Stephen King Adaptations.

[danoyse]

Loooove The Stand, too. Probably my second favourite after Salems' Lot. I know Salems' Lot is not his most impressive book, but I don't know I just love it the best. The idea of a simple town being invaded my vampires was just so unique, and it had some darn scary moments.

The scene where Matt Burke hears noises in his upstairs guest room....



Laws yes, it does

I thought Salem's Lot was one of his best books, and neither of the movie versions did it justice. The original mini-series was very scary on it's own, but compared to the book they just left too much out and combined characters in a way that didn't really work. And I wasn't a fan of Nosferatu-clone Barlow compared to the charismatic vampire he was in the book.

The book just handled the disintegration of the town in a far scarier way.

And the TNT miniseries was terrible.

 

[Eggyman]

Is the mini series starring David Soul, Dan, and they just cut it down to film size?

 

[danoyse]

Is the mini series starring David Soul, Dan, and they just cut it down to film size?

There are two versions of the 1979 version (the one with David Soul): it was original a two-part miniseries, but it was released on video cut down to a 2-hour movie. Eventually the full version was also released. I've read there was even talk at the time of turning into a weekly series, but thankfully that didn't happen.

The 1979 version had some genuinely scary moments - the visits from the Glick boys, the scene in the morgue, and Mike Ryerson's visit.

Susan's fate was much better in the book - in the book, she visited Mark that night as a vampire and he drove her away. The next day he came back to the house with Ben and the others to kill Barlow, but he was gone and Susan was left in his place so Ben had to kill Susan instead. Barlow left a note - he knew they would be coming (and named them all in the letter) and told them he was coming after Mark's parents that night.

They lost a lot by making Barlow a non-speaking character. What happened to Father Callahan in the book was better too.

 

[Eggyman]

Thanks, Dan! I've read the book a couple of times and like the part where he has to kill Susan - very intense. Another bit I like in the book is where a guy - can't remember his name - hears kids messing with the school bus behind his house. He goes out to stop them and finds they are all vampires. The scene ends with them moving towards him... no need for gore or further descriptive passages. The suspense had already done the job.

Ahhh, classic King :heart:

 

[The Joker]

Yea it would be nice to see a like three part movie/HBO mini series done well of TheStand not a cheap one like they did. I think it would be amazing, if HBO did it.

I thought the version of The Stand that they did was pretty darn good. Although casting Molly Ringwald as Fran Goldsmith was a big blunder. I loved Fran in the book, and Molly Ringwald is NOT how I pictured her.

Randall Flagg was perfect. And I loved Larry Underwood. "Baby, can you dig your maaaan? He's a righteous man. Baby, can you dig your maaaan?" t:

Misery's awesome. Cockadoodee bastard chicken feed lol

Kathy Bates' first role on film, before that she was a stage performer. Sweet Lord she was amazing in that film.

Her funniest part was describing Rocket Man in the chapter plays, and how he had cheated her in a cliffhanger.

"HE DIDN'T GET OUT OF THE COCKADOODIE CAR!!!!!". The expression on James Caan's face is priceless.

I thought Salem's Lot was one of his best books, and neither of the movie versions did it justice. The original mini-series was very scary on it's own, but compared to the book they just left too much out and combined characters in a way that didn't really work. And I wasn't a fan of Nosferatu-clone Barlow compared to the charismatic vampire he was in the book.

The book just handled the disintegration of the town in a far scarier way.

Agreed. I liked how the original series gave Mr Straker a more meatier role than the book did. But that seemed to be at the expense of Mr Barlow, who did not speak, unlike the character in the book.

He had some wonderful dialogue in the book. Especially in his confrontation with Father Callahan.

 

[danoyse]

Thanks, Dan! I've read the book a couple of times and like the part where he has to kill Susan - very intense. Another bit I like in the book is where a guy - can't remember his name - hears kids messing with the school bus behind his house. He goes out to stop them and finds they are all vampires. The scene ends with them moving towards him... no need for gore or further descriptive passages. The suspense had already done the job.

Ahhh, classic King :heart:

The bus driver. He was introduced at the beginning of the book as just this jerk school bus driver who hated all of the kids. Later he finds they've broken into his bus and he heads in with a baseball bat - and finds out they're all vampires. I remember Danny Glick was one of the kids in the bus.

One of the characters they cut from the movie was Jimmy Cody - who had a memorable death scene towards the end. He fell down a basement staircase that had been cut away and landed on a table of upended knives. It was a trap Barlow had set. That was pretty much Mark's breaking point, because he jumped down to try and help him and nearly got stuck down there with the sun setting.

 

[Hurm...]

My favorite King Movie is easily, The Shawshank Redemption. Great story, great actors, and I love Morgan Freeman. Top of my list.

 

[Adrian89]

That was very disappointing when compared to the book. The book was creepy as hell. Even King thought he went too far with that one.

Misery was fab. Kathy Bates deserved that Oscar. Stand By Me, Green Mile, Shawshank Redemption, and IT were all great adaptions, too.

But Eggy, where the heck is The Stand and Salems' Lot (1979)? Two of my all time favs!

Salem's Lot owns man!

As for me, I enjoy King's books. Some of those movies were great adaptions, but some were really fail to be honest (like Pet Semetery)!

PS: IT also should've been added!

