount and scope of the visual effects to realize that behind the pretty pictures and slap 'em, zap 'em action there is nothing, no theme, no intellect, not even an idea.

Lucas has wisely avoided calling his film science fiction, and as a hedge against criticism admits it's just juvenile fantasy, nothing more. But juvenile fantasy can be great stuff, though not in Lucas' hands. For a film that takes place in a "galaxy, far, far away," there is a sad lack of that sense of wonder and mystery that comes from penetrating the unknown, that supreme prickly tension that makes young eyes and minds open wide in good juvenile fantasy films like Journey to the enter of the Earth and The Time Machine. This lack in Star Wars results from Lucas using all the props and window dressing of the genre without capturing its essence.

In Star Wars, a laser sword might just as well be a broad-sword and the outer space battles merely the World War II dog fights they are patterned after, because all this film amounts to are bits and pieces of westerns, swashbucklers,  and sundry adventure genres that Lucas has traced over into the costuming of space opera.  What a disappointment.
On the other hand, we still have Steven Spielberg's Close Encounters Of The Third Kind to look forward to, in the hope that its popularity will prevent the science fiction film boom from heading off in the pointless direction of Star Wars.  

That's wonderful!  I mean it.

Clarke was the owner/creator of Cinefantastique.  Just note how interesting it is to see through the eyes of the moment, instead of the eyes of history. When you see something for the first time, with no cultural influence -- unfiltered -- you might come away with a different impression than someone who has 30+ years of history telling them, "This is going to be a good film!"

Funny thing -- Star Wars  would end up helping Cinefantastique.  The website has a great history of the magazine, noting, "With the advent of STAR WARS in 1977, science-fiction became big business, and the circulation of Cinefantastique expanded." Check out the history of Cinefantastique (HERE)

Cinefantastique was a wonderful magazine that not only was filled with very informative articles, but original artwork and a lot of photo's; in fact, a lot of color photo's for the time.

The New York Times quoted The Encyclopedia Of Science Fiction in Clarke's obituary, writing:

Cinefantastique ''is by far the most useful U.S. fantastic-cinema magazine, being less juvenile in orientation and (apparently) less dependent on the studios for pictorial material, and thus more independent in its judgments'' than other such magazines (HERE)

The Amazing Spider Man can't escape Stephen King

I thought the new Spider Man movie, “The Amazing Spider Man” was off the hook awesome! And, it had a couple of nods to some people I like.

First, there is a quick nod to Stephen King. Did you catch it? During the fight scene in the library, a set of books is knocked over. The only name that stands out is the one – white on brown – “STEPHEN KING.” Come on, you saw it, right! That could only be the side of Desperation. I’ll leave it for you all to tell me why Desperation, or Stephen King, get a second in The Amazing Spider Man. By the way, you may have missed it because it’s right after the scene where Stan Lee was walking through the library.

Second, there was a nod to Alfred Hitchcock. This one is more obvious, as it comes in the form of a poster in Peter’s room. There is a large Rear Window poster that gets several shots.

MISERY JOURNAL #1

I've never read Misery.  I saw the movie, many many many times.  It is supposed to be so faithful to the book, that I think I kind of felt like I knew the matereal.  But, alas, I have jumped in to this neat little book.  Originally Misery was slated to be a Bachman book, but King was exposed before that could come to fruition.

Just a few initial observations:

1. As Paul comes into consciousness, thoughts from Genesis flood his mind.  "Let there be light, and there was light."  Thus Misery opens much the same way the the creation account begins.  Misery will be the story of a creator -- writer -- struggeling for his life.  Cast into a dark place, Paul will have to fight to really find the Light.  And, like Adam and Eve, Paul Sheldon quickly meets the devil!  King wastes no time letting us meet Annie Wilkes.  King is even kind enough to inform us early on that she is crazy.

2. King makes mouth to mouth resuscutation delivered by Annie Wilkes seem like something close to respiratory rape.  You just have to read it -- but it is sickening and powerful.  Strong writing, because it evokes disgust.  And this isn't King going for gross out -- it is a powerful picture of being helpless as another person tries to breath life into you.  (By the way, there is another creation refernce in the breath of life stuff.  But that one is not intended by Mr. King, so I will not press it.)

3. In the early pages of Misery, Kings writing has some of the dreamy quality I associate with Ray Bradbury.  I like it very much.

4. Annie expresses frustrationt hat Pual doesn't write Misery novel's fast enough.  She has to re-read the novels she already has, and anxiously awaits each new novel.  In hindsight, the Constant Reader is left wondering if there is a little Dark Tower resentment on Kings part here!  Fans would express frustration at the pace of the Tower novels release.

5. Lindsay Crouse, the reader of theaudiobook transitions smoothly between narration and the voice of Annie Wilkes.  The voice of Annie is so familiar the listener is left wondering if the reader is purposefully mimicking Kathy Bates performance -- or is there is only one way to read Annie Wilkes?

Dwight Allen Is Not A Constant Reader

photo credit: dwightallen.com

Dwight Allen recently published a rambling article in Salon titled, “My Stephen King Problem.” Allen admits to being a “snob.” That’s not exactly what comes across in the article. Try, self absorbed. Does Salon have editors? Actually, Salon notes that the article originally appeared in the L.A. Review Of Books.

A GENRE WRITER

Throughout the article Allen called King a “genre” writer. This alone reveals that Mr. Allen knows absolutely nothing about Stephen King! In fact, even though he read 11.22.63, Mr. Allen didn’t get that the book is ultimately a romance! That King writers much, much, more than horror is evidenced in The Body, The Eyes of the Dragon, Bag of Bones, The Dark Tower series, From a Buick 8, The Talisman and so much more. To keep beating that old drum really reveals the box Allen is in, not King.

Allen does not consider King to be a good writer at all, saying, “By bestowing rewards on writing that is not all that good, has not the literary establishment lowered standards and pushed even further to the margins writing that is actually good and beautiful?” Of course, Allen does not discuss some of King’s greatest works; The Stand, IT, Salem’s Lot, Carrie, The Shining, Misery, The Green Mile. Personally, I think by bestowing rewards on King, the literary establishment has heightened the standards of what is good.

