I just finished rereading this. I kept expecting Roland to pop up.
*Yes, I know it was a collaboration with Peter Straub.
Wolf! I hope they get it right.
I love King, but I was very disappointed with the Nightmares + Dreamscapes mini-series that TNT did. Both in choice of work and execution of translating the stories onto TV.
The last thing I’ve even liked translated onto film for King was the first half of Dreamcatcher, which fell apart completely in the second half. And I guess before that was the Green Mile, which was a wholly wonderful movie. And I actually did enjoy Storm of the Century, even though it was too drawn out.
I’m curious to know dear OP, what contemporary work of King’s have you seen that you liked on TV or film?
I liked The Stand and Shawshank Redemption and Misery. IT didn’t translate well, probably because there’s no way they could make the monster as scary as what your imagination dreamed up, although Tim Curry did chew the scenery delightfully.
I guess I like the more psychological horrors, rather than the ones with out and out monsters.
Besides those mentioned, the adaptations of The Dead Zone and Stand By Me were excellent.
Feh. I’ll believe it when I see it. Not to rain on anyone’s parade, but this stupid movie’s been announced so many times, just to fall apart a few months later, that I’m not about to start jumping up and down on chairs this time. Once bitten, twice shy and all that.
I’m also not happy with many of the changes I’ve heard rumors about – things like Jack starting his journey with The Talisman (in Speedy’s guitar case, natch), eliminating the Sunshine Home & The Blasted Lands, changing Wolf into a girl, etc. But since they’re going miniseries instead of feature film, hopefully they’ll start from scratch and make a semi-faithful adaptation a la The Stand.
And it seems that Michael J. Fox is rumored to star in this movie…but as what role?? He can’t POSSIBLY play Jack Sawyer, no way! Wolf, I could buy…maybe. Who else is there?
The article says “at one point”, which makes me think we’ve successfully dodged the bullet.
Please, please, pleasepleaseplease please, let this not suck.
Please. It’s my favorite King book. Please, TNT, don’t screw it up.
This is my favorite book - I have loved it since I read it (although the first few pages were really boring). I did NOT enjoy The Black House.
If I send DVD-Rs to someone can they burn this movie for me? We don’t get TNT up here and I will be SO SAD to miss it.
Please?
As I recall, it’s a fairly complicated story, with a lot of traveling both within and between dimensions, so it looks like a hard story to adapt. I wish them luck, though. I hope they don’t get CG-happy.
I’m hoping a six hour mini-series will do it some justice. The Stand was eight hours, and hit most of the major points. The Talisman has only one major character, Jack.
OK, but since it is not airing until the summer of 2008, you have time to hand carry them here.
Teeny hijack: my favorite line from the book is, I believe, when Rev. Gardiner was trying to get Elroy to shoot Speedy: “Shoot! Shoot! Shoot, you Ethiopian jug fucker!”.
Cracks me up every time.
Not sucking would require the movie to be far better than the source material. God, that novel was a waste of time. I don’t know how much Peter Straub contributed, but there was definitely a lot of crap from King, who writes a good novel about every third try.
Ditto.
Every time I hear CCR’s Run Through the Jungle, I think of Wolf.