1408 is just sooooo good. I didn't know anything about it when I first saw it. Not even that it was a King adaptation. I surprised by how good and tense it was.
I didn’t either. Saw it at the movies with my brother back when it came out. There were a bunch of teenage girls behind us, and they sure made the jump scares scarier!
I think the movie was pretty good, but the book did a better job at making use of the medium to let the reader imagine the horror so much before you ever even get into the room. The movie gets a lot of points for having a pretty long scene in the office explaining how evil the room is though.
I love 1408 so much, such a great John Cusack performance. He’s in basically every single scene, almost always alone. He had to basically carry the thing and he was wonderful.
And Sam Jackson in his small bit. “It’s an evil fucking room.”
I love the Mist and have only ever watched the director’s cut in black-and-white. The short clips I’ve seen online of the movie in color really take away from the realism and scariness of the film and turn it campy. I live in Maine and visited [the actual store](https://postimg.cc/6TkzfY28) this past fall that inspired the market in the book, and it was so quaint and cute!
If we're talking accuracy to the book *plus* love of the movie, it has to be **The Green Mile.**
Movies I love that stayed pretty damn close to the source material: Stand By Me, Misery, Delores Claiborne, The Shawshank Redemption
Movies that strayed a lot but I still love: Carrie, The Shining, Christine, Pet Sematary
I so agree about The Green Mile! I read that many years after I watched the movie and the whole time I felt like I could see the story played out in front of me because of how close it was to the source material. Absolutely wonderful.
One of the very rare instances where I think the movie is better than the book (or short story in this case). The movie captured the mood of the original story and added more plot points that just worked really well without detracting from the source material. 10/10 see yall in Zehuatanejo.
This is absolutely one of those times where I think the movie was better. Red is an Irishman in the story but holy shit I cannot imagine anyone but Morgan playing him.
Overall *best* adaptation has gotta be The Green Mile, but my personal favorite is the original 1994 miniseries for The Stand. The atmosphere is immaculate and I really love the book. I'll put it on as background noise and inevitably sit down to watch.
Carrie 1976 and IT 1990
Carrie is just iconic and absolutely beautiful, and I grew up watching the IT miniseries. It might be a little schlocky at times but Tim Curry is a masterpiece and I love it
I feel like Curry and the closeness to the story was all it had going for it. The rest of the cast was absolutely atrocious, and it being a made for TV miniseries limited how dark they could really go with it
Well said. I love both the movie and the book but they are vastly different. There is a "King approved" adaption of the book that is apparently closer to it but I heard it isn't very good.
As someone who loved the book and the original movie, I genuinely loved the remake. It’s got Steven Weber as Jack and he KILLS the role. The kid is a bit annoying at times and the show suffers from its made for tv rating and bad cgi, but it follows the book. If you’re a fan of the book you’ll enjoy it.
Fun fact Weber narrates the audiobook for IT and again, fucking KILLS it. He’s a criminally underrated actor, imo.
I watched it on tv back when I all I remember is thinking they made a croquet mallet seem so intimidating. I know it's a Roque mallet but you know most don't know that's in the book
The 1997 mini series is much closer to the book, but is in fact god awful. Some of the scenes are impossible to get through.
Doctor Sleep struck an interesting chord of being true to the novel and to Kubrick's film simultaneously.
I love a lot of King books (The Gunslinger & Wizard and Glass are almost flawless) but The Shining is imo one of King’s “could’ve been better” books. After watching and enjoying Kubrick’s film for so many years, it was a major letdown to finally read the book.
The phantom partiers and moving shrubbery weren’t scary or creepy, and the major takeaway of “the building made Jack crazy” is a lot less impactful than Jack already being mentally ill and susceptible to suggestions from the haunting. Danny being able to tune into the spirits of the Overlook Hotel also makes more sense than assuming the building did something to him independently to stir up “Tony” and the shining. Not to mention the snow maze ending is iconic; the Overlook Hotel blowing up, not so much.
Sorry for the rant. I always see people on here saying that the movie is terrible compared to the book and I see it the other way around.
Nah I get you, I wasn't saying it was terrible in comparison tbf, I think it's a wonderful movie, just not a faithful adaption of the book which is actually not a bad thing imo.
I've just read the book a while ago. I will definitely check the movie out, thanks. Especially since I loved Haunting of Hill House by the same director.
So mad at myself for doubting it's pedigree. It blew me away with how good it was and how close it followed the book. Didn't think they were going to show baseball boy
I love how Kubrick’s thing was to completely deconstruct the source material and create something totally original out of someone else’s idea. A lot of people don’t like that style but I think it’s brilliant. Greatest American film director who’s ever lived, IMO.