IT’s ALL ABOUT DWIGHT!

Instead of discussing King’s work, Allen takes us on his life journey. Really, this is about him! He tells of the many times he didn’t read Stephen King. He tells about the times people told him he should read King. He discusses the times he almost read, but alas. . . did not. This is a 4,500 word essay!

Reading this article introduced me to Allen’s favorite authors (not King), Allen’s wife (she works in the medical profession) and Allen’s adult son (he’s 24)  (His name is George). I feel like I know all about Dwight Allen! Maybe that was what he really wanted. The article could have been titled, “Introducing all things Dwight Allen, who happens to not like Stephen King.” In fact, I’m surprised Salon put a picture of Stephen King at the top of the article instead of Allen’s family photo.

CHRISTINE

Finally Allen let’s us know he did read a Stephen King novel. The reader wants to applaud and hug him, “thank you, Mr. Allen! Thank you for at least getting to a Stephen King book.” So what book did he read? He dove right into Christine. Great starting place, eh?

I loved Christine, but Allen found the characters hollow. I didn’t. I thought it accurately portrayed teens, their struggles and in particular their relationship with their parents and cars. But Allen admits he’s a snob, and I’m not sure snobs always identify well with teens.

AIMING AT THE FANS

It’s not just Stephen King who is set neatly in Allen’s crosshairs, it’s those who love Stephen King. Allen writes (and note the name-dropping here):

“My wife felt it was wrong to stand in judgment of people who read fiction in order to escape from life, and I said she was right: I didn’t feel morally superior because I read John Cheever or David Foster Wallace or William Styron or Zadie Smith or Mary Lee Settle instead of Stephen King.”

So the constant reader of Stephen King is just reading to “escape” life. He wouldn’t think about judging those poor souls! The statement itself is a judgment. I don’t read Stephen King because I need to escape life! I read King partly because he stirs my imagination, and his characters seem quite real.

Hold on, because Allen is not done insulting the Constant Reader – which consist of much of the reading American public. He writes,

“I did feel, however, that I demanded something different (something more?) from a novel than I guessed most of the readers of Stephen King did. (Not that this made me morally superior, just more demanding, a high-maintenance reader.)”

So it’s actually Allen who needs a book to escape life! He doesn’t read for entertainment or the joy of reading, he needs it to somehow sustain him. And yes, he is acting “morally superior” to other people. At the end of the day, we’re just people reading a book! People like Allen make reading no fun at all.

11.22.63

About 11.22.63, a novel I enjoyed quite a bit, Mr. Allen writes: 

“The characters are tinny and flat, and the period detail is slathered thickly on, as if to hide some vacancy.”

Actually, though Jake is not a particularly complicated character, I found Sadie to be very multi-faceted. And the period detail was delightful! The detail was certainly not there to “hide some vacancy.” The novel had lots of plot, lots of character – there was nothing to try and hide! In fact, the first time Jake stepped back into the past, I felt like I’d gone with him. I understood my parents better!

I came away from 11.22.63 with a deeper appreciation of the sixties, the effect John Kennedy had on a generation, and what life was like in another era. King did what no history book could have done – he transported me there!

Erik Nelson Speaks Up:

Erik Nelson gave a fantastic response to Allen, published at Salon on July 6th. He wrapped up by saying to Allen, “Stephen King has written a series of treasures that will endure the slings, arrows and rusty hatchets of envious writers whose faces are bitterly pressed against the glass of that Cultural Temple. You ain’t getting in, and Stephen King already has a far beyond-his-lifetime membership.” (Salon, HERE)

Dwight Allen’s article, “My Stephen King Problem” can be found HERE.

Haven will have to wait

SyFy has posted that Haven will return September 21.  This is a delay, since it was originally supposed to come back in the summer of 2012.

Lee Overviews Children Of The Corn

Wow, I really enjoyed Joseph Lee's article at 411 Mania, which offered a breakdown on the Children of the Corn series. What's really helpful -- really, really helpful -- is that he didn't like the series.  Ahhh, what sweet relief!  But he tries hard to find what he does like about the films.

Did you know there are nine (9) entries to the Children of the Corn franchise?  Nine times someone put up money to keep these stories going.  I wouldn't be offended, but we only need seven (7) entries to the Dark Tower series, and no one can dig deep enough in their pockets to find the moola to make that happen.  I know, I know, DT is a bigger project and stuff like that.

More on the mark, Lee asks, "How come The Night Flier wasn't the one to get a ton of sequels?"  Now there's a wise man!

About the original Children Of The Corn movie, Lee says that there is something "lost in translation" between written word and movie screen.  Indeed!  He cites bad acting and a "lazy" ending.  (Lee explains what a "lazy" ending is, but you'll have to check  out his article, I'm not giving it away.)

Lee takes us on a journey through the various films that popped their heads up after it, as if this was the Friday the 13th franchise.  One of my favorite observations is Lee's simple note that Children of the Corn II's title, "The Final Sacrifice" was a lie.  Indeed!

What would make this entire series special -- really special -- is if it were handed over to Mystery Science Theater 3000.  That would make it a joy.

Here are his insightful notes on Children of the Corn 666

I don't believe the last three films had any effort at all, including the remake. It's hard to find anything memorable or enjoyable in any of them, and it's going to be even harder to write short summaries of the three films. But I'll try. This one already is off to a bad start when you realize that it's set in Omaha, Nebraska, but the apartment complex is said to take place where the original film happened. Problem #1: The original film is set in Gaitlin. This film mentions that fact but never really establishes a connection between the two. 

Problem #2: This is definitely the worst of the series. I mean, hands down it is the worst acted, the worst direct and the worst written of all the films. There is just nothing to like about it at all. I've tried to sit through it and while I did finish, I can't tell you a thing that happened. It's uninspired, dull, and an obvious cash-in on a franchise name that wasn't that successful to begin with. The original film was only a minor hit, remember?

