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Thread: Stephen King

  1. #301
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    Quote Originally Posted by STsFirstmate View Post
    I liked his early work and then he just got too violent and didn't let you imagine your own horrors enough. I like it when the author leads me right up to the brink and then lets me imagine what I would see if I looked in the chasm.
    I thnk my favorite was a short story in Night Shift about a couple of guys working in an old New England Mill building that are ordered to go into the subbasement to get rid of the rats.
    They end up getting attacked by the rats of course and the only thing holding them at bay is the firehose they were cleaning with and slowly the water pressure drops as the rats eat through the canvas in the darkness behind them.
    He just really builds they anticipation. Salem's Lot is my favorite novel by him. I saw him on the View recently and he looked good. That accident came very close to killing him or at least ending his writing career.
    I am glad to see him doing well even if he is a Red Sox fan.
    Regards,
    Mary

    Mary, I think you might like Duma Key. It was written after the accident, and I think there is a lot of Stephen in it. The style is anticipatory, and although it is set in Florida, it feels like earlier books. Without giving anything away, there was one sentence that made my hair stand on end, and I had to stay up all night to finish the book and see what happened.

    I also loved Salem's Lot. I read it not long after it was first released, and couldn't put it down. I was so scared I kept giving my boyfriend not-so-subtle kicks so he would wake up and protect me from that Danny Glick kid that had to be hanging outside the bedroom window. Since he never would wake up, I had to stay awake until sunrise....just in case.

  2. #302
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    Quote Originally Posted by MaxyMillions View Post
    Very interesting...in the comments section, a lot of people suggested Edward Norton as the grown up Danny.

    Anyone read "Under the Dome" yet? I liked it, didn't find it particularly scary or horrifying.
    I ordered it. It sounded like a good read. I have not been able to get into any of his books since On Writing. Insomnia made me yawn. Lol. Couldn't get into Dream Catcher, either. It and The Stand are my fave books of his. I've read each at least 4 times and am thinking about going for a 5th. My neice thinks I'm nuts. I hate to say this, but I now prefer Dean Koontz for consistent scare ability. But even his book The Darkest Hour of the Year, or whatever it was just bored the hell outta me.
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  3. #303
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    [quote=majcm;968318]
    Quote Originally Posted by atlantis View Post
    Oh my gosh, Stephen King is my fave author. No one else even comes close. The Shining is a fantastic book. The movie was okay. But I really don't think his books translate to the large or small screen very well. Sometimes his words only make sense as they run through your head, not someone else's head (screenplay). The Stand is a real piece of work. The mini-series was pretty good (Corin Nemec was great not to mention Rob Lowe).

    "It" the movie AND the book will freak me out til the end of time. God knows I hate clowns and Pennywise is a fuckin' nightmare on wheels, man.

    You know, it's odd, but his horror books don't turn out well (although i did like Jsck Nicholson's Shining), but his regular stories can turn out very good. For example, Stand by Me (based on "The Body"), The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile. I really love the way he did the Green Mile by putting out a few chapters each month and you'd have to wait and look forward to it. He should do that again.

    Oh, and "It" is still my favorite book by him. It still scares me.
    "It" is still my all-time favorite King novel. I need to buy a new copy because my original has fallen apart (paperback) from re-reading over the years.
    "What if the Hokey Pokey is what it's really all about?" Jimmy Buffett

  4. #304
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    Quote Originally Posted by MaxyMillions View Post
    Mary, I think you might like Duma Key. It was written after the accident, and I think there is a lot of Stephen in it. The style is anticipatory, and although it is set in Florida, it feels like earlier books. Without giving anything away, there was one sentence that made my hair stand on end, and I had to stay up all night to finish the book and see what happened.

    I also loved Salem's Lot. I read it not long after it was first released, and couldn't put it down. I was so scared I kept giving my boyfriend not-so-subtle kicks so he would wake up and protect me from that Danny Glick kid that had to be hanging outside the bedroom window. Since he never would wake up, I had to stay awake until sunrise....just in case.
    OMG! This brings back a childhood memory. My neighbor loaned me "Salem's Lot" when I was 10 or 11. I lived in the country and every night after I read that book, I would sleep with my head mostly covered up, thinking that a vampire kid would come to my window and scratch on it to get in.
    "What if the Hokey Pokey is what it's really all about?" Jimmy Buffett

  5. #305
    STsFirstmate Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by MaxyMillions View Post
    Mary, I think you might like Duma Key. It was written after the accident, and I think there is a lot of Stephen in it. The style is anticipatory, and although it is set in Florida, it feels like earlier books. Without giving anything away, there was one sentence that made my hair stand on end, and I had to stay up all night to finish the book and see what happened.

