Worst of Stephen King's 10 favorite adaptations of his own fiction

The DVD release of THE MIST includes a black and white version, which is apparently Darabont's preferred version - it certainly helps to disguise some of the dodgy cgi and generally gives the flick more atmos

I didn't love the mist but sorta wanted to see the B&W version just because I suspected the CGI wouldn't look as terrible and the mood would be improved, thanks for the confirmation

TS: The Mist vs. The Fog?

the mist is weird, cuz while it's not a great film, it plays out like a better than average sci-fi channel flick for most of it's running time before finally delivering this AMAZING should-have-been-closing-shot of that massive cthuloid thing walking through the sky ... but then totally fucks itself over with one of the most senseless codas i've ever seen in an otherwise half-decent movie

OTM

Folks, this is BY FAR the worst

http://www.impawards.com/2003/posters/dreamcatcher_verdvd.jpg

that cthuloid thing was the most memorable image from the story too, i was glad they put it in

OUTLANDER WE HAVE YOUR WOMAN

Is Children of the Corn the first film to feature a "spooky kid" who, with blissful ignorance, draws horrific & prophetic images of monsters/gruesome carnage?

In today's Publishers Weekly email:

"Both Rowling and Meyer, they're speaking directly to young people. ... The real difference is that Jo Rowling is a terrific writer and Stephenie Meyer can't write worth a darn. She’s not very good.... You've got Dean Koontz, who can write like hell. And then sometimes he's just awful. It varies. James Patterson is a terrible writer but he's very very successful." - Stephen King

http://www.journalfen.net/community/sparklefield/20002.html#cutid2

Shwmmer is great in that movie! He becomes that character, and 90% of that character is bad mustache.

tl;dr

Which could apply to Meyer's books as well.

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

3 of the top 4 vote-getters from Darabont. Good job, ILX!

Okay, so I'm thinking of holding a movie screening night: "Stephen King's Cavalcade of Terrible". What flicks could I cram in to a single day's showing that wouldn't kill people?

Much as I dislike The Green Mile, I'd steer clear of the Darabont movies entirely. Too boring.

The Langoliers
Sleepwalkers
Maximum Overdrive
The Lawnmower Man
Thinner

That's a pretty solid list that will also keep folks entertained with the badness.

1. Children of the Corn
2. Children of the Corn II: The Final Sacrifice
3. Children of the Corn III: Urban Harvest
4. Children of the Corn IV: The Gathering
5. Children of the Corn V: Fields of Terror
6. Children of the Corn 666: Isaac's Return
7. Children of the Corn: Revelation

eric's list is good but i might sub in "dreamcatcher"

Yeah, that one's supposed to be the new classic in bad King. Sorry I missed it.

o u really must

I find The Langoliers to be a genuinely entertaining movie.

langorly??

This was prompted by watching Maximum Overdrive and Pet Sematary at 2am on Saturday night. Both movies have quite enjoyable bits.

The killer coke machine has remained lodged in my memory for 20+ years now.

http://www.nxfansite.net.au/movies/petsematary1.jpg

I'd take out Lawnmower Man since Stephen King successfully sued to get his name off it. Replace it with Creepshow!

creepshow is awesome, tho!

creepshow 2 would prob qualify for entertainingly bad.

making a distinction between "awesome" and "incredibly bad" seems foolish when dealing with stephen king.

just showing films he wrote himself might do the trick:

Sleepwalkers
Pet Sematary
Maximum Overdrive
Silver Bullet
Cat's Eye
Creepshow

"awesome" and "entertainingly bad," i mean

yeah, I feel you on that.

and now that I think of it, did king write anything for creepshow besides that redneck plant dude thing he starred in? prob one of the weakest segments in the film.

he wrote the whole screenplay, according to imdb/wikipedia

ah.

anyway, the best one has gotta be leslie neilson vs ted danson

http://www.best-horror-movies.com/image-files/creepshow-tide-you-over.jpg

creepshow top 5 material for real.

I'm thinking the crucial balance will be between entertaining terribleness and just outright boredom. There are parts of Maximum Overdrive and Pet Sematary, to use them as examples again, where it's just kinda 'enh.' The pacing halfway thru MO just dies.

Then again, both movies also have enjoyable parts; from the coke machine to the killer ice cream truck to Fred Gwynne's accent to the toddler munching on Fred Gwynne's throat to Pascow the Helpful Bloody Ghost.

Maximum Overdrive really shoots its wad in that first 20 minutes or so. How do you top a kid getting run over by a steamroller?

I'd take out Lawnmower Man since Stephen King successfully sued to get his name off it. Replace it with Creepshow!

― da croupier, Tuesday, January 19, 2010 4:32 PM (4 hours ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

shouldn't that give it like extra-special bonus points?

Maximum Overdrive really shoots its wad in that first 20 minutes or so. How do you top a kid getting run over by a steamroller?

!!! I suspect all of my memories of this flick are from those 20 min...

I'd take out Lawnmower Man since Stephen King successfully sued to get his name off it. Replace it with Creepshow!
― da croupier, Tuesday, January 19, 2010 4:32 PM (4 hours ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

shouldn't that give it like extra-special bonus points?
― fleetwood (s1ocki), Tuesday, January 19, 2010 8:25 PM (1 hour ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

For badness? Not really, since it's been established that King has terrible judgement about which of his own adaptations are good and which are bad.

I have a weird affection for Lawnmower Man, it's a fun movie.

Lawnmower Man was the first movie related to him that I saw in the theaters, as I

1) was 16
2) loved bad CGI & early-90s VR hype

what of the fuck you talkie bout, Green mile is more than u could ever be so why not try to understand the artist directions before u go off running ur hairy mouth

Whoa, that was quick.

We're done told.

well whut movies do u like then crap like Far and Away geez

Far and Away is scarey.

Lawnmower man features a chimp-cam lets not forget.

he didn't like Salem's Lot??

I'd take out Lawnmower Man since Stephen King successfully sued to get his name off it. Replace it with Creepshow!
― da croupier, Tuesday, January 19, 2010 4:32 PM (4 hours ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink
shouldn't that give it like extra-special bonus points?
― fleetwood (s1ocki), Tuesday, January 19, 2010 8:25 PM (1 hour ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

For badness? Not really, since it's been established that King has terrible judgement about which of his own adaptations are good and which are bad.

― queen frostine (Eric H.), Tuesday, January 19, 2010 10:44 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

true but in this case i feel like it's a special moment of critical/kingian rapprochement

what of the fuck you talkie bout