Showing posts with label Stephen King. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Stephen King. Show all posts

The Dark Half (1989) - Stephen King - #Book #Review

An image from the movie. 
You know, Stephen King truly is a great author...  He truly is, there is not a lot of the masters of horror out there that can write like Stephen King can, (there are a ton of great written works by true, 'masters' out there... But Stephen King... At least when it comes to horror novels maybe one of the best.)

With that said though, at this point I think it is fairly safe to say that the majority of his works, 'if not all of them,' have been turned in to movies, 'with some of those movies being remade.'

Well the reason that I mention this is the fact that one of the first movies I ever saw of his was a movie that I truly love, but I would later find out was better in book form... A movie starring: Timothy Hutton (Secret Window) That movie being, a The Dark Half (1993)!
The Dark Half... A great movie, an even better book! 
Well this isn't a review for the movie, I will get in to it, but later... Anyway as for the novel, this novel tells the story of a writer, a writer whom for whatever reason only seemed to be able to write well under the name, 'George Stark'.

But when he decides to put George Stark in the grave, something strange starts to happen! You see, murders seem to start happening around him that seem to be straight out of a, 'Geotrge Stark' novel!

Is some one out to get him? Or has some one more insidious, and closer to him been committing these murders is it, well... A Dead Name?
All I can say is that this is a pretty apt description! 
Anyway, the movie was good, but the book was so much more engrossing... I mean besides the gruesome nature of the novel itself, Stephen King weaves you through this suspense filled maze that you just can't help but stay entranced with!

If you haven't read this one yet... Read it... But let it be known, you may not be able to put this one down, no matter how hard you try!
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Misery (1987) - Stephen King - Book Review

If you thought that the movie was terrifying... Forget about it!
Stephen King... I will be honest and say that he is one my favorite authors... His work is so awesome, that I can pretty much say, that with out a doubt that by being introduced to this guy's brilliant written work, and the movies that are based on his work, that these works are pretty much one of the main reasons why I do what I do these days!

I mean the detail that Mr. King puts in to his novels just really makes you feel like the book is coming to life in your hands, and the character development that he put in to all of his stories is just pure genius... No matter if they are good or bad!

And you know what? That is just part of the reason that I have found that I really enjoyed, 'Misery' (1987)!


You really don't want her as your, 'number #1 fan'...
"I'm your number one fan. There's nothing to worry about. You're going to be just fine. I will take good care of you. I'm your number one fan." - Annie Wilkes (A quote from Kathy Bates in the movie, 'Misery' based on the Stephen King novel.)
This book tells the coldly dark story of how during a snow storm in the Colorado mountains and how Paul Sheldon (a famous writer of the, ' Misery' series,) is heading home, when his car over turns... 

After this... Well he is rescued by his, 'Number #1 fan...' 

You see, this woman, is a woman who lives in the mountains, in a sort of remote area... Now at first she seems like a blessed angel... (What with having been a nurse at one time...) 


This, 'Angel-In-The-Snow' maybe a little bit more of a, 'demon'!
Well what Paul Sheldon doesn't know will hurt him... Because this woman, REALLY loves his work... And the longer they are together, the more he discovers about his, 'Angel-In-The-Snow'... And well as the saying goes... 'The greatest trick the devil ever played is convincing man he doesn't exist' (Don't quote me on that exactly... But that is basically how it goes...) 

Now I thought that the performance that Kathy Bates turned in, in the movie was absolutely brilliant... And you know what? It was! She was scary as hell! But the Annie Wilkes in the novel... Forget about it! She has the movie version beat for scares! 

All I can say is that you are going to like this novel... Just try not to read it by a roaring fire on a dark and stormy night... 
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The Gunslinger - The Dark Tower Series (1982) - Stephen King Book Review

Official Score = 1 Devil
Official Score = 1 Devil
I have been a fan of Stephen King's works for literally decades, I read most of his works, and have watched a large cross section of the movies that have been made based on his books, and I have to say that not only do I love almost all of them, but that more then a few of them have been my inspiration in becoming a writer!

There is one book though that he did, that well... I have to say that I was fairly unimpressed with... That novel being, 'The Gunslinger' from the, 'Dark Tower series'...