The full article is HERE.  You have to scroll down a bit to find it.

RAGE article by James Smythe

I’m LOVING Stephen King enthusiast James Smythe’s articles as he rereads King’s works in chronological order.  This week is particularly good – RAGE.

Smythe points out that Rage is the only King novel you can’t buy in a local bookstore.  That’s because King had it pulled from publication.  He chronicles some copy-cat events, including 14-year old Michael Carneal’s December 1997 rampage.

Smythe writes:

Carneal wasn't the first: Jeffrey Lyne Cox held a class of students hostage at gunpoint in 1988, inspired by the novel; Dustin L Pierce did the same in 1989, down to the detail of imprisoning his algebra class; in 1996, Barry Loukaitis killed his algebra teacher and two others, before holding the rest of the class to ransom. At his trial, Loukaitis even said that he tried to model his life after Decker. All three had read the book, and they were young and impressionable. (Crucially, though less sensationally, they were also all bullied and tormented at school.)

Smythe makes personal connections to the novel, discussing his own struggle with being bullied.  He concludes by telling us,

“In the best possible way, I hate Rage: I hate it because I hate Decker, and he is the book in its entirety.”

The full article is great! Check it out HERE.

Honk's Review of McCammon's BAAL

I enjoyed Bryant Burnette's post at Ramblings of a Honk Mahfah of Robert McCammon's book Baal.  The novel was McCammon's first.  My favorite McCammon book is -- just lip sink with me -- Swan Song.  McCammon's book Boy's Life and Usher's Passing are both interesting.

Check out Bryant's blog, Ramblings Of A Honk Mahfah.

A Brief Review: "Baal" [by Robert R. McCammon]

by Bryant Burnette 

When I discovered Stephen King in the summer of 1990, I quickly became obsessed by the man's work. I eagerly bought and read all of his books I could get my hands on. When I'd done so, I then re-read them all, and next began looking around for something similar. I have very fond memories of spending a lot of time in a used bookstore called The Book Rack, which is where I got most of my King books. So when it came time to try to find similar books, The Book Rack was my first stop. Looking around those shelves, I found Peter Straub (whose work already interested me, thanks to The Talisman), and to Dean Koontz, and to Clive Barker, amongst others.

However, of all the other writers who I turned to as methadone in the lack of new heroin from Stephen King himself, I enjoyed Robert R. McCammon the most.

Some of this, undoubtedly, had to do with the fact that (as I learned) he was an Alabama native who had gone to school at the University of Alabama, in my hometown of Tuscaloosa. That was only part of it, though; I also felt then that McCammon was simply the most imaginative of the authors I adopted while looking to supplement my King fixation.

I bought all of McCammon's books, and read all of them, from the epic Swan Song to the only slightly less epic The Wolf's Hour to the superb Boy's Life. McCammon published a dozen novels plus a collection of short stories between 1978 and 1992, but after Gone South -- published in '92, the year I graduated from high school and began attending the same college McCammon attended -- he stopped publishing for a full decade.

During that decade, I sorta just mentally lost track of his works. My devotion to King never wavered in all that time, but I stopped reading Straub and Barker simply because other interests crowded them out; as for Koontz and some of the others, I lost all interest and got rid of my collections of their books.

I kept all of my McCammon books, though, and in and of itself, that is meaningful; I went through a lot of phases in terms of what books I collected, and at various points between then and now I have found it necessary to undertake great purges, divesting myself of all of my Star Trek novels, or all of my Star Wars novels, or all of my (mostly never-read) classics. A serious Heinlein phase came and went, and so forth.

But I never got rid of a single one of my Robert McCammon books. Not one of 'em. They got packed away in boxes, and never made it onto shelves, and never got re-read ... but they survived each move where other books did not; I never gave even the slightest thought to dumping my McCammon. It was almost as if I knew I'd be returning to them someday.

And here someday is.

Since I'm already revisiting the works of Peter Straub, I thought it might be acceptable to revisit some of those other authors whose work I was led to by King. So you will see reviews of Clive Barker pop up here, and reviews of the novels of Tabitha King (which I've always wanted to read but never have) ... and reviews of McCammon's work as well. The main reason is simply because I feel like rereading them, and since my discovery of his work is inextricably linked -- in my mind, if nowhere else -- with my discovery of Stephen King, it seems like fair game for this blog.

Let's get started with a look at McCammon's debut novel, 1978's Baal.

Baal is a mixed bag of a novel, and it's one of several -- his first four (Baal, Bethany's Sin, The Night Boat, and They Thirst) -- that the author no longer allows to be reprinted. He apparently feels that they are a poor representation of his works, and in the case of Baal, at least, that's hard to argue with.
Baal is a sloppy novel, one that -- arguably -- doesn't introduce its main character until nearly a third of the way into the narrative. (I say "arguably" because it's possible to see Baal himself as the novel's main character, in which case he's there from near the beginning.) The prose is very weak in places, and the novel suffers from a seeming reluctance on McCammon's part for one particular character who has a lot of knowledge about Baal to explain to certain other characters what is going on. On the one hand, this is okay, since we're in possession of most of that knowledge ourselves, making it unnecessary for it to be repeated; on the other hand, when a knowledgeable character tells an unknowledgeable character things that we already know, it keeps everyone -- reader and protagonists alike -- on equal footing, which is valuable from a narrative standpoint. Also in the demerits column: a plotline set in the Middle East becomes extremely interesting at a certain point, and the narrative shifts to a completely different locale and to a completely different set of concerns when that happens, and the transition from one thing to the next is, to say the least, unsatisfying.

For all of those flaws, though, this is an imaginative and involving novel. One of its sins is that it simply isn't long enough; this feels like it wants to be a true epic of the type McCammon later crafted in Swan Song, but is instead merely the standard 350 or so pages. That's a demerit, too, but one that is wrapped inside a plus: if a novel feels short, that means the story is involving, because why else would I want to read more of it?

