Best adaptation of a Stephen King Novel

[Tom Sawyer]

Ok, films based on Stephen King novels have taken a bad wrap over the years because the books are so good, the films pale by comparison.

 

But, The Green Mile is the best (IMHO)

and The Dead Zone is a close second (I've been alone on this one for a long time now) With Stand By Me at a Close third place.

 

Whatta you say?

[ES-335]

Shawshank Redemption, one of my favs.

 

[anagramking]

I enjoyed Stand By Me and Shawshank, but didn't see the other two mentioned. Kathy Bates was superb in Misery (but then she did win an Oscar for that role).

[barney_rebel]

IT - sucked. The book blows it away

Christine was pretty good - pretty close to the book, same with Carrie.

 

the one with Jack Nicholson and the hotel... damn forgot the title... "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy" - that one, was very close to the book.

[sundog]

QUOTE (barney_rebel @ Mar 10 2005, 10:45 PM)

the one with Jack Nicholson and the hotel... damn forgot the title... "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy" - that one, was very close to the book.

The Shining.... Stanley Kubricks version with Jack Nicholson was a good version for the time it was made....In the 1970's the technology being still as limited as it was made it very difficult to adapt the book to screen. I read somewhere that Stephen King was not very impressed with the Stanley Kubrick version, which is why he had such an important role in making the more recent mini series that was on tv... maybe 5 yrs ago now! It was a 6 hr mini series and it was nearly perfect to the book complete with topiaries that moved and seemed to come to life!

 

If you are looking for a great movie to watch, I recommend it...highly.

the mini series is awesome to watch.

 

 

I must say that this was the first book to ever have given me nightmares... and I've read almost everything Stephen King has written.... currently reading the 5th installment to The Dark Tower Series... The Wolves of Calla!!!

I am Constant Reader ( for those King fans)

[barney_rebel]

I was on a huge Stephen King kick in high school - read The Shining, Christine, Carrie in like a week, and IT a month before that... haven't read a single once since.

[yyz]

QUOTE (ES-335 @ Mar 10 2005, 10:58 PM)

Shawshank Redemption, one of my favs.

Love it.

[war2112]

I thought The Stand was well done. Ditto for Shawshank and Christine. IT was terrible, as was The Langoliers and The Running Man. I'd like to see The Long Walk tried out. I think that could work.

[Sark]

QUOTE (war2112 @ Mar 11 2005, 05:41 AM)

I thought The Stand was well done. Ditto for Shawshank and Christine. IT was terrible, as was The Langoliers and The Running Man. I'd like to see The Long Walk tried out. I think that could work.

Yeah, The Running Man shouldn't have even mentioned it was based on the Stephen King a.k.a. Richard Bachman story. It should have been called Arnold runs around a goofy future game show blowing up stuff.

[Bastille Night]

 

 

Salem's Lot freaked me out when I was a kid, but I haven't seen it in years so it may well have sucked.

 

Shawshank is definitely an all time fave.

 

Why is nobody mentioning the one where the trucks start driving by themselves and running over people.....you know, the one with the ACDC soundtrack

 

Wait a minute.....that one sucked too.

 

 

 

[Sark]

QUOTE (Bastille Night @ Mar 11 2005, 10:00 AM)

Salem's Lot freaked me out when I was a kid, but I haven't seen it in years so it may well have sucked. Shawshank is definitely an all time fave. Why is nobody mentioning the one where the trucks start driving by themselves and running over people.....you know, the one with the ACDC soundtrack Wait a minute.....that one sucked too.

That was called Maximum Overdrive.

[barney_rebel]

QUOTE (Bastille Night @ Mar 11 2005, 10:00 AM)

Salem's Lot freaked me out when I was a kid, but I haven't seen it in years so it may well have sucked. Shawshank is definitely an all time fave. Why is nobody mentioning the one where the trucks start driving by themselves and running over people.....you know, the one with the ACDC soundtrack Wait a minute.....that one sucked too.

Salem's Lot is one of the scariest movies I've ever seen (one that's affected me the most anyways considering I was only in grade 1).

 

"Open up... open up" - when the kid is floating at his brother's bedroom window.

[Digital Man]

The Stand, The Shining (original), & The Dea Zone were done well, Christine & Pet Semetary were ok. IT was definitely bad. The short story The Bet was done almost exactly to the original, it was in one of those compilation type movies..

 

Hey Sundog I too am Constant Reader. I am currently reading the 7th & final book of The Dark Tower series. I have been waiting 15 years to finish this story.

[Jack Aubrey]

I enjoyed 'Misery' and 'Dolores Claiborne' was pretty good as well (if a bit dark, but I suppose that was the point), but I've never read either book. Were these good adaptations?

 

[Bastille Night]

QUOTE (barney_rebel @ Mar 11 2005, 10:16 AM)

"Open up... open up" - when the kid is floating at his brother's bedroom window.

 

That's the EXACT same scene that feaked me out for many years.

 

There was also a scene where someone jumps down into a grave and opens up a coffin....I remember that as pretty scary.

 

 

Hmmm, I may just have to rent this movie soon.

 

 

[Sodoff Baldrick]

Kubrik's Shining

Misery

The Green Mile

 

 

[Dweezil]

QUOTE (Jack Aubrey @ Mar 11 2005, 09:21 AM)

I enjoyed 'Misery' and 'Dolores Claiborne' was pretty good as well (if a bit dark, but I suppose that was the point), but I've never read either book. Were these good adaptations?

