Favorite Horror Film?

[Killbert-Robby]

john carpenter's "the thing" for me.

Another person who is given permission to have my babies. Thats 3 fans of The Thing...

[McDuffies]

Stephen King films turn out right when they are taken on by a serious director ("The Shining", "Carrie", "Stand by me", "Misery"). It's just that, being so popular, his films are often filmed in underproduced verstions, cheaply made, given to some commercials director and played on TV before you've even known that they were in cinemas. That's why there's so many bad of them.

[Escushion]

Hey now, Ridley Scott used to direct commercials!

But yeah, you are correct.

I'd forgotten about Misery; that was a good one too. The movie isn't as brutal as the book, but still good.

[Dr Legostar]

most of Stephen King's movies annoy the ever loving crap outa me. As Pimpette said his non horrors I like better. Shawshank Redemption and Stand by Me in particular. And the ones made for t.v. are even worse. The Stand was just a parade of relativly big actors being killed off and had one of the cheapest endings I've ever seen, i'm not sure if it's that way in the book, but i'm not reading it to find out. And while i love the original Shining, they did a remake a few years ago that was made for t.v. and god awful, I really have no idea what the point in the remake was.

[Escushion]

To be more faithful to the book. But what was scary in the book doesn't really translate well to screen; Kubrick had the right idea to take the bare bones and change the rest to something that would work in a film.

The movie version of The Stand just peeved me off. They had a 4-part miniseries: that is plenty of time to do it well. But rather than try to adapt it well, they just took a lot of the events from the book and threw them into the script. Even back then, people were terrified of getting on Stephen King's bad side, so they didn't want to meddle. When Kubrick did The Shining, King wasn't as big as he is today. Today a studio probably wouldn't even let someone like Kubrick touch some of King's work.

As for the ending, it was relatively similar, but they changed just a couple small details that damaged it, and then made the whole thing rushed and clumsy.

[[geoduck]]

I only like IT because I saw the movie before I read the book. I agree, the book is a thousand times better. Of Stephen King movies, though, I do like Thinner, and The Langoliers. They were pretty close to the books.

Yes, the movie as a whole was lousy, but Tim Curry did an excellent job as Pennywise; that was one seriously creepy clown.

[Tellurider]

I only like IT because I saw the movie before I read the book. I agree, the book is a thousand times better. Of Stephen King movies, though, I do like Thinner, and The Langoliers. They were pretty close to the books.

Yes, the movie as a whole was lousy, but Tim Curry did an excellent job as Pennywise; that was one seriously creepy clown.

Tim Curry kicks ass. Period.

I thought they did an okay job with Dreamcatcher. They kind of made it a little too sci-fi, since there wasn't actually supposed to be another alien at the end there, but all in all, I thought they did a good job.

So much of Stephen King is what's going on in his characters' heads rather than actual balls-to-the-wall action, and that's why you have to have good actors and an amazing director to translate it into film.

[Rock_dash]

I thought they did an okay job with Dreamcatcher. They kind of made it a little too sci-fi, since there wasn't actually supposed to be another alien at the end there, but all in all, I thought they did a good job.

Aaaargh, I'm so so sorry, but I must rant...

I hate, Hate HATE Dreamcatcher!! They took an awesome book and turned it into a typical action movie peice of trash

*SPOILERS*
DUDDITS IS NOT AN ALIEN, GOD DAMN IT! KURTZ IS NOT NAMED CURTIS, GOD DAMN IT! MR. GREY DID NOT FUCKING BITE PEOPLE IN HALF, GOD DAMN IT!!!

Okay, I think I'm done...sorry about that...

I don't think it was that they made the movie version too sci-fi. If anything, they dumbed the sci-fi aspects down in favor of adding retarded action sequences. Helicoptor chase scene, I'm looking at you!

[Jim North]

she really needs to be in more movies.

And naked. She needs to be in more movies naked.

was she naked in any already?

I did some searching and wasn't able to come up with any definite answer to that. However, I do know that she's done some nude modelling before, so I wouldn't think a nude movie scene would be out of the question. We can only hope.

McDuffies just hates everything I like, doesn't he?

Join the club.

I never read/saw Thinner or the Langoliers.

