![]() This, after Kubrick had rejected King as screenwriter, branding his writing ‘weak’. Kubrick’s auteur approach displeased King to the extent that he would later team up with director Mick Garris to pen a TV mini-series that he felt was closer to his original vision. King was unimpressed with Jack Nicholson’s iconic portrayal of maniacal patriarch Jack Torrance, questioning the sense of a performance that oozed craziness from the outset for a story which focuses on a man’s steady deterioration. ![]() Perhaps most detached from its source material is Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining, a film that eschews storytelling convention for a subliminal descent into madness. Brian De Palma’s Carrie, bathed in the woozy lens of prom queen fantasy and famous for its innovative split screen finale, belongs very much to the realms of cinema, and it’s not an isolated example. Some of the writer’s most revered and fondly remembered adaptations are as much indicative of their directors’ styles as they are the original storyteller’s. King is renown for being particularly precious about his work when it comes to artistic licence, several directors transforming his stories into visions that deviate rather spectacularly from the source material. This means that the world beyond the confines of the Wilkes home remains a mystery, which while perfect for the tense and isolating throes of literary consumption may have proven a little one-dimensional for moviegoers, particularly since the novel’s only stylistic release comes in the form of excerpts from Sheldon’s latest book. Like many of King’s works, the novel takes a claustrophobic approach that traps the reader with protagonist Paul Sheldon, Annie’s insane temperament revealed almost from the outset. The differences or embellishments that do exist, like the investigation of Richard Farnsworth’s local sheriff, Buster, are stylistic deviations owing to King’s insular presentation. Like any screen adaptation there are subtle differences, minor embellishments that are intrinsic to the format, but due to the film’s simplicity and budget-friendly nature there’s no substantial trimming-down of events, resulting in a film that would have been equally suited to the bright lights of the theatre. ![]() ![]() Not only is Misery one of the most underrated and beautifully realised Stephen King adaptations, it’s one of the most devoutly loyal, Rob Reiner’s deliciously macabre nightmare playing out like a live-action novel for the most part. Remembering one of horror’s most colourful tyrants and the real-life drug addiction that inspired her ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |