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Trade News | March 16, 2009 | Comments (92)

Well, the newest piece of news around the Stephen King world is there’s going to be a remake of It. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. As most of us know, It was originally done back in 1990 as a television mini-series. When I first watched it at the tender age of 15, I thought it was terrifying. When I watched it again recently, the best word I could think of for it is “serviceable.” It’s not bad. It’s not great. Dusting the old broad off, slapping a new coat of paint, throwing in some modern effects (seriously, the giant rubber spider thingie at the end? Egads) and some better acting (hopefully) could do wonders for what is one of King’s best stories.

So yeah, Warner Brothers is starting over. Of course, the usual complaints will be, as they were with Watchmen and as they’ll be with dozens of other properties, that a 120 minutes is insufficient time to tell so expansive a story. I don’t know that I buy that… it’s less about the time and more about how you use it.

I admit, it would be nice if they’d cast Tim Curry again.


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Comments

Hrm...I'll maintain a healthy dose of skepticism until I see some casting being done on this project. And even then, there will need to be assurances that Mr. King isn't touching this script or production with a 10 foot pole before I get excited. God knows he's one of my favorite writers but he does have the tendancy to botch his film scripts.
Also, yes please, Tim Curry again. Scariest. Clown. Ever.

Posted by: JenVegas at March 16, 2009 10:39 AM

Tim Curry makes everything better.

Now, if I could only find that "Three Men In A Boat" movie they showed on PBS back in the 1970's, my Curry collection would be complete.

Posted by: BWeaves (from a different IP address) at March 16, 2009 10:41 AM

Tim Curry and heavy makeup were made for each other.

Posted by: BWeaves (from a different IP address) at March 16, 2009 10:42 AM

I don’t know that I buy that… it’s less about the time and more about how you use it.

Are you arguing this in general, or just with this story?

Posted by: twig at March 16, 2009 10:43 AM

I'm not a snob, but I really hate every film adaptation of every Stephen King book ever done. All of them. Even The Shining. Hate. Don't know why; I'm not a rabid fan of the man's work or anything. I just hate the films they make from his books. Maybe I'm just like my mother, she's never satisfied.

Forgive me. I'm listening to Prince at work. PUSSY CONTROL!!

Posted by: Clee Shay at March 16, 2009 10:47 AM

I wonder if they'll end this one like they did in the book with some good old fashioned child sex? That's something they kept out of the original.

Posted by: perfectjargon at March 16, 2009 10:47 AM

No good can come of this. Dont they know that everytime they have him portrayed on film, every time he's brought to the fore, and attention is payed, and people fear him, HE GETS STRONGER.

He will awaken.

Clowns are not playthings for Hollywood to toy with.
They are very real, and very dangerous.

You will rue this.

Posted by: nadine at March 16, 2009 10:52 AM

I think I agree with what most people are saying on the Internet about this...hire Frank Darabont, and just watch your troubles melt away.

Posted by: Mike R. at March 16, 2009 10:58 AM

I don't see any adaptation happening that resolves the problem of the childhood orgy. Not even horror films are that progressive.

Posted by: khia213 at March 16, 2009 11:02 AM

Well, shit. The last thing this world needs is more film stock of evil clowns. I always hated walking by the It movie covers in Blockbuster, and now there are going to be two versions to avoid. Thank god I'm too poor to rent movies anymore. And that Blockbuster is too poor to exist for much longer.

When they start advertising for this monstrosity in the subways is when I move the fuck to California.

Posted by: SaBrina at March 16, 2009 11:04 AM

Goddamnit Nadine, you made me pee myself a little. I am terrified of clowns, sock monkeys, midgets, and large groups of Asians.

Posted by: The Pink Hulk at March 16, 2009 11:07 AM

Send in the clowwwnnns...

Hehehehehehe!

Posted by: admin at March 16, 2009 11:10 AM

By the way, I'd argue that Joan Rivers is far more terrifying a clown than Tim Curry.

Posted by: The Pink Hulk at March 16, 2009 11:11 AM

This may be a pointless argument, but why not just avoid Derry? Lots of people choose to be Derry-free every day.