One of the few fairly unimpressive novels that Stephen King has ever done!
Now don't hate me for saying this, but it is true... I mean I did like the surrealist aspect of the story, and the setting in which Stephen King had the story revolve around... But I found the fact that there is a, 'Cowboy' in some seeming alternate dimension, to be an odd selection, and for me, I have to admit that I was pretty unimpressed with the overall story of the novel...

Now I know there are a lot of people that do seem to be fans of this novel and the series as a whole, and for those that do like the series, you may want to just skip this review, but I can't recommend this book, or the series, but don't let that be an attack on the author!...  Stephen King is a great author... I reckon that you just can't win them all!

Gerald's Game (1992) - Stephen King - Book Review

Official Score = 2 1/2 Devils
Official Score = 2 1/2 Devils 
Now this review is for a book that Stephen King did that I thought might be a kind of a fun one that I still feel applies to the basic horror nature of this site, one that I have always thought was a little odd that it never got the play that it really truly deserved!

That book being, 'Gerald's Game' (1992)!

Now you might not have heard about this book... So let me say this, this book tells the story of how a rough sex game turns really wrong, when Gerald and Jesse Burlingame head off to a cabin for the weekend for an off the books romantic weekend... But when they are about to have sex, Gerald handcuffs her to the bed and forces himself on to her...

When she fights him off though, she ends up killing him... And being locked to the bed and no one expecting either of them... She may have sent Gerald to hell... But Jesse will also end up in her own personal hell being cuffed to the bed!

An interesting one to say the least...
In the end, this book is a very engaging thriller, and well, I can honestly say that this one may not be the best one he has done... It is a truly fun book... I have always been a little surprised that this book didn't get as much play as his other works has gotten, but with Gerald's Game being turned in to a movie... Finally... It does look like it will get it's time in the spot light!

Carrie (2013) - Movie Reivew

Official Score = 3 1/2 Devils
Official Score = 3 1/2 Devils 
Alright, so a lot of people would say (myself included), that remakes of horror movies generally tend to suck right? I mean the story seems to stay the same, it is just poorly written, or the actors chosen for the remake are not as good, or the director has destroyed the remake with to much gore... That is true that there are a fair number like that out there... But there is more to it then that!

You see, remakes... As more and more of them are being made have become very varied... Some of the bad ones, I have personally found would make a great stand alone movies, and there are some that are fun, but still don't compare to the original... And believe it or not there is one that I am going to say is even better then the original... Trust me... Almost unheard of, but true...

A great film!
Carrie (2013), I am going to say was almost as good as the original... But we will get in to that in a minute.
"Why not? I've been hurt my whole life."

- Chloe Grace Moretz (A quote from her role as: 'Carrie White' in, Carrie (2013))
Starring: Chloe Grace Moretz (Dark Shadows), Julianne Moore (Hannibal), Gabriella Wilde (Squatters), Portia Doubleday (Youth In Revolt), Judy Greer (Archer), Ansel Elgort (Divergent) & Alex Russell (The Host).

Now I know that this is a tall order to say, but it is true! This movie is almost as good as the original... And I will tell you why...

The new, 'Carrie' and her new mother, as Carrie gets ready for a night no one will ever forget... No matter how hard they try!
1. Lets first talk about the talent... In most remakes there is at least one, if not more then one no-talent actor that is thrown in there... Not only was I impressed with the talent, but I am going to say that one of the main things that really made this movie for me, is that not only did Chloe Grace Moretz do a great job in the role, but she brought a bit of originality to the role that just blew me away... (I would say almost as brilliant as Sissy Spacek in creating the role for herself!)

2. The story... Now a lot of time these movies are butchered when a writer takes the story and switches it in what is clearly the wrong way... In this sense I am going to have to say that the writers of this movie did an absolutely amazing job of staying true to Stephen King's original novel, while making it separate from the original movie!

Now for those of you who don't know what the movie is about, this movie tells the story of a High School girl who has been tormented by almost everyone her entire life, whose mother is a total nut case... But when she is tricked by all the girls in her School, one of them feels bad about what they did and convinces her to go to prom... And well it is a prom no one will ever forget... No matter how hard they try!