The setup: a young woman in the sixties is raped by a stranger in an alley, and unlike the vast majority of rapists, this one's flesh burns hand prints into his victim's skin. Nine months or so later, out pops a baby, which is, of course, a demon. Both parents die, and the baby ends up in a series of orphanages; when he's old enough to talk he begins calling himself Baal, and creeps everyone out. If this reminds you at all of The Omen, it's probably no accident; but McCammon delivers a few scenes that are as good as anything in that semi-classic Richard Donner movie, and the story ends up going in very different directions.

As soon as possible, Baal escapes from the orphanage into the world, taking similarly orphaned disciples with him, and when we next encounter him, a number of years have passed; he's all grown up, camped out in Kuwait, and spawning a truly frightening cult. Coming out as it did during the Carter administration, the Middle East sections must have been effective at the time, and they are still rather effective over thirty years later.

Eventually, an elderly theology professor -- ostensibly the novel's protagonist -- finds out something of the nature of this "man," and becomes allied with a mysterious man who is hunting Baal. The rest of the novel plays out as the forces lined against Baal try to end the threat he poses. If I told you this all ends up, in quasi-Frankensteinian fashion, near the North Pole, would you believe me? Well, it does, so you should.

All in all, this is a novel that I probably ought to be harsher toward. And yet, I like it. The scenes in Kuwait are oppressive and effective, as are the scenes in Greenland and further north; these things ought not to mix at all, and kinda don't, and yet their individual powers are significant enough that I give this novel kudos where kudos are perhaps not entirely deserved. Obviously, McCammon himself has no great love for the novel. I think it still works, though; I'd forgotten almost everything about it in the two decades since I first read it, but as I reread the book, I'd get to certain sections and remember them in advance. "Oh," I'd think, "this the part where _____," or "here's when _____ bites the dust."

It's an amateurish novel in some respects, but a powerful one, and one that was obviously written with great passion, and glimmers of genuine talent.

If you've never read McCammon's work, this is perhaps not the best place to start, but it's well worth circling back to once you've digested some of his more mature works.

King On Oscars Oversight

The Daily star has a short article about Matthew Mcconaughey being invited to join the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences, which oversees the Oscars.  The article also notes that "making the list this year" is horror  writer Stephen King.

The article is HERE.

Justin Long A Possible To Lead The Ten O'clock People

Deadline reports that Live Free Or Die Hard actor Justin Long is in negotiations for the lead role in Tom Holland’s The Ten O’clock People.

Deadline reports, "The film starts shooting September 10 in New York. It’s produced by Making Ten O’clock Productions and Holland’s Dead Rabbit Films with Nathaniel Kramer and E.J. Meyers producing."

The full article is HERE.

The Man Who Scared Stephen King

I have really enjoyed Gerald Nachman’s book, “Raised On Radio.”  The book leaps neatly from genre to genre, show to show, giving readers the best of each subject and personality.  While some books on old radio are so massive they are nothing more than encylopedia’s – this book does not feel the need to give every detail.

I think radio is really much more scary, and powerful, than television or movies.  In fact, I think two of King’s work have translated nicely to radio – Pet Sematary and Salem’s Lot were both radio plays.  The 3D Mist was also a radio like experience that was nicely done.  I also think The Shining, Dolores Claighborn, and IT would all make great radio plays.

Know who I think would do a good job translating King to radio?  A guy named Arch Oboler.  He was reponsible for a program called “Lights Out Everybody.”  If you haven't’ heart it, quickly rush over to Internet Archive and turn out your lights. Unfortunately, he died in 1986.  Bummer!  (1987 -- that means he could have enjoyed Return of the Jedi without the experience being marred by the prequels!)

Nachman calls Oboler the "Edgar Allan Poe of the genre."

King's love for radio, and in particular Arch Oboler, is discussed on pages 314-315 of the hardcover, in a section titled, "Radio Noir -- Cops  and Grave Robbers."

I do not know where Nachman is getting his quotes from King, because I have long wondered  what King thought of Oboler's work.  I was glad to read these few paragraphs.  Check out the entire book, it's wonderful!

About King (and Oboler), Nachman writes the following:

One o the little boys Oboler scared half to death was the postmodern prince of horror, Stephen King, who has called Oboler “the genre’s prime auteur.”  King heard Lights Out reruns in the 1960s on Dimension X, recalling especially Ray Bradbury’s “Mars Is Heaven!”  “I didn’t sleep in my bed that night,” he remembered.  “That night I slept in the doorway, where the real and rational light of the bathroom bulb could shine in my face.  That was the power of radio at its height.”  Oboler, like Hitchcock, loved merging horror and humor into a gross-out giggle.  “Part of Oboler’s real genius was when ‘Chicken Heart’ ended, you felt like laughing and throwing up at the same time.

Oboler, said King, played on two of radio’s prime strengths: “The mind’s innate obedience, its willingness to try to see whatever someone suggests it see, no matter how absurd; the second is the fact that fear and horror and blinding emotions that knock our adult pins from beneath us and leave us groping in the dark like children who cannot find the light switch.  Radio is, of course, the ‘blind’ medium, and only Oboler used it so well or so completely.”  In radio, King obsverved, we never saw the zipper running down the monster’s back.

On TV, King said, The Shadow and Inner Sanctum over described scenes, whereas Oboler relied on speech, sound, and silence to achieve his effects.  He can’t forget the gruesome, “A Day at the Dentist,” in which a dentist extracts revenge from a patient who, years earlier ruined the dentists’s wife when she was a young girl.  With the patient strapped in his chair, the dentist drills a hole in him (“to let out some of lover-boy”), but the audience is left to guess where – his brain?  Heart?  Genitals?  The lone sound of a burrowing drill left listeners very much in the dark indeed.  Iing singles out radio’s ability to unlock the door of evil without “letting the monster out,” as movies or TV or theater would be forced to, because our eyes demand to know what’s behind the door; our ears leave the solution tantalizingly, and horrifyingly, up in the air.  Yet in the hands of a master radio storyteller like Oboler, we don’t feel heated.  We feel challenged. . . and chilled.