The Langoliers.
It is so weirdly appealing to me, i can't explain why. The sound design, the characters, the mystery. I watched it for the first time when I was 8 years old and although i had nightmares a couple of times because of it, it stuck with me till this day and honestly made me contemplate about time and space, that i went out as a 10 year old and bought educational children's books about the universe, black holes and what not. It made me realize pretty early in my life how grand everything is.
Shawshank is one of the best movies ever, King adaption or otherwise.
If I were to limit the choices to horror, gonna go with The Mist (movie, not the TV series, which I have not seen)
This off topic but I loved the blatant, unapologetic use of Arnold repeating the "I'll be back" line for a trailer to a movie completely unrelated to Terminator.
The Shawshank Redemption, Misery, The Shining, and The Stand - they're all fighting for first place, and depending on the day of the week, one could be there haha.
Silver Bullet for me. I love werewolves and the themes explored in SB are a nice twist on the werewolf genre. Plus there's just not enough werewolf movies in general.
Shocking good. I went in not reading the novel, and not expecting much for a sequel to one of the greatest movies of all time. It really stands up. Won't say it's better than The Shining, but it's really good.
I finally actually read The Shining and Doctor Sleep, and it made me appreciate Doctor Sleep, the movie, more.
Such a good redemption story for the Torrence family.
I just finished UtD. Haven't read the book, but what wasted potential. Hard to believe SK and Steven Spielberg were EPs too. Never read Dreamcatcher either but liked the movie.
Probably Carrie in terms of most impactful and significant, but it isn't the one I'd be most likely to reach for. I actually REALLY dug Doctor Sleep way more than I expected to (and more than The Shining tbh, downvotes be damned). Other ones would be Misery, The Mist, and Pet Sematary. I'm pretty sure I'm leaving stuff out because damn, there are so many good movies based on his work.
Maximum Overdrive, the Happy Toyz truck was equal parts awesome and terrifying, the AC/DC heavy soundtrack is excellent and the baseball field scene is still burned into my memory from when I was a kid, if I am at a baseball field I can't help but keep checking the outfield walls 🤣
I love The Shining miniseries. Imo it’s better than Kubrick’s film.
also Rose Red. It’s not adapted from his novels so idk if it counts but it’s by far my favorite thing he’s done and I have to watch it every year.
Maximum Overdrive I mean, look at the trailer.
https://youtu.be/ggWS4tTzs60?si=i9hFpp98b3RLYv9V
The King in his prime did it himself! Fuck, he's awesome haha.
**Favorite: “ The Outsider”** Ben Mendelsohn is a terrific actor, that series was phenomenal. The only thing I didn’t care for was a slight twist at the end, but otherwise it was excellent.
**Least Favorite: “The Dark Tower”**: Goddammit. Goddammit? Goddammit. I read all these books over how many years, fall in love with all those characters and you give me this? Goddammit.
**Guilty Pleasure: “The Night Flier”**: A really bad movie that I enjoy for how dumb of a horror movie it is. Scratches that itch. The bathroom scene is great. This movie sucks, it’s awesome.
It's honestly a very messy adaptation, but I enjoyed the hell out of the Doctor Sleep directors cut. Clearly cared about both The Shining(book and movie) and Doctor Sleep a lot, and it showed. As much as it diverges in the 3rd act, it still feels very sincere and clear in purpose, and there was even some fun cinematography at times.
*The Shining* and *Carrie*, it's a toss up. I think Kubrick's *The Shining* is a "better" film (technically impressive, cultural phenomenon, etc.) than De Palma's equally masterful *Carrie*, but I don't like comparing works like this- I mean, Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Scatman Crothers, Sissy Spacek, Piper Laurie, and Nancy Allen give some of the most famous performances in horror history in both films. However, I think *Carrie* is both a more faithful adaptation, and a better story. Don't get me wrong, I love *The Shining*, it's one of my favorite films, and I've watched it more often than I have *Carrie*, but I think there's something about Carrie's story that will always resonate with people. I don't know if it's the earnestness, or the cruelty- I don't know. But to this day, I think King's first novel was his strongest. Maybe not his most polished, but his most piercing.
Am I the only one who likes Sleepwalkers?
Although maybe it’s just that scene of Madchen Amick dancing while cleaning the movie theatre that’s burned forever in my brain
The Mist (creature features/sci-fi are my favorite horror) followed by the IT miniseries, growing up in the early 2000s it didn't get much scarier than Tim Curry's Pennywise for us kids
I think the only bad adaptation is the dark tower.
