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I love Stephen King stories, and I have been reading his books since I was a kid in Junior High. For me, it's so highly disappointing when his books are made into terrible movies. My question is this, why don't his books translate into good film adaptations? Is his imagination too big for the screen? I haven't seen the Dark Tower movie yet, but the reviews point to an awful movie. Christine was so cheeky it was laughable, Pet Cemetery was way off point, I never got IT either the book or movie.
It's ironic that the best translation to screen of his work, in my opinion, was the The Stand which was made into a TV mini-series instead of a film. The Stand is my favorite book of his, and even though I enjoyed the mini-series, it had serious faults as well.
What do you guys think?
'Salem's Lot - an oldie but goodie, translates fairly well. It's been a long time and it was one of his first books, but both the book and movie scared the life out of me.
"The Body" - renamed "Stand By Me" was another good film that was faithful to the book.
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Well, I saw The Dark Tower Sunday, and regardless what the critics have said, I thought it was a pretty good film. It's nothing like The Gunslinger, and the funny thing is as I'm halfway through book 3 (The Wastelands), I found more elements from it in the movie than the first book. I would say it's worth a watch though, but go into it with the expectations that it's "loosely based" on the book series.
I read that King was hoping for a sequel and maybe a TV series, and the movie has surpassed its budget and may do pretty good in digital sales, it will be a tall order for us to see another one.
With that said, I love the books! I found a website that suggested this reading order:
• The Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger (2003 Revised Edition)
• The Dark Tower II: The Drawing of the Three (1987)
• The Dark Tower III: The Waste Lands (1991)
• The Stand: Complete and Uncut Edition (1990)
• The Talisman (1984)
• The Dark Tower IV: Wizard and Glass (1997)
• The Eyes of the Dragon (1987)
• "Little Sisters of Eluria" from Everything's Eventual (2002)
• The Dark Tower: The Wind Through the Keyhole (2012)
• Salem's Lot (1975)
• The Dark Tower V: Wolves of the Calla (2003)
• The Dark Tower VI: Song of Susannah (2004)
• Insomnia (1994)
• "Low Men in Yellow Coats" from Hearts in Atlantis (1999)
• Black House (2001)
• "Everything's Eventual" from Everything's Eventual (2002)
• The Dark Tower VII: The Dark Tower (2004)
And I'm going to do just that. There are a few outside the series that I have been wanting to read, and I've been dying to read the expanded version of The Stand forever.
I found a website that suggested this reading order:
• The Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger (2003 Revised Edition)
• The Dark Tower II: The Drawing of the Three (1987)
I read the first book and thought it was okay. Not great. I think I admired the style and tone more than the actual story, in which not a whole lot actually happens.
I could never finish The Drawing of the Three. It failed to hold my interest, so I never read any of the rest of the series.
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Originally Posted by Robert20170
• The Talisman (1984)
Another one I could never finish.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Robert20170
• Salem's Lot (1975)
A classic. The writing is a little rough in places, but the story remains one of King's best. A modern horror classic, and likely the greatest vampire novel ever written.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Robert20170
There are a few outside the series that I have been wanting to read, and I've been dying to read the expanded version of The Stand forever.
It's definitely a commitment, but well worth it. Another one of King's best.
After 38 years Stephen King still hasn't gotten over Stanley Kubrick: Stephen King
Stephen King wrote a novel about a man who is susceptible to madness and is driven there by the malevolence within - or perhaps, that is - the Overlook Hotel. Stenley Kubrick made a film about a man who is mad and in the Overlook Hotel has found a place where his madness can flourish to its fruition.
King hates that distinction, which is not as great as he insists it is, because the film is his baby and he is emotionally attached to it. That is understandable, but he should have the perspective to see it as such. Fanboys of the novel hate it because they want the film to differ in no way from the novel, which speaks only to their inability to understand the vast differences between literature and cinema. And let's be honest, if King gave Kubrock's film his stamp of approval then 99% of the fanboys would follow his lead and hold it up as excellent.
Author James M. Cain understood. Regarding those who adapted his works for the screen: "They haven’t done anything to my books. They’re still right there on the shelf. They’re fine."
And for what it's worth, King is on record as strongly liking the film Children of the Corn, not to mention his own cheesy and plodding 1990s TV miniseries remake of The Shining - which makes its own significant diversions from the source material.
Too many people are incapable of simply accepting that their dislike of some sort of artistic production is often nothing more than a matter of taste. They confuse what they like and dislike for what is inherently good and inherently bad, and therefore search for excuses for why what they like is good and why what they dislike is bad, why if they like/dislike a film they're right and if someone else holds another view they're wrong.
I love Stephen King stories, and I have been reading his books since I was a kid in Junior High. For me, it's so highly disappointing when his books are made into terrible movies. My question is this, why don't his books translate into good film adaptations? Is his imagination too big for the screen? I haven't seen the Dark Tower movie yet, but the reviews point to an awful movie. Christine was so cheeky it was laughable, Pet Cemetery was way off point, I never got IT either the book or movie.
It's ironic that the best translation to screen of his work, in my opinion, was the The Stand which was made into a TV mini-series instead of a film. The Stand is my favorite book of his, and even though I enjoyed the mini-series, it had serious faults as well.
What do you guys think?
I discovered a Stephen King book (Christine) in my bigger sisters shelf when I was 13. Turned into a huge fan instantly. Read his books over and over. Did not like any of his movies.
The books are more detailed. The movies leave out too much and overall, I stopped watching the movies.
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