    I also loved Salem's Lot. I read it not long after it was first released, and couldn't put it down. I was so scared I kept giving my boyfriend not-so-subtle kicks so he would wake up and protect me from that Danny Glick kid that had to be hanging outside the bedroom window. Since he never would wake up, I had to stay awake until sunrise....just in case.
    Thank you for the tip. I have a new resolution to start using the library to economize. Very hard for me to do since I love books. I will go on line and reserve this one.
    I had a small horse farm in a little town called Mount Orab Ohio when I read Salem's Lot. I lived along on that farm and let me tell you I was terrifed for weeks and no night time visits to the barn for any reason.
    Regards,
    Mary

  6. #306
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    Quote Originally Posted by cindyt View Post
    I ordered it. It sounded like a good read. I have not been able to get into any of his books since On Writing. Insomnia made me yawn. Lol. Couldn't get into Dream Catcher, either. It and The Stand are my fave books of his. I've read each at least 4 times and am thinking about going for a 5th. My neice thinks I'm nuts. I hate to say this, but I now prefer Dean Koontz for consistent scare ability. But even his book The Darkest Hour of the Year, or whatever it was just bored the hell outta me.
    I totally agree with you about Insomnia and Dream Catcher, Cindy. I could never get into Desperation, either. I was kind of "meh" about The Cell, and Tommyknockers and I liked Lisey's Story. But I loved Bag of Bones, any short story/novella collection, all of the earlier stuff, especially The Stand and It, and could read most of his other books over and over as well.

  7. #307
    death hag dee Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by Pamebabby View Post
    My all time favorite horror writer. From reading his early works up to now, I think the earlier stuff was better. However, I won't pass up a new book by him, and will be shopping for the new one soon. I didn't expect to like Bag of Bones, but I did, so I'll never say never. Lisey's Story, though, I didn't get.
    Just finished Lisey's story thought it was really good,

  8. #308
    CORONERGAL Guest
    Stephen King and Jackie Collins are my all-time faveorite authors. I just can't seem to get into his sci-fi novels like The Gunslinger. I loved Desperation. Living in northern Nevada I believe, along with other SK lovers that live here, that that book was written about this creepy little town near Ely called Ruth. SK took a motorcycle trip along highway 50, which is called the Loneliest Road in America. During this trip he came up with the idea for Desperation. If any of you happen to take a trip to northern Nevada, make a stop in Ruth and see if it reminds you of that book.

  9. #309
    John Connor Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by STsFirstmate View Post
    Thank you for the tip. I have a new resolution to start using the library to economize. Very hard for me to do since I love books. I will go on line and reserve this one.
    I had a small horse farm in a little town called Mount Orab Ohio when I read Salem's Lot. I lived along on that farm and let me tell you I was terrifed for weeks and no night time visits to the barn for any reason.
    Regards,
    Mary

    I just finished Salem's Lot. I read it when I was a kid and it scared the hell out of me. I remember walking home one day around dusk (about 200 feet) and I was terrified something was going to come at me. This time it didn't have quite the same effect although it's still a good story and I'll always think of Susan as looking like Bonnie Bedelia. It's not as lean as King ot in later years but not as bloated as some of his early stuff like The Tommyknockers where he went on for pages about some secondary character you would never hear from again. Stephen King is a treasure.

  10. #310
    STsFirstmate Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by John Connor View Post
    I just finished Salem's Lot. I read it when I was a kid and it scared the hell out of me. I remember walking home one day around dusk (about 200 feet) and I was terrified something was going to come at me. This time it didn't have quite the same effect although it's still a good story and I'll always think of Susan as looking like Bonnie Bedelia. It's not as lean as King ot in later years but not as bloated as some of his early stuff like The Tommyknockers where he went on for pages about some secondary character you would never hear from again. Stephen King is a treasure.
    John you raise a good point. I am rereading a lot of books I read for school and recreation when I was younger just to see if my age gives me a different perspective. I might try Salem's Lot again.
    I reread the crucible by Author Miller, all my Thoreau and Emmerson and Dante's Inferno and Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane.
    Crane, Thoreau and Emerson were like a veil was lifted and something was revealed I didn't get before. I really appreciated them more this time.
    Author Miller just seemed dated to me. Thoreau seems like it could have been written last week.
    Regards,
    Mary

