Now, you all know I can't let this month go by without talking horror. So, in honor of one of my most favorite of holidays, this week begins four weeks of horror on the Excellent Pop Culture Blog. To begin, we have the King of Horror: Stephen King himself. Today's blog is devoted to him.
Film: 1408
Just when you thought he was getting trite in his old age, Stephen King comes out with a wowser of a screenplay. I know, you're thinking it's The Shining in New York. Nope, totally not. First, the story is actually quite interesting. John Cusack is a father/writer struggling with the death of his child. He decides to debunk all haunted hotels in America and ends up in Room 1408 at the Dolphin Hotel. What happens there actually raised the hair on the back of my neck, and we all know that rarely happens. Second, John Cusack has moved into the next phase of his career: the father-figure. He's doing it very well. I totally bought him as a depressed father. Finally, Morgan Freeman's character will leave you wondering, "Was he in on it or was he completely in the dark?" Good stuff and I highly suggest it as a possible Halloween flick.
Book: The Stand
I have read a lot of King and enjoyed most of it. None has ever frightened me the way The Stand has. I first read it as a sophomore in college. I have read it three times since. I still get goosebumps. In the long tradition of American gothic writers (think back to the great-grand-daddy of American gothic, Charles Brockden Brown), King makes the vast emptiness of this vast country truly terrifying. After a superbug wipes out most of the population, those still standing go to either Bolder, CO (the good guys) or Las Vegas (the bad guys). To get there, they have to travel great distances alone with no music or tv to keep them company. Just imagine! I get creeped out driving 50 at night across Ohio and I occasionally see other folks on the road. I couldn't begin to consider what it would be like to travel across a state and see no one. If you haven't already read this gem, King's fourth book, I strongly recommend it. Unlike 80s television shows, it stands the test of time.
Television: The Shining
Yes, I could have included USA's The Dead Zone here. I have watched it on and off over the years and it's okay. Instead, though, I wanted one of his miniseries. Kubrick did a great job with King's novel. Well, he did a good job using King's setting and characters in a slasher film. But what Kubrick did not convey King's intended message. To remedy the unsavory - by King's standards - adaptation, in 1997 ABC let King write a new screenplay for the miniseries. Stephen Weber (Wings) plays Jack and Rebecca de Mornay plays Wendy. The two really work well on screen and bring King's story of domestic violence to life. There are some cheesy moments, as there will be with any miniseries, but for the most part the film holds up. The inclusion of Melvin Van Peebles as Dick Halloran didn't hurt either.
Tune in next week for the "Classic Gothic" blog...
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9 comments:
"It" is the Stephen King book that freaked me out the most when I read it. I still have an irrational fear of clowns and I won't ever look down a sink drain.
"It" almost made it on the list. Yeah, that one scars you for life. You know, the first King novel I read was Stephen's copy of "Kujo." I was at your house one summer and forgot to bring something to read. That one hooked me.
My favorite Steven King moment comes from a strange place, its the short story "Quitter's Inc." I read it during my younger, more naive days when I thought I could make a living on my skills as a writer. That story broke me. I was so blown away by it that I put down my copy of Night Shift and could not read nor write for about a week afterwards.
"Night Shift" is one of his collections that I haven't read yet. I was shaken by "You Know They've Got a Hell of a Band" and "Rainy Season" from "Nightmares and Dreamscapes." It's not that either is overly scary, but they are both pretty creepy. As a short story writer, King knows his stuff. He clearly worships at the feet of the master: E. A. Poe
I think it should also be mentioned here that Mr. King's cultural impact can be measured by the fact that during the broadcast of every Red Sox home playoff game he is shown at least once every two or three innings.
The poor production quality of the new Shining kind of killed it for me. The bad Lifetime Movie lighting and overly neat hair and sets seemed too schitzophrenic when put together with the content. BTW, If you want another study in Lifetime Movie production with really twisted content check out the thriller Karla about the real life Canadian cerial killers. Anyhow, the less cheesy production of the It miniseries makes it my favorite. Furthermore, by reminding me of the new Shining you also reminded me of the halcion days when SciFi network was fun to watch, and that makes me melancholy for the past.
I really liked "Hell of a Band" too. Did you see the Nightmares and Dreamscapes series that was on TNT last year? Steven Weber was the lead in the adaptation of "Hell of a Band." It was pretty faithful. Now when I hear that Righteous Brothers' song, I think of that short story--the song gets creepier every time! :-)
Otherwise, that N&D anthology on TV was hit-or-miss, I thought. The one with the couple in London was terrible, IMO. I hope the original short story was better.
I have to admit, "The Shining" miniseries was a little too perfect. But I thought they did a nice job with the story, which is why it holds a special place in my heart.
Jennica, I did see some of the N&D stories. Some I liked, some not so much. I missed "Band," though. I want to get the DVD of the whole series but I haven't gotten it yet. I think I need to watch them again and reread the stories.
So here is a question:
Many people discounted King's works because he sold so many volumes. Do you think that people are looking at him differently now in the post-Da Vinci Code world where one craptastic book has sold more copies since '04 than the entire King catelogue sold in the 90s?
Loaded question, Matt. I had a creative writing prof at Lyco (a few readers out there will know of whom I speak) who hated King. I have a sneaking suspicion that it is because King sold so many copies of his work. There certainly was a time - and not that long ago - when "popular" was not synonymous with "art." I still get looks from some academics when I say I study the gothic and horror. But then I remind folks that Shakespeare churned out plays faster than King turns out novels and he wrote for the masses. Popularity should never determine a work's legacy. However, that is not to say that all of King's works will stand the test of time. Some will (the first four especially and the short stories) but some won't ("The Langoliers"). Oh, and I really should have included "Secret Window/Secret Garden" in my list of excellent adaptations.
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