OT (Again) | The Mist!!!

[RedWingFan]

This was one of the most chilling and disturbing films I've ever seen. A masterpiece, and one of the top 3 horror films ever made. It was simply amazing.

Can't believe you liked it. I thought it was stupid. I was excited to see it cuz Frank Derabont directed it. Kings movies are usually pretty stupid. King won out here I'm afraid. Horrible. Topped off by a brutal ending. Awful all the way around.

[STORY_TELLER]

This was one of the most chilling and disturbing films I've ever seen. A masterpiece, and one of the top 3 horror films ever made. It was simply amazing.

Can't believe you liked it. I thought it was stupid. I was excited to see it cuz Frank Derabont directed it. Kings movies are usually pretty stupid. King won out here I'm afraid. Horrible. Topped off by a brutal ending. Awful all the way around.

I didn't see the film and I'm not planning to for the very reasons you mention. There's only a handful of Steven King fliks that translated well to the big screen.

Christine
The Dead Zone
The Shining
Apt Pupil

I might be forgetting some others that were decent, but those are the only ones I think came out well. I'll wait to the Mist on DVD.

[Carlitto H@kk]

I think the one King-inspired movie that actually lived up to the books was The Green Mile.
Absolutely fabulous. I've read all of King's books and I am usually dissappointed in the movies,
ESPECIALLY "It"... That book scared the hell out of me when I was 14 but the movie,
w/John Boy Walton, made me want to smash the Tv.

But my favorite King series was The Dark Tower series... Simply Incredible!
It's a different style for King but is clever as hell and really gives insight to
"the breakers" and "the Crimson King" that pop up in so many of his books...

[RedWingFan]

This was one of the most chilling and disturbing films I've ever seen. A masterpiece, and one of the top 3 horror films ever made. It was simply amazing.

Can't believe you liked it. I thought it was stupid. I was excited to see it cuz Frank Derabont directed it. Kings movies are usually pretty stupid. King won out here I'm afraid. Horrible. Topped off by a brutal ending. Awful all the way around.

I didn't see the film and I'm not planning to for the very reasons you mention. There's only a handful of Steven King fliks that translated well to the big screen.

Christine
The Dead Zone
The Shining
Apt Pupil

I might be forgetting some others that were decent, but those are the only ones I think came out well. I'll wait to the Mist on DVD.

Derabont directed The Green Mile and The Shawshank Redemption. Both of which were great!

[Ratgirl]

This was one of the most chilling and disturbing films I've ever seen. A masterpiece, and one of the top 3 horror films ever made. It was simply amazing.

We ended up seeing it last night and we are still talking about it.

I didnt think the ending was bad at all, kind of sucked for the main character though. I may have to purchase this one when it comes out on DVD.

[STORY_TELLER]

Derabont directed The Green Mile and The Shawshank Redemption. Both of which were great!

I forgot Green Mile and Shawshank were King stories. Yes, both were absolutely great.

I think it's King's horror based stories that don't translate well. No imagery has been created on celluloid that can match the horrific descriptions which come from Steven the King's writing.

[ohsherrie]

Hey fellow Constant Readers,(even you RF ) have any of you read the Dark Tower series?

I'm interested in the Talisman series too and I hope they do Black House as a sequel. Jack's character is even more interesting as an adult and it ties in with the Dark Tower series. Insomnia has a huge tie-in with DT as does Hearts in Atlantis, another good one.

Lisey's Story was a little hard for me to get into too, but it gets much better before it's over. SK reverts more to type.

I read the Mist, and I since I don't want to be a spoiler for those who haven't and want to see the movie I'll ask Jeremey privately of it ends like the book.

I had forgotten about Shawshank too RF and that is another movie that didn't disappoint me after reading the book.

[jrnyman28]

I have heard that Black House will follow the Talisman series...

[ohsherrie]

I have heard that Black House will follow the Talisman series...

Cool, thanks Dave, did you ever read them?

[brywool]

Best Stephen King Movie:

Shawshank Redemption

Hands down. Green mile, yeah, it was okay, but really slow. SR was SO much better and the GM was a good one.
I'd say then next one would be Dead Zone.


Worst:

Maximum Overdrive

Pile of crap!

[ohsherrie]

I'd say then next one would be Dead Zone.

Yeah if it was REALLY based on the book and not like that stupid TV series that uses the name.

[brandonx76]

The Mist - I still can't believe the ending. I also could've done without the long winded ranting of the religious zealot lady, that character annoyed the shit out of me...The movie however was a pretty good, for what it was.

I love that the main character is painting the 'Gunslinger' in the beginning, gave me chills. Were there / are there any plans to turn the Gunslinger stories into a movie?

As far as classic King stories to film - 'Stand By Me' (aka 'The Body') was a classic. I have to see that again.

[bluejeangirl76]

I didn't see the film and I'm not planning to for the very reasons you mention. There's only a handful of Steven King fliks that translated well to the big screen.

