Stephen King: From Best to Worst
Stephen King is notoriously difficult to translate to cinema. This is my personal pick of which titles worked and which titles did not. Apologies if I missed one or two.
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52 titles
- DirectorRob ReinerStarsJames CaanKathy BatesRichard FarnsworthAfter a famous author is rescued from a car crash by a fan of his novels, he comes to realize that the care he is receiving is only the beginning of a nightmare of captivity and abuse.My favorite novel, so maybe I'm a little partial. But Caan and Bates are priceless.
- DirectorFrank DarabontStarsTim RobbinsMorgan FreemanBob GuntonOver the course of several years, two convicts form a friendship, seeking consolation and, eventually, redemption through basic compassion.The cliched answer, I'm aware, but still rings true.
- DirectorGeorge A. RomeroStarsHal HolbrookLeslie NielsenAdrienne Barbeau"Creepshow" is a 1982 movie that tells five grisly tales from a children's comic book: a murdered father rising from his grave, a bizarre meteor, a vengeful husband, a mysterious crate's occupant, and a plague of cockroaches.Awesome
- DirectorFrank DarabontStarsTom HanksMichael Clarke DuncanDavid MorseA tale set on death row, where gentle giant John Coffey possesses the mysterious power to heal people's ailments. When the lead guard, Paul Edgecombe, recognizes John's gift, he tries to help stave off the condemned man's execution.Powerful, one of the few times in which I feel a film has surpassed it's source material.
- DirectorRob ReinerStarsWil WheatonRiver PhoenixCorey FeldmanA writer recounts a childhood journey with his friends to find the body of a missing boy.Pure Nostalgia.
- DirectorDavid CronenbergStarsChristopher WalkenBrooke AdamsTom SkerrittA man awakens from a coma to discover he has a psychic ability to foresee future events.Cronenberg plus King plus Walken equals perfection.
- DirectorMikael HåfströmStarsJohn CusackSamuel L. JacksonMary McCormackA man who specialises in debunking paranormal occurrences checks into the fabled room 1408 in the Dolphin Hotel. Soon after settling in, he confronts genuine terror.Real, raw terror in this piece. Cusack nails it.
- DirectorBrian De PalmaStarsSissy SpacekPiper LaurieAmy IrvingCarrie White, a shy, friendless teenage girl who is sheltered by her domineering, religious mother, unleashes her telekinetic powers after being humiliated by her classmates at her senior prom.They're all gonna laugh at you!
- DirectorStanley KubrickStarsJack NicholsonShelley DuvallDanny LloydA family heads to an isolated hotel for the winter where a sinister presence influences the father into violence, while his psychic son sees horrific forebodings from both past and future.I understand that King himself was unhappy with the finished product. But Kubrick made a heck of a chiller here.
- DirectorTaylor HackfordStarsKathy BatesJennifer Jason LeighChristopher PlummerA big city reporter travels to a small town where her mother has been arrested for the murder of an elderly woman for whom she worked as a housekeeper.King gets sentimental with this powerful drama. Not bad at all.
- StarsGary SiniseMolly RingwaldJamey SheridanAfter a deadly plague kills most of the world's population, the remaining survivors split into two groups - one led by a benevolent elder and the other by a malevolent being - to face each other in a final battle between good and evil.King's best miniseries ever! (tied with IT)
- StarsRichard ThomasTim ReidAnnette O'TooleIn 1960, seven pre-teen outcasts fight an evil demon who poses as a child-killing clown. Thirty years later, they reunite to stop the demon once and for all when it returns to their hometown.A different beast than the book, to be sure, but effective nonetheless.
- StarsTim DalyColm FeoreDebrah FarentinoA dangerous blizzard hits an isolated town and brings along a mysterious stranger intent on terrorizing people for his own desires.Creeepy.
- StarsDavid SoulJames MasonLance KerwinA novelist and a young horror fan attempt to save a small New England town which has been invaded by vampires.Some memorably chilling scenes here.
- DirectorDavid KoeppStarsJohnny DeppMaria BelloJohn TurturroA successful writer in the midst of a painful divorce is stalked at his remote lake house by a would-be scribe who accuses him of plagiarism.May have become a Depp film in the end, but I still think that Koepp translated Secret Window, Secret Garden from Four Past Midnight pretty well.
- DirectorLewis TeagueStarsDrew BarrymoreJames WoodsAlan KingA stray cat is the linking element of three tales of suspense and horror.The first two segments are the best!
- DirectorJohn CarpenterStarsKeith GordonJohn StockwellAlexandra PaulA nerdish boy buys a strange car with an evil mind of its own and his nature starts to change to reflect it.Not a huge fan of the book but Carpenter made a real winner with this one.
