God bless, Stephen King.
From his delightfully twisted noggin came forth some of the most terrifying images every put to pen and paper. Considered the most prolific author of all time, King not only scares the bejesus out of millions on a daily basis, but has re-invented the horror genre a thousand times over.
Pennywise the Clown, The Walking Dude, Annie Wilkes, Ace Merrill…all are new demons for a modern age. Not the normal ghost and ghoulies, but twisted figures who make life hell for all people, big and small. King was able to take the concept of vampires and werewolves and make them seem almost quaint.
Sure, monsters are scary. But you want to know what else is scary? Chattery novelty toy teeth, clowns, meteors from outer space, glass domes, women who live alone and all of Maine.
But while his books, stories and novellas continue to terrify, the adaptations have historically been hit or miss. For every Shawshank Redemption, there is a Sleepwalkers, for every Misery, there is a Maximum Overdrive.
King’s TV adaptations haven’t fared much better. His usual tortured tales sometimes struggle under the burden of budgetary constraints, weak acting and bad special effects.
But every now and then, there is a gem.
Taking a look at his TV adaptations, here is a glance at the best of King:
It (1990)
Director: Tommy Lee Wallace
It takes skill to traumatize an entire generation into hating what was once a beloved figure of childhood.
Thanks to Pennywise (with a little help from Poltergeist and John Wayne Gacy), people now know that clowns are nothing more but sewer monsters who will rip off your arm the minute you come within limb-grabbing proximity of their white-gloved hands.
The story of a group of outsiders who must battle a creature that can take the form of their greatest fear struck a note with youngsters who happen to catch this TV miniseries in 1990. Filled with freaky moments, the central figure of Pennywise the Dancing Clown (played by Tim Curry, in possibly his greatest role not involving fishnets), became a symbol of evil to thousands of latchkey kids.
Best Scene: The first glimpse of Pennywise when he is attempting to lure little Georgie closer to the sewers with promises of missing paper boats. As the young boy moves closer, Pennywise begins to chant, “They float, Georgie…They all float…Down here.” Then in a flash of fangs and screams, young Georgie was gone.
Nightmares and Dreamscapes: “Battleground” (2006)
Imagine Toy Story with a bloodlust and you have the brilliant “Battleground.”
Starring William Hurt, the story follows the silent but deadly Jason Renshaw, a professional hitman whose latest toy-making target has a veritable army at his command.
An itty-bitty army.
Nearly wordless, the battle between the professional killer and the hundreds of revenge-minded toys becomes compelling dance between the two players.
Attacking the cold-blooded killer from land (behind the couch), air (the ceiling) and sea (the sink and toilet), the toy soldiers launch an attack that would have made Patton proud.
Best Scene: The entire battle sequence between the inch-high army and Renshaw is just as good as any battle scene in most tentpole blockbusters.
But the standout scene is the final battle between Renshaw and Savage Commando as they duke it out in an elevator.
The Stand (1994)
Director: Mick Garris
A military-designed virus escapes the lab, wiping out just over 99% of the population of Earth. Those who survived in the U.S. then begin their next battle as they begin to take sides in an battle of good vs. evil.
While lacking the horror of a kid-eating clown, The Stand was able to highlight a fantastic villain in Randall Flagg, a recurring figure of malice in many of King’s works.
Played by Jamey Sheridan, “The Walking Dude” liked to taunt and tease, making those who are weak even weaker and destroying lives whenever possible.
In addition to Flagg, The Stand boasted a whole host of great characters including Tom “M-O-O-N” Cullen, the doomed Nadine Cross and silent hero Nick Andros.
While the end fell apart for some, the ride was still fun while it lasted.
Best Scene: In what is possible the best use ever for the song “Don’t Fear the Reaper,” the opening scene follows the camera as it pans over thousands of dead military workers, who appears to have died suddenly with no warning. Some are face down in a bowl of soup, while others were still sporting cigarettes from their 15-minutes break.
The scene gave audiences everything they needed to know about the Captain Trips virus: It’s deadly, it’s hits without warning and it’s fast. Very, very fast.
Nightmares & Dreamscapes: “The End of the Whole Mess” (2006)
Genius Bobby Fornoy (Henry Thomas) found a way to put an end to the violent nature of the human race. As it turns out, the drinking water of the small town of La Plata has a calming effect. In fact, no violent crime has ever been committed in the tiny little ‘berg! Ever! But there is quite of bit of Alzheimer’s.
Certainly, the two aren’t….oh.
Told from the point of view of big brother Howard (Ron Livingstone), “Whole Mess” is a sad tale of the man who just wanted to do right by the human race but ended up wiping out the planet. The slow burn of the realization that all of mankind will eventually lose their basic survival skills is the central scare to the show; a growing realization that no one will inherit the Earth.
Best Scene: In the end, the two brothers are forced to face the consequences of Bobby’s actions…but decide to take the coward’s way out.
After Howard injects Bobby with a concentrate of the chemical from the calming water, Howie does the same to himself, giving the viewers a sneak peak of humanity’s future as he sits back in his chair forgetting the sins of his brother, forgetting his past, forgetting his name and eventually, forgetting how to breathe.
Special Mention:
X-Files: “Chinga” (Season 5)
While not adapted from any existing work, this episode of X-Files was a fun fan-favorite of both the series and the writer.
Dana Scully finally takes a break from her daily life of attacking cannibals, incestuous hillbillies, serial killers, alien encounters and murdering religious sects for a little me-time…and she goes to Maine, home of the vortex of evil and discount lobster.
While vacationing in Amma Beach, Scully gets called back into action when a series of violent murders begin to crop up in the sleepy beachside town.
Turns out, an creepy antique doll made completely out of other creepier dolls has the power to control minds. And so it convinces the good folks of Amma Beach to begin a reading group at the local library.
Naw, just fucking with you. It totally kills the crap out of everyone.
While not the strongest episode of X-Files, “Chinga” is a fun episode set apart by King’s flare for creating goulish moments. It also did its best to feed the fanboys and slash forums.
(Note: Because this came out in 1998 when this came out, there were only seven fanfictions forums at the time. And they were all Scully and Mulder based. True story.)
Best Scene: Just as Scully feels compelled to turn a nearby hammer onto herself after saving the lives of doll owners’ Polly and Melissa Turner, she suddenly remembers the end of Gremlins and throws the ceramic moppet into the microwave.