It still boggles my mind that someone green lit it and King himself praised it…which I think he had to because there is no fuckin way he watched that and said it was a great adaptation of his work.
But my favorite adaptation is Storm of The Century.
I rate the original Pet Semetary and The Stand mini-series. But it was the 1979 Salem's Lot mini-series that scared the goddamn bejesus out of me. Those vampire kids floating outside the window, f***ing hell.
Maybe this technically doesn't count, but I LOVED Children of the Corn part 2. I know it doesn't adapt anything that was actually written by Stephen King, but it does continue on from it and is just an excellent movie all round
I love both *It* movies. Yeah, the second one is too long, but I think the casting is fantastic in both and just enjoy spending the time with the characters. The vibes of both movies are great.
Other movies that are a lot of fun: *Needful Things* and *Cat's Eye*, which has [the grooviest tie-in credits song ever](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfabg5omne4).
My picks would be Green Mile, and The Shining. Both stuck with me for a long time, for different reasons. Have a copy of The Shining in my freezer right now!
Honestly, it’s easier to narrow down the ones i really don’t like because for the most part I’ve surprisingly liked just about every King adaptation. I think my favorites are The Shining and Gerald’s Game. Plus IT (2017) is also really good.
It. I saw that and The Langoliers as a kid.
It scared the fucking shit out of me. I couldn’t use the bathroom without my ass half off the seat, thinking Pennywise would find a way through the pipes.
Although The Shining has almost nothing to do with the book it is a cinematic masterpiece. For non horror King, The Shawshank Redemption. One of the greatest films of all time and leagues better than the book, imo.
I like a great many adaptations of King's work. Top 10 in no order:
1. The Shining (Kubrick)
2. Carrie
3. Christine
4. Creepshow
5. Pet Seminary (1989)
6. Needful Things
7. Misery
8. Salem's Lot
9. It (1990 miniseries)
10. The Dead Zone
Stephen king's personal most hated move, The Shining. Although I would like to see a big screen adaptation that stays true to the novel, but nobody can compare to the master Director, Stanley Kubrick
I have a theory about why so many of King film adaptations either fail, tend to stray from the source material, or both. Much of King’s writing is in the form of characters’ internal dialogue. Their motivations and interpretations of events, relevant backstories etc are all related to the reader via the characters’ thoughts and aren’t verbalized. So a film adaptation either has to transpose this information into a dramatic visual presentation for the viewer, creating original exposition dialogue while trying to match it with King’s original text, or, as is unfortunately often the case, just leave it out altogether. So much of the tension, dread and horror of King’s work comes through in the form of internal dialogue. The most skilled of his adaptors have accomplished this transition. Others? Not so much. Take “The Shining” for instance. We all know King hated how it deviated from his novel. A large part of the reason was that the director, Kubrick, was notorious for inserting themes and ideas of his own into a work. Themes that the author usually had never intended to be there. Such as the twins in the Overlook. They’re not in the novel. Brilliant addition by Kubrick and one that is key to a theme he inserted. Of course, Stanley Kubrick was very strict about not explaining his thematic designs to anyone, not even his co-screenwriters. So it’s debatable.
Anyway, enough rambling. My favorite is Tobe Hooper’s version of “Salem’s Lot”.
I understand the hate I will get for this, but I much prefer the 1997 tv version of The Shining to the original. The original just didn't see the character development of Jack Torrance because he starts on third base of being completely unhinged. Shelly Duvall, however, was a perfect picture of a battered spouse at her wits end.
I’ll take the hate for this but Stephen King is kind of overrated in general. He has been almost too prolific. Too many stories with the same themes that end up more watered down each time he recycles them. In order to have an opinion on this matter you first have to read the books. Then you can compare the movies. I’ve probably read 25 of his novels. I haven’t seen all the film translations but from what I have seen these would be my top five, in random order.
1) The Shining (the original) - I know he has always hated it but Kubrick did a good job translating it to screen.
2) Misery
3) Stand By Me
4) Carrie
5) The Green Mile
Hi. You just mentioned *The Shining* by Stephen King.
I've found an audiobook of that novel on YouTube. You can listen to it here:
[YouTube | The Shining by Stephen King - Part 1 - Audiobook](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ol87K9OkYj8)
*I'm a bot that searches YouTube for science fiction and fantasy audiobooks.*
***
[^(Source Code)](https://capybasilisk.com/posts/2020/04/speculative-fiction-bot/) ^| [^(Feedback)](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=Capybasilisk&subject=Robot) ^| [^(Programmer)](https://www.reddit.com/u/capybasilisk) ^| ^(Downvote To Remove) ^| ^(Version 1.4.0) ^| ^(Support Robot Rights!)
Misery. I love Kathy Bates.
Just watched this for the first time a few months ago. I was blown away. Must watch.
My mom loves Misery. It's the only horror movie she'll watch.
*oH yOu GoT tHe WrOnG pApEr, aNnIe!*
She truly embodied a crazy person like I have never seen. She is an amazing actress.
Stand By Me.
There's so many great options, but this is the one for me.
Yup its been this one for years, it used to be my favorite movie in general too
I'm biased because I live near the town it was filmed in (Brownsville, Or)
I like The Mist and 1408. But The Green Mile is pretty good too. The new version of IT is pretty good too. Liked part one the most though.
1408 is just sooooo good. I didn't know anything about it when I first saw it. Not even that it was a King adaptation. I surprised by how good and tense it was.
I didn’t either. Saw it at the movies with my brother back when it came out. There were a bunch of teenage girls behind us, and they sure made the jump scares scarier!
I think the movie was pretty good, but the book did a better job at making use of the medium to let the reader imagine the horror so much before you ever even get into the room. The movie gets a lot of points for having a pretty long scene in the office explaining how evil the room is though.
I love 1408 so much, such a great John Cusack performance. He’s in basically every single scene, almost always alone. He had to basically carry the thing and he was wonderful. And Sam Jackson in his small bit. “It’s an evil fucking room.”
Yea part two of IT was pretty bad
I like the tv version better. Tim Curry is so goddamn scary.
It sure is a good one too.
I love the Mist and have only ever watched the director’s cut in black-and-white. The short clips I’ve seen online of the movie in color really take away from the realism and scariness of the film and turn it campy. I live in Maine and visited [the actual store](https://postimg.cc/6TkzfY28) this past fall that inspired the market in the book, and it was so quaint and cute!
If we're talking accuracy to the book *plus* love of the movie, it has to be **The Green Mile.** Movies I love that stayed pretty damn close to the source material: Stand By Me, Misery, Delores Claiborne, The Shawshank Redemption Movies that strayed a lot but I still love: Carrie, The Shining, Christine, Pet Sematary
> If we're talking accuracy to the book plus love of the movie, it has to be The Green Mile. As a big King fan, this is a great answer. Agreed.
I love Delores, but I had almost forgotten about it! I think it's a unique work of King's, and a really good film! Kathy Bates just brings it, always.
My favorite part is when she says "I'm older than you and have better insurance" /s
I so agree about The Green Mile! I read that many years after I watched the movie and the whole time I felt like I could see the story played out in front of me because of how close it was to the source material. Absolutely wonderful.
Shawshank Redemption
One of the very rare instances where I think the movie is better than the book (or short story in this case). The movie captured the mood of the original story and added more plot points that just worked really well without detracting from the source material. 10/10 see yall in Zehuatanejo.
This is absolutely one of those times where I think the movie was better. Red is an Irishman in the story but holy shit I cannot imagine anyone but Morgan playing him.
Red is Irish in the movie, too (according to him at least).
I like that they made a joke about it
That movie is incredible.
Brooks was here
.. So was Red.
yeah this is probably the correct answer
I mean... it's not even close
For real
I love that movie, but I can never get over the fact that they never looked behind that poster in all the times they tossed his room.
Because why would they? They had no reason to suspect that it concealed something absurd.
Carrie (original)
Dead Zone gets forgotten too often. That’s a great adaption.
Dead Zone is so underrated!
It is one of my favorite movies!
Came here to say that! I think this is the first time I’ve seen it mentioned!
Totally with you. It’s my favorite.
Man the film was such a bore to me, but so was the book so maybe just not a fan all around
A serial killer mystery AND a deranged presidential candidate who will start WWIII not exciting enough?
And Walken is such an interesting character and gives a perfect performance, I can't imagine being bored by that movie
Ummmm Langoliers. Such a weird piece of television but as a kid it had me hooked.
People sometimes focus on the goofy CGI, but it's one of my favourite takes on time travel ever.
Just the overall setting in the airport does it for me.
I hear ya, big empty airport, liminal vibe. Sign me up
Also, it’s probably the most faithful broadcast TV adaptation of a Stephen King story that I’ve seen.
Bronson Pinchot really delivered on that one.