  11. #311
    Sam Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by MaxyMillions View Post
    Mary, I think you might like Duma Key. It was written after the accident, and I think there is a lot of Stephen in it. The style is anticipatory, and although it is set in Florida, it feels like earlier books. Without giving anything away, there was one sentence that made my hair stand on end, and I had to stay up all night to finish the book and see what happened.

    I also loved Salem's Lot. I read it not long after it was first released, and couldn't put it down. I was so scared I kept giving my boyfriend not-so-subtle kicks so he would wake up and protect me from that Danny Glick kid that had to be hanging outside the bedroom window. Since he never would wake up, I had to stay awake until sunrise....just in case.

    I'm 95% finished with Duma Key, It is a wonderful book, and reminds me of his earlier works! He is just fantastic!

  12. #312
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    Quote Originally Posted by MaxyMillions View Post
    I totally agree with you about Insomnia and Dream Catcher, Cindy. I could never get into Desperation, either. I was kind of "meh" about The Cell, and Tommyknockers and I liked Lisey's Story. But I loved Bag of Bones, any short story/novella collection, all of the earlier stuff, especially The Stand and It, and could read most of his other books over and over as well.
    I could not get into Duma Key. Maybe it was just me. IDK. I am not a short story reader, but I will read his. I loved The Raft, and I loved The Mist. The Mist movie is ok, but I hated the way it ended. At least the book ended with a gleam of hope. IMO he just does not write the way he used to. I remember reading where he said he didn't like to revisit his subjects. He didn't want to write two books about vampires, for example. Well why the hell not? Lol.
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  13. #313
    John Connor Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by STsFirstmate View Post
    John you raise a good point. I am rereading a lot of books I read for school and recreation when I was younger just to see if my age gives me a different perspective. I might try Salem's Lot again.
    I reread the crucible by Author Miller, all my Thoreau and Emmerson and Dante's Inferno and Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane.
    Crane, Thoreau and Emerson were like a veil was lifted and something was revealed I didn't get before. I really appreciated them more this time.
    Author Miller just seemed dated to me. Thoreau seems like it could have been written last week.
    Regards,
    Mary

    Some stuff it's better not to go back to. This is more true of films than books. I find that with Catcher in the Rye. The book I read as a teenager is not the book I read now. It's much deeper now.
    I guess with horror it just takes more to scare you as you get older but I can always enjoy a Stephen King. I found The Dark Half one night on the subway and read it and it got passed around my work for months. One book I cannot get into anymore though is The Stand. It was enthralling when I was young but the last time I started it I read about half and got bored.
    The Mist is a fantastic story as cindyt mentioned. i read it on a overnight train ride years ago and it scared me so bad. I have to say though I thought the movie was really well done and I like dthe ending very much. I'd like to see what King thought.
    Two more standouts are Apt Pupil (terrible movie) and The Running Man (good movie...nothing like the story though)

  14. #314
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    I did not enjoy the movie IT, or I should say, it didn't scare me like the book did. The Stand movie was great, though, and I saw it more than once. Cujo was great in both midias, especially the movie, where Tad didn't die. I read three or four of the Gunslinger books, but couldn't get into the last ones. I think a lot of my problem getting into his books, and some other horrors, is because I now mostly read crime thrillers.
    GOD IS NOT DEAD





  15. #315
    Sam Guest
    To me, "The Stand" (The unabridged edition), is the BEST thing he ever wrote!

  16. #316
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    Quote Originally Posted by CORONERGAL View Post
    Stephen King and Jackie Collins are my all-time faveorite authors. I just can't seem to get into his sci-fi novels like The Gunslinger. I loved Desperation. Living in northern Nevada I believe, along with other SK lovers that live here, that that book was written about this creepy little town near Ely called Ruth. SK took a motorcycle trip along highway 50, which is called the Loneliest Road in America. During this trip he came up with the idea for Desperation. If any of you happen to take a trip to northern Nevada, make a stop in Ruth and see if it reminds you of that book.
    Did you read the companion book to Desperation, called The Regulators?
    .