Now Prom can really begin!
Basically to sum it all up, the best thing about this movie, is that the cast and the crew did an amazing job of remaking a classic, yet making it there own while staying true to the vision that made both the book and the original movie so great!


Five Must Have Horror Book Gifts For The Fan In Your Life For Christmas2014

That's right folks, with Christmas fast approaching, I thought that it might be helpful to give you guys a few little suggestions as words of advice when going Christmas shopping this Holiday season for the Horror fan in your life.

So with out further adieu:

5. Twilight, by: Stephenie Meyer:

A best selling Vampire romance novel series that was turned in to an extremely successful horror movie franchise.
Trust me when I say that recommending this novel for anything is not a particularly easy one, but the truth is, is I am sure you have heard of the movie... Well the movie is based on the book, and is one that would be a good gift for a fan of either, or is some one who is in to these types of horror novels.

4. It, by: Stephen King:

Don't let the terrifying clown on the book cover fool you... This book is a lot scarier then the clown is making it out to be!
To be honest with you guys, this novel certainly is not the best of Stephen King's body of works, but if you are looking for something for that Stephen King fan in your life for Christmas, and he or she has not read this one... Then this would be a good one to add to the ole shopping list!

3. The Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, by: Robert Louis Stevenson:

One for the Victorian era Horror fan!
Now this one... This one, I am going to say this, this is a fantastic book, but unless your horror fan is in to older novels, then this may not be the one for him...

2. Desperation, by: Stephen King:

Here is a Stephen King book you can really sink your teeth in to!
The reason that I am mentioning both of these... And I am sure that if you get the Stephen King fan in your life a book this year that you are going to get them Desperation... The truth is, is I doubt you will be disappointed, but both books are one's I think the Stephen King fan in your life are going to like!

1. Psycho, by: Robert Bloch

A must for a horror fan!
This book... The movie is epic, the third book is amazing, this book... I haven't read yet... An error I assure you, but despite this fact, I can say that with confidence, the horror fan in your life is going to love this book!

I hope that this list helps when you are making your Christmas purchases this year!

Five Classic Crossovers Between The Literary World And TV

What I mean by this guys is that over the years it has been well established that authors that have made their careers writing novels, have also some times made the crossover to both Movies and TV shows... A great example of this is, 'Stephen King'... Now Stephen King... A large portion, if not everything he has ever written that has been published has been turned in to a movie (and some of them have been remade a couple of times now!)

But where as the movies have been covered pretty nicely, the work that they have done for actual TV shows (not TV movies) has not been as heavily explored, and so I thought that you guys might find these Five examples to be pretty awesome!

At number 5: R.L. Stine (The Nightmare Room).

R.L. Stine helped create horror novels that kids can enjoy as well!
For more information on R.L. Stine , please check out this scene from the TV show!


At number 4: Richard Matheson (The Twilight Zone).

Richard Matheson... A legend in the field of written horror! 
For more information on Richard Matheson, please enjoy this clip from the episode: Profile In Silver/Button Button, from the 1980s remake series of: The Twilight Zone:


At number 3: Ray Bradbury (The Ray Bradbury Theatre).

Ray Bradbury... One of the most prolific Science Fiction writers of all time! 
This guy wrote for a lot of the Horror/Science Fiction TV series in the 50s/60s, but the one that I thought that you guys would be interested in is this clip from: the Ray Bradbury Theatre!


At number 2: Dean R. Koontz (CHiPs).

Dean R. Koontz... A master of written horror!
Believe it or not, this author who is famous for the horror novels has only written one episode of A TV show, and that is: CHiPs... Unfortunately there does not appear to be a clip available that he wrote, but for your pleasure, the TV intro to: CHiPs!


At number 1: Stephen King (The X-Files).

Stephen King has written for a lot of mediums including books, movies, and TV series as well!
Stephen King had written a lot in a lot of different mediums, but the one that I wanted to mention here is when he wrote the episode, 'Chinga' from: The X-Files:



Needful Things (1991) - Stephen King - Book Review

Official Score = 2 1/2 Devils
Official Score = 2 1/2 Devils
Alright, so so far I have done a lot of work on reviewing Stephen King's amazing body of horror/science fiction novels that are out there right now... There is one novel that he did that was of particular interest... Now this novel was not the best of the series, but... Well you could say that in a lot of respects that it is a culmination of at least a few of the novels that he did that took place in, 'Castle Rock' in Maine...