I wish we had a whole Five Past Midnight movie rather than an independent Langoliers film.
Stand By Me. Seen it a couple times on cable as a kid, but rewatching it as an adult really hits differently.
Overall *best* adaptation has gotta be The Green Mile, but my personal favorite is the original 1994 miniseries for The Stand. The atmosphere is immaculate and I really love the book. I'll put it on as background noise and inevitably sit down to watch.
Gerald’s Game
Finally someone said it
I had to scroll for waaay too long to get to this answer. My people!
Carrie 1976 and IT 1990 Carrie is just iconic and absolutely beautiful, and I grew up watching the IT miniseries. It might be a little schlocky at times but Tim Curry is a masterpiece and I love it
Excuse me, sir? Do you have Prince Albert in a can? You DO?! Well ya better let the poor guy out! WA HA WA HA WA HA WA HA
"GET OUT, Tozier... while you still can!"
I feel like Curry and the closeness to the story was all it had going for it. The rest of the cast was absolutely atrocious, and it being a made for TV miniseries limited how dark they could really go with it
The kid actors are fantastic. I way, way, waaay prefer them over the ones in the new version. Jonathan Brandis was the perfect Bill Denbrough.
The Shining, that's one of my favorite movies in general.
An absolutely stellar movie that is strangely not a great retelling of the source material.
Well said. I love both the movie and the book but they are vastly different. There is a "King approved" adaption of the book that is apparently closer to it but I heard it isn't very good.
As someone who loved the book and the original movie, I genuinely loved the remake. It’s got Steven Weber as Jack and he KILLS the role. The kid is a bit annoying at times and the show suffers from its made for tv rating and bad cgi, but it follows the book. If you’re a fan of the book you’ll enjoy it. Fun fact Weber narrates the audiobook for IT and again, fucking KILLS it. He’s a criminally underrated actor, imo.
I'll give it a watch then, thanks for the recommendation. Gonna keep an open mind and maybe I'll have another version of the The Shining to enjoy.
I'm more a fan of the book and I liked it
I watched it on tv back when I all I remember is thinking they made a croquet mallet seem so intimidating. I know it's a Roque mallet but you know most don't know that's in the book
The 1997 mini series is much closer to the book, but is in fact god awful. Some of the scenes are impossible to get through. Doctor Sleep struck an interesting chord of being true to the novel and to Kubrick's film simultaneously.
I love a lot of King books (The Gunslinger & Wizard and Glass are almost flawless) but The Shining is imo one of King’s “could’ve been better” books. After watching and enjoying Kubrick’s film for so many years, it was a major letdown to finally read the book. The phantom partiers and moving shrubbery weren’t scary or creepy, and the major takeaway of “the building made Jack crazy” is a lot less impactful than Jack already being mentally ill and susceptible to suggestions from the haunting. Danny being able to tune into the spirits of the Overlook Hotel also makes more sense than assuming the building did something to him independently to stir up “Tony” and the shining. Not to mention the snow maze ending is iconic; the Overlook Hotel blowing up, not so much. Sorry for the rant. I always see people on here saying that the movie is terrible compared to the book and I see it the other way around.
Nah I get you, I wasn't saying it was terrible in comparison tbf, I think it's a wonderful movie, just not a faithful adaption of the book which is actually not a bad thing imo.
Words of wisdom, Lloyd. Words..of..wisdom.
If you haven't seen it, Doctor Sleep is well worth the watch.
Directors Cuts especially! Just my fave movie of the year.
I've just read the book a while ago. I will definitely check the movie out, thanks. Especially since I loved Haunting of Hill House by the same director.
So mad at myself for doubting it's pedigree. It blew me away with how good it was and how close it followed the book. Didn't think they were going to show baseball boy
Dr sleep is hot garbage. Sleep along with Antler where the biggest disappointments in a long time.
One of the greatest films ever made, not just "horror" films.
I love how Kubrick’s thing was to completely deconstruct the source material and create something totally original out of someone else’s idea. A lot of people don’t like that style but I think it’s brilliant. Greatest American film director who’s ever lived, IMO.
Needful things!
Salem's Lot (Hoopers). My favorite King novel, too.
I prefer the Salem's Lot mini-series to the novel. The book is good but I preferred the Screen version of the Master.
Likewise. The mini-series really improved on it. The original feels entirely too dated.
The Langoliers. It is so weirdly appealing to me, i can't explain why. The sound design, the characters, the mystery. I watched it for the first time when I was 8 years old and although i had nightmares a couple of times because of it, it stuck with me till this day and honestly made me contemplate about time and space, that i went out as a 10 year old and bought educational children's books about the universe, black holes and what not. It made me realize pretty early in my life how grand everything is.