Christine
The Dead Zone
The Shining
Apt Pupil

The Shining? Really? I absolutely hated that piece of shit. As a stand alone movie I suppose it would be fine, but as an adaptation it pissed me right off. Way too much was screwed with. The made-for-TV version with Steven Weber was WAY better and way scarier- it had the topiaries and the scene with the women in the tub scared the daylights out of me. Jack Nicholson was good but the screenplay sucked big fat dick. It wasn't even scary.

Stand By Me... awesome awesome awesome flick.

I liked Secret Window - that was pretty faithful to the original and staring at Johnny Depp for 2 hours is never a bad thing either, but that one was pretty slow going.

[Saint John]

My favorite King movie is The Shining. Christine was well done too. Personally, I thought The Shawshank Redemption was boring and predictable. Didn't like it at all. The Green Mile sucked too.

[Jeremey]

I saw it again over the weekend to see if it would hold up, and knowing what happened in the film did kind of make the drawn out dialogue - which at first viewing was suspenseful - a little long winded. Marcia Gay Harden's character was terrifying though, particularly if you are aware that those people DO exist and they are EVERYWHERE! I still have to give Darabont credit for making a movie that had such little regard for the audience. He beat us up over and over again in that movie, and then the ending just knocks the wind out of you.

I also should clarify my original review - I felt like this was one of the top 3 monster films of all time, but not necessarily of the scariest films of all time. For me, the other 2 being Jaws and The Thing.

As far as King adaptations go, this one was up there - and aside from the ending it was COMPLETELY faithful to the novella. Darabont knew the strength in this film was in the human element, and that's where it was most painful.

For me, the best King films are pretty much

Misery
Stand By Me
The Mist
Shawshank Redemption
The Shining
The Green Mile
Pet Sematary

Unless I'm forgetting one, the rest were all terrible pieces of crap. I don't know why some people think Children of the Corn was such a scary movie. I thought it was laughable. And that goes double for the shitty made for TV miniseries like It, Salem's Lot, and The Stand.

[Saint John]

I saw it again over the weekend to see if it would hold up, and knowing what happened in the film did kind of make the drawn out dialogue - which at first viewing was suspenseful - a little long winded. Marcia Gay Harden's character was terrifying though, particularly if you are aware that those people DO exist and they are EVERYWHERE! I still have to give Darabont credit for making a movie that had such little regard for the audience. He beat us up over and over again in that movie, and then the ending just knocks the wind out of you.

I also should clarify my original review - I felt like this was one of the top 3 monster films of all time, but not necessarily of the scariest films of all time. For me, the other 2 being Jaws and The Thing.

As far as King adaptations go, this one was up there - and aside from the ending it was COMPLETELY faithful to the novella. Darabont knew the strength in this film was in the human element, and that's where it was most painful.

For me, the best King films are pretty much

Misery
Stand By Me
The Mist
Shawshank Redemption
The Shining
The Green Mile
Pet Sematary

Unless I'm forgetting one, the rest were all terrible pieces of crap. I don't know why some people think Children of the Corn was such a scary movie. I thought it was laughable. And that goes double for the shitty made for TV miniseries like It, Salem's Lot, and The Stand.

Whoa....Misery is one of the best movies I've ever seen. I still hate Kathy Bates for being so good in her role!!! Stand By Me is outstanding as well. I just don't see the fascination with Shawshank and Green Mile...but I do know I'm a bit fucked up.

[bluejeangirl76]

Unless I'm forgetting one, the rest were all terrible pieces of crap. I don't know why some people think Children of the Corn was such a scary movie. I thought it was laughable. And that goes double for the shitty made for TV miniseries like It, Salem's Lot, and The Stand.

Salem's Lot (the miniseries, not the book) was horrible. I didn't even make it 1/2 an hour into that.
IT was bad only because SOOO much had to be changed/left out of the book for time.
That one was a way better read than a watch.

The Stand - also a better read than a watch.
I didn't so much mind the movie except that the damn thing is 8 hours long.
(nothing beats Patrick The Starfish running around going "M-O-O-N... that spells Tom Cullen!")

[conversationpc]

Unless I'm forgetting one, the rest were all terrible pieces of crap. I don't know why some people think Children of the Corn was such a scary movie. I thought it was laughable. And that goes double for the shitty made for TV miniseries like It, Salem's Lot, and The Stand.

I LOVED "It". One of my favorite TV miniseries ever.

[RedWingFan]

Hey fellow Constant Readers,(even you RF ) have any of you read the Dark Tower series?

I made it about halfway into book 4 but was extremely bored with it, that with the fact that my wife was pregnant at the time. I had other things to deal with. Never made it any farther with Dark Tower.

I had forgotten about Shawshank too RF and that is another movie that didn't disappoint me after reading the book.

Shawshank is actually the only movie that's better than the book.

[Ratgirl]

I saw it again over the weekend to see if it would hold up, and knowing what happened in the film did kind of make the drawn out dialogue - which at first viewing was suspenseful - a little long winded. Marcia Gay Harden's character was terrifying though, particularly if you are aware that those people DO exist and they are EVERYWHERE! I still have to give Darabont credit for making a movie that had such little regard for the audience. He beat us up over and over again in that movie, and then the ending just knocks the wind out of you.