Posted by: branded at March 16, 2009 11:13 AM

Posted by: The Pink Hulk at March 16, 2009 11:07 AM

You must have LOVED Mr. Magorium then.

Posted by: Mike R. at March 16, 2009 11:14 AM

While agree that most adaptations of King's stories are pretty darn bad, I think I may have liked Stand By Me even bettter than the story (The Body) in some ways.

I think it would make much more sense to break the film up into two separate films: the kids vs. scary clown and the grownups vs. whatever the heck that thing really was. If part 1 manages not to suck (I'm not particularly optimistic) then they can tackle part 2. I still don't know how to resolve the kiddie sex scene, though.

Posted by: idgiepug at March 16, 2009 11:15 AM

I hope they get Jonathon Brandis to reprise his role...

Oh. Yeah. Pennywise got to him already.

Posted by: JakesAlterEgo at March 16, 2009 11:23 AM

Or Jonathan. Fucking typos ruining perfectly good jokes about dead actors that I liked in TV shows about talking dolphins.

Posted by: JakesAlterEgo at March 16, 2009 11:24 AM

RE "By the way, I'd argue that Joan Rivers is far more terrifying a clown than Tim Curry."

I'll second that.

I've never actually seen or read "It." I may have to buy the book, though I've kind of outgrown Stephen King. Clowns are creepy, always have been, so not sure I want any part of this.

I thought the miniseries of "Salem's Lot" was OK. True, it featured Rob Lowe, but the other people in it were pretty good. It's pretty damn scary.

Posted by: Slash at March 16, 2009 11:25 AM

I didn't actually see Mr. Magorium, and I suppose now I never will.

Posted by: The Pink Hulk at March 16, 2009 11:35 AM

but I really hate every film adaptation of every Stephen King book ever done.

Even Shawshank?

Say it ain't so.

Posted by: twig at March 16, 2009 11:36 AM

The Pink Hulk. I'm not sorry. You SHOULD pee your pants.

Not NEARLY enough people are pathologically afraid of clowns and its good that you are.


Clowns who turn into weird spider monsters are just....god damn it, it just ain't right I tell ya!!!!

I love me some Tim Curry, I do. But good lord It haunts my nightmares.

My bf finds it hilarious that I'm so scared of them. HILARIOUS.
He wont find it hilarious when one of them eats me.
He recently read an article about some...where, in Europe, about a group of men dressed as clowns dragging kids into vans, no joke.

I read a story once about a boy obsessed with clowns, who sneaks into their tent when a circus visits his town. The clowns state that clowns is born, not made, and start licking his face with rough, cat like tongues. They lick the flesh off of his face to reveal the natural clown face beneath and he joins their troupe for ever, while to the rest of the world he's another kid who got nabbed by kiddie fiddlers at the circus.
Clowns are proof the devil is real,and he hates us, very much.

Posted by: nadine at March 16, 2009 11:39 AM

The clowns state that clowns is born, not made, and start licking his face with rough, cat like tongues. They lick the flesh off of his face to reveal the natural clown face beneath and he joins their troupe for ever, while to the rest of the world he's another kid who got nabbed by kiddie fiddlers at the circus.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

Posted by: jM at March 16, 2009 11:44 AM

Here is a guideline for King's books and even more so his movies: the more overtly supernatural he is the worse the story (and especially the movie) becomes. That is why his best adaptations usually are without gooey monsters or ghosts: Stand By Me, Misery, Carrie, The Shawshank Redemption, The Dead Zone, etc.

It the mini-series was a combination of both. That's why the first night with just Pennywise worked so much better than the second night with the rubber spider. I don't know how you reconcile this problem in a single movie.

Posted by: ed newman at March 16, 2009 11:46 AM

JakesAlterEgo I laughed, then I felt bad.

I haven't seen IT in a long time, but I always found the bits with the kids to be really scary, and then the adult/ending was just poo. 'They all float down here' do they, do they? No, they don't, they're strung up in webbing from the shittiest 'monster' I have ever seen. Well, maybe not ever, but it's up there. A gigantic Pennywise in a cavern would have been scary. This was just stupid. But that would be King's fault I suppose...

Anyway, I can't imagine anyone wanting to take on the role of Pennywise after Curry did such an amazing job.

Posted by: Carrie at March 16, 2009 12:01 PM

Dear Sweet Jesus at the County Fair, Nadine! Now I'm never gonna sleep again. LICK HIS FLESH OFF? I've seen pregnancy porn that sounds less horrifying.

I never liked the whole huge spider ending of "It." Dumb. Not scary. Not interesting. Clowns are insanely frightening. Spiders? Eh, not so much.

Posted by: The Pink Hulk at March 16, 2009 12:03 PM

God dammit jM, god dammit.

Posted by: Snath at March 16, 2009 12:03 PM

Oooh, you know what though, if they remake Killer Klowns from Outer Space I will be PISSED!

'What you gonna do, knock my block off?'

Killer Klow-oh-ow-oh-owns from outer space.

Why oh why can I not forget I ever saw that film??

Posted by: Carrie at March 16, 2009 12:05 PM

For some reason my comment got cut off...

Don't you people get it, nadine is right! It's not nice to laugh in the face of such unrepentant evil.

Posted by: Snath at March 16, 2009 12:05 PM

Nope. Won't be seeing a remake of a mini-series that I couldn't get behind to begin with.
He totally fucked this one right in the ear; jumped the proverbial shark, he did.
I have since sworn-off Stephen King, whose works I loved, up until I got to the ending of IT.

A giant spider from outer-space? Are you motherfucking kidding me?? That brilliant story led-up to a giant spider. From outer-space.

I threw the book -- one with which I spent two slow weeks; taking my time to savor the long, drawn-out plot -- so hard it knocked a hole the size of a giant spider from outer-space in my bedroom wall. And unless a subsequent owner of the house has freed it in the course of renovations, it remains there between the walls to this day, moldering in the crypt in which I sealed it when I made the repair. I haven't touched a King book since.

Posted by: Rykker at March 16, 2009 12:12 PM

Don't you people get it, nadine is right! It's not nice to laugh in the face of such unrepentant evil.

Unless, in fact, one is possessed of the same (or greater) magnitude of evil.

I'm just saying.

Posted by: admin at March 16, 2009 12:13 PM

Snath, thank you!!! We need to unite!!!

Pink Hulk, google image two things

Goliath Bird Eating Spider, and Brazilian Wandering spider.

Imagine them cross bred with It.


Also, yeah I'm sorry I shared that story. It is truly one of the worst, ever, and also just incidentally PROBABLY TOTALLY TRUE. I dont want to be fear mongering but if clowns is born not made, then literally ANYONE could be a clown, just waiting for that one accident, one little cut to their face that lets the flesh fall away, lets them see the white cheek and bright red smile beneath before they know what they really are.

Admin.
Again, flawless and mathematical logic.

I'm glad i've got people on side though. The more of us know that Clowns are out to destroy us as horrifically and terrifyingly as possible, that their every waking moment is dedicated to catching us alone and tempting us with balloons and candy floss and whispered lies about happier places even as white gloved hands pull bread knifes from inside of over sized rainbow trousers, the safer we will be.
Protect the children!!!!

Posted by: nadine at March 16, 2009 12:22 PM

eeeugh

I keep refreshing the page to check for new comments and every time i do, it jumps for a flashing second back to the top of the page and Pennywise's scarred, rage filled face.

SERIOUSLY
It's essentially fast enough to be considered subliminal.
You're killing me Pajiba.

Posted by: nadine at March 16, 2009 12:30 PM

Why oh why can I not forget I ever saw that film??
Posted by: Carrie at March 16, 2009 12:05 PM

Uh, because it's AWESOME!?

Because hideous terrifying clowns finally get the comeuppance they so richly deserve for years upon years of pants-shitting terror inflicted on me the children?!

Seriously, though, it's awesome. Plus, John Vernon as the Sheriff!