  17. #317
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    Oh and hey Cindy...

    I can't remember if I told you this before but remember that video story N, that only had sound but no captioning online? You can also read it in this collection: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Just_After_Sunset
    .

  18. #318
    Sam Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by endsleigh03 View Post
    Looks like Stephen King is going to sequel The Shining.

    http://insidemovies.moviefone.com/20...n-king-news%2F
    If you saw the mini series "The Shining" done in the mid 90's that was actually filmed at The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park Colorado, the hotel burns down as in the book, but it rebuilt to it's former glory and the camera shows a sign for it's "Grand Re Opening" as you hear voices, and someone hitting a ball with a "Denver Croquet" mallet.

  19. #319
    CORONERGAL Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by SomeChick View Post
    Did you read the companion book to Desperation, called The Regulators?
    I did. I loved the way he changed the characters and switched their names around. Hated the ending, tho. I know it had to go that way but still...
    The movie "Desperation" was pretty good. I still pucker when I see an NHP trooper with one of those stupid hats on, lol.

  20. #320
    Jack-O-Lantern Guest
    I love the Gunslinger series, imo the books are collectively King's magnum opus. Very profound, very disturbing. My hope is that they never try to make this series into a film or films...there is no possible way justice would be done to them. The books stand on their own--LEAVE THEM ALONE HOLLYWOOD.

  21. #321
    TIMB1967 Guest
    I love The Stand, the unabridged version too...I've read that several times...and the mniseries ABC did on it was pretty good too..Pet Semetary, Carrie, and It were great radsas well. I haven't read any of his recent works though...just not enough time in the days anymore...but I will..

  22. #322
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    Quote Originally Posted by TIMB1967 View Post
    I love The Stand, the unabridged version too...I've read that several times...and the mniseries ABC did on it was pretty good too..Pet Semetary, Carrie, and It were great radsas well. I haven't read any of his recent works though...just not enough time in the days anymore...but I will..
    I don't know if the one I've seen is the same-I've only seen it on the SyFy channel. It had Molly Ringwald, Rob Lowe and Gary Sinese in it. They are all great actors, but I found them to be distracting. I had a picture in my head of Fran, Stan & Nick, and those actors were too well known. I'd love to see it redone with total unknowns.

  23. #323
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    They can remake it with the entire cast except for Molly Ringwald I found her performance as Frannie horrible..I have never found her to be a very good actress but as Fran it was such a flat performance...I would like to see it re done with unknowns as well but sadly if they ever did remake it it probably would have Zac Ephron and Mylie Cyrus in it...if that happens I won't be watching the remake! lol

  24. #324
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dearheart View Post
    They can remake it with the entire cast except for Molly Ringwald I found her performance as Frannie horrible..I have never found her to be a very good actress but as Fran it was such a flat performance...I would like to see it re done with unknowns as well but sadly if they ever did remake it it probably would have Zac Ephron and Mylie Cyrus in it...if that happens I won't be watching the remake! lol
    Far more terrifying than The Walkin' Dude himself....

  25. #325
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    Quote Originally Posted by SomeChick View Post
    Oh and hey Cindy...

    I can't remember if I told you this before but remember that video story N, that only had sound but no captioning online? You can also read it in this collection: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Just_After_Sunset
    Thank you! I enjoyed it.

    While I was over at wiki I read some about The Stand. Did you know he started that book as a story about Patty Hearst? Yep. But he wasn't satisfied, so he decided to start it over with a fantasy epic, but he couldn't figure out how to end the world with just a few survivors. Then there was an incident in Idaho, I believe it was, where some deadly canisters fell off a truck and if the wind had been blowing in a different direction it could have killed a bunch of people. So he had his weapon, the super flu, Captain Tripps. He also almost didn't complete it because he developed a huge case of writer's block.

    I always figured he got the idea from I Am Legend--can't remember the author--about an epidemic that killed most of the people and the survivors were turned into some kind of mutants who could not survive in the day light, except this one guy. Good story but the ending sucked. It was made into a movie staring Will Smith.
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  26. #326
    John Connor Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by cindyt View Post
    Thank you! I enjoyed it.

    I always figured he got the idea from I Am Legend--can't remember the author--about an epidemic that killed most of the people and the survivors were turned into some kind of mutants who could not survive in the day light, except this one guy. Good story but the ending sucked. It was made into a movie staring Will Smith.