I also should clarify my original review - I felt like this was one of the top 3 monster films of all time, but not necessarily of the scariest films of all time. For me, the other 2 being Jaws and The Thing.

As far as King adaptations go, this one was up there - and aside from the ending it was COMPLETELY faithful to the novella. Darabont knew the strength in this film was in the human element, and that's where it was most painful.

For me, the best King films are pretty much

Misery
Stand By Me
The Mist
Shawshank Redemption
The Shining
The Green Mile
Pet Sematary

Unless I'm forgetting one, the rest were all terrible pieces of crap. I don't know why some people think Children of the Corn was such a scary movie. I thought it was laughable. And that goes double for the shitty made for TV miniseries like It, Salem's Lot, and The Stand.

What? No Carrie, Cujo, Christine, or Firestarter? I thought those were pretty good.

[Clasicrockldy]

Some of King's books were made into movies without King's input. Carrie, The first Shining movie, etc. I have read alot of King's work, and the Shining with Nicholson was mostly true to the book except for a few things that one would notice if you read the book. The Stand, in which King did have a hand in, I noticed some blurring of characters just to make the movie fit the 8 hours it is.

What about Tommyknockers and the Langoliers? Those damn cannonballs with razor teeth!

I know they did the Dead Zone as a movie that starred Christopher Walken.

As for Kathy Bates, I did enjoy her in Misery, Delores Claiborne, and in The Stand as well.

What about the TV movie Storm of the Century? Did anyone like that movie?

[Clasicrockldy]

And what about Dreamcatchers? Yeow! It makes my ass hurt just to remember reading that book!

[RedWingFan]

Marcia Gay Harden's character was terrifying though, particularly if you are aware that those people DO exist and they are EVERYWHERE!

This is probably one of the reasons I didn't like it. I was sick of being hammered over the head by the over the top stereotype of Christians. Her speaking about the need for blood was ridiculous and would have been easily refuted by pointing out that Christ was the perfect sacrifice to be given "ONCE" (which I've pointed out to my Catholic friends including my wife about their pointless mass)

Whatever their fate was in that market, if they'd accepted Christ as their Savior, they were already saved. It was just frustrating for me to watch the idiocy that was being perpetuated on the audience. Whatever.

[Clasicrockldy]

I LOVE Stephen King books, but his endings ALWAYS piss me off. "IT" with a friggin' Turtle?? What the hell?

I just checked my King book IT. It IS a spider in the book!

[conversationpc]

I LOVE Stephen King books, but his endings ALWAYS piss me off. "IT" with a friggin' Turtle?? What the hell?

I just checked my King book IT. It IS a spider in the book!

Yeah, the whole spider ending was just dumb. They had you thinking it was some kind of demonic spirit and it ends up being a stupid spider. Arggghhh!

[bluejeangirl76]

What about Tommyknockers and the Langoliers? Those damn cannonballs with razor teeth!

Langoliers - I forgot about that one - loved it. That one was a faithful adaptation.

Delores Claiborne, again, made a better read than a watch.
The move was great, but it had the same problem Secret Window had...
..good story but very slow moving with just a couple characters.

[jrnyman28]

I have heard that Black House will follow the Talisman series...

Cool, thanks Dave, did you ever read them?

I have read almost EVERYTHING King has done. But I fail to retain specifics...age, ya know!

[jrnyman28]

I'd say then next one would be Dead Zone.

Yeah if it was REALLY based on the book and not like that stupid TV series that uses the name.

Hush your mouth...I LOVE the Dead Zone series. And it still manages to looseely follow the original storyline. Not bad for a 5 or 6 season series compared to a 2 hour movie compared to the 1 story book.

[jrnyman28]

Were there / are there any plans to turn the Gunslinger stories into a movie?

Last I heard there were thoughts of releasing it as an animated series on a channel like HBO.

It was recently released as a graphic story...

[jrnyman28]

Some of King's books were made into movies without King's input. Carrie, The first Shining movie, etc. I have read alot of King's work, and the Shining with Nicholson was mostly true to the book except for a few things that one would notice if you read the book. The Stand, in which King did have a hand in, I noticed some blurring of characters just to make the movie fit the 8 hours it is.

I thought the Stand exceeded expectations. Once you get over the "toning down" for TV the rest is pretty good. I think the reson so much of King's work goes to TV miniseries is that they can keep a larger portion of the story. True the scares/gore/special FX take a hit. But it is supposed to be about the story right?

Stands to reason why so many of his short stories (Stand By Me/The Body, Shawshank Redemption/ Rita Hayworth and The Shawshank Redemption, etc.) have made some of the best movies...no need to cut a lot of story out.

What about Tommyknockers and the Langoliers? Those damn cannonballs with razor teeth!

If you mean BAD....yeah.

As for Kathy Bates, I did enjoy her in Misery, Delores Claiborne, and in The Stand as well.

What role was she in The Stand? I don't remember her in that.

What about the TV movie Storm of the Century? Did anyone like that movie?

I did.