Long live the King
The Shining is one of the bestknown, most highly acclaimed psychological horror movies of all time. And Stephen King doesn’t like it very much.
Horror maestro King has famously said he considers the Stanley Kubrick-directed masterpiece to be a poor adaptation of the novel, and that Kubrick’s film never “gets you by the throat” the way good fright flick should.
We wonder, then, what King thinks of The Dark Tower, the recently released adaptation of his series of fantastical books about a mystical gunslinger. Actually, no need to wonder: King is mostly positive about the film, despite the many changes in its transition from page to screen.
Film critics, though, are far less enamoured. The Dark Tower is taking a serious drubbing, and many diehard King fans are similarly displeased. But let’s be honest, this isn’t exactly the first film adaptation of a King book to lay an egg. Children of the Corn, anyone? Maximum Overdrive? The Lawnmower Man?
Fortunately, King’s cinematic oeuvre is chockablock with movies that are actually good. If you were let down by The Dark Tower — or you plan to give it a pass — here are some great Stephen King movies that you can stream or digitally rent from the comfort of your own haunted house.
CARRIE (1976)
Don’t bother with the 2013 remake or the weird 2002 TV movie — director Brian De Palma’s original take on the story of a meek teen with supernatural powers is by far the best. It’s unapologetically R-rated ( just in case the opening scene in a girls’ locker-room didn’t make that abundantly clear), and Sissy Spacek absolutely kills in the title role. Literally.
Find it on: iTunes, Google Play, PlayStation Store, Microsoft Store
MISERY (1990)
The first of two King/Rob Reiner joints on this list, this unforgettable movie about a romance novelist (James Caan) and a deranged fan who saves him from a car wreck (Kathy Bates) holds up to repeat viewings. We still cringe every time THAT SCENE with the sledgehammer happens. You know the one we’re talking about. Bates won a well-deserved Oscar for this one.
Find it on: PlayStation Store
STAND BY ME (1986)
Any King fan knows his books are as much about humanity as much as they are about horror. Directed by Reiner, this nonsupernatural, bittersweet tale of four boys searching for a dead body in the woods is funny, scary, heartbreaking and intimately relatable. The lads are played by a very young (and very good) Wil Wheaton, Corey Feldman, Jerry O’Connell and the late River Phoenix.
Find it on: Amazon Video, iTunes, Google Play, PlayStation Store, Microsoft Store
THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION (1994)
This amazing movie seems to be on TV every five minutes, but maybe you’ve already cut the cord and are jonesing for your annual fix of Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman and a sewer pipe full of liquefied poop. This jailhouse drama — again, without ghosts, demons or haunted cars — is King storytelling at its peak, helped by the directorial talents of Frank Darabont (who also adapted and directed King’s The Green Mile).
Find it on: iTunes, Google Play, Cineplex Store, PlayStation Store, Microsoft Store
IT (1990)
OK, this Vancouver-shot TV miniseries isn’t necessarily one of the best adaptations of a King novel — the book, as is often the case, is way, way scarier — but it’s probably been ages since you’ve seen it, right? And it will be interesting to compare it to the remake next month.
Find it on: iTunes, Google Play, PlayStation Store, Microsoft Store
THE SHINING (1980)
King may have had issues with the way Kubrick loosely adapted King’s novel, but this movie is still an unsettling and innovatively filmed masterpiece. And with all due respect to King, the three-part TV miniseries based on The Shining — which had King’s full blessing — is scary for all the wrong reasons.
Find it on: iTunes, Google Play, Cineplex Store, PlayStation Store, Microsoft Store