    It was written by Richard Matheson. The ending of the novella was brilliant. It's a clever look at perspective. The ending, or rather, the last third of the Will Smith movie sucked. It's also been made as The Last Man On Earth with Vincent Price and The Omega Man with Charlston Heston.

  27. #327
    Lucy Riccardo Guest
    I just bought SK'S new book Under The Dome but I haven't started it yet.
    I like all of his books.

  28. #328
    Lucy Riccardo Guest
    Has anyone read the Stand book that was put out in the original format, before they cut some of it out?

  29. #329
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    Quote Originally Posted by John Connor View Post
    It was written by Richard Matheson. The ending of the novella was brilliant. It's a clever look at perspective. The ending, or rather, the last third of the Will Smith movie sucked. It's also been made as The Last Man On Earth with Vincent Price and The Omega Man with Charlston Heston.
    That's right, Richard Matheson. I just wanted that dog to live and the guy to survive as he had been. I probably saw The Last Man on Earth but I don't remember it. I did see Omega Man several times.
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  30. #330
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lucy Riccardo View Post
    I just bought SK'S new book Under The Dome but I haven't started it yet.
    I like all of his books.
    It is very good. It does have some slow parts with extensive character development, but he tends to do that a lot.


  31. #331
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    Quote Originally Posted by cindyt View Post
    Thank you! I enjoyed it.

    While I was over at wiki I read some about The Stand. Did you know he started that book as a story about Patty Hearst? Yep. But he wasn't satisfied, so he decided to start it over with a fantasy epic, but he couldn't figure out how to end the world with just a few survivors. Then there was an incident in Idaho, I believe it was, where some deadly canisters fell off a truck and if the wind had been blowing in a different direction it could have killed a bunch of people. So he had his weapon, the super flu, Captain Tripps. He also almost didn't complete it because he developed a huge case of writer's block.

    I always figured he got the idea from I Am Legend--can't remember the author--about an epidemic that killed most of the people and the survivors were turned into some kind of mutants who could not survive in the day light, except this one guy. Good story but the ending sucked. It was made into a movie staring Will Smith.
    Nope, I didn't know that stuff about the Stand's back history. Thanks Cindy!

    I saw Omega Man back when it came out and the Will Smith movie. While the special effects were fun on that one, yeah I agree with folks who say the story was lacking.

    Quote Originally Posted by Lucy Riccardo View Post
    Has anyone read the Stand book that was put out in the original format, before they cut some of it out?
    Yep. I read it as the unabridged first edition the year it came out. I still have it.
    .

  32. #332
    Sam Guest
    I just finished "Duma Key". It's s great book, but not one of his best, he's written worse though.

  33. #333
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    Quote Originally Posted by Sam View Post
    I just finished "Duma Key". It's s great book, but not one of his best, he's written worse though.
    Duma was sort of strange and all over the place. It was like he just put pieces of other stories and threw it together.

    Sometimes I think he writes on auto pilot.


  34. #334
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lucy Riccardo View Post
    Has anyone read the Stand book that was put out in the original format, before they cut some of it out?
    I got the original version when it first came out, and between having read it 2 or 3 times, and having a much better memory back then, I loved the new version, and could easily see the added parts.

  35. #335
    Jack-O-Lantern Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by John Connor View Post
    It was written by Richard Matheson. The ending of the novella was brilliant. It's a clever look at perspective. The ending, or rather, the last third of the Will Smith movie sucked. It's also been made as The Last Man On Earth with Vincent Price and The Omega Man with Charlston Heston.
    Richard Matheson, all things being equal, was probably at least on a par talent-wise with King--maybe even better. His Hell House was one of the most frightening, grotesque ghost stories ever published, made into a not-as-scary, cleaned up movie in the 70s called The Legend of Hell House. He really pushed boundaries with that novel.

    As far as I Am Legend--the film with Will Smith was hugely disappointing. Too much CGI bullshit and more of WILL SMITH, STAR. *blech* I hate to see good novels turned into 'STAR Vehicles,' emphasis on the STAR with little regard for the subtleties or themes present in the origin material.

    Both The Omega Man and The Last Man On Earth were far better, more entertaining, more visceral films.