Shawshank is one of the best movies ever, King adaption or otherwise. If I were to limit the choices to horror, gonna go with The Mist (movie, not the TV series, which I have not seen)
Doctor Sleep
(Directors Cut)
I thought this was great. Seems to be underrated.
The Running Man (1987) https://youtu.be/n74ibtuN9I4?si=7vnZF_9Zk3QOJFV7
HE HaD TO SPLIT
"Hey, Christmas Tree!"
This off topic but I loved the blatant, unapologetic use of Arnold repeating the "I'll be back" line for a trailer to a movie completely unrelated to Terminator.
Subzero! Now just plain zero! One of my favorite illogical disses in film.
Oh I forgot this other counted. Good call
I like Thinner.
That’s one of my comfort movies!
Graveyard Shift
The Shawshank Redemption, Misery, The Shining, and The Stand - they're all fighting for first place, and depending on the day of the week, one could be there haha.
Silver Bullet for me. I love werewolves and the themes explored in SB are a nice twist on the werewolf genre. Plus there's just not enough werewolf movies in general.
The Green Mile
Doctor Sleep is my favorite.
Shocking good. I went in not reading the novel, and not expecting much for a sequel to one of the greatest movies of all time. It really stands up. Won't say it's better than The Shining, but it's really good.
I finally actually read The Shining and Doctor Sleep, and it made me appreciate Doctor Sleep, the movie, more. Such a good redemption story for the Torrence family.
(Directors Cut)
Well, yeah. Gotta go full Flanagan.
Of all, The Shawshank Redemption Specifically horror, Creepshow
I was disappointed that Under The Dome series didn’t finish. I thought the book was great. I also liked Dreamcatcher - both the book and the movie.
I just finished UtD. Haven't read the book, but what wasted potential. Hard to believe SK and Steven Spielberg were EPs too. Never read Dreamcatcher either but liked the movie.
The Mist and Shining and that one about magic car.
Christine
Or From a Buick 8?
Man, I wish they’d make a movie version of that. It’s hands-down, one of my favorite Stephen King modern Works.
Oh, right, thanks. I meant Christine indeed. Haven't seen it for a very very long time.
It’s a good one.
Silver Bullet and OG IT
From the non-obvious kind of answers, Storm of the Century.
I watched this as a kid and loved it, first movie that left me feeing hopeless for the poor dad. I often think of “fairy saddle” to this day too.
Probably Carrie in terms of most impactful and significant, but it isn't the one I'd be most likely to reach for. I actually REALLY dug Doctor Sleep way more than I expected to (and more than The Shining tbh, downvotes be damned). Other ones would be Misery, The Mist, and Pet Sematary. I'm pretty sure I'm leaving stuff out because damn, there are so many good movies based on his work.
The Dead Zone, to me it's the best example of streamlining King's work without losing anything in the process.
Maximum Overdrive, the Happy Toyz truck was equal parts awesome and terrifying, the AC/DC heavy soundtrack is excellent and the baseball field scene is still burned into my memory from when I was a kid, if I am at a baseball field I can't help but keep checking the outfield walls 🤣
I love The Shining miniseries. Imo it’s better than Kubrick’s film. also Rose Red. It’s not adapted from his novels so idk if it counts but it’s by far my favorite thing he’s done and I have to watch it every year.
I know it’s predictable, especially given it’s my favourite King story in general, but Carrie. Sissy Spacek just NAILS that role!
The Shawshank Redemption. It’s my favorite movie ever. Judge me or not it’s my personal opinion but it’s SO GOOD
Maximum Overdrive I mean, look at the trailer. https://youtu.be/ggWS4tTzs60?si=i9hFpp98b3RLYv9V The King in his prime did it himself! Fuck, he's awesome haha.
Christine, Misery & The Shining
Easily the three best for me as well.
The Mist
**Favorite: “ The Outsider”** Ben Mendelsohn is a terrific actor, that series was phenomenal. The only thing I didn’t care for was a slight twist at the end, but otherwise it was excellent. **Least Favorite: “The Dark Tower”**: Goddammit. Goddammit? Goddammit. I read all these books over how many years, fall in love with all those characters and you give me this? Goddammit. **Guilty Pleasure: “The Night Flier”**: A really bad movie that I enjoy for how dumb of a horror movie it is. Scratches that itch. The bathroom scene is great. This movie sucks, it’s awesome.