I haven't read Thinner myself, but definitely find the Langoliers and read it. It's in the Four Past Midnight collection along with Secret Window Secret Garden (which was adapted into the movie Secret Window a couple years back), The Library Policeman, and The Sun Dog (which is supposed to be the next to last Castle Rock story, right before Needful Things), all of which are excellent, excellent reads.

The Langoliers made-for-TV movie is also absolutely amazing, mostly because it's taken almost precisely word for word (you can actually read the dialouge in the book as you're listening to it on the TV) from the story . . . the only major differences that I know of are the exclusion of major swear words and a single character, who slept through the entire story anyway.

Oh, man. Who's seen The Running Man? WORST STEPHEN KING BOOK-TO-MOVIE EVER.

I hardly consider it an adaptation of the book, considering how far apart from each other they are. Except for Arnold's character's name and the fact that they're both about a show where people are hunted for entertainment, they have absolutely nothing in common. It amazes me that they even bothered crediting Stephen King.

The Stand was just a parade of relativly big actors being killed off and had one of the cheapest endings I've ever seen, i'm not sure if it's that way in the book, but i'm not reading it to find out.

Basically, yes, from what I've been told, which is why I'm never going to read or watch either version. I don't think I could imagine a more idiotic ending. I'm not entirely sure whether the title was supposed to be ironic or not, but either way it's the worse form of irony ever conceived.

[Tellurider]

The Stand was just a parade of relativly big actors being killed off and had one of the cheapest endings I've ever seen, i'm not sure if it's that way in the book, but i'm not reading it to find out.

Basically, yes, from what I've been told, which is why I'm never going to read or watch either version. I don't think I could imagine a more idiotic ending. I'm not entirely sure whether the title was supposed to be ironic or not, but either way it's the worse form of irony ever conceived.

You would hate The Stand, Jim. A virus kills almost everyone in the world, but instead of realizing that they now have no government and hence true freedom and anarchy, the first thing they do is all get together and form a government. People are so hopeless.

[Jim North]

PS, I can't believe people actually liked Misery! Don't get me wrong, I love the book, but the movie was horrid! I especially disliked the choice of Kathy Bates as Annie Wilkes . . . she does fine work, but she was all wrong for the part. I feel Edie McClurg would have done far better in the role. And the atmosphere was all wrong! And . . . and . . . it just stunk! I couldn't even manage to watch it all the way through. Fortunately about an hour into it there was a power outage . . . when the juice came back on, I just decided to rewind the tape and watch something else.

EDIT:

instead of realizing that they now have no government and hence true freedom and anarchy, the first thing they do is all get together and form a government.

ARGH

[Dr Legostar]

And naked. She needs to be in more movies naked.

was she naked in any already?

I did some searching and wasn't able to come up with any definite answer to that. However, I do know that she's done some nude modelling before, so I wouldn't think a nude movie scene would be out of the question. We can only hope.

And hope we shall.

[The Neko]

When I first saw "Misery" all I could think was "How come N'Sync fans can't show more initiative?"

[Escushion]

The Stand was just a parade of relativly big actors being killed off and had one of the cheapest endings I've ever seen, i'm not sure if it's that way in the book, but i'm not reading it to find out.

Basically, yes, from what I've been told, which is why I'm never going to read or watch either version. I don't think I could imagine a more idiotic ending. I'm not entirely sure whether the title was supposed to be ironic or not, but either way it's the worse form of irony ever conceived.

You would hate The Stand, Jim. A virus kills almost everyone in the world, but instead of realizing that they now have no government and hence true freedom and anarchy, the first thing they do is all get together and form a government. People are so hopeless.

In the book there's anarchy for a bit. Four guys were having their own little harem, raping women they'd captured. They punished them for not doing what they were told the right way by scraping their asses with barbed wire. Fortunately the main group is able to kill the guys and free the women before moving onto that old woman's house who's name I can't remember.

Yeah, go anarchy. -_-

[Tellurider]

In the book there's anarchy for a bit. Four guys were having their own little harem, raping women they'd captured. They punished them for not doing what they were told the right way by scraping their asses with barbed wire. Fortunately the main group is able to kill the guys and free the women before moving onto that old woman's house who's name I can't remember.

Yeah, go anarchy. -_-

That's not anarchy. Those guys imposed a brutal form of government on their little harem, a sort of fascism, is you wish.

See? Government = bad.