That novel of course being: Needful Things (1991)!

Maybe not the best novel, but a must for fans!
You see this novel (which was said to be the last Castle Rock story,) tells the story of how a small store owner makes his way in to town to set up shop... The idea is that this store owner is going to be selling objects that people desire most... And the way that the people of this small town are going to be able to get these interesting objects that they most desire, is to do a few little odd jobs for the owner!

But what the town doesn't realize, is that these favors will ultimately turn out to be something worse then any of them could ever expect... And in the end, each one of these townsfolk are going to end up finding out the true price of, 'making a deal with the devil'!

A scene with Max von Sydow and Shane Meier in the movie: Needful Things... This movie is based on the book!
In the end, this story may not have been the best that he wrote (you could say that it is like a Saturday afternoon movie... Not bad, but you can certainly see why it would be a Saturday Afternoon movie!) One of the things though that this book does have going for it is the fact that... Well let's be honest... This novel is certainly going to be one that fans should read to get closure on the town of Castle Rock!

Desperation (1996) - Stephen King - Book Review

Official Score = 3 1/2 Devils
Official Score = 3 1/2 Devils
Being a huge fan of Stephen King novels, I discovered a few years ago that I was starting to run out of novels that he had done that I hadn't yet read yet... Well to say the least I was not particularly thrilled by this concept and started looking all over the place for a new novel to keep me interested, and I did so when I found the novel: 'Desperation' (1996)!

Now I am going to say that I was really glad when I found this novel... I mean at the point that I had started reading this novel, I was hard pressed to find a novel that I couldn't put down, and this was definitely that, but besides that, this amazing novel, which would later be turned in to a  TV/Movie with Ron Perlman (Hellboy), was so good, that it is one one of those novels that you could very easily read late at night and I imagine that it would spook the hell out of you!

Now what makes it so great? Well the story of course!

Ron Perlman as the, 'Big Bad' in the TV/Movie: 'Desperation'!
You see, this story, which told of how a bunch of people, who while driving through a desolate area of the Nevada desert, are pulled over and taken to the small mining town of, 'Desperation'... Now at first they are taken there for many legitimate reasons by a Deputy...  But once they are there, they discover there is more then meets the eye in this small town, and that the Sheriff's deputy is the one behind it!

This book may not be the best of Mr. King's, but it is certainly darn close to it... Check it out, you might like it!

Reading And The Future

Reading in the future.
 Before TV and even before Radio, one of the primary forms of entertainment when it came to people getting their entertainment was through reading... And I am not talking about reading say a, 'Magazine' or something... Although the type of magazine that I am talking about... Which I would say are the ones that we see every day, were just starting to come out in the tale end of the 19th century... (Stuff that closely approximates: Mad Magazine, and stuff like, 'Fangoria' and the like...

Now reading has maintained itself for the most part well in to the 20th century... The problem is, is that with more interactive mediums, reading has become less and less popular...

Well you know, I have heard people say, and have read about how some believe that reading a good book as a way to get your education, should be replaced by more interactive forms of media, stuff like, Movies, Video Games, and other sort of media...(To keep children motivated to continue to learn...)

Educational video games have their place, but should not replace a good book!
Well the truth is folks, is that is the wrong way to go! Don't get me wrong, it does have certain positive applications for getting one's education... And I imagine that at least to some extent that the worlds youngest (which I suspect have some of the shortest attention spans out there.) But the truth is, is that if you give in to the concept of a 15 or 16 year old and giving him an, 'educational video game' probably won't help him when he or she is trying to study, 'math' or the like... I mean what can you do? Give kids a XBox 1 game called, 'Call Of Duty: Modern Education'? I suspect they will probably end up not learning anything, and going for the more violent aspects of that series!

Now again, all of that stuff has it's applications in the classroom... I,e. Having kids just going to to school playing educational games, and documentaries have always been able to help educate people on various problems that the world faces, or some of the more exotic, and awesome aspects of what this world has to offer... In the end though, non of those can replace a good book!

I hate to say it, but from a text book stand point, books are straight forward... If you are learning say... Math... Then you will learn math... And not something secondary... As far as movies go, Hollywood is notorious for exaggerating their movies, and if you are thinking that you maybe able to learn Shakespeare's original, 'Hamlet' from say, 'Mel Gibson' (which he did do in the 90s), then you should expect certain over the top dramatizations!

Mel Gibson as, 'Hamlet'... A fun movie, but should not be considered an educational standard... 
And as a form of entertainment... More so then ever, books are an important entertainment medium...  What do I mean by this? Well simply put, Movies give it to you... What I mean by this is that it takes away the viewers imagination... Before I continue, let me ask you guys this... Have you guys ever read a book and then seen the movie... And where as the movie was fun, the book was truly memorable? If so... Then good!

For me, that was, 'Christine'... Not one of Stephen King's bigger movies... or books for that matter, but in all truth, the movie was fun, with a great cast, and even better story... Well the truth is, is before I ever saw the movie I read the book when I was in boarding school, and I have to say that reading this novel was so much fun, that it was one of the few times when I would literally just sit in the class room for hours after they closed it down for the day!

I loved that movie... Still do... I have the movie on both VHS and DVD, I also have the book, and the movie poster signed by: John Carpenter (Halloween)... But as fun as the movie was, I will never forget  the many hours I spent just sitting there reading that book in the drafty classroom!

Christine... A great movie... An even better book!
In the end, I guess what I am saying is this... Don't let the future of reading... Really the future of books be a dismal one... Books and reading in general have been one of the most important (and yet sorely underrated) advancements mankind has ever had, and with the advancement of technology, lets not have reading or books in general disappear in to the ether!

The Shinning (1977) - Stephen King - Book Review

[caption id="attachment_415" align="alignright" width="350"]Official Score = 4 Devils Official Score = 4 Devils[/caption]

You know one of the things that I like about Stephen King and his novels, is that in an of itself, each individual novel has it's own separate and distinct story line separate from the other, but in the end, his novels are set up in such a way as to permit individual story lines to connect together, and when he does so, it makes that story that much better!

With that said, there is a novel that I can't wait to read that recently came out by the master of the macabre that is actually the sequel to one of his earlier novels... This novel is called, 'Doctor Sleep', and the original being, 'The Shinning' (1977)!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="160"] A truly classic novel that rocks![/caption]

Now this book truly rocks! It is one one of those novels that from just about the beginning to the end, your on the edge of your seat, and as Stephen King guides the reader deeper in to the story, you end up getting more and more on the edge of your seat, and as you follow Jack Torrance, and his descent in to madness... Well let's just put it this way... You aren't going to want to read this novel late at night!

As for the story it's this, the story tells of how the Torrance family takes over the, 'Overlook Hotel'  as the caretaker for the off season... Now this Hotel has a supernatural secret about previous caretakers, and when Jack Torrance finds out about it, his slow descent in to madness, will be something that he and his family will never forget!

As a side note that I think you might find interesting if you haven't actually seen it yet, is that in 1980 Stanley Kubrick (Full Metal Jacket) & Jack Nicholson (Little Shop Of Horrors) along with Shelley Duvall (Annie Hall) & Scatman Crothers (Transformers: The Return Of Optimus Prime) would go on to make the first and still most famous big screen adaption of the movie!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="150"] Jack Nicholson as, 'Jack Torrance' in, 'The Shinning' (1980)![/caption]

 

In the end guys, this book is freaking awesome, I mean the movie was good... The book was better, and if you give it a chance, I think you might really like it... I know I did!

It (1986) - Stephen King - Book Review

[caption id="attachment_330" align="alignright" width="220"]Official Score = 2 1/2 Devils Official Score = 2 1/2 Devils[/caption]

You know when I was younger my Dad and I used to share a lot of the same type of interests in the types of movies that we watched, the type of music that we listened to, and the types of books that we both like to read... Well I hate to say it, but as time went on, his interests began to change in movies and books (Music is still pretty much the same though.)

Well when I was a teenager and was getting deeply involved in reading one of the things that he ended up doing was he gave me his entire works of Stephen King that he had in book form, and being a fan of the movies that were based on his novels, I immediately dived in to it, and I have to admit that I was really impressed with them! I mean they are some times scary, some times not, but frequently keep you on the edge of your seat and interested!

