Just this picture alone freaks me out |
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I recently read a book of short stories by Stephen King that were eventually made into movies. Some of them I had read before but it was nice to revisit them and also get King's take on the movies that came from them. (In case you were wondering, he loved the film adaptation of THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION; THE MANGLER and CHILDREN OF THE CORN, not so much). So many movies have come from King and a lot of them are pretty crappy, but there are also some gems. With Halloween approaching, I thought I'd take a look at what I think are his scariest films. Here they are in no particular order.
IT
Although technically a mini-series, this was very good and very scary. (Who would've thought something starring both Harry Anderson and John Ritter could be so frightening?) King has said that when people talk to him about what has most scared them from his films, Pennywise the Clown is almost inevitably the number one thing mentioned. Tim Curry is 
Creepy, thy name is Walken |
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delightfully horrific in the role and even though it's been nearly twenty years, I can't see him in anything without thinking about that damn clown. And not only is the clown terrifying, the switchblade-wielding bullies are nearly as bad. Bullies often seem to play a big role in King's stories, ya think he might've been picked on as a kid?
THE DEAD ZONE
Not entirely scary (I'm not even sure it's classified as horror), but nevertheless there were some very creepy moments in this movie. And nobody seems to do creepy better than Christopher Walken. The ending was also very satisfying if sad. (BTW, with Christopher Walken hosting, there was a great sketch on SNL years later parodying THE DEAD ZONE: "You're going to eat an ice cream sandwich and you're going to get an ice cream headache, and it's going to hurt real bad.")
THE SHINING
Although "Heeeeeeere's Johnny!" has almost become like the "Say hello to my little friend" 
What a happy fellow |
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line from SCARFACE in terms of campiness, this film is still great and genuinely spooky. Nicholson is perfect and that kid with the whole "red rum" thing is bone-chilling. The music and Kubrick's camera angles and lighting alone are enough to give you the willies and probably keep you away from old ski lodges for a while.
THE MIST
This film reminded me of an episode of The Twilight Zone. Almost scarier than the monsters are the people who become monsters, eventually turning on and hurting their friends and neighbors. My only problem was the horrifically depressing ending, which was changed from the one in the book.
1408
I wasn't sure about this one when I started watching it but it didn't take me long to get hooked. A great setup: An unbelieving author of "real" haunted house books finally discovers a place that truly is haunted. There are only two main actors in the entire movie and both John Cusack and Samuel L. 
She just wants to cut your steak for you |
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Jackson are very good and believable. If you haven't seen this one, be forewarned: Don't watch it high, a lot of it feels like a bad acid trip as it is.
THE DARK HALF
Directed by horror legend George A. Romero, this is another creepy film with a very intriguing premise, this one about a writer who "kills off" his pseudonym only to have him come to life and terrorize the writer and his family. King himself wrote with a pseudonym for a while and that's no doubt where this idea came from.
MISERY
The scariest part about this one is that Annie Wilkes isn't a supernatural creature or demon, or possessed by anything, she's just a really, REALLY big fan. This is another movie where there are pretty much only two main actors. James Kaan is very good and Kathy Bates is truly amazing. (That scene with her brandishing the sledgehammer still gives me chills). I only wish that someday I have a fan whose half as dedicated as Annie was.
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| Movie Musings |
Every other Tuesday
Thoughts, observations, conjectures, complaints about movies and mostly how they relate to me personally. If you're looking for something a little broader, try Ebert.
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| Tim Josephs |
Born to write (literally – much to the displeasure of his mother, he emerged with a pencil clutched in one tiny fist), Tim spends most of his days crafting epic monosyllabic poems, new comical titles to his favorite Beatles' songs (Hey, Dude), and angry letters to local businesses that have wronged him in some way. He's really an okay guy once you get to know him.
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