The author of The Shining, Carrie, and Misery remembers how, when Inner Sanctum left radio for TV, it finally made the creeding door visible, “And visible, it certainly was horrible enough – slightly askew, festooned with cobwebs – but it was something of a relief, just the same.  Nothing could have looked as horrible as that door sounded. . .”

There were weaknesses in Oboler's writing.  He was particularly fond of the monologue.  I guess in radio, it's one of the few ways to convey what's going on -- but sometimes Oboler's went on-and-on-and-on.

My favorite Arch Oboler "Lights Out" play was titled "Revolt Of The Worms."  (Brian Keene has a book that reminds me of this short radio play.)  The story "Murder Castle" reminds me very much of the documentary about H.H. Holmes, America's First Serial Killer.

Like King, Oboler was incredibly prolific.  He was a fast writer, known to leave a dinner party at 11pm and return at 1am with a finished script.  Where did he get his ideas?  Nachman fills in this interesting detail, "He often got  ideas  from listening to sound effects records, and took special delight in devising grotesque effects.  His scare tactics included the sound of a man frying int he electric chair (sizzling bacon), bones being snapped (spareribs or Life Savers crushed between teeth), heads  being severed (chopped cabbages), a knife slicing through a man's  body (a slab  of pork cut in two) and, most grisly of all, somebody eating human flesh (wet noodles squished with a bathroom plunger.)"

Does this sound familiar: Nachman quotes Oboler, "I didn't write about little green men. .  . monsters with dripping talons and grotesque faces from the special effects department. . . I wrote about the terrors and monsters within each of us."  (Well, he did write about worms!)  But the quote is very close to King saying he is more interested in the characters than the monsters.

From A Buick 8 Journal #2

I'm enjoying From A Buick 8.  I do find that it takes more work to read than other King novels.  Surprisingly, the Buick has some elements of Christine.  I guess haunted cars and alien cars share similarities!  In particular, both cars  have the ability to heal themselves.  It is cool that there are first hand witnesses to the car's slow transformation. It is also interesting that both Christine and From A Buick 8 center on a teenage male.

The novel dives into police culture naturally.  I liked the line that in California police have to write "To Protect and Serve" on the police cars, while more noble Maine police just know it in their hearts.  King gives the police a personal touch, discussing how they seldom talk shop at home -- there are some things only other officers understand; things officers are not comfortable discussing with those outside the circle.

There is a lot of sci-fi here.  Purple lights, a trooper sucked into the trunk and sent. .  . somewhere.  Of course, having read 800+ pages of Under The Dome, I remind myself not to get too excited waiting for an answer as to why or how these things happen.  Why was there a Dome?  King wasn't worried about that! Why was the car left in From A Buick 8?  I'm afraid King might not be to worried about that, either!  

A little like Ray Bradbury, King is never as worried about how things work as the story surrounding them -- and even more important than the story is the characters, to King.  

Day 1 Of Carrie Filming Wraps Up

Mail Online has put together some posts, news and photo's related to the first day of filming on the new Carrie set.  HERE (No pictures of filming actually taking place!)


Mail Online gives this summery:

Chloë Moretz reported for her first day on the Toronto set of the Carrie remake today, it was clear she'd already altered her hair to slip into the skin of the telekinetic teenager in the classic Stephen King horror tale.

Sporting a blonder, washed-out look, the 15-year-old star was seen walking from her trailer in all black - a simple T-shirt and loose Capri pants.

Moretz tweeted: "First day done :) Amazing day.. So happy to be apart of something do exciting :) Day 2 here we go ;)"


Mail Online has also posted a picture of the tweet of the cast dinner.  Cool stuff.

photo credit: Mail Online HERE

A Dozen Movies In 11/22/63

Photo Credit: The Playlist

Jonathan Demme is working on a hosts of projects, including Stephen King’s 11/22/63.  He talked a little about the project with The Playlist.  The entire article is great.  Here is the portion about King:

Finally, Demme is hard at work with Stephen King on an adaptation of the writer’s 2011 novel, “11/22/63,” about a man who travels back in time in an attempt to thwart the assassination of JFK. “Stephen and I are working together on the script right now. After all these years, what I’ve come to understand is don’t plan the script that you’re really thrilled with," he explained. "At the heart of '11/22/63' is this profound, magnificent challenge that our hero is faced with, which is that the past doesn’t want to be changed. Our boy Jake has his work cut out for him if he really wants to change history. He really has to go up against it. And he may or may not succeed."

I really like this quote:

As to whether the film’s storyline will wind up the same as the novel, Demme in non-committal. “You never know. There’s a dozen movies in '11/22/63.' We’re finding the one that we think is kind of the best of all. And Stephen is wide open. The book is the book. The movie will be something different. It’s great fun working with him.”

A dozen movies in 11/22/63 !  That's so true, though I never thought of it that way.  The thing could be an entire series!  It is a sci-fi, romance, political thriller, alternate history, action story.

The article is titled, "Jonathan Demme Says ‘Zeitoun’ Still Need Financing, Talks Adapting Stephen King's ’11/22/63’ by Jeff Otto.  HERE.

LA Times Remainders Article

I enjoyed Steve Hochman's article in the LA times about the Rock Bottom Remainders last show.

The article notes that it's been a good seven years since King has played with the Remainders, and "he's been practicing."  I'll bet!

King tells the story of Amy Tan getting kicked out of an L.A. hotel because the manager thought she was a working girl.  She was wearing a skintight cat suit,which she wears  when doing "These  Boots Are Made For Walking."

The article also includes a story about Stephen King giving Amy Tan's husband, Louis DeMattei, a kick.  (I'm not reposting it here, so you have to read the article.)

And then there's the weirdo's!

Barry also recalls King singing "Teen Angel" at a show in Nashville when a woman approached the stage, hands raised and flames rising from all 10 fingernails.

"I thought, 'Wow, Stephen's fans can be scary,'" he says. "Ridley came over and whispered in my ear, 'I don't ever want to be that famous.'"

