View Full Version : Stephen King
The Filth Wizard
4 Oct 2007, 15:41
Who here is into Stephen King... and what is your favourite novel of his?
NorthBhoy
4 Oct 2007, 16:44
Is Steven King the bloke in the wheelchair who talks like those recorded messages on the train?
Or is that Larry Flynt?
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b325/helsy3/IT.jpg
IT and Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption are my two faves. Haven't read anything of his for a while.
Manbearpig
4 Oct 2007, 18:41
Yeah mate, but I haven't read anything of his for about 10 years.
The Stand is far and away my favorite.. probably my favorite all time book.
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b325/helsy3/IT.jpg
IT and Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption are my two faves. Haven't read anything of his for a while.
Some parts of the movie are SO different to the book, especially near the end.
The Running Man was pretty good...but that was written by Richard Bachman ;)
The Filth Wizard
4 Oct 2007, 23:16
To me, the following are fantastic...
The Dark Tower Series
The Talisman/The Black House (with Peter Straub)
It
The Stand
Bag Of Bones
Anybody into the Dark Tower series in particular?
Yeah mate, but I haven't read anything of his for about 10 years.
The Stand is far and away my favorite.. probably my favorite all time book.
Can I introduce you to the original? It's called Lord Of The Rings.
The big ROObowski
4 Oct 2007, 23:51
misery and desperation arent to bad the movie version of misery is ace...desperation on the other hand.
Thewlis Dish
5 Oct 2007, 00:01
Where is the proper 'It' cover? That used to scare the bejesus out of me.
My favourites were Misery and The Stand.
Where is the proper 'It' cover? That used to scare the bejesus out of me.
My favourites were Misery and The Stand.
The original was a drain wasn't it?
Manbearpig
5 Oct 2007, 07:47
Can I introduce you to the original? It's called Lord Of The Rings.
You're suggesting that The Stand is based on LOTR?
Maybe in length, but nothing else.
Manbearpig
5 Oct 2007, 07:51
The original was a drain wasn't it?
That picture above is the movie poster (hence the WB icon).
I reckon 3/4 of movies made from Stephen King books are very ordinary.
The good ones are The Green Mile, Shawshank, Misery, Stand By Me and Carrie (although a bit dated now).
^^
You forgot Salems Lot.
Also the 1st King book that I read.
Manbearpig
5 Oct 2007, 09:21
^^
You forgot Salems Lot.
Also the 1st King book that I read.
You mean its a good film? Very dated (as opposed to just dated). Didn't see the updated Rob Lowe version, but since it was made for TV, I assume it was puss.
You mean its a good film? Very dated (as opposed to just dated). Didn't see the updated Rob Lowe version, but since it was made for TV, I assume it was puss.
Nah - just the book
The Shining was an awesome book and a great movie. The Tommyknockers and Pet Sematary were not good movies, but loved the books.
"Thinner" (by Bachman) was great too.
Steven King "On Writing" is one of my favourite books - part autobiography, part writing lesson. Excellent stuff.
Manbearpig
5 Oct 2007, 09:51
The Shining was an awesome book and a great movie. The Tommyknockers and Pet Sematary were not good movies, but loved the books.
"Thinner" (by Bachman) was great too.
Steven King "On Writing" is one of my favourite books - part autobiography, part writing lesson. Excellent stuff.
I really enjoyed On Writing too.
I had this habit of reading novels and then watching the film adaptation. Disappointed many many times. I think the supernatural themes SK writes just don't come across well sometimes on film. And his writing goes into such depth of character that its hard to develop that on film unless made very very well.
I really enjoyed On Writing too.
I had this habit of reading novels and then watching the film adaptation. Disappointed many many times. I think the supernatural themes SK writes just don't come across well sometimes on film. And his writing goes into such depth of character that its hard to develop that on film unless made very very well.
Agreed. Christine, for example. His writing style is quite simple, but he is able to convey a depth of character. The novel is about the 3 main people and how their lives are affected by the car, whereas the movie (which is actually not bad IMO) is all about the car.
^^
You forgot Salems Lot.
Also the 1st King book that I read.
I remember seeing this on TV when I was a kid - remember pinching a crucifix from school so I'd have some protection if the vamps came to my window!!
The Filth Wizard
5 Oct 2007, 10:32
That picture above is the movie poster (hence the WB icon).
I reckon 3/4 of movies made from Stephen King books are very ordinary.
The good ones are The Green Mile, Shawshank, Misery, Stand By Me and Carrie (although a bit dated now).
To that list you could add The Running Man, 1408, The Dead Zone, Creepshow, The Shining, Christine, Cujo and Silver Bullet.
The problem with King's novels being translated to film is that they are generally epic in proportion, have too much substance and the tone of the dialogue is virtually unfilmable. To prove my point, three of the five Manbearpig put in are based on short stories, and the other two are a couple of the shortest novels he wrote. The really huge books, like The Stand and IT had to be made as tv miniseries to try and do them any justice in regards to length, but the problem then lies with networks having to cut the graphic nature of the novel to cater to the censors.
Take the Dark Tower series for example, which is a favourite among most King fanatics. Seven books, each around the 1000 page mark. It really can't be done as a series of films because, to be honest, the only way justice can be done is to make a 10 movie series (and that would still be cutting huge chunks out of it). For me, the only way to go for this series is for HBO or Showtime to take it on as a series. This way there is no restrictions on time, and very few restrictions on censorship (as fans of The Sopranos or Deadwood would attest). And I would actually be for seeing It or The Stand refilmed on these networks too because they would really be given justice. IT was one of the scariest novels ever written and whilst Tim Curry WAS Pennywise, its restrictions let it down.
Further from that, there is an adaptation called "The Mist" directed by Frank Darabont (Shawshank, Green Mile) that is expected to absolutely rock the roof off.
And even further, "It" fans... King has been littering his novels recently with references to Pennywise that would suggest that a sequel is on the horizon.:thumbsu:
j flex roo
5 Oct 2007, 12:13
I have never forgiven Stephen King for scaring the bejesus out of me when I was young with that 'It' clown.
But other than that not a fan...nothing bad to say about his work just not my cup of earl grey.
Thewlis Dish
6 Oct 2007, 20:19
The original was a drain wasn't it?
Maybe the original clown then. Was a lot scarier than the movie poster.
Mark Blake was robbed....
You're suggesting that The Stand is based on LOTR?
Maybe in length, but nothing else.
That would make for good trivia if it where true!!
Where is the proper 'It' cover? That used to scare the bejesus out of me.
Boo
http://www.stephenking.com/assets/works_images/IT.jpg
You're suggesting that The Stand is based on LOTR?
Maybe in length, but nothing else.
Theme, characters, scenes. One is a cookie cutter for the other.