# Stephen King adaptions **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 9, 2008, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stephen-king-adaptions/459418 "2008-08-09T16:25:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![A\_qui\_profite\_le\_crime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ebca7d/32.png) [@A\_qui\_profite\_le\_crime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A_qui_profite_le_crime)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2008, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stephen-king-adaptions/459418/61 "2008-08-13T19:33:55Z")
[QUOTE=Justin\_Bailey] The Long Walk was a great book, but would make a terrible terrible movie. There’s just no way I can see it being good without adding in some unneeded “backstory” or commentary on today’s spate of reality game shows. [/QUOTE] Well, the adaptation of _Running Man_ didn’t provide a lot of backstory either, and you accepted readily enough a world where people were hunted down and killed in game shows. If you didn’t like the Running Man, obviously that’s not much of an argument… Anyway, the fact that Darabont changed the ending of _The Mist_ the way he did reassures me that he will not water down _The Long Walk_ to make it artificially uplifting in any way. So that’s a positive. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2008, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stephen-king-adaptions/459418/62 "2008-08-13T19:46:32Z")
[QUOTE=Oy!] You’re a very sad man. That book is so much fun! Oh well, to quote that book, “No great loss.” 😃 [/QUOTE] I read that book like three times in highschool. When the miniseries was on, what, 10 years ago or so, it was so awful it sent me back to read the book that I remembered loving so. Much. I swear I’d read a different book: The Stand is the most incredible example of astonishingly sustained bad writing it has ever been my misfortune to read. And I’ve read Tom Clancy and J.K. Rowling. It’s the Abu Ghraib of writing. I’d rather read Dan Brown’s entire ouvre, sitting in a laundry tub of razor blades and fire ants, than re-read one chapter of _The Stand_, even if it came with Everclear. ---
**Author:** ![Oy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bc8723/32.png) [@Oy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oy)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2008, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stephen-king-adaptions/459418/63 "2008-08-13T20:00:17Z")
You’re entitled. ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2008, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stephen-king-adaptions/459418/64 "2008-08-13T20:11:43Z")
Good lord, lissener, why don’t you tell us how you feel? I haven’t read anything by King I’ve enjoyed in the last 10 years, except, ironically, _On Writing_. In reading the list of adaptations on page 1, I must say I can NOT believe there is a sequel to _Carrie_. I cringe at the very thought of the sthupid it must contain. ---
**Author:** ![jbstarr10](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b5ac83/32.png) [@jbstarr10](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jbstarr10)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2008, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stephen-king-adaptions/459418/65 "2008-08-13T20:31:40Z")
[QUOTE=lissener] I read that book like three times in highschool. When the miniseries was on, what, 10 years ago or so, it was so awful it sent me back to read the book that I remembered loving so. Much. I swear I’d read a different book: The Stand is the most incredible example of astonishingly sustained bad writing it has ever been my misfortune to read. And I’ve read Tom Clancy and J.K. Rowling. It’s the Abu Ghraib of writing. I’d rather read Dan Brown’s entire ouvre, sitting in a laundry tub of razor blades and fire ants, than re-read one chapter of _The Stand_, even if it came with Everclear. [/QUOTE] Just curious - why would you read 90% of the output of a writer that you think sucks? ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2008, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stephen-king-adaptions/459418/66 "2008-08-13T20:42:29Z")
[QUOTE=A qui profite le crime?] Well, the adaptation of _Running Man_ didn’t provide a lot of backstory either, and you accepted readily enough a world where people were hunted down and killed in game shows. If you didn’t like the Running Man, obviously that’s not much of an argument… Anyway, the fact that Darabont changed the ending of _The Mist_ the way he did reassures me that he will not water down _The Long Walk_ to make it artificially uplifting in any way. So that’s a positive. [/QUOTE] I never read the Running Man novel, but I really enjoy the cheesy Arnold movie for being massively stupid and massively entertaining. The book is in the pile however. But the ending to The Mist movie just plain sucked. There’s no two ways about it. [QUOTE=Ellen Cherry] In reading the list of adaptations on page 1, I must say I can NOT believe there is a sequel to _Carrie_. I cringe at the very thought of the sthupid it must contain. [/QUOTE] The Rage: Carrie 2 is one of those movies that doesn’t really exist. The filmmakers behind a movie called The Rage realized the whole thing sounded too much like Carrie and that the copyright lawyers would probably be mad. So they bought up the rights, hired Amy Irving and tacked “Carrie 2” on the end of the title. We are then subjected to a movie that shows what Carrie would have been like if Carrie were popular, beautiful and the product of foster parents that are just a little strict but still let her do almost anything she wants. Oh the horror it must be to be a teenager in that world. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2008, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stephen-king-adaptions/459418/67 "2008-08-13T20:45:17Z")
[QUOTE=jbstarr10] Just curious - why would you read 90% of the output of a writer that you think sucks? [/QUOTE] Like I said, he’s a genius at “selling” a story; making you NEED to turn the pages. That’s an entertaining diversion sometimes. I haven’t read him since The Something Bones, which is why I say 90%. But by the same token, I watch a lot of trashy movies strictly for distraction. ---
**Author:** ![A\_qui\_profite\_le\_crime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ebca7d/32.png) [@A\_qui\_profite\_le\_crime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A_qui_profite_le_crime)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2008, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stephen-king-adaptions/459418/68 "2008-08-13T20:56:57Z")
[QUOTE=Justin\_Bailey] I never read the Running Man novel, but I really enjoy the cheesy Arnold movie for being massively stupid and massively entertaining. The book is in the pile however. But the ending to The Mist movie just plain sucked. There’s no two ways about it. [/QUOTE] Agreed, regarding the Running Man. How can you _not_ like a movie that has the following dialog: Ben Richards (Schwarzenegger): “Killian… I’ll be back” Killian: “Only on a rerun” The book is completely different though, so just be prepared for that. But we’ll have to disagree on the Mist’s ending. I liked it. It wasn’t the sort of movie that could have a happy ending, and the one they chose, well, it worked for me. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2008, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stephen-king-adaptions/459418/69 "2008-08-14T03:11:16Z")
[QUOTE=Justin\_Bailey] I\ The Long Walk was a great book, but would make a terrible terrible movie. There’s just no way I can see it being good without adding in some unneeded “backstory” or commentary on today’s spate of reality game shows. [/QUOTE] I think it would actually make a great movie - there are plenty of opportunities for action to occur without diverting too far from the book, plus lots of dramatic surprises as characters we’ve come to know and love fall by the wayside. We’ve had incredible movies based on less of a plot - it just takes the right director and actors. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2008, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stephen-king-adaptions/459418/70 "2008-08-14T12:18:47Z")
I’ve always thought a movie of _Rose Madder_ starring Bruce & Demi would mean major box office bucks. Throw in Ashton as Bill Steiner and it would be amazing. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stephen-king-adaptions/459418.md?page=3)