No accounting for taste, I guess. I like a lot of Stephen King movies though. The books read like they were written to be made into movies, so I think they're meant to be seen on the screen anyway.
Since I know Todd will be here at some point, I wanted to ask what his top 3 or 5 King books are. I've wanted to read some. I've read The Stand and liked it well enough. What else?
In my days as an English major, I used to get into major arguments with a couple of my professors about Stephen King. I did a work study thing and spent a few hours of weeks in their offices sorting shit and filing, so these conversations were pretty much outside of class. They used to drone on and on about how the freshmen kids coming in were just such terrible writers of crappy papers. My theory was that if they just wrote like they spoke they'd be a hell of a lot better, and if instead of reading crap like Red Badge of Courage as Todd mentioned, they'd see that books have a lot to offer if they were given something more up to their speed such as - well, Stephen King.
Needless to say, my defense of him went mostly unheeded, and usually resulted in more than a few eyerolls. I haven't read a King book in years at this point, but I still stand by my theory.
Besides The Stand, I'd add the book IT to his resume as one of his better ones.
BTW Todd, the Tommyknockers definitely kept my interest back in the day. That god-awful tv movie they made of it sucked. Christine was also pretty good. The movie was okay, but sort of took a different tack, cutting out most of the extreme supernatural stuff.
If I recall correctly, The Dead Zone movie was pretty much spot-on with the book, both of which were good, though not great.
I disagree.
I thought Dead Zone was great. A must see. One of the few authentic examples of a perfect mariage of two masters of their art (King and Cronenberg)
As for King himself I have no shame in calling him the best american storyteller alive if not of all time. Nobody can hold a candle to his character writing which is often overlooked by the mere fact that he's filed as a "horror" author.
This issue was the basis for "Misery" which was in many ways autobiographical.
I dont know about favorites but nobody has mentioned Dolores Clairborne which got under my skin in ways that arent traditionally "scary". The title character was one of the most realistically crafted female protagonists/heroines I've come across.
His book "Four Seasons" has two of my favs "Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption" and "Apt Pupil". Whats great about King is he can create two completely opposite outlooks: one of optimistic triumph despite hellish odds and one of utter despair into an unending and ultimately preexisting nightmare. And according to his desires he can make both seem like equally absolute truths.
MeBossy, I'll give you from what I've read, King is excellent; But to say the greatest American writer (or did you say storyteller I can't remember) ever may be a bit much. I'd put Twain and Hemingway above him oh and Vonegut (because I have a soft spot for him). Not to take anything away from King but there are others that rival if not surpas him. I think we may give satirical writers too little credit because of the types of emotions they invoke... for some reason Dramatic and Horror authors always seem to get the nod as being good writers and the funny guys are kinda treated as novelties, at least in my opinion.
O, and I can appreciate the irony of me quite possibly the worst writer on the boards criticizing professionals. Compared to me they are all Da Vincis...
the stand is great, the battle between good and evil ( tho the ex swears sk is evil). anyways i think the dark tower series is the best taken as a whole which includes elements from almost every sk book, wizard and glass was my favorite of the series. i thought insomnia was great,( ties in too)and hearts in atlantis(ties in too)and black house(ties in too)to go on. salems lot, the standdamn near every book he has writing is tyied into the dark tower series,
yeah the end of it was strange, right, disapointing, the only way it could end, all at the same time.
after all it is about differnet times in a semi- simalar world
"fare the well gunslinger, dont forget the face of your father"
laterz,
legion
I just watched the mist, and I gotta tell you I really hated the ending of this movie. Really bummed me out, and if you saw it you know what I mean. He bleeped his fucking bleep. Who bleeps their fucking bleep in a movie. Jeeze.
Dude, I humbly disagree with ya here - I thought the ending to 'The Mist' was awesome (horribly dark, but satisfying) - much better than the original book ending.
Didn't see The Mist, but was totally planning to. Visited my Dad in Michigan over Thanksgiving weekend, and got a call from home on Saturday. The wife had taken the kids to see it and they proceeded to get on the phone and TELL ME THE ENDING! Needless to say, I don't see any reason to shell out $8 to see it now, but will watch it when it hits DVD.
Luke's Dad is Vader
Bruce Willis is a ghost
Rocky loses (then he wins for a LONG time, then loses)
Kevin Spacey is Kaiser Soze
Joe Pantoliano is John G.
Charleton Heston was really on Earth
Jigsaw was alive on the floor the whole time
The Narrator and Tyler Durden are the same person
The 'Mother' is Psycho is Norman in drag
and of course,
That chick in 'The Crying Game' is a man, baby!
There, now that little faux pas your kids did, ain't so bad now.
