Long Live the King! The Stephen King's movies Thread.

[gwynplaine]

Not sure how he felt about the actual finished film, but the abandoned Apt pupil he loved what he saw.

Was it actually completed? I would have liked to see it too, Nicol Williamson was a great actor as well.

 

[The Joker]

Not sure how he felt about the actual finished film, but the abandoned Apt pupil he loved what he saw.

Abandoned? You mean there was a version before Bryan Singer's one?

 

[gwynplaine]

Abandoned? You mean there was a version before Bryan Singer's one?

From Wikipedia: "When Stephen King's novella Apt Pupil was published as part of his collection Different Seasons in 1982, producer Richard Kobritz optioned feature film rights to the novella. Kobritz met with actor James Mason to play the novella's war criminal Kurt Dussander, but Mason died in July 1984 before production as a result of a heart attack. The producer also approached Richard Burton for the role, but Burton also died in August that same year. By 1987 production on the film began with Nicol Williamson cast as Kurt Dussander, and 17-year-old Rick Schroder was cast as Todd Bowden. In that year, Alan Bridges began direction of the film with a script co-written by Ken Wheat and his brother Jim Wheat. After ten weeks of filming, the production suffered from a lack of funds from its production company Granat Releasing, and the film had to be placed on hold. Kubritz sought to revive production, but when the opportunity came a year later, Schroder had aged too considerably for the film to work. Forty minutes of usable footage was abandoned."

 

[Whiskey Tango]

Huh. I had no idea that was even a thing.

 

[The Joker]

From Wikipedia: "When Stephen King's novella Apt Pupil was published as part of his collection Different Seasons in 1982, producer Richard Kobritz optioned feature film rights to the novella. Kobritz met with actor James Mason to play the novella's war criminal Kurt Dussander, but Mason died in July 1984 before production as a result of a heart attack. The producer also approached Richard Burton for the role, but Burton also died in August that same year. By 1987 production on the film began with Nicol Williamson cast as Kurt Dussander, and 17-year-old Rick Schroder was cast as Todd Bowden. In that year, Alan Bridges began direction of the film with a script co-written by Ken Wheat and his brother Jim Wheat. After ten weeks of filming, the production suffered from a lack of funds from its production company Granat Releasing, and the film had to be placed on hold. Kubritz sought to revive production, but when the opportunity came a year later, Schroder had aged too considerably for the film to work. Forty minutes of usable footage was abandoned."

Oh man what a shame that never happened, especially with the brilliant James Mason, who was awesome as Straker in Salems' Lot. I mean I love Singer's movie, and Ian McKellen was terrific. But it would have been brilliant to see this version, too. More so with Mason as Dussander. Nicol Williamson was a solid actor, but James Mason is James Mason. Legend.

 

[gwynplaine]

Agreed, James Mason would have been amazing.

 

[A Necessary Evil]

Was it actually completed? I would have liked to see it too, Nicol Williamson was a great actor as well.

No it wasn't, I believe it's been said it was around 70 minutes long or so.

Oh man what a shame that never happened, especially with the brilliant James Mason, who was awesome as Straker in Salems' Lot. I mean I love Singer's movie, and Ian McKellen was terrific. But it would have been brilliant to see this version, too. More so with Mason as Dussander. Nicol Williamson was a solid actor, but James Mason is James Mason. Legend.

Yep. Singer's is a great film, but it was a missed opportunity. It was a massive disappointment after reading the novel, but it's better than most King adaptations, sans the top tier movies.

 

[gwynplaine]

No it wasn't, I believe it's been said it was around 70 minutes long or so.




Yep. Singer's is a great film, but it was a missed opportunity. It was a massive disappointment after reading the novel, but it's better than most King adaptations, sans the top tier movies.

Yeah, singer's film is really good but the novel(la) is better. On a related note Misery the film is a great adaptation, but Annie Wilkes was so much scarier on the page, tough part to cast but as good as the original film was, I think it could be improved on with better casting.

