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.
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.
You’re entitled.
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.
Just curious - why would you read 90% of the output of a writer that you think sucks?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.