King notes, "She probably was not strictly 100% sober. And Dave is careful to tell the audiences, 'The drunker you get, the better we sound.'"

The full article is HERE.

Glenn Chadbourn Guest Honor At 2013 World Horror Convention

Image Credit: Glennchadborne.com

This is from The Lincoln County News (Here)

Chadbourne Named World Horror Convention Guest Of Honor

The Horror Writers Association is proud to announce Glenn Chadbourne as the Artist Guest of Honor for the 2013 World Horror Convention (WHC) 2013.

In 2013, the HWA is hosting the convention as part of the Bram Stoker Awards Weekend in New Orleans from June 13-16.

Chadbourne is a freelance artist specializing in the horror/dark fantasy genres. His artwork has appeared in over 50 books and well as numerous magazines, comics, and computer games. His trademark pen and ink illustrations have accompanied the works of today's best-selling horror writers, most notably Stephen King.

He created the extensive artwork that appears in both volumes of King's "The Secretary of Dreams," as well as PS Publishing's edition of "The Colorado Kid." Chadbourne has a long-standing relationship with Cemetery Dance Publications where a great body of his work can be seen in various books published by the company.

For more than 20 years, Chadbourne has contributed weekly illustrations for The Lincoln County News. He lives in Newcastle, with his wife, Sheila.

For more information, visit his website at www.glennchadbourne.com.
"Glenn Chadbourne is a quiet achiever with a truly unique artistic style," said HWA president Rocky Wood. "I am fortunate to know him well. He is a character; a Mainer through and through, and a true gentleman.

The FULL ARTICLE IS HERE

King Story Included In A Book Of Horrors

One of Britain's most acclaimed and experienced anthologists of horror fiction, Stephen Jones, has put together an original anthology of horror and dark fantasy titled, “A Book Of Horrors.”  It includes Stephen King’s story, “The Little Green God of Agony.”

The book is set to be published June 26th.

Cemetery Dance writes:

here is an original anthology of horror and dark fantasy in all its many and magnificent guises—from classic pulp-style tales of Dark and Stormy Nights, through more contemporary and psychological terrors, to the type of cutting-edge fiction that only the very best horror fiction can deliver. 

. . . Here are many of the authors who have helped shaped the genre in all of its forms, along with terrifying tales of unease by a new generation of storytellers devoted to the Dark Side.

Table of Contents:
"Introduction: Whatever Happened To Horror?" by Stephen Jones
"The Little Green God of Agony" by Stephen King
"Charcloth, Firesteel and Flint" by Caitlín R. Kiernan
"Ghosts With Teeth" by Peter Crowther
"The Coffin-Maker's Daughter" by Angela Slatter
"Roots and All" by Brian Hodge
"Tell Me I'll See You Again" by Dennis Etchison
"The Music Of Bengt Karlsson, Murderer" by John Ajvide Lindqvist
"Getting It Wrong" by Ramsey Campbell
"Alice Through The Plastic Sheet" by Robert Shearman
"The Man In The Ditch" by Lisa Tuttle
"A Child's Problem" by Reggie Oliver
"Sad, Dark Thing" by Michael Marshall Smith
"Near Zennor" by Elizabeth Hand
"Last Words" by Richard Christian Matheson

you can purchase it HERE

Superman's Girlfriend Killed Pennywise

My daughter is watching Superman III.  The plot is. . . well, what it is.  It's neat to see Christopher Reeves playing Superman/Kent.  Superman returns home to Smallville and is reunited with his old crush, Lana Lang.

Watching Lanna, I kept thinking, "Why is she so familiar?"  I asked my wife, "Who is that?"  My wife said, "Well, you'd know her because she starred in the Stephen King adaptation of IT.  She's the adult version of Beverly Marsh."  OH!

Back to Superman III.  I forgot how funny Richard Pryor is.  This movie is actually very silly; almost slap stick.  But I like it.  Maybe because I had no expectations, I'm left enjoying it.  And, it has one big thing going for it -- it's not Superman 4.

By the way, O'Toole also played Martha Kent in Smallville.  No  wonder she was able to kill Pennywise. . . she was Superman's girlfriend, and his mama.  (in that strange order, mind you).

Stephen King’s Discarded Novel

Whadda know. . . on a week where most of the King news will be about the Rock Bottom Remainders, here's an interesting event: Four authors are reading portions of a story they collaborated on.

The set up  for the story is as follows:

The Stephen King novel that was so bad that he threw it in the trash behind a run-down McDonald’s in Bangor, Maine. But four writers fished it out, wiped off the Big Mac grease stains, put the pages in order and are proud to present it to you.

Each writer will be reading the section they created.

The  writers are: Saara Dutton, Daniel Guzman, Michael Maiello and Peter Olson.

The full article and event details are HERE.

According to the Daruma Eye blog, there is also a Trivia Contest where you can win “Things We Found In Carrie White’s High School Locker."  (I know nothing more about that!  Nor do I want anything found in Carrie White's locker!)

For those who ask -- that is parody.  Stephen King did not throw away a novel outside Micky-D's!  But the authors are attempting to write in his style.

Details About The Remainders Last Concert

HERE are some details and ticket information about the Rock Bottom Remainders last concert.

There is also a listing of things you can buy.  Of  particular interest is a book (books?) signed by all the authors for $300.

photo credit: Jane Kortright

Stephen King is quoted:

"A few years ago, Bruce Springsteen told us we weren't bad, but not to try to get any better otherwise we'd just be another lousy band. After 20 years, we still meet his stringent requirements. For instance, while we all know what 'stringent' means, none of us have yet mastered an F chord." King adds, "I'm looking forward to reuniting with all my bandmates. We're older but not dead. Some of us can remember all of the words; all of us can remember some of the words; but NONE of us can remember all of the music. That's why they call it rock and roll."

 $40 -- Concert Only (doors open at 7:30 pm)
$200 -- Concert + Pre-reception with the band (6:30-7:30 pm)
$295 -- Concert + Reception + signed lithograph by the all in the band (illustration by David Horsey)
$150 -- Signed lithograph (includes shipping in the US)
$300 -- Signed books by all participating band members (includes shipping in the US)

HERE is the Remainders page for Stephen King.