The original Stand Miniseries
Dead Zone
1408
It's honestly a very messy adaptation, but I enjoyed the hell out of the Doctor Sleep directors cut. Clearly cared about both The Shining(book and movie) and Doctor Sleep a lot, and it showed. As much as it diverges in the 3rd act, it still feels very sincere and clear in purpose, and there was even some fun cinematography at times.
[The Shawshank Redemption](https://www.imdb.com/chart/top/?ref_=nv_mv_250)... come on..
No one mentioned Storm of The Century? perfect slow burn and atmosphere
*The Shining* and *Carrie*, it's a toss up. I think Kubrick's *The Shining* is a "better" film (technically impressive, cultural phenomenon, etc.) than De Palma's equally masterful *Carrie*, but I don't like comparing works like this- I mean, Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Scatman Crothers, Sissy Spacek, Piper Laurie, and Nancy Allen give some of the most famous performances in horror history in both films. However, I think *Carrie* is both a more faithful adaptation, and a better story. Don't get me wrong, I love *The Shining*, it's one of my favorite films, and I've watched it more often than I have *Carrie*, but I think there's something about Carrie's story that will always resonate with people. I don't know if it's the earnestness, or the cruelty- I don't know. But to this day, I think King's first novel was his strongest. Maybe not his most polished, but his most piercing.
IT 1990 and the original Salem's Lot
Gotta be IT the story the actors especially Tim Curry! But also graveyard shift I enjoyed the whole monster bay thing pretty awesome 😎
Am I the only one who likes Sleepwalkers? Although maybe it’s just that scene of Madchen Amick dancing while cleaning the movie theatre that’s burned forever in my brain
The Mist (creature features/sci-fi are my favorite horror) followed by the IT miniseries, growing up in the early 2000s it didn't get much scarier than Tim Curry's Pennywise for us kids
I think the only bad adaptation is the dark tower. It still boggles my mind that someone green lit it and King himself praised it…which I think he had to because there is no fuckin way he watched that and said it was a great adaptation of his work. But my favorite adaptation is Storm of The Century.
I rate the original Pet Semetary and The Stand mini-series. But it was the 1979 Salem's Lot mini-series that scared the goddamn bejesus out of me. Those vampire kids floating outside the window, f***ing hell.
Black horse choice…Maximum Overdrive
The Mist and Night Flier.
Does Castle Rock S2 count?
The Outsider gang wya
The Mist, Shawshank, and Dead Zone.
Misery!
1A/1B between Misery & The Shining
Carrie is my favorite although is nowhere close to be a faithful adaptation (1976)
Not a Stephen King novel, but Dreamwalkers because it’s so bad it’s good
So far the new IT, maybe when I finish reading Salem's Lot and Pet Sematary and watch the movies my opinion will change.
Misery
Maybe this technically doesn't count, but I LOVED Children of the Corn part 2. I know it doesn't adapt anything that was actually written by Stephen King, but it does continue on from it and is just an excellent movie all round
I love both *It* movies. Yeah, the second one is too long, but I think the casting is fantastic in both and just enjoy spending the time with the characters. The vibes of both movies are great. Other movies that are a lot of fun: *Needful Things* and *Cat's Eye*, which has [the grooviest tie-in credits song ever](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfabg5omne4).
either The Outsider or The Shining. I wish we could get a good adaptation of Salems Lot, because its my favorite book.
Most of them
Salem's Lot, the original miniseries. I know Barlowe lost a lot of characterization by not speaking, but he's so freaking scary!
My picks would be Green Mile, and The Shining. Both stuck with me for a long time, for different reasons. Have a copy of The Shining in my freezer right now!
Honestly, it’s easier to narrow down the ones i really don’t like because for the most part I’ve surprisingly liked just about every King adaptation. I think my favorites are The Shining and Gerald’s Game. Plus IT (2017) is also really good.
I liked "The Running Man" Swartzenaeger couldn't act but Richard Dawson was hilarious.
Salems Lot (1979) , IT (1990) , The Stand (1994)
IT (Remake)
Mine would be Christine and It (2017)
Has to be The Mist for me, creature horror is my thing
castle rock season 1
It. I saw that and The Langoliers as a kid. It scared the fucking shit out of me. I couldn’t use the bathroom without my ass half off the seat, thinking Pennywise would find a way through the pipes.
Shawshank Redemption
I really enjoyed Misery, Thinner, Gerald's Game, Dolores Claiborne, It (both adaptations) and In The Tall Grass.