And the book, 'It' (1986) is no different!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="214"] A fun time![/caption]

Published by Viking Press, this tale told the story of a group of friends who when as kids in their small town they end up encountering a dangerous force that is not just out to get them, but is out to try and make a game of it!

And in the end, they may not have had to deal with it as kids, but they will have to deal with this entity as adults, and re-connect for one final battle!

In the end, this book was an amazing ride, and is definitely scary at moments, but at other moments is not, but in the end, the build up and the suspense kept me on the edge of my seat, and my face glued to my book until the bitter end!

So give it a try, I think that you might find out that you really like it!

Cell (2006) - Stephen King - Book Review

[caption id="attachment_557" align="alignright" width="307"]Official Score = 3 1/2 Devils Official Score = 3 1/2 Devils[/caption]

You know one of the types of supernatural monsters movies that I have found that I really like is Zombie movies, the reason being is that most of the time these movies start off from when the protagonists of the movies are still apart of their old lives and how they not only become embroiled in the chaos and pandemonium of  the fall of civilization, but also the lives that they lead immediately afterward!

A great example of this is the movie, Dawn Of The Dead (1978)... In this movie George A. Romero (A Night Of The Living Dead) has crafted a beautiful and terrifying saga of people from different walks of life with only have the most illusory connection to each other during the end of the world, and how after they get together, they form a survivalist bond that is almost like a family!

The reason that I mention this is because there is a novel (one of my personal favorites), that Stephen King did a few years back that has a similar concept called, 'Cell' (20o6)!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="213"] A truly fun read![/caption]

Starting off from the begging of the end of the world, this book tells the story of how at some point an electronic signal is being mostly sent through your, 'Cell Phone', and that signal turns you in to a  rampaging psychotic Zombie... After the fall though it tells of how a group of survivors will have to survive in a post apocalyptic nightmare... And find out the truth about what the signal in, 'Cell Phones' is really all about!

This may not be his best work, but the truth is, is I have found that this novel is not that far off! What I mean is the way that Stephen King has crafted this story, he has done such a good job that in the end, you feel almost like you are watching a Zombie movie in your mind!

In the end, this book is,'AWESOME!' And if you get a chance, check it out, it is a fun one!

Cujo (1981) - Stephen King - Book Review

[caption id="attachment_325" align="alignright" width="263"]Official Score = 3 Devils Official Score = 3 Devils[/caption]

You know, when I first got in to horror movies I heard all about how great, 'Cujo' was... But I didn't end up actually seeing it until not long after I had read the book... And you know what? I am glad that I did...

Don't get me wrong, I  didn't hate the movie, I found it to be a rather solid big screen adaption of Stephen King's work! The reasons are as follows:

Well first off the basic story line is basically the same between the movie and the book... But in truth, the story from the book, I found it to be more brutal, more real... And in all truth, it made me want to root for the mother and her son that much more! Second off... Well the truth is, is that the actors did an amazing job with the movie... The problem was, was they just didn't strike me as being the right look for the characters!

Now before I go on... I should tell you a little bit about the story...

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="219"] A fun story, from a great novel![/caption]

Cujo tells the story of a woman and her young son who are heading up to an out of the way farm to have their car fixed... What they don't realize is that with her husband out of town, and with a rabid dog having killed everyone at the farm... This mother and her son are going to have to get real smart if they are going to get away from the gigantic rabid dog that has their scent... And all of this while her car is broken down in the parking area of the farm!

In the end the last thing that I did want to say about this book that I thought was bar none great... But was only indirectly associated with this book, is the fact that Stephen King will end up adeptly using this story to add to future work as well!

In the end, the movie was quite good... The book was better, and if you give this a try, you might find the same thing as well!

Carrie (1974) - Stephen King - Book Review

[caption id="attachment_325" align="alignright" width="263"]Official Score = 3 Devils Official Score = 3 Devils[/caption]

Before I got in to the written works of Stephen King, I started off watching the movies that were based on the books that he has written... One of my favorite movies that was made based on his novels is the mini-series movie, The Stand (1994)!