Posted by: Anna von Beaverplatz at March 16, 2009 12:37 PM

Cue the creepy orchestral score with dramatic violins:

I am just a funny clown
I like to travel round the town
The circus is my home
Anywhere I go

In a rocket ship I soar
I explore the ocean floor
but you must know
I never go
unless you come along

Bozo, Bozo always laugh; never frown
Bozo, Bozo; Bozo the Clown

Posted by: branded at March 16, 2009 12:42 PM

No, it is awesome. And I really need to watch it again. I haven't seen it since I was 12. I remember the candy floss cocoons and a scene where a woman was in the shower for about a decade while a baby Klown hid out in her laundry basket.

Posted by: Carrie at March 16, 2009 12:43 PM

There was some Dark Tower shit up in there too, right? Some kind of giant turtle?
And more importantly, Seth Green as little Ritchie in the original. So you know it has a little slice of awesome.

Posted by: Optimus Rhyme at March 16, 2009 12:44 PM

Pink Hulk, I'm going to disagree with you. Clowns are creepy, spiders are terrifying. A clown that turns into a giant space spider is the stuff my nightmares are made of. The only way it could get worse is if the spider morphs into Joan Rivers.

Posted by: battgirl at March 16, 2009 12:50 PM

True story, I had a friend I hung out with a bunch in high school. I went over to his house one day for a party, and found out both his parents were professional clowns. Their entire house was covered with clown pictures, statues, and memorabilia.

I stopped hanging out with him pretty damn fast.

Posted by: Snath at March 16, 2009 12:59 PM

I'm sorry Snath, but that story was just too damn funny, especially when you picture one of those clowns in Hello Kitty ears making cat noises. HA!

Posted by: jM at March 16, 2009 1:07 PM

Posted by: Snath at March 16, 2009 1:07 PM

Nadine, that was scarier than hell and I don't like you any more.

Side note, kind of. You know how in lace curtains a pattern can repeat? Well the curtains in my childhood room featured a sideways evil clown face all OVER those curtains. My mother wouldn't listen to me and finally, one day, I ripped them down in a fit of terror. Fuck clowns.

Posted by: Sharon at March 16, 2009 1:13 PM

Carrie, Thank you for bringing up one of the great films of clown cinema.... Killer Klown from Outer Space. A true klassic.

Seriously, my kids have never really seen It, just bits and pieces of it, and they are scared shitless if I even mention it. It's really awesome to use for kid control...

"If you don't pick up this damn room, I'm calling Pennywise! Want a balloon? They float, down here, they all float!"

Me---Best. Mom. Ever.

Posted by: dammitjanet at March 16, 2009 1:16 PM

Emmett Kelly is frowning at all you wussies right now.

I somehow think Aragog is more likely to kill you than Bozo.

Posted by: Jay at March 16, 2009 1:18 PM

Also, is Killer Klowns From Outer Space better than Morons From Outer Space?

It probably is, because the latter wasn't very good.

Posted by: Jay at March 16, 2009 1:19 PM

Emmett Kelly? My sister in law used to collect Emmett Kelly figurines and pictures. Only one of the many, many, MANY reasons I have always hated the crazy bitch.

Dude was NOT right.

Posted by: dammitjanet at March 16, 2009 1:20 PM

I was a tuba player in junior high and in high school. We had a jazz band in high school, but since you don’t normally have a tuba in a jazz band, I didn’t play in the jazz band. Anyway one of my favorite jazz tunes was “Send in the Clowns.”

Posted by: Pookie at March 16, 2009 1:21 PM

Optimus-

The Giant Turtle, I believe, was the antithesis of Pennywise. A cosmic force for good, if you will. In the Dark Tower, the Turtle--which apparently could have held shit together or something, I dunno--was dead.

Dark Tower is amazing if you only read four books and only give a shit about the first three. Once that cocksucker started inserting himself into his own novels AND THEN SACRIFICING CHARACTERS TO SAVE HIS OWN LIFE one gets a little pissed off.

Posted by: JakesAlterEgo at March 16, 2009 1:22 PM

Hey! Hungover bastards!

