Stephen King on the Big Screen
Distributed for Intellect Ltd
256 pages
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7 x 9
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© 2009
The Shining. Carrie. Misery. These are just a few of the film adaptations that have been made from the terrifying and eerie work of novelist and short story writer Stephen King. It is nearly impossible to think of another author who has inspired so many, and such diverse filmmakers—yet there has never before been a work by a film specialist that focused solely on Stephen King. Mark Browning, in Stephen King on the Big Screen, takes a film-by-film approach to exploring why some adaptations of King’s work are more successful than others.
Browning discusses every single film adaptation given a global cinematic release—including films by such well-known directors as Stanley Kubrick, George A. Romero, and David Cronenberg. His is the first book to consider in detail Sleepwalkers, Dreamcatcher, and 1408 as well as the much-neglected portmanteau films and touchstones like The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile. In a highly readable and engaging style, Browning examines how different film directors have interpreted and translated the original literary texts into a new medium. Throughout, he reveals the elements of style and approach that have helped make King one of the world’s best-selling authors.
This entertaining and accessible guide to the complete corpus of Stephen King films is a must-have for fans of his fiction and of the many directors who have sought to capture his macabre stories and bizarre characters in cinematic form.
Andrew McQuade | Gorezone
“Stephen King was among the first generation of horror writers to be overtly influenced by cinematic horror as well as literary, so it’s hardly surprising that he is the most widely adapted horror novelist there is. These adaptations are, as Mark Browning observes in this excellent work, very hit-and-miss. It is a meticulously critical work; scholarly but not pretentious, giving both praise and scorn where it’s due, and acknowledging the greatnesses and flaws of the films as adaptations, suggesting some interesting viewing strategies along the way. An excellent study of why adaptations work/fail, and for any King fan it’s definitive.”
Lawrence Raw
“The book is refreshingly accessible; no attempt has been made to fit the films into an overarching theoretical paradigm, in the belief that readers would be more interested in approaching King work as ‘a rite-of-passage experience’ that consistently challenges our expectations.”
Zone Horror
“Should be of great interest to both King fans and film fanatics alike. Through revealing fresh perspectives it’s a critically rigorous but also highly enjoyable read.”
Booksmonthly
"Browning's examination of the film adaptations of Stephen King's novels looks at them in terms of their success as films as well as in terms of how well they reflect what's in the books. This is a riveting, in-depth analysis of what makes King so popular both as an author and as a provider of substance for movies. . . . Anyone who collects King's novels will want to add this to his or her collection."—Booksmonthly
Contents
Introduction
Chapter 1
Mind Over Matter: Telekinesis
Carrie
The Rage: Carrie II
The Dead Zone
Firestarter
Chapter 2
Tales from the Darkside: The Portmanteau film
Creepshow
Creepshow II
Cat's Eye
Tales from the Darkside: The Movie
Chapter 3
Sometimes Dead is Better: The Body Under the Sheet
Silver Bullet
Pet Sematary
Pet Sematary II
Sleepwalkers
Chapter 4
Boys to Men: Rites-of-Passage
Stand by Me
Apt Pupil
Hearts in Atlantis
Chapter 5
The Rise of the Machines: 1950s Science-Fiction B-Movie
Christine
Maximum Overdrive
Graveyard Shift
The Lawnmower Man
Dreamcatcher
Chapter 6
The Great Escape: Prison Drama
The Shawshank Redemption
The Green Mile
The Running Man
Chapter 7
Books of Blood: The Writer
Misery
The Dark Half
Secret Window
Chapter 8
The Terror of Everyday Life and Final Girls
Cujo
Dolores Claiborne
The Shining (Kubrick)
The Shining (Garris)
1408
Conclusion
References
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