This movie has what I would say is some of the greatest actors of the 80s and early 90s in it it, including: Rob Lowe (St. Elmo's Fire), Gary Sinise (Apollo 13th) & Molly Ringwald (The Breakfast Club), and that is to name a few... Included in the fact that this movie had a great cast, it also had an amazingly fun story that showed civilization as it collapsed, and the final battle between good vs. evil, and how the survivors would have control of the Earth!

The reason that I mention this is the fact that there is another movie that was based on Stephen King's first novel, that I ended up really liking as well, that movie being, Carrie (1976)!

This movie not only had an amazing cast, but it also  had an awesomely fun story that told of how Carrie White (Played by: Sissy Spacek in the movie)... A high school girl that is an out cast by everyone in her school, and the rest of the town... Due to her crazy religious zealot of a mother (played by: Piper Laurie in the movie)... All of the kids in the town and pick on her, and generally speaking... her life is absolutely horrible!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="450"] Carrie White with one of the few people in the world that seems to like her![/caption]

What everyone doesn't know is that Carrie White has certain special powers... But they will... Oh boy will they!

You see one of her fellow students feels bad for a prank that all of her friends played on Carrie, and decides to give her a night that she will never forget when she gets her boyfriend to take Carrie to the prom... Well there is another student that wants to get even with Carrie... And in the end the student body and the rest of the town will never forget the name, 'Carrie White' forever!

In the end, the book tells the same story... But takes a fascinating look at a committee that has been brought together by the government to investigate what happened, and to talk to the survivors of the night Carrie went to the prom!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="182"] This was one of Stephen King's first novels![/caption]

In the end, this novel is an interesting fun one that works well taking place both in the present and in the past... And if you read it, I think you might find that you really like it as well!

The Lawnmower Man (1992) - Movie Review

[caption id="attachment_325" align="alignright" width="263"]Official Score = 3 Devils Official Score = 3 Devils[/caption]

Jeff Fahey (Psycho 3), what can I say about this man, he is an amazing actor, having done such awesome films as, Psycho 3 (1986), Darkman 3: Die Darkman Die (1996), and even Planet Terror (2007)!

Why is this guy so great you might be asking, well in just about everything I have seen him in (at least in his earlier work anyway, and to some degree in his later work), he gives off this sort of grifter/sarcastic attitude that just works perfectly in just about everything I have seen him in, except believe it or not, the first movie that I ever saw him in, and that of course being, The Lawnmower Man (1992)!

Written & Directed by: Brett Leonard (Virtuousity). Starring: Jeff Fahey, Pierce Brosnan (Golden Eye), Jenny Wright (Near Dark), Geoffrey Lewis (The Devil's Rejects) & Dean Norris (Breaking Bad).

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="480"] This Lawnmower man is soon going to become so much more![/caption]

This movie is sort of an awesome melding of Science Fiction and horror, in that this movie tells the story of, Doctor Lawrence Angelo (Brosnan) who is an expert scientist that is working on virtual reality and sets his sights on the mild mannered slightly retarded guy that works in his neighborhood by the name of, 'Jobe Smith' (Fahey) to help him...

You see Angelo has figured out a way using his virtual reality techniques to make Jobe smarter... And after the initial sessions, he starts showing some amazing progress... to the point where this formerly retarded young man eventually becomes so smart that he figures out how to actually make his lawnmower go by itself!

In the end, something goes haywire with the whole experiment, you see Jobe starts getting smarter and smarter, to the point where he gets to smart for his own good, and ends becoming dangerous!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Jobe 2.0 literally![/caption]

Now if Angelo can't fix this before the now out of control genius, 'Jobe', gets to far out of control, then ultimately he may not only loose his experiment, but his experiment might end up causing problems in such a way that people may not be prepared for!

As a side note, and a little bit of interesting trivia... It turns out that both Jeff Fahey and Dean Norris would end up working again in another Stephen King production, when they would star in last years masterpiece mini-series based on the Stephen King novel of the same name, 'Under The Dome' together!

In the end, this movie is a total blast, with great talent, a great story, and amazing special effects, and if you check it out, you might come to the same conclusions as well!

http://youtu.be/YCxFGxqLsHE