Anything Special For The Remainders?

When Dave Barry was asked if the Rock Bottom Remainders would be playing anything special  for its final two gigs, he responded:

"Well, I don't know if I can tell you this, it's pretty hush-hush," Barry said. "But there's a big rumor going around that we might attempt to have Stephen King sing the Trashmen's garage-rock classic, `Surfin' Bird.' How many chances will you have to hear that?" 

Books I Didn't

Why do we quit reading a book?  Often we don't really plan to -- we set it aside and think, "read more later."  But later gets consumed with another book we find more interesting.  It is then hard to get back into the old book.  Sometimes we stop because the book just wasn't connecting with  us.  I find that often true of Bachman books -- I have to try harder.  

Books I Didn't Finish

• TheTalisman.  Though I promised a friend I'd read it soon.
• Lisey's Story.  
• Cell.  I have no excuses -- except the library wanted their CD's back.
• Dreamcatcher.  Loved the beginning, but got stumped somewhere.  Then I watched the movie . . .
• Roadwork
• Rose Madder  (the tapes melted in my car.)
• The Dark Half (The CD's got messed  up. . . sound familiar)
• Danse Macabre.  I reference it all the time,  it has a very good index.  

Books I Haven't Read

• The Long Walk
• Black House
• Wind Through The Keyhole
• Cujo
• Insomnia
• The Girl  Who Loved Tom Gordon
• The Library Policeman
• The Regulators

Other Books I Quit Before The End:

• Lucifers Hammer
• Safely Home
• Mark Twain's autobiography (it's a billion pages)
• Carl Sandberg's Lincoln.  But it's good!
• The Grapes Of Wrath.  I did see the movie, does that count?  And I love the writing.
• Baal.  Did not have the magic that Swan Song had.
• Several Charles Dicken's books.  Most notably, Bleak House.  My favorite Dickens is Great Expectations.  
• A Study In Scarlet.  Usually I love Sherlock Holmes, but this novel mystifies me.
• Something Wicked This Way Comes.  
• The Day Kennedy Was Shot.  I, uh, came to the conclusion I knew how it ended.
• The Beast Within.  I bought a hard copy after I threw away the paperback.  I wanted a copy to save when I realized: This might be the worst book I've read.  

From A Buick 8 Journal #1

I started From A Buick 8 last week.  I was anxious to get to  this book,  partly because I know so little  about it.  It's about. . . a car.  It's not Christine. That's what I knew.

Now, since this is a journal, not a review, I am going to admit that I'm struggling with this book.  That's frustrating, because I so looked forward to it.

The book is told from the first person, with multiple points of view.  This gets a little  bit confusing.  And it's unclear why there are multiple points of view.  In Dolores Claiborne, the reason for the first person account was explained: It was a confession.  In 11/22/63, the first person approach was taken because it was a journal.  Of  course,  first person doesn't always have to have a "purpose" beyond the authors desire to write in first person!  But, when multiple points of view are employed, the reader is left wonder -- why are all these people talking to me?  Is this a scrap book?  Is this testimony?  It is hard to keep up with who is narrating which portion of the story.  There are moments when I'm asking myself, "What's happening?"

None of this is deadly to  the novel.  It just doesn't come out swinging, for me.

That said, the characters are extremely likable.  The story is engaging, and that gives lots of hope.  King gives us dogs and teens, two things we love and King is gifted at giving.  Add to that a really cool car -- a mystery car, and this should be a lot of fun.

I really enjoyed the scene where the police went over the car.  Things just don't make sense with this car.  Of course, it raises the question to the reader: If this is an alien car, why didn't the alien's know more about cars?  They didn't disguise it very well!

Quigley issues two new ebooks

Good news!  Author Kevin Quigley has just released two more books through Cemetery Dance. He is also  the keeper of one of the coolest King sites out there, Charnel House. CD also links to amazon,  if you prefer to get ebooks in their format (I like that best.)

This Terrestrial Hell is a collection of eleven short stories.  I like these descriptions of the stories: "A young girl dangles her feet high above a fathomless pool filled with dead things. A murderous carny worker falls victim to a ringleader’s diabolical experiments. And a half-lit basement, where the tools of a maniac’s extreme weight-loss program are a cage, a knife … and a wet/dry vacuum."

You  can buy it HERE.

Surf's Up is a collection of poetry in which Quigley, "channels his mordant obsessions – dark romance, psychosis, destruction, and Los Angeles – into incisive, often chilling poetry and verse. Surf’s Up dives in deeper, and finds only darkness beneath the waves."

  You can buy Surf's Up HERE.


Check out my interview with Kevin Quigley HERE.

The People vs. George Lucas

ANNIE WILKES ATTACKS GEORGE LUCAS

Annie Wilkes is alive and well.  She's apparently a Star Wars fan.  And you thought Annie was dead!

I'm watching "The People vs. George Lucas" and loving it.  Now, to be clear, these  people are crazy.  Very crazy.  Most of them feel George Lucas betrayed them and personally set out to cause them pain and suffering.  But, at a core level I don't want to admit. . . I agree with these people.  Not that George Lucas ruined my life, but that there are a few problems with Star Wars -- the prequels in particular.

One of the scenes is a parody of Misery, in which a red haired woman wheels George Lucas into a room and announces it's a big day for George.  What's going on?  "You're new studio, silly.   So you can keep writing Star Wars.  You're going to rewrite episode three George.  But this time, you are going to do it correctly.  You're going to make it the way I want to see  it."  There is a final scene in which George and the red haired woman fight it out.

Director Alexandre O. Philippe gives the fans lots  of room to complain.  And complain they do!  For starters, they complain that Lucas added scenes.  They complain that he changed scenes; in particular, Greedo shot first.  OH MY!  That gets people going.  The fans complain that the frames are

The fans also complain about the prequels.  A lot of stuff I totally agree with.  Yes, mesa hates Jar Jar Binks.  I thought the Darth Vader "Nooooo" at the end of Episode 3 was the realm of melodrama.  Mediclorines (no, I do not know how to spell that), were also dumb.  But, it didn't ruin my life!