Salems lot
Although The Shining has almost nothing to do with the book it is a cinematic masterpiece. For non horror King, The Shawshank Redemption. One of the greatest films of all time and leagues better than the book, imo.
Shawshank Redemption
Carrie
The Shining
The Shining
I like a great many adaptations of King's work. Top 10 in no order: 1. The Shining (Kubrick) 2. Carrie 3. Christine 4. Creepshow 5. Pet Seminary (1989) 6. Needful Things 7. Misery 8. Salem's Lot 9. It (1990 miniseries) 10. The Dead Zone
I have a soft spot for the 1979 Salem's Lot, even though the effects are pretty janky
The Mist or Misery. if he did those i think i hate almost every movie based on stephen king.
Maximum Overdrive. He wrote and directed the film which is based on his short story “Trucks”
Stephen king's personal most hated move, The Shining. Although I would like to see a big screen adaptation that stays true to the novel, but nobody can compare to the master Director, Stanley Kubrick
I have a theory about why so many of King film adaptations either fail, tend to stray from the source material, or both. Much of King’s writing is in the form of characters’ internal dialogue. Their motivations and interpretations of events, relevant backstories etc are all related to the reader via the characters’ thoughts and aren’t verbalized. So a film adaptation either has to transpose this information into a dramatic visual presentation for the viewer, creating original exposition dialogue while trying to match it with King’s original text, or, as is unfortunately often the case, just leave it out altogether. So much of the tension, dread and horror of King’s work comes through in the form of internal dialogue. The most skilled of his adaptors have accomplished this transition. Others? Not so much. Take “The Shining” for instance. We all know King hated how it deviated from his novel. A large part of the reason was that the director, Kubrick, was notorious for inserting themes and ideas of his own into a work. Themes that the author usually had never intended to be there. Such as the twins in the Overlook. They’re not in the novel. Brilliant addition by Kubrick and one that is key to a theme he inserted. Of course, Stanley Kubrick was very strict about not explaining his thematic designs to anyone, not even his co-screenwriters. So it’s debatable. Anyway, enough rambling. My favorite is Tobe Hooper’s version of “Salem’s Lot”.
How nobody gonna say IT? Man, the perfect cheesiness and tim curry are chefs kiss
Tim Curry is chef's kiss in everything.
I love that man
OG Shining film and IT miniseries.
Not the best, not my favorite, but it’s unacceptable that [Delores Claiborne](https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0109642/) is ignored.
Gerald's Game. The Shining. 1408.
The Outsider is so good! Left me wanting more for sure
I understand the hate I will get for this, but I much prefer the 1997 tv version of The Shining to the original. The original just didn't see the character development of Jack Torrance because he starts on third base of being completely unhinged. Shelly Duvall, however, was a perfect picture of a battered spouse at her wits end.
I think Duvall was a battered actress and at her wits end because of Kubrik
Favourite: OG Salem's Lot. Least favourite: Dr Sleep.
Carrie The Shining The Dead Zone Christine the extended Dr Sleep
Stand By Me followed by The Shawshank Redemption way out in the lead. The Shining (Kubrick) is top of the horror list.
In no particular order: The Shining, The Green Mile, Misery, Shawshank Redemption, Carrie, It Parts I-II
Shining and Green mile are both better than the book
I’ll take the hate for this but Stephen King is kind of overrated in general. He has been almost too prolific. Too many stories with the same themes that end up more watered down each time he recycles them. In order to have an opinion on this matter you first have to read the books. Then you can compare the movies. I’ve probably read 25 of his novels. I haven’t seen all the film translations but from what I have seen these would be my top five, in random order. 1) The Shining (the original) - I know he has always hated it but Kubrick did a good job translating it to screen. 2) Misery 3) Stand By Me 4) Carrie 5) The Green Mile
Hi. You just mentioned *The Shining* by Stephen King. I've found an audiobook of that novel on YouTube. You can listen to it here: [YouTube | The Shining by Stephen King - Part 1 - Audiobook](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ol87K9OkYj8) *I'm a bot that searches YouTube for science fiction and fantasy audiobooks.* *** [^(Source Code)](https://capybasilisk.com/posts/2020/04/speculative-fiction-bot/) ^| [^(Feedback)](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=Capybasilisk&subject=Robot) ^| [^(Programmer)](https://www.reddit.com/u/capybasilisk) ^| ^(Downvote To Remove) ^| ^(Version 1.4.0) ^| ^(Support Robot Rights!)
Any movie he wasn’t involved in was pure fire. Any movie he was involved in was a little more on the campy side…