 

[Doctor Jones]

Well, all the adaptions suck except for The Green Mile, The Shawshank Redemption, Misery, and Stand By Me, and maybe It. Though that film will scar me mentally for life. Haven't seen The Mist yet though.

 

[cerealkiller182]

Well, all the adaptions suck except for The Green Mile, The Shawshank Redemption, Misery, and Stand By Me, and maybe It. Though that film will scar me mentally for life. Haven't seen The Mist yet though.

disagree

Theres also:

The Shining, which is far from the book but still excellent

The Dead Zone, which is one of the most underrated movies ever

Apt Pupil, never read the book though

Carrie, which is pretty classic in its own right

Dreamcatcher is a personal guilty pleasure of mine, and I think It is entirely overrated. Seriously, it lost me at the big bug creature. A lot of Kings movies seem to fall apart near the end like that.

 

[Doctor Jones]

disagree

Theres also:

The Shining, which is far from the book but still excellent

The Dead Zone, which is one of the most underrated movies ever

Apt Pupil, never read the book though

Carrie, which is pretty classic in its own right

Dreamcatcher is a personal guilty pleasure of mine, and I think It is entirely overrated. Seriously, it lost me at the big bug creature. A lot of Kings movies seem to fall apart near the end like that.

Goddammit I forgot about The Shining! I knew there was a film I was forgetting.

Forgive me God.

 

[cerealkiller182]

This actually deserves its own post

The Dead Zone (1983)
starring Christopher Walken, Martin Sheen, and Tom Skerrit

so underrated it pains me. I like it better than the TV show too

 

[Eggyman]

Salem's Lot owns man!

As for me, I enjoy King's books. Some of those movies were great adaptions, but some were really fail to be honest (like Pet Semetery)!

PS: IT also should've been added!

PS: IT IS added, all it takes is a lil reading if the first post... you know, right til the end, like.

 

[Adrian89]

Haha, sorry, it happens man! Sometimes when I hurry I read fast, my bad.

 

[Eggyman]

It's all good. I think we can all be guilty of that at times.

 

[OsGom]

Shawshank Redemption is in my Top 5 all time favorite movies. Misery and The Mist amongst my favorite adapted King works.

I find it interesting that a lot of his best movies were adapted from his short stories (if you don't count The Running Man).

 

[Eggyman]

I find it interesting that a lot of his best movies were adapted from his short stories (if you don't count The Running Man).

I've thought about this plenty of times. I know quite a few people who much prefer his short stories when compared to his novels. I think the most obvious answer is that a lot of novels don't translate well to film because of their length. Not always the case, but errr... anyway

 

[OsGom]

I think there is just much more freedom in adapting a short story compared to the relative structure required in adapting a full length novel.

Not many people would complain about "filling in" the sparse plot of a short story but you start trimming things in novel's adaptation fans get a little nutty.

 

[Eggyman]

I think there is just much more freedom in adapting a short story compared to the relative structure required in adapting a full length novel.

Not many people would complain about "filling in" the sparse plot of a short story but you start trimming things in novel's adaptation fans get a little nutty.

Exactly.

 

[cerealkiller182]

Not many people would complain about "filling in" the sparse plot of a short story but you start trimming things in novel's adaptation fans get a little nutty.

Well sometimes you get The Shining which was cut down but still great, and then sometimes you get Lawnmower Man which is practically unrecognizable.

 

[Eggyman]

Something I've always wanted to point out:

1408, the short story from the book Everything's Eventual, started as just a learning device in King's memoir on the craft of writing, On Writing, where he was showing the reader how to edit and rewrite. He liked it so much that he completed it. Most of the story consisted of the meeting with Enslin and Olin in the manager of the hotel's office.

Obviously the film does much more than this, and I'll admit it's one of my favourite King films. Cusack's wit and charm really moves this film from A to B, and the addition of the dictaphone helps a fair bit by enabling Cusack to speak even though he's alone for the main of the film. For me the best part of the film is before Enslin even gets inside room 1408... the scene in the office with Olin, played by Sam -Tasty Hamburger- Jackson.

It's an evil ****ing room

I've seen two different endings - unfortunately, when buying the DVD, I've only been able to find the Director's Cut in which [BLACKOUT]Enslin dies[/BLACKOUT]

So, what's people's thoughts? I've heard either side to the argument about whether Olin is somehow responsible for the horror in 1408 and if, in fact, he sent the postcard that said 'Do not enter 1408' to Enslin.

Heh, sidenote: I was out drinking last night with a few people from work, and one of the girls I was talking with actually mentioned this film. Instead of saying 'Fourteen oh eight', she kept saying 'one four zero eight'. LOL. i was like and then and then

Get the title right, beyatch!

 

[[A]]

Gaaahhh!!!! Don't use the blackout tags!!! Please!!!

 

[Eggyman]

Sorry, dude. I happened to just be reading through the TS thread and noticed you say that they don't work with dynamite lol.



Well, he doesn't in one version...

 

[[A]]

I could use the default skin now since I'm on my family's computer--but when I'm on mine, with a lcd screen.. it burns my eyes

 

[Sawyer]

The Stand miniseries was crap. The book is one of, if not the best thing I've ever read, but the miniseries was just not good enough. It was fine by 1990s TV standards, but the book just needs a much better adaptation.