Which are the best King adaptations? - Dreamcatcher (2003) Discussion

[–] da_bear00 16 years ago

I would have to say - as far as keeping to his books goes - 'Carrie', 'The Stand', 'The Green Mile', and the tv version of 'The Shining' are about the best. The movie version of 'The Shining' sucked. There was no tension because Nickleson's character wasn't scary...you didn't see how the hotel was alive, it just seemed haunted. There's a big difference. The whole point of the story was that the hotel was alive and it forced him to do things and you didn't get that in the big screen version, but it was shown by Steven Weber. Shelley what's her name, in the movie, was also more comical than she should have been. She just ran around screaming, whereas on tv that character watched her husband descend into madness, knew there was nothing she could do, yet she tried to give him the benefit of the doubt...that was King's point! What really pissed me off most about the movie version was the ending...it completely changed the meaning of the book...there was no moment of truth, no climax, no sacrifice like King wrote. I'm sorry to those of you who are fans, but Stanley Kubrick sucked...there's not a single movie that he directed that I would say is worth my time to watch!

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[–] fanoftheclassics 11 years ago

> Stanley Kubrick sucked...there's not a single movie that he directed that I would say is worth my time to watch!

Come on! I can understand your problem with the adaptation of The Shining (because it is so different from the book, not because the resulting story is bad; I thought it was different, but quite good). As far as I am concerned, 2001 and Dr. Strangelove are two of the best movies ever made and most of his other movies are excellent.

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[–] blkfeet75 16 years ago

The Stand - by far
Misery
It
The Shawshank Redemption
The Mist - most of it anyways...

‹(•¿•)› "All hail, Prince of the Obvious." - Rygel XVI

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[–] karlluiis 16 years ago

Misery, Carrie, Cujo, 'Salems Lot, Shawshank Redemption, The Dead Zone. All the original versions.

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[–] tb349-1 16 years ago

The Stand (anything with Gary Sinise is going to be worth watching)
It (Ditto Tim Curry)
Storm of the Century
'Salem's Lot (One of the scariest things I've ever seen)

It seems the best adaptations are the ones for TV, since directors are less able to mask their deficiencies by dumping huge amounts of blood and gore on the screen.

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[–] Marloo 16 years ago

Stand By Me
The Shawshank Redemption
The Shining (the movie, not the miniseries; an adaptation is not a marriage, and "not being faithful to the book" is not adultery; Kubrick's version of The Shining is quite different from the book but still a great movie)
The Green Mile
Carrie
Misery

I'd love to see the film adaptation of Dolores Claiborne, but haven't yet.
Needful Things deserves special mention, but I thought both the book and the movie were kinda cheesy.
Secret Window was a good adaptation, probably better than the novella. I still don't consider it "top shelf" as far as movies and stories in general go, however.
I am still undecided about The Stand miniseries.
I thought IT was a good miniseries until I read the book. Now I can't watch it.
1408 the movie turned my favorite Stephen King short story into a cornball cheesefest.

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[–] graceofbaal 16 years ago

Needful Things (the movie), I feel, was actually better than the book. In the end, at least. I despised the ending of the book; but the ending of the movie somehow fit with Gaunt's character. Not to mention that Max von Sydow played that role to a tee. I'd say one of the best casting jobs of any King movie.

The Mist, they ruined the ending in the film. Tried to make it too shocking, to the point where it became lame. Nothing could be as disturbing as knowing the "monsters" win at the end, not even the ending of the movie.

'Salem's Lot (the original) was scary, and again another perfect casting with James Mason as Richard Straker, but the character of Barlow, albeit extremely frightening, kind of sent the entire film off the natural path.

But as far as the "ultimate" Kind adaptation, I would have to say Misery. It's one of his most un-supernatural horror stories, and it somehow makes it scarier knowing that it could actually happen. Not to mention that the "sledgehammer scene" in the film is squirmier and actually more gruesome than what happened in the book. In my opinion, at least. I've never seen a single person NOT squirm and go, "Owww!" at the scene.

So yeah, while it's not my favorite adaptation, Misery is perhaps the grandest.

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[–] plissken99 14 years ago

I have recently started reading King's books, I have tried to alternate between ones which have, and have not been adapted for the screen. My take on what I've read so far.

The Stand miniseries is quite dissapointing after reading the book. Actually I couldn't bear to watch it all again, the book was so much better. The book is just so massive, no adaption could hope to capture it. Plus the low production values of the show make it pretty hard to bear.

The Tommyknockers TV movie was just godawful! Nowhere close to the books excellence.

The Salem's Lot TV movie was very decent, really got everything right except what they did with Father Callahan's character. The original movie is good in it's own right, and scary, but it strays waaay off course from the book with regard to the main vamp.

Christine, a child hood favorite of mine, sadly made to look really pale next to the book. Watching the movie now, it's not bad, it just feels like a cliff note version of the book. Arnie's descent into madness and his obsession with Christine is a lot less subtle, and not as well explained. Ideas from the book are compressed. Roland LeBay and his brother George LeBay are rolled into one character(whome Arnie buys the car from), would probably be the largest gripe.

I think those are the only ones I've read that are movies so far. And really, people make too big a deal over perfect adaptions. It's just not possible to transfer a 300+ page book into a 2 hour movie.

The best book to movie I've read/seen so far is the Lord of the Rings trilogy. The movies feel very true to the books, but even then certain characters and ideas had to be omitted/combined.

Oh, it should also be noted Stephen King really liked the movie ending of The Mist. He said he wished he'd thought of it in the extra features!

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[–] SGJan81 14 years ago

1. Apt Pupil -- This novella scared the bejesus out of me when I read it years ago. I was actually afraid to watch the adaptation. The adaptation is actually milder than the novella, but Brad Renfro and Ian McClellan both bring FABULOUS talent to this story. I watch it over and over again, which I could not have done had it been verbatim in synch with the novella.

2. Delores Claiborne -- Two of my favorite actresses, Kathy Bates and Jennifer Jason Leigh. A wonderful adaptation to a 'really could happen' book. I would probably like Misery, with Kathy Bates, but I can't watch it - as they say --having read the book. I picked this book to pass the time on a six-hour plane trip.

3. The Stand - although it is long. The book, some consider King's masterpiece. And the book is a wonderful read. Read the book, then see the adaptation.

Yodi

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[–] Hamiltonfilmmaker 14 years ago

In my opinion these are the Best Stephen King adaptations to film. Carrie (1976)Salem's Lot (1979)The Shining (1980)CreepshowThe Dead ZoNe (1983)ChristineStand By MePet SemataryITMiseryThe Shawshank RedemptionThe MistThese are also really good films that are based on his books.CujoChildren of the Corn (1984)Silver BulletThe Dark HalfThe StandDolores ClaiborneThinnerApt. PupilThe Green MileSalem's Lot (2004)Secret Window Riding the BulletDesperation 1408

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[–] tk1891 14 years ago

1. Green Mile
2. Stand by Me
3. Shawshank
4. Cujo
5. Shining

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[–] dogsoldier_spoon-1 14 years ago

I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks Kubrick's Shining is a god awful adaption.

The only movie that's just as good as a Stephen King novel is Secret Window (I actually even think it's better), but there are a lot of really great adaptions out there: Green Mile, The Stand, Shawshank Redemption, The Mist, ...

There are a lot of horrible adaptions as well, but they're fun to watch. How awful The Mangler may be, it's still a bit entertaining. Out of all King adaptions, Kubrick's Shining is the one I hate most.

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[–] 14 years ago

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