 

[Sawyer]

I really don't think you could have. One of the best King castings, IMO.

 

[The Joker]

Yeah I thought Kathy Bates was perfect as Annie Wilkes. James Caan was great, but not as emotionally raw as Sheldon was in the book, but that's down to writing, not the actor.

Misery is one of the top King adaptions, IMO.

 

[Brother Jack]

Yeah, singer's film is really good but the novel(la) is better. On a related note Misery the film is a great adaptation, but Annie Wilkes was so much scarier on the page, tough part to cast but as good as the original film was, I think it could be improved on with better casting.

I actually feel like that character was too brutal and insane in the book. Cutting off the guy's leg instead of smashing it, for instance. Toning it down a little made it more relatable which made it scarier.

 

[The Joker]

She didn't cut off his leg in the book. She cut off one of his feet. And she also cut off one of his thumbs with an electric knife. Then she sticks the severed thumb on a birthday cake amid all the candles and sings Happy Birthday to him (and it wasn't even his birthday).

 

[The Joker]

I saw this on-line and thought it was cool. A montage of the Stephen King movie villains. It's missing Randall Flagg though;

 

[Whiskey Tango]

Misery is probably the high water mark for me, with Shawshank running a VERY CLOSE 2nd. And then a whole host of stuff tying for 3rd.

I haven't seen Salem's Lot since I was a kid but that pic of Barlow... and Zelda... goddamn.

 

[Sawyer]

I'm so torn on that Barlow. It looks cool, but in terms of fidelity to the material, f*** it.

 

[The Joker]

I loved that change. I liked that they expanded Straker's role (he was very forgettable in the book), and made Barlow a more primal evil entity vampire. Barlow in the book was great, but he never gave me the heebie jeebies the way the movie version did.

Salems' Lot is my personal favorite King book though. King wrote a lot of stories about small towns where something bad/evil happens, and this one was his best for me. There's so many scenes in it that gave me creeps. The stand out one for me was when Matt Burke hears noises in his guest bedroom in the middle of the night. Brrrrr I get chills just thinking of that one.

 

[Sawyer]

Book Barlow gave me all the heebie jeebies I needed with the message he left for Ben and the group. That **** was terrifying.

 

[The Joker]

You mean the letter he left them in the basement of the Marsten house?

 

[gwynplaine]

I want a new Running Man Movie.

 

[Victarion]

I need Frank Darabont in Mid World. That pic needs the Night Flier.

 

[Whiskey Tango]

I want Darabont to get off his dead ass and do The Long Walk (but not saddle it with a stupid ending like The Mist)

 

[gwynplaine]

I also would like to see a new adaptation of Thinner with a better actor and better effects (MoCap) and a mini series of The Talisman. Also The Dark Half and Firestarter could be done better too.

 

[The Joker]

So I just finished reading The Shining. For years I heard this was meant to be his scariest book. I wouldn't even say it's a contender for it. The only scene I found genuinely creepy was when Danny went into room 217.

Good book, and definitely will read it again, but not one of my favorite King books. Though comparing it to the movie, they really miscast Wendy with Shelly Duvall. I prefer the ending to the book. Much more gripping. The movie missed out a lot on Jack's obsession with the Overlook's history, and his recovering alcoholism. Danny was perfectly cast and portrayed, and so was Hallorann. Though their friendship wasn't as close as in the book.

 

[Sawyer]

The Shining is an enjoyable read, but nowhere near being one of his scariest. I don't even know how one would think that.

I think anyone that's read IT before reading The Shining would look at it as being very, very softcore by comparison.

 

[The Joker]

Yeah IT, and Salems' Lot I found much more creepy. The Shining was more thriller than scary.

I bought Christine today, and will start reading that tonight. I've heard almost nothing about this one. But I know the basic premise of it. Evil car which basically possesses it's owner. I'm looking forward to reading it, because Needful Things was a pleasant surprise and I'd heard nothing about that one either.