Dolores Claiborne was well done. IMO

 

 

Ditto w/Misery

[Chasartymac]

Yeah. For me The Stand and Dolores Claiborne, were good adaptations.

 

The one that dissappointed me the most tho was Needful Things. The plot in the book was undo-able as a movie. Too many sub plots.

[neilpeart_gal]

The Green Mile sucks donkey balls.

 

He FRIED the dude, he was a sadist. We GET IT. MUST the scene go on for 3 1/2 hours?????????? Aaaargh!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

/Green Mile rant.

[Arndrake]

I've always been a little tweaked about three significant issues with Dreamcatcher

 

1. Colonel Kurtz always kind of came across as a bit of an R Lee Ermey type of character in the book. To cast Morgan Freeman in that role just didn't work.

 

2. Mr Gray was supposed to be emotionless, cold, and committed to his mission. His first experiences with emotion and humanity come from eating food. Making him a wisecracking jerk with a Brittish accent ruined his scariness.

 

3. Duddits was just supposed to be a mentally handicapped individual with special power that he helped unleash in the others, not an alien also. As a result, the ending just changed a bit too much from the book.

[GhostGirl]

Shawshank is one of my favorite movies of ALL time...scariest, though, would probably have to be Pet Sematary. The Shining is an absolute classic.

[Pags]

QUOTE (Digital Man @ Mar 11 2005, 10:46 AM)

The Stand, The Shining (original), & The Dea Zone were done well, Christine & Pet Semetary were ok.  IT was definitely bad.  The short story The Bet was done almost exactly to the original, it was in one of those compilation type movies.. Hey Sundog I too am Constant Reader.  I am currently reading the 7th & final book of The Dark Tower series.  I have been waiting 15 years to finish this story.

7th???? There are seven in the Dark Tower series???? I had lost track of the series after the 4th book. I have not read anything after the story of Susan Delgado. My wife just bought me the 5th book but I didn't even know it was ever written. How are these books after 4????

 

It's been so many years, I feel like I should re-read them because I have forgotten who's who.

 

---------

 

back to the topic

 

Stand By Me and Shawshank are my favs (non horror)

 

The Shining is my all time fav horror one (Stanley's version - sorry Steven). To this day I can't go down long hotel hallways without staring down at the carpet. I don't want to turn that corner and come upon the twins.

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v502/paganoman/Twins-Shining.jpg

Wait those are mine

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v502/paganoman/TheShining-Twins.jpg

There!!

 

 

[GhostGirl]

pags...

 

That second set of twins freaks me out BIG time. The movie is horrifying (esp. with Kubrick's touch) but the book is HANDS DOWN the scariest thing I've read to date.

[Digital Man]

QUOTE (paganoman @ Mar 21 2005, 07:45 AM)

QUOTE (Digital Man @ Mar 11 2005, 10:46 AM) The Stand, The Shining (original), & The Dea Zone were done well, Christine & Pet Semetary were ok.  IT was definitely bad.  The short story The Bet was done almost exactly to the original, it was in one of those compilation type movies.. Hey Sundog I too am Constant Reader.  I am currently reading the 7th & final book of The Dark Tower series.  I have been waiting 15 years to finish this story. 7th???? There are seven in the Dark Tower series???? I had lost track of the series after the 4th book. I have not read anything after the story of Susan Delgado. My wife just bought me the 5th book but I didn't even know it was ever written. How are these books after 4????   It's been so many years, I feel like I should re-read them because I have forgotten who's who.     Yep, there's 7. It's really a great story. You should re-read them to get reacquainted.     GG, The Shining is the only book that has actually scared me enough that I didn't want at night.

[war2112]

QUOTE (paganoman @ Mar 21 2005, 10:45 AM)

QUOTE (Digital Man @ Mar 11 2005, 10:46 AM) The Stand, The Shining (original), & The Dea Zone were done well, Christine & Pet Semetary were ok.  IT was definitely bad.  The short story The Bet was done almost exactly to the original, it was in one of those compilation type movies.. Hey Sundog I too am Constant Reader.  I am currently reading the 7th & final book of The Dark Tower series.  I have been waiting 15 years to finish this story. 7th???? There are seven in the Dark Tower series???? I had lost track of the series after the 4th book. I have not read anything after the story of Susan Delgado. My wife just bought me the 5th book but I didn't even know it was ever written. How are these books after 4????   It's been so many years, I feel like I should re-read them because I have forgotten who's who.   ---------   back to the topic   Stand By Me and Shawshank are my favs (non horror)   The Shining is my all time fav horror one (Stanley's version - sorry Steven). To this day I can't go down long hotel hallways without staring down at the carpet. I don't want to turn that corner and come upon the twins.   http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v502/paganoman/Twins-Shining.jpg Wait those are mine http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v502/paganoman/TheShining-Twins.jpg There!! Your daughters have to be the cutest twins I have ever seen. I mean that most sincerely. You are undoubtedly one proud papa.   Now as to that other pair. Brrr!... did someone just open a window 'cause I feel a draft.   King always said his ultimate goal was to write a novel so disturbing that the reader could not or would not finish it. For me that was IT. I have since completed reading it, but I had to get away from it about 80% of the way through on my first try. It was broad daylight on my apartment balcony when I put it down and said, "ok, that's it, I can't take this s*** anymore". I actually secreted the book away where I could not see it.