Monday, May 22, 2006

Long Live the King... Or Off With His Head?


There was a time when I loved all things Stephen King. It started with Carrie which I read in 8th grade. I thought it was a really cool book. When I was a junior in high school I saw Carrie at a Midnight Movie. I loved it. It was my introduction to Brian DePalma. I still laugh when I think that I nearly jumped into the next row when Carrie's bloody hand came shooting out of the grave.

In college I got into King in a big way. I was reading everything that he published. The Shinning [great book -- I read it in a single night! and a pretty scary movie], Salem's Lot [another excellent novel with a cool, modern twist on vampires -- and a decent tv mini-series] The Dead Zone [perhaps the best movie adaptation of a King novel] ... and the hits just kept on coming [although the movies weren't always as good]... The Stand, Cujo, Pet Sematary, Firestarter, Christine, It, etc. etc. etc.

Then for some reason, I stopped reading King. I really don't know why. It just happened. I have a bunch of his novels and even some short story collections sitting on the shelf waiting to join the other King novels in a place of honor on my bookcase. But there they sit.

I did buy and immediately read Cell when it came out in hardcover. I was hoping for a more traditional zombie story, but never the less, I did really enjoy it.

Tomorrow night ABC is presenting a three hour adaptation of Desperation. For some reason, I'm really looking forward to it. Most likely I'll record it for viewing some late weekend night. I haven't read the book, but if the movie is works, perhaps it'll give me just enough reason to pull it off the shelf and see if the novel is good enough to make it to the book case.

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