TOP TEN: Stephen King Film Adaptations
The Mist is coming out this week, but what about rest?
 | The Green Mile |
I stormed through the six part serial that was "The Green Mile" back in 1996 and when it came to the big screen in 1999 I didn't think they would be able to carry over the story, particularly the fantastic elements. Luckily Frank Darabont got the right people in line to tell the story, and while the film doesn't entirely have the heart of the books it does just about as good as you could hope for.
 | 1408 |
I don't really like including recent films on top ten lists because it takes a few years for a film to truly have a lasting effect on you. For example, I loved Spider-Man 2 when I first saw it, now I loathe it… While I don't expect that to happen with 1408, I do believe it will probably drop in my preference as the years go buy. However, for now, I really do like this film and the director's cut on DVD is pretty cool as well.
 | The Dark Half |
I anticipate this will be the one shocker on this list for the true King fans. When I read "The Dark Half" I fell in love with it. I loved the battle between Thad Beaumont and his fictional alter-ego George Stark and I was completely surprised that George A. Romero was actually able to come as close as anyone possibly could to duplicating King's story. Of course this is probably a biased opinion, but I gotta go with my gut.
 | Misery |
As much as I have a love/hate relationship with Carrie, my love/hate relationship with Misery is far larger. Don't get me wrong, I like this movie, but there was a change made from the book that still infuriates me.
In the movie Annie Wilkes uses a sledgehammer on Paul's feet to hobble him so he can't run. The scene is rather disturbing on film, but it is nowhere near as disturbing and fantastic as it could have been. In the book Annie instead uses an axe and then a blowtorch to seal the wound… Yeah, it really ramped up your hatred for Annie. She was still a bitch in the movie, but in the book it was a completely different world. And when you realize the scene was originally written with the axe and then changed to a sledgehammer by director Rob Reiner you even get a more acidic taste in your mouth.
what about the Langoliers? The Stand?
I personally thought the Langoliers was terrible and The Stand wasn't much better. As for Stephen King adaptations on television I actually thought Salem's Lot was the most entertaining, probably along with Battleground from the Nightmares and Dreamscapes mini. Oh, and I would also give IT a pass, but even still, on television King just doesn't translate that well…
Wheras it's not the best Stephen King adaptation, it's still one that sticks with me after all of the above mentioned attempts – Stand By Me. I do think you're spot-on with Shawshank, but SBM ranks up there with a damn near page-by-page adaptation of The Body.
For me – Needful Things deserves to be on any list of best King movie adaptations. It was very faithful to the book, and translated very very well to the screen. It was a far better adaptation than Pet Semetary. I also am not a fan of Shawshank so I don't agree there. I think you sell The Stand way short – it held as close to the book as it could, and the tv movie did a more than respectable job of translating the dread and uneasiness of the book.
vhguys, I agree Needful Things stuck to the King story, but that one was also a story I was never all that enamored with. It was interesting and had some good moments, but if I remember correctly wasn't the meat cleaver stuff cut from the film version? I just remember the book being far more violent than the movie… I could be wrong.
yeah, why didnt you put christine on the list? you could've replaced it with the running man, but i guess the running man would be a good thing to read compared to christine eh?
Actually, as far as Christine goes it is one I have never seen and don't have a desire to see. The killer car aspect never appealed to me. I own the book and several people have told me I should give the book a chance, but I just haven't brought myself to read it yet.
Brad – in fact, Needful Things included a great scene with Amanda Plummer and the other actress that reenacted the meat cleaver fight. I don't think they interpreted the book precisely on that scene – but the tone of that fight was one of the best parts of the movie – it was a brilliantly violent fight to the death. Personally, I think it's one of King's best stories – tightly written and with an ending I actually like. But – to each his own…My top ten would include The Stand, Needful Things, Silver Bullet, and Storm of the Century (which – I know wasn't a book but I love that one…it's so creepy)
vhguys, I read the screenplay they published for Storm of the Century, but never watched the TV version, quite frankly I got tired of being letdown by the television adaptations. The screenplay wasn't that bad though. As for Silver Bullet that is another one I actually haven't seen yet. Going through the list of the films adapted from King's novels I was actually shocked at how many there were, and while I haven't seen them all I was shocked how many I had actually seen.
There's another one that I immensely enjoyed, albeit a strained story at times and that was The Apt Pupil. I am admittedly a ginormous Bryan Singer fan, but I really enjoyed the ark between Kurt (Ian McKellan) and Todd Bowden (Brad Renfro) it was a highly entertaining [at least for me] film that easily shouldn't be #1 but IMHO should easily be on the list!
Narrator – you are way off in your summations. Neither "The Running Man" nor "1408" should have made the top ten list of SK Film Adaptations. Christopher Walken as Johnny Smith in "The Dead Zone" gave a fantastic performance. Most of the SK movies have not lived up to his novels but there have been a few exceptions, "The Stand," "Stand By Me," "The Green Mile" and "The Shawshank Redemption." I missed "Bag of Bones" but the book was frightening. Also loved "The Dreamcatcher" novel while the movie was found wanting. Need I say – This is just the humble opinion of someone who has read and owns all of SK novels and short stories. I have been waiting for "The Mist” to come to the big screen for almost 30 years. Hope I will not be too disappointed. If you have not, please read "Mrs. Todd's Shortcuts” and “Quitters, Inc.” These are both great short stories that I think will make awesome movies.
Hey overton, I am a big fan of King and own pretty much all of his novels and short stories. I quit buying them around the time of From a Buick 8 only because he has started churning them out in what seems like an effort only to cash in rather than write good stories.
However, I agree with you on "Dreamcatcher" I actually liked that book as well, but we had to know it would never translate well over to film… Really imaginative stories never really seem to work onscreen, it is no one's fault really, just some things are always going to be better in someone's head.
I will be interested to hear what you think of "The Mist" and as far as King stories I would like to see on the big screen, "Dolan's Cadillac" is a big one and of course "The Dark Tower" series, but those are probably best left as novels.
This list is spot on. I a King's fan, and Shwashank is my FAVORITE movie of all times.
I'd replace:
Pet Semetary
The Dark Half
with:
Stand By Me
Apt Pupil
I thought that the 2007 version of "The Mist", was actually really good! I can't stand most of the King film adaptations, but the ending of the mist was ledgendary!
Am I the only person who can't stand "The shining" as a film. I utterly adored the book, it literally made my heart race, yet the film is just over the top. And there is too much over acting from everyone!
DOUCHE
SORRY THAT WAS MEANT TOUCHE!
Dolores Claiborne? Why isn't it here? I haven't read the book, but the movie's great. If you haven't seen it, you should.
I would definitely take the running man off the list. Just for shits and giggles here is my top ten (in no particular order):
The Mist
Stand by Me
The Shawahank Redemption
Pet Semetary
Carrie
The Green Mile
The Dead Zone
Apt Pupil
Silver Bullet
Ooops I forgot my tenth one:
Misery