[Ahaugen]

the problem with anarchy is that humans have a track record of screwing things up ... horribly

[Tellurider]

But the thing that really pissed me off about the stand is that now there's very little population and LOTS of space. You could totally stake your claim somewhere, live off of packaged food for a little while until you learned to grow your own, and then live in relative comfort without anyone telling you what to do. Considering you could totally go to a grocery store and get canned food that would probably last you for years, you wouldn't even have to work that hard to feed yourself.

It's like being a luxury hermit.

[KittyKatBlack]

In the book there's anarchy for a bit. Four guys were having their own little harem, raping women they'd captured. They punished them for not doing what they were told the right way by scraping their asses with barbed wire. Fortunately the main group is able to kill the guys and free the women before moving onto that old woman's house who's name I can't remember.

Yeah, go anarchy. -_-

That's not anarchy. Those guys imposed a brutal form of government on their little harem, a sort of fascism, is you wish.

See? Government = bad.

Human kind can not acheive perfect anarchy, just like it can not achieve perfect law. It's the very nature of the way humans survive. Humans survive using their mental capacity. We do not have fangs, claws, fur, or shells to protect us. The only thing we have is the ability to use our environment to our advantage more than any other creature on the planet. And our environment includes other people. Even people who are trying to live in perfect Anarchy will use others for protection, or to gain something they do not have. That in itself creates a form of law. Someone is the leader, and someone is the follower. Law and order are the only things that keep mankind from becoming extinct, but since people are different, they all have different views of what their perfect world would be. When those views clash, violence, chaos and disorder appear, and there is turmoil until the situation can balance itself again. But it will only be a matter of time before it becomes unbalanced. It's a cycle that the human race can not get away from, fix, or ignore. Those who think government are evil do not understand the value of society to the very existance of the human race, and those who think total rule over people is the only way to keep order do comprehend that individuals like to be protected, but not caged.

[Jim North]

First, Eschushion, I am finding it hard to describe just how deplorable I think it is that you might actually believe those acts are in any way anarchistic in nature. By forcing their own will on others, especially in that way, those men are being as unanarchistic as you can get.

Second, KKB . . . first, it should be noted that generally Anarchists seek neither total nor perfect Anarchy, nor do they claim that Anarchy is a perfect state of being. Second, you seem to assume that 1) a protectorate or any other exchange of goods/information/etc. equals a government and 2) the end of government would mean the end of society. The former is untrue because no one is forcing or telling anyone else to do anything . . . people can protect someone else through volunteering or each other out of mutal agreement, and any exchange can be met by simply coming to a(n at least perceived) mutually benificial arrangement. There don't have to be any actual rules involved, just application and results. The latter is also untrue . . . people gather together in social groups all the time without it having anything to do with a government or any strict set of rules. Social order can be something mutally agreed upon by all parties involved without any sort of pecking order needing to arise. Though most people don't seem to believe it, society does not need a hierarchy in order to exist.

Third, this is a thread about horror movies, not Anarchism. If such a discussion is to take place, I'd personally prefer it to be in a seperate thread. Wouldn't y'all?

[KittyKatBlack]

First, Eschushion, I am finding it hard to describe just how deplorable I think it is that you might actually believe those acts are in any way anarchistic in nature. By forcing their own will on others, especially in that way, those men are being as unanarchistic as you can get.

Second, KKB . . . first, it should be noted that generally Anarchists seek neither total nor perfect Anarchy, nor do they claim that Anarchy is a perfect state of being. Second, you seem to assume that 1) a protectorate or any other exchange of goods/information/etc. equals a government and 2) the end of government would mean the end of society. The former is untrue because no one is forcing or telling anyone else to do anything . . . people can protect someone else through volunteering or each other out of mutal agreement, and any exchange can be met by simply coming to a(n at least perceived) mutually benificial arrangement. There don't have to be any actual rules involved, just application and results. The latter is also untrue . . . people gather together in social groups all the time without it having anything to do with a government or any strict set of rules. Social order can be something mutally agreed upon by all parties involved without any sort of pecking order needing to arise. Though most people don't seem to believe it, society does not need a hierarchy in order to exist.

Third, this is a thread about horror movies, not Anarchism. If such a discussion is to take place, I'd personally prefer it to be in a seperate thread. Wouldn't y'all?

I would repsond, but the last thing you said (About this being a horror movie thread.) is true, so I'll drop the subject here. Though, I guess I didn't quite explain exactly what I ment properly. Ah well. It's not that important, really.