- DirectorMick GarrisStarsJonathan JacksonDavid ArquetteBarbara HersheyWhen a man finds out his mother is dying and tries to hitchhike his way to the hospital, he is picked up by a stranger with a deadly secret.Maligned project that I believe deserves more acclaim. A startling character drama about mortality as well as a funhouse-style ride!
- DirectorFraser C. HestonStarsMax von SydowEd HarrisBonnie BedeliaA mysterious new shop opens in a small town which always seems to stock the deepest desires of each shopper, with a price far heavier than expected.Still want to see the unabridged version, but as it stands not too shabby at all.
- DirectorMary LambertStarsDale MidkiffDenise CrosbyFred GwynneAfter tragedy strikes, a grieving father discovers an ancient burial ground behind his home with the power to raise the dead.Not as bad as some would have you believe, mostly thanks to Judd and creepy, creepy Zelda.
- DirectorLewis TeagueStarsDee WallaceDaniel Hugh KellyDanny PintauroCujo, a friendly St. Bernard, contracts rabies and conducts a reign of terror on a small American town.Not a very deep novel but a passable film.
- 20068 epsTV-146.8 (5.5K)TV Mini SeriesStarsRobert MammoneKodi Smit-McPheeWilliam H. MacyA television mini-series adaptation of Nightmares and Dreamscapes, Stephen King's collection of short horror stories.Avoid Crouch End and the Fifth Quarter, but the rest are good adaptations in my opinion.
- DirectorGeorge A. RomeroStarsTimothy HuttonAmy MadiganMichael RookerA writer's fictional alter ego wants to take over his life...at any price.Good book...good movie.
- DirectorFrank DarabontStarsThomas JaneMarcia Gay HardenLaurie HoldenA freak storm unleashes a species of bloodthirsty creatures on a small town, where a small band of citizens hole up in a supermarket and fight for their lives.I like the bravery of the ending but I can't help but wonder if it isn't on the wrong movie.
- CreatorStephen KingStarsJamie HarroldDiane LaddBruce DavisonThe quirky staff and patients of an ultramodern (albeit increasingly dilapidated) Maine hospital gradually become familiar with the supernatural occurrences that take place there, uncovering a dark secret in the process.Maybe a litle light on scares, but it's fun enough with some engaging actors and impressive special effects.
- StarsNancy TravisMatt KeeslarKimberly J. BrownA college professor and a team of psychics investigate mysterious deaths and disappearances at an old abandoned mansion.A little bloated at the end of the day but it has it's moments.
- DirectorMichael GornickStarsGeorge KennedyLois ChilesDomenick JohnThree macabre tales from the latest issue of a boy's favorite comic book, dealing with a vengeful wooden Native American, a monstrous blob in a lake, and an undying hitchhiker.segment "The Raft". Not terrible, decent enough.
- DirectorTom HollandStarsRobert John BurkeJoe MantegnaLucinda JenneyAn obese attorney is cursed by a gypsy to rapidly and uncontrollably lose weight.I like this one...it's demented.
- DirectorMick GarrisStarsChristopher LloydMatt FrewerRaphael SbargeTraveling showman Aaron Quicksilver tells horror tales: a psychotic hitchhiker falls prey to a relentless dangerously-sharp set of chattering teeth, and a human hand that comes alive.segment "Chattery Teeth". Good enough little story.
- DirectorScott HicksStarsAnthony HopkinsAnton YelchinHope DavisWidowed Liz Garfield and her son Bobby change when mysterious stranger Ted Brautigan enters their lives.Not a terrible film, but feels incomplete. Those uninitiated in the Dark Tower may be confused.
- DirectorLawrence KasdanStarsMorgan FreemanThomas JaneJason LeeFriends on a camping trip discover that the town they're vacationing in is being plagued in an unusual fashion by parasitic aliens from outer space.I would give this film's first half an A...but then it all went downhill fast.
- DirectorJohn HarrisonStarsDebbie HarryMatthew LawrenceChristian SlaterTo stall a witch plotting to eat him, a boy reads her horror tales dealing with a collegian's resurrection of a mummy, a murderous cat, and an artist's pact with a gargoyle.segment "The Cat From Hell". Decent enough.
- StarsRebecca De MornaySteven WeberWil HorneffA recovering alcoholic must wrestle with demons within and without when he and his family move into a haunted hotel as caretakers.Okay remake, but the violent tale that is The Shining should never have been adapted for television. Nobody's fault.
- DirectorMark PaviaStarsMiguel FerrerJulie EntwisleDan MonahanA reporter is on the trail of a vampiric murderer who travels by plane.Better than it has any right to be...and creepy.