I like the documentary, simply because it pays tribute to the 1978 Star Wars Holiday Special.  Of course, my favorite part is princess Leia singing.

STEPHEN KING

Like Goerge Lucas, Stephen King has taken more than a few liberties with his work.  In particular, two works stand out -- and they're huge.  In fact, the two biggest fan bases in the world of Stephen King are the two area's he has reworked; The Stand and The Dark Tower.

Now here's the thing, I like the changes.  I like the rewrite of Dark Tower 1.  I like the expanded version of The Stand.  In fact, if anything, I think the works King has rewritten could stand even more revisions.  Simple things -- like prices in The Stand were dated even by 1990's standards.

I think the artist maintains the right to keep working on something all they want -- because it ultimately belongs to them, not us.

Know where King fans really go crazy?  MOVIES!  Oh my. . . King fans get really uptight when a King movie comes out.  "Better not mess thsi up!" Fans will warn.  As if it is possible to mess a story up.  See, here's the deal: No matter  how much a book is revised -- it's still there.  King has said this, and I buy this argument hook line and sinker.

You can't ruin  the story because it exists in a form that can't be taken away.  In fact, you cans till read the original version of The Stand. . . if you want!  I did a couple years ago (and kept a journal).  It was a joy -- but I still like the revisions more than the edited. 

So, though I complain sometimes -- bring it on!

• Give us expanded versions.
• Give us re-edited books.
• Give us remakes of the reamkes of the remakes.

Just please. . . please. . . please.  . . let the children of the corn die.

Now, if I could just find a picture of Stephen King in carbonite. . .

STAR WARS HOLIDAY SPECIAL:

By the way,  why do the Wookie's have clothes  on their home planet, but run around the galaxy naked? Anyway, here is the princess' special song.  (3:35)  The whole thing is posted  at youtube.

The Shawshank Tree

The "Shawshank Tree" ripped in half
Photo credit HERE

In 2011, the oak tree featured in The Shawshank Redemption, was badly damaged.  Katlin, at twobackpacksoneworld.com, wrote that she visited Malabar Farm,

home of the famous “Shawshank Tree.” The tree was used in the 1994 film Shawshank Redemption and was ripped in half by strong winds during a storm in July 2011.  (Her blog is HERE) 

Todd Hill has an interesting article at Mansfield News Journal titled, "'Shawshank' and its damaged tree have achieved cinematic immortality." (HERE)

About the tree, Hill writes:

The Pleasant Valley oak tree, a victim of straight-line winds, may or may not survive. I hope it does. But I highly doubt this tree cares a whit about being prominently placed in one of today’s most cherished motion pictures, and if the tree is soon no more I think tabloid readers in London and website visitors in India will get over its loss without much fuss.

Now. . . aren'tcha glad ya know all that? Just building up material for  someone to use on a commentary track!

Why is Shawshank So popular?

The fun part of the article  is Hill discussing what makes Shawshank such a popular film.  Is it destined to be a "classic" of the genre?  Why is it so popular?

Of course, asking this question is like asking what makes certain kids in high school so popular.  Who really knows!

Hill suggests that we love it because it's been shown so many times on television.  He writes, "The cable TV network TNT has shown “The Shawshank Redemption” about once every two months since 1997. I think this explains more than anything the movie’s enduring popularity."

The Stephen King Universe Flowchart

This is pretty cool!   King fan, and blogger, Tessiegirl, created a flow chart of connections between the King novels -- minus the Dark Tower.  Her blog is HERE.

wouldn't IT be cool if

Photo credit HERE
Georgie McNuggets anyone?

With news of a new IT movie coming out -- in two installments -- I  decided to offer up some of my thoughts.  I offer these for free (FREE) to Hollywood.  You're so welcome!

1. There is no need to remake the entire IT movie.  IT was made as a mini-series, and half of it is pretty good!  How about this. . . just re-film the parts with the adults.  

2. There is no need to re-script the novel, the mini-series script did it justice.  It was special effects and some acting that made it. . . well, a little lame.  Not big time lame, no sir!  But just a little. . . not as cool as it could have been.  Can you use an old script?  I mean, why not?  It was actually pretty faithful to the book, and worked through some of the problems in an acceptable way.

3. Could we please have Tim Curry again?  Don't care if he's old now and has to do this with a cane -- he was awesome.  The scariest clown ever.

4. Don't forget 11.22.63.  Woldn't it be cool if the scene in 11.22.63, where Jack meets Bev and Richie, appeared in the IT movie?  I mean, that wold be beyond coolified.

5. Please keep  the years right!  There was talk of moving the past scenes up to the 80's, and then the scenes where  they are adults up to the present.  RESIST!  The stuff from the 50's was so cool!  

Stephen King Will Mess With Your Head 2

Stephen King said that he was shopping, when he suddenly imagined a huge dinosaur flying through the store.  That thought, image, became The Mist.  Now, when I go shopping. . . I see a huge dinosaur flying through the store.

Did Pennywise mess up clowns for anyone?

Do you get a chill when you see a Plymouth Fury?

Carrie has ruined quite a few proms.

There are some things you can't see quite the same.  Anyone own a Saint Bernard?  Know Craig Toomy?  Anyone jump when their cellphone rings?  Is the Stanley Hotel really haunted, or did Stephen King just convince America the old place is full of spooks?

Fancast: Interview With Walla Director

Check out the Stephen King Fancast interview with Christopher Birk, director of Willa.

(Welcome back, Fancast!  We've missed ya.)

Here's  the summery:

On this episode, I am joined by the Director of the “Willa” adaptation, Christopher Birk. We discuss the “Willa” short story from “Just After Sunset,” and the making of Chris’ film adaptation of “Willa.” Should you be interested in finding out more info on the film, you can watch the trailer below and visit the Official Website, at Alphatree Productions

The interview is HERE.