I said HEEEEEEEEEEEEY!!!!!!

THE WITCH MOUNTAIN PAGE ISN'T WORKIIIIIIING!!!!

And your bail money was TEN THOUSAND DOLLARRRRS!!!

Posted by: Jay at March 16, 2009 1:23 PM

"It" scarred me for most of my childhood. I remember vividly my dad putting it in the VCR and me being in tears as soon as the first kid gets sucked into the sewer. This is one remake I am actually looking forward to.

"WE ALL FLOAT DOWN HERE"

Posted by: schrome at March 16, 2009 1:29 PM

Clowns aren't scary you wussies. You know what was scary? Thos pink elephants in Dumbo, that little drunken dream number terrified me for years.

Look out! Look out!

Posted by: admin at March 16, 2009 1:33 PM

I am completely freakin PSYCHED about this. That book deserves a really great adaptation, as it's one of King's best and scariest.

The 90s version was pretty cheap, and would be forgettable if it weren't for that FUCKING TERRIFYING CLOWN that gave me nightmares for years, so much that I can barely look at it right now.

FUCK, I hate clowns. But I love "It". I'm such a masochist.

Posted by: figgy at March 16, 2009 1:35 PM

The Giant Turtle, I believe, was the antithesis of Pennywise

Is he a friend to all children like Gamera? Is he really neat? Is he filled with meat?


The Heffalumps and Woozles freakout on the Winnie the Pooh ride is great. Mr. Toad may no longer live in the building, but his insanity (and jerky track) remains.

Posted by: Jay at March 16, 2009 1:35 PM

Dark Tower is amazing if you only read four books and only give a shit about the first three. Once that cocksucker started inserting himself into his own novels AND THEN SACRIFICING CHARACTERS TO SAVE HIS OWN LIFE one gets a little pissed off.

I will never forgive Stephen King for that. Ever. I still read his new books from time to time but a big part of me died when he wrote himself into his own book and consequently fucked up the Dark Tower books so very, very badly.

I still carry a heavy amount of anger about Eddie and Jake. And don't even get me started on Oy.

Fucking Stephen King.

Posted by: Kelly at March 16, 2009 1:38 PM

You know what was scary? Thos pink elephants in Dumbo, that little drunken dream number terrified me for years.

Fuck that. Terror dogs were much much worse. Goddamn Gozer the Gozerian.

Posted by: branded at March 16, 2009 1:40 PM

I know it would never happen, but my dream would be for Pennywise to be portrayed by...

DANIEL DAY LEWIS.

Come on, tell me it wouldn't be an absolutely insanely terrifying turn from the world's greatest actor. On top of the actual shit-stain-inducing performance, imagine the reaction of the child actors who aren't prepared for Daniel "Never breaks character" Lewis. Some poor kid cast to play Richie as a child would be walking to wardrobe when Day Lewis, still in clown paint, would emerge from the shadows with huge ass fake fangs dripping stage blood, and start hollering about floating down there with him! Yikes!

Posted by: William B Roy at March 16, 2009 1:41 PM

Clee, even Shawshank? Stand by Me? Apart from those I agree, they all universally suck. I'm still traumatized by the horror of Dreamcatcher.

The Stand really needs a decent adaptation. Let's do that one after Dark Tower.

Posted by: figgy at March 16, 2009 1:46 PM

"... one of King’s best stories"? Are you on crack or something? This tale is one of King's more embarrasing messes.

I mean...for gods's sake: a gang-bang?!

Posted by: Jerce at March 16, 2009 1:47 PM

For once I'm actually happy about a film remake. IT is easily one of the most disturbing and terrifying books I've ever read, but the mini-series just stank. With the exception of Tim Curry of course, who can bite off my arm any time, any place.

In other this this new comment preview mechanism is pretty awesome. I just wanna try something..

Follow the white rabbit...

*giggles*

Posted by: Dingles at March 16, 2009 1:47 PM

William I have to disagree

Imagin if Bale played Pennywise.

Also, to everyone I have terrified. Consider it a warning!!

FEAR IS GOOD!!

FEAR WILL KEEP YOU ALIVE

Posted by: nadine at March 16, 2009 1:51 PM

Dreamcatcher was fucked so bad it's not even fair. The cast was great...I mean...everyone in it is exactly who should have been in it, and what do they do? Fuck everything up.

I mean, the chase in the book would have been awesome with Tom Sizemore in his kinda-prime, but no, let's condense a several chapter long chase scene down into fifteen seconds.

Dark Tower shouldn't be adapted. There, I said it. Me, Mr. I-Want-To-See-Everything-I-Read-As-A-Filmed-Version. I'm literally in a master's level class right now ABOUT adaptation. But Dark Tower shouldn't be touched. Not because it's too sacred, but because it will be ridiculous. Imagine watching the first 6 hours of an 8 hour miniseries only to have to watch Stephen King's awkward looking ass show up just so he can get his meta- on. Fucker.

Also! Don't introduce a special ability, like, say, having a main character and his pet ferret be able to swap bodies 7/8ths of the way through a series of books. That is some fanfic shit right there, Stephen. Yeah, I said it. You write slash fiction.

Posted by: JakesAlterEgo at March 16, 2009 1:52 PM

As to the allegations that Shawshank and Stand By Me were good adaptations... fine. I will grudgingly concede that maybe those two weren't unmitigated ass matter EVEN THOUGH Tim Robbins generally irritates the living hell out of me. I'm man enough to admit that my aversion to King adaptations might be so powerful as to prevent me from making an unbiased decision. But seriously.

HATEhatehatehateHAAAATE!!!

Posted by: Clee Shay at March 16, 2009 1:59 PM

JakesAlterEgo , of course it will be ridiculous...oh man can you imagine the three versions of Stephen King hanging around and oh...oh man. It'll be ridiculous but fuck it, it will be epic ridiculous.

Posted by: figgy at March 16, 2009 2:15 PM

But it can't be epic ridiculous in a good way. Like...I dunno...Hot Shots or something like that. What it would be is a really, really, really good movie turn into utter fucking shit.

Gunslinger? Awesome. Drawing of the Three? Badass. Wastelands? Scary-ass shit right there. Wizard and the Glass? OK, bit of wankery, but good. Wolves of Calla? Harry Potter snitches used as a weapon. Song of Susannah? Fuck me in the ass. Dark Tower? Fuck you, bring back Oy.

He killed of Randall Flagg, one of the most terrifying characters ever, by having a lame ass spider eat him. Also, he was wearing a tin foil hat.

Thanks for fucking up the Stand while you were at it, jerkface.

Posted by: JakesAlterEgo at March 16, 2009 2:25 PM

My favorite clown-uppance was in Buffy's "Nightmare Girl." Xander just punching the fucker out. Awesome.

Posted by: SaBrina at March 16, 2009 2:26 PM

Someone up there mentioned the dream/drunk sequence from Dumbo. Fucking right. The giant elephant made of elephant heads stalking forward with a menacing little grin? Still scares the piss outta me.
AND I still cry when his mom rocks him in her trunk through the bars of her cage.

Posted by: Sharon at March 16, 2009 2:48 PM

Gah, yes, he really fucked it up with Flagg. Just completely dismissed what was supposed to be the most evil being in that universe? After 20 books of writing about him, he gets killed by a spider baby? And without him ever really confronting Roland?

I think that bit pissed me off more than any of the guys dying. Seemed very cheap.

Posted by: figgy at March 16, 2009 2:49 PM

Nadine, was that clown story from Terry Pratchett's Making Money? Cause it kind of rings familiar in my brain. Justawondering...

I watched It at a sleepover party when I was 10 years old. I did not sleep that night.

Attack of the Killer Clowns was amazing.

All clowns should burn in hell.

Posted by: rayliota at March 16, 2009 3:01 PM

Rayliotta, I dont think it is, It was one from a book of short stories I read, I wish I could remember the name.

