Skip to main content

Halloween Day by Day: Top Five Stephen King Adaptations

 

If there is one writer who's indelibly linked to horror, it'd have to be Stephen King.  And when you're as skilled- and prolific a writer as Stephen King, there will inevitably be adaptations of your writing.

So, today, I present you my "Top Five Stephen King Adaptations"!

1.  "The Dead Zone" (1983)-  Directed by David Cronenberg, and starring Christopher Walken, this is one of my favorites.  It is a well crafted, and spooky retelling of the story of a man who becomes psychic after an accident, and whose life get entangled with that of a politician who's fated to destroy the world.

2.  "Misery" (1990)-  One of the most faithful adaptations of a story about a writer who meets his "number one fan" after she rescues him from a car accident.  Starring Kathy Bates, and James Caan, director Rob Reiner gives us a slow burning, tale of horror that keeps you on the edge of your seat.  The sledgehammer scene especially is shudder inducing.

3.  "The Mist" (2007)-  This story of a small town invaded by a strange mist hiding untold horrors is chilling and a fearful examination of what happens when people are isolated amidst a crisis with no leadership.  The ending especially is gut wrenching and horrific.

4.  "Carrie" (2013)-  The second adaptation of the story about a young girl with telekinetic abilities, having to deal with a fanatical mother, and high school bullies... until she's finally had enough.  A great modern take on the book with stunning visual effects, and marvelous acting.

5.  "It" (2017)-  The first part of the most recent adaptation for the story of childhood friends coming together to defeat an ancient evil stalking the children of their small hometown.  A well paced, visually stunning, and definitely scary movie that brings more of the original source material to the screen.

So, there you have it- my "Top Five Stephen King Adaptations"... and yes... you're absolutely right... Stanley Kubrick's version of "The Shining" IS NOT on it...

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Zombie Bikers From Detroit (2001)

Over the years, it has been shown that with very little money, a skillful director can put together a high quality horror movie (John Carpenter's " Halloween ", " The Blair Witch Project ", and " Paranormal Activity " being a few of them).  So, when it comes to determining a movie's quality, budget is no longer a negative... Ken and his mother have moved from Hell, Michigan to Grosse Pointe near Detroit.  Upon his arrival, he meets the lovely Courtney, and her jealous suitor Chad.  While Ken and Chad square off, an evil is growing within Detroit and slowly spreading towards Grosse Point... where Ken will meet his destiny ... This week's " What Movie Wednesday " winner was " Zombie Bikers From Detroit "- a low budget horror movie that feels like it was put together as a school project.  High School, or College... I can't really tell. The premise- as stated in my little synopsis is interesting- as was the title.  ...
9 comments
Read more

Meridian: Kiss of the Beast (1990)

Sometimes, a director/producer will surprise you- such was the case during " Terrorpolooza 2012 " when I watched Charles Band's " Meridian: Kiss of the Beast " Catherine Bomarzini has come home after her father's death.  Needing company, she asks Gina to stay with her.  Soon, the two meet a wondering troupe of performers that Catherine invites to dinner at her castle. Catherine find herself pulled into a love triangle and an ancient curse that only she can break. After watching movies like " Evil Bong ", and " Demonic Toys ", I really wasn't expecting too much from this Charles Band movie- but I was pleasantly surprised by it. The story is actually quite interesting with lots of potential for eerie scenes, and character development.  It's a nice twist on the classic " Beauty and the Beast " story.  It's a bit slower than most of Band's other works, but moves smoothly and draws you with it. I have to ad...
Post a Comment
Read more

Demon Seed (Dean Koontz)

  Susan has withdrawn from the world  after her divorce from her abusive husband.  Her mansion contains state of the art household automation.  She is secure from the dangers of modern Life.  She is safe from an unsafe world... Too bad her mansion had other ideas... The idea of a Alexa/Siri controlled house going haywire may sound like something written within the past decade, but you might be surprised that Dean Koontz actually wrote this book back in 1973. That's right.  Just five years after " 2001: A Space Odyssey " hit theatres, Koontz wrote this book brining HAL to a more personal level, while predicting the advent of programs like Alexa and Siri. This book is actually a pretty quick read at 301 pages.  The story progresses and builds at a steady and fast pace.  The writing is smooth and seamless as the tension and events unfold before you.  I lost track of time as I turned page after page.  I loved that this book was written from ...
Post a Comment
Read more