  36. #336
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    Quote Originally Posted by MaxyMillions View Post
    I got the original version when it first came out, and between having read it 2 or 3 times, and having a much better memory back then, I loved the new version, and could easily see the added parts.
    I read both versions and the unabridged was the best one. I know people complain about his fat books, but when he is good he is good and those books are never nearly long enough.
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  37. #337
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    Quote Originally Posted by cindyt View Post
    I read both versions and the unabridged was the best one. I know people complain about his fat books, but when he is good he is good and those books are never nearly long enough.
    For someone who reads very fast, "fat is fabulous"! I love how he develops his characters, so I have some sort of investment in the story. In Salem's Lot, I still remember the description of how Straker the bodyguard went in the general store for groceries, and how the geezers around the stove went silent to watch. If SK hadn't already "introduced" us to the geezers, their perceptions of the scene would not have been as interesting. If that makes any sense, LOL!!

  38. #338
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    Quote Originally Posted by MaxyMillions View Post
    For someone who reads very fast, "fat is fabulous"! I love how he develops his characters, so I have some sort of investment in the story. In Salem's Lot, I still remember the description of how Straker the bodyguard went in the general store for groceries, and how the geezers around the stove went silent to watch. If SK hadn't already "introduced" us to the geezers, their perceptions of the scene would not have been as interesting. If that makes any sense, LOL!!
    Makes a lot of sense. You can't really have empathy for a character you know nothing about.
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  39. #339
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jack-O-Lantern View Post
    Richard Matheson, all things being equal, was probably at least on a par talent-wise with King--maybe even better. His Hell House was one of the most frightening, grotesque ghost stories ever published, made into a not-as-scary, cleaned up movie in the 70s called The Legend of Hell House. He really pushed boundaries with that novel.

    As far as I Am Legend--the film with Will Smith was hugely disappointing. Too much CGI bullshit and more of WILL SMITH, STAR. *blech* I hate to see good novels turned into 'STAR Vehicles,' emphasis on the STAR with little regard for the subtleties or themes present in the origin material.

    Both The Omega Man and The Last Man On Earth were far better, more entertaining, more visceral films.
    Haven't seen I Am Legend movie. But I think I saw Hell House and it was spooky. Probably read the book a long time ago, but I have it ordered now, worth another read.

    I tried to find some back story on IT and failed. I would love to know how he got started with that. Anybody know?
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  40. #340
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    Quote Originally Posted by cindyt View Post
    Makes a lot of sense. You can't really have empathy for a character you know nothing about.
    Exactly! If we didn't have backstory on Harold Lauder, for instance, it would be easy to simply hate him, and not have any understanding of what it was like to live in his popular sister's shadow.

    I think I read a snippet of backstory on It, and believe it or not, it totally escapes me. I'll try to find it again, if Pennywise lets me

  41. #341
    Sam Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by Jack-O-Lantern View Post
    Richard Matheson, all things being equal, was probably at least on a par talent-wise with King--maybe even better. His Hell House was one of the most frightening, grotesque ghost stories ever published, made into a not-as-scary, cleaned up movie in the 70s called The Legend of Hell House. He really pushed boundaries with that novel.

    As far as I Am Legend--the film with Will Smith was hugely disappointing. Too much CGI bullshit and more of WILL SMITH, STAR. *blech* I hate to see good novels turned into 'STAR Vehicles,' emphasis on the STAR with little regard for the subtleties or themes present in the origin material.

    Both The Omega Man and The Last Man On Earth were far better, more entertaining, more visceral films.
    Richard Matheson has always amazed me. How could a man who wrote many of the "Twilight Zone's" and so many horror stories have written such a wonderfully romantic novel like "Somewhere In Time"?

  42. #342
    Jack-O-Lantern Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by Sam View Post
    Richard Matheson has always amazed me. How could a man who wrote many of the "Twilight Zone's" and so many horror stories have written such a wonderfully romantic novel like "Somewhere In Time"?
    I know.
    The list goes on and on for the guy--incredibly talented, diverse, and prolific. He also wrote the novel What Dreams May Come, another romantic riff on the afterlife theme (and a film with Robin Williams).