- StarsRob LoweAndre BraugherDonald SutherlandWriter Ben Mears returns to his childhood home of Jerusalem's Lot and discovers that it is being terrorized by vampires.Needless remake, but I enjoyed it.
- DirectorStephen KingStarsEmilio EstevezPat HingleLaura HarringtonA group of people try to survive when machines start to come alive and become homicidal.King directed himself! A movie so awesomely terrible that it is infinitely entertaining. Turn your brain off and enjoy!
- DirectorRalph S. SingletonStarsDavid AndrewsKelly WolfStephen MachtIn a very old textile mill with a serious rat infestation, deadly accidents start happening, but the corrupt foreman continues to put his workers in danger, until they discover a horrifying secret deep in the basement.I still can't figure out why I like this movie...probably Dourif.
- DirectorJeff BeesleyStarsChristian SlaterEmmanuelle VaugierWes BentleyA young man attempts to seek to avenge his wife's death after she is murdered by a Las Vegas mobster.Not bad...just not great, you know?
- StarsPatricia WettigDean StockwellTom HollandMost of the passengers on an airplane disappear, and the remainder land the plane in a mysteriously barren airport.The effects are a little dated and the ending is a tad contrived, but not too shabby.
- StarsJimmy SmitsMarg HelgenbergerJohn AshtonThe small town of Haven becomes a hot-bed of inventions all run by a strange green power device. The whole town is digging something up in the woods, and only an alcoholic poet can discover the secret of the Tommyknockers.Probably not the filmmaker's fault, the novel is probably among Stephen King's worst. This is almost unwatchable.
- DirectorMick GarrisStarsTom SkerrittSteven WeberAnnabeth GishWhen a sheriff arrests a writer, a family, a couple, and a hitchiker and throws them in a jail cell in the deserted town of Desperation, they must fight for their lives.Perlman delivers but the religious allegory is a little too heavy.
- DirectorDaniel AttiasStarsGary BuseyEverett McGillCorey HaimIn a small town, brutal killings start to plague the close knit community. Marty Coslaw, a paraplegic boy, is convinced the murders are the doings of a werewolf.Corny, silly film. Has it's moments but is a deeply flawed movie.
- DirectorMark L. LesterStarsDrew BarrymoreDavid KeithFreddie JonesA couple who participated in a potent medical experiment gain telepathic ability and then have a child who is pyrokinetic.Bottom of the barrel.
- CreatorStephen KingStarsKeith SzarabajkaFelicity HuffmanEd LauterAn elderly janitor hurt in an explosion at a secret army lab run by "The Shop" starts to grow younger. A ruthless operative is sent to cover it up, so the janitor and his wife go on the run with help from a sympathetic female agent.What...was...this?
- DirectorDavid CarsonStarsAngela BettisPatricia ClarksonRena SoferCarrie White is a lonely and painfully shy teenage girl with telekinetic powers who is slowly pushed to the edge of insanity by frequent bullying from both her classmates and her domineering, religious mother.Ok, THIS is a needless remake.
- DirectorMick GarrisStarsBrian KrauseMädchen AmickAlice KrigeA mother-and-son team of strange supernatural creatures move to a small town to seek out a young virgin to feed on.King wrote it himself...whoops. Absolutely dreadful, not scary or entertaining.
- DirectorPaul Michael GlaserStarsArnold SchwarzeneggerMaria Conchita AlonsoYaphet KottoIn a dystopian America, a falsely convicted policeman gets his shot at freedom when he must forcibly participate in a TV game show where convicts, runners, must battle killers for their freedom.....terrible beyond words. Not as an action film but why even credit King/Bachman when it's so different from the story.
- DirectorChris ThomsonStarsTimothy BusfieldBrenda BakkeAidan DevineAliens arrive, parking in a geostationary orbit over Nevada. Using powers unknown to us, they declare war, and use unmanned trucks as weapons.....no words.
- DirectorTom McLoughlinStarsTim MathesonBrooke AdamsRobert RuslerA man and his family return to his hometown, where he is then harassed by teenagers who died when he was a kid.
- DirectorFritz KierschStarsPeter HortonLinda HamiltonR.G. ArmstrongA young couple is trapped in a remote town where a dangerous religious cult of children believes that everyone over age 18 must be killed.
- DirectorBrett LeonardStarsJeff FaheyPierce BrosnanJenny WrightA simple man is turned into a genius through the application of computer science.Read the story and then watch the movie...what happened?
- DirectorTobe HooperStarsRobert EnglundTed LevineDaniel MatmorA laundry-folding machine has been possessed by a demon, causing it to develop homicidal tendencies.