What's the story from Making Money?

see my hatred of clowns runs thusdeep

The story Rorsarch tells in Watchmen, about the depressed man who goes to a doctor for depression and is told to see the celebrity clown to cheer himself up, only to admit he IS the celebrity clown?
I'm GLAD the clown was depressed and I hope he drowns himself.

Posted by: nadine at March 16, 2009 3:21 PM

I know a guy named Blaine but I always resist the urge to refer to him as a choo-choo train. Mostly because he is big and scary.

Posted by: Optimus Rhyme at March 16, 2009 3:22 PM

I always felt really bad for the deer that gets killed when Blaine comes choo-chooing by. Stephen King can write animals pretty well.

Posted by: JakesAlterEgo at March 16, 2009 4:14 PM

Ok, have NOT read the Dark Tower shit, but.....WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENS TO RANDALL FLAGG???? Are you people fucking with me?? RANDALL MOTHERFUCKING SATAN, CRUCIFY THEM AND PSYCHICALLY FUCK AND IMPREGNATE NADINE FLAGG???

Dude, seriously, I knew King was losing his shit when I read Cell, but COME THE FUCK ON!!!

I can NEVER hear "Don't Fear the Reaper" or see a giant black bird on the side of the road without thinking of my Satanic love interest (sorry, Jamie Sheridan looks pretty good!!) And, my kids HATE it when I sing, "Baby, can you dig your man."

Seriously? He kills off Flagg in the Dark Tower books? Stephen, we had something once, but you are dead to me now. You hear me,

DEAD
TO
ME

Posted by: dammitjanet at March 16, 2009 4:19 PM

You can hate Shawshank, The Shining, Stand By Me, and Carrie all you wish (though I love them all). But Misery? No. I won't stand for it. That shit was amazing and quite true to the book.

As to IT, it's an uneven book, I'll admit. That said, the terrifying parts are absolutely terrifying.

Posted by: samantha t at March 16, 2009 4:57 PM

From my memories of reading (and sometimes rereading) King books, he starts them well, gets really good in the middle, and the endings kinda suck. I think he gets sick of writing them and just wants them to end.

I haven't read everything of his, but I still think "The Shining" and "The Dead Zone" are the best. And various short stories. His short stories are well-done; in a way, they're better than the long-ass books.

Posted by: Slash at March 16, 2009 5:13 PM

I loved "The Dead Zone," now that was a fucking movie. That bitch could have had the world if she would have stuck by his side. But no, now that bitch is married to a campaign worker.

Posted by: Pookie at March 16, 2009 5:39 PM

dammitjanet, yeah....maybe stay the hell away from Dark Tower...or at least the last 3 books.

Posted by: figgy at March 16, 2009 6:04 PM

Nadine, I feel your pain. I was never scared of clowns until I read It. Now, of
course, I find them the most disturbing things on the planet. So my mom goes
out of her way to get me clown stuff. Clown postcards, clown magnets, etc, all
wrapped in clown wrapped paper.

Posted by: Jeni at March 16, 2009 6:26 PM

Baby can you dig your man...(He's a righteous man!) Baby can you dig your...ma-a-an!

Posted by: Cara at March 16, 2009 6:34 PM

Does anyone think it'd be a little awesome if Carrie Underwood did a cover of "Baby Can you Dig Your Man"? If not awesome it'd at least be apt.

Posted by: Optimus Rhyme at March 16, 2009 7:46 PM

After finishing DT I do wonder how things would've been different if not for King's accident. The books read as self-therapy to me. Overall, the series is erratic as hell. Wastelands is the best of 'em...Like most of you I hated when King put himself in the story, and I despised how he lamely killed off Randall Flagg. There's also a time travel plot used toward the end of the series that does not come off very well.

However, even with these flaws DT is worth finishing. The final third of Book 7 contains some the most powerful writing not only of the series, but of the entire King canon.

As for IT... a reboot's fine by me. Needless to say, the mini-series is beyond dated, save Curry's performance. All the stuff about deadlights and giant spiders that read so well looked very silly on screen--a fact to which King himself has admitted. You're not gonna see 2 sep movies...but I'd feel good about Darabont (sp) condensing the source material into something palatable if he were indeed involved.