    Additional stuff:
    --The Night Stalker and The Night Strangler (famous TV movies with Darren McGavin--later turned into a series)
    --Duel (made into a TV movie by Steven Spielberg)
    --The Incredible Shrinking Man
    --Stir of Echoes
    (made into a film with Kevin Bacon)
    --Die! Die! My Darling (film starred Tallulah Bankhead)
    --Trilogy of Terror (famous TV anthology film with Karen Black and a Zuni warrior doll)

    Matheson also wrote tons of westerns and even episodes of the original Star Trek.

    Stephen King himself says Matheson was a key creative influence on his writing, and dedicated the book Cell to Matheson.

    Even Anne Rice has stated that Matheson's short story A Dress of White Silk was an early influence on her interest in vampires and fantasy writing in general.

    The guy really is a god to anyone with a healthy (or unhealthy!) interest in the dark side and fantasy/horror fiction in general. Not taking anything at all away from Stephen King, who I adore, but Matheson really was the author of nightmares WAY before King, and one of the heirs to E.A. Poe's brilliant and dark legacy (I see a lot of Poe's influence in Matheson's writing).

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  43. #343
    Sam Guest
    God, I forgot about "Trilogy of Terror" that scared my six year old sister so bad! They had a puppet show at her Sunday school the next week and she WIGGED out. They called the house and my mother had to go pick her up.
    She's now 41 and still refuses to watch it!

  44. #344
    Join Date
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  45. #345
    Join Date
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    I tell ya what, Matheson has scared the hell out of me more than once, including the warrior story in Trilogy of Terror. After I saw The Night Stalker I was afraid to go outside at night and it didn't help that I read the book during a full moon.

    The only book by King that really scared me is Salem's Lot. All the others are wickedly scary, SL just spooked the shit out of me. I lived in a Victorian manor that was haunted, which didn't help. Started reading SL on my first break at work, and when I got home, I curled up in bed and didn't stop until I finished, which was about 4:30am. I had to be at work at 7am, but I was too scared to go to sleep.
    GOD IS NOT DEAD





  46. #346
    endsleigh03 Guest
    Just finished The Dome. Liked Duma Key much, much more.

  47. #347
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
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    From a recent interview with Stephen King:


    QUESTION
    Are you going to do a Dark Tower movie?

    ANSWER
    I've always resisted that idea because movies have a way of freezing characters and places in the audience's mind whereas in books everybody has their own different idea of, for instance, how Roland or Susannah looks but if you do it as a movie, immediately that kind of gets frozen in place and you say 'Oh, Billy Bob Thornton is what Roland Deschain looks like.' Or you say 'Brad Pitt, that's what Eddie Dean looks like.' You know what I'm saying, or you can say 'Calla Bryn Sturgis from Wolves of the Calla looks like maybe the Universal back lot', and I've always resisted that. The issue with The Dark Tower books is there's so much story, so many incidents, that it couldn't be done in one movie alone. It would have to be done at least as a trilogy the way The Lord of the Rings movies were done or it would have to be done as a TV series, probably on HBO because of the violence, the way The Sopranos was done. I haven't entirely ruled that idea out but for the next two or three years while the books have their initial run, I think that if you want the story of Roland, you'll have to get it at your bookstore rather than the local movie theater.

    2010 UPDATE:
    A deal has been negotiated with Ron Howard, Akiva Goldsman, and Brian Grazer to do a Dark Tower adaptation. More details will be released as they become available.
    Well, I'm glad there are heavy hitters taking a swing at it at least.
    .

  48. #348
    STORMIE Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by SomeChick View Post
    From a recent interview with Stephen King:

    Well, I'm glad there are heavy hitters taking a swing at it at least.

    I agree, but I am really not sure I want to see a movie on the Dark Tower series. It was such a great adventure and really brought great characters to life in my imagination. Not sure, but it may ruin it for me. I may have to skip it.

  49. #349
    blackraven Guest
    Fav. King book: It, Eyes of the Dragon, Misery...sorry couldn't pick just one!

    Least Fav: The Tommyknockers...he was at his lowest, so strung out on coke & alcohol during the writing of this one and it shows!

    Fav. Bachman Book: The Long Walk

    Least Fav.: Thinner

    Fav. Short/Novella: Battleground (Night Shift)

    Least Fav.: Dolan's Cadillac (Nightmares & Dreamscapes)

    Fav. Adaptation: The Shawshank Redemtion

    Least Fav.: The Lawnmower Man

  50. #350
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    This thread is why I came back here. I'm on a SK binge and I knew it was here. Thanks!
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]

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