Posted by: stryker1121 at March 16, 2009 7:53 PM

The Miniseries of Salem's Lot is the reason I will not sleep in a room with an uncovered window to this very day.

But Killer Klowns From Outer Space? That is Hilarious and we have it on DVD. Candy Cocoons, mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Posted by: Stacy D at March 16, 2009 8:16 PM

Continuing my Dark Tower rant:

Or!!! What about when they put Black 13 in a locker in the basement of the World Trade Center, then make a horrible allusion to the attacks, AND THEN NEVER DISCUSS IT AGAIN.

"Oh, everything will be fine. It's not like these buildings will ever fall."

Gah.

Posted by: JakesAlterEgo at March 16, 2009 9:00 PM

I only got through Wizard and Glass -- finished that several years ago. And I own Song of Susannah, but I haven't read it since I've yet to read Wolves. Are you guys telling me that I should stop while I'm ahead and just think of W&G as the ending?

Also, am I the only one who liked Green Mile as movie?

Anyone here read Duma Key? I'm half way through it and am liking it so far. But yes, my boy Steve has the tendency to fuck up the ends of things.

Posted by: little ya at March 16, 2009 9:19 PM

Well...if you were to read Wolves, you'd read about mechanical wolves dressed as Dr. Doom from Fantastic Four throwing explosive snitches from Harry Potter at people. I'm not saying that as a comparison, they are referenced as looking like Dr. Doom and Harry Potter gets namechecked.

Posted by: JakesAlterEgo at March 16, 2009 9:23 PM

YES. just getting around to catching up on Pajiba and all I can say is YES. This miniseries was a piss poor version of the 1000 pg+ book (what else is new).

I just hope they decide to include the Wolfman AND the dead puppy in the fridge scene in the new version.

Posted by: Be Adequite! at March 16, 2009 9:31 PM

Youch. Yes, W&G is now officially the end of the Dark Tower series for me. And I guess I'll go donate Song of Susannah to the library or something.

Posted by: little ya at March 16, 2009 10:13 PM

@ Little Ya,

Read Duma Key and thought it was good overall. Ending, as per many King novels, seems somewhat contrived, but not as bad as some. But I liked the protagonist and his journey to recovery and such. I think that as far as post-being-run-over-by-a-van novels that he wrote, this probably had the best vibe of a broken man rebuilding his life.

Maybe because the medium for his recovery was an art other than writing.

Posted by: Deacon Blue at March 16, 2009 10:35 PM

Yes, I was sensing that this was a new turn in the road for him post-accident. Good for him -- I can only imagine what kind of hell all of that accident entailed. And I like that idea of yours -- that maybe he IS Ed Freemantle.

Posted by: little ya at March 16, 2009 10:45 PM

Wolves and Song of Susannah were pretty awful, but I loved the last book. The bit with Dandelo freaked the fuck out of me, and I cannot WAIT to see that, the fight with Mordred, or the monster in the tunnel.

The series has some seriously fucked up bits that should've been revised (King has said he was really cranking out the last books...and it shows. Maybe more time would've meant something more polished), but overall it's an amazing, insane series. It could be good as an adaptation. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Too bad Clint Eastwood is too old to play Roland...

Posted by: figgy at March 17, 2009 2:17 AM

This is one of my biggest problems with the latter Dark Tower books.

http://xkcd.com/483/

Posted by: JakesAlterEgo at March 17, 2009 3:34 AM

I saw that movie when I was four years old, and I was terrified of everything for a year after. Especially drains.

Posted by: Lucas at March 17, 2009 4:31 PM

When I first saw IT - it scared me so much that I was afraid to go to the bathroom or walk in the dark. No other horror movie has this effect on me - so I guess it was quite well made for its time. Recently I don`t seem to find it that scary anymore - but then by now I have read the book more than a few times and as find it much better than the film itself. Still a remake would be interesting thing to see - especially if they cast the right actors .

Posted by: skykid at March 19, 2009 8:59 AM