Ten (and 1/2) Best Stephen King Adaptations

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ORIGINAL HEADING:

Here’s another blog I made.  Another one?  Really?  Oh well, I like lists so this blog contains lists only.  Unlike my Best/Worst of the Year lists posted on my other blog (one of many), Best and Worst Films Archive, this one will contain top ten lists for specific genres.  Whenever people ask me what my favorite movie is, I never have a definitive answer so these entries will give you a general idea of what some of my favorite films are.  Agree or disagree, I don’t give a ‘eff’ (that’s your right)…

*Read any previous lists in the archive section at the bottom or by clicking on arrow at top left*

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Stephen King is one of my favorite authors and inspired me immensely, not only to read more but to write as well.  Growing up in the ‘80’s and ‘90’s, I didn’t have the Internet or too many people to talk to in order to find out what was out there, so I read what was popular (King and R.L. Stine being the main ones).  Not only did I want to read all of his books after learning about him, but I wanted to watch the movies based on them as well, even if I didn’t read the book first.  The great thing about Stephen King though is the majority of his books differ from the visual adaptations, so you can still enjoy both regardless of which medium was used first.  I cheated again with this list by adding five more than usual because it was extremely hard limiting it to ten, like always, and I still omitted some!  As much as I love his horror stories, I equally love his dramas like Stand by Me, The Shawshank Redemption, Dolores Claiborne, The Green Mile, etc.  I included anything with his name attached whether it was an adapted novel/short story or screenplay/teleplay like Creepshow and Sleepwalkers.  Some of these pertain to nostalgia but I’m still a fan to this day either for that reason or they do stand the test of time.  The only thing with King’s name attached I recall truly disliking was Kingdom Hospital which wasn’t even based on anything he wrote, he just “developed” the series.  Mr. King has become pretty outspoken for disliking Stanley Kubrick’s version of The Shining.  I, for one, am a big fan though.  I do remember liking the TV movie remake but not as much.  The Shawshank Redemption was one of my favorite movies at one point so I had to include it (at least I told people it was my favorite movie).  Gerald’s Game was good but it’s still recent and hasn’t quite achieved classic status yet.  I don’t care what anyone says, King included, but I still think the It remake was way overrated and the original one will always be the better of the two, no argument!  I didn’t include sequels based off his works because they alone probably equal or surpass the original adaptations themselves (Creepshow 1 and 2 are exceptions and I cheated again by counting them as one, both being anthology films based on King’s short stories and screenplays).  I am always interested in reading anything the man puts out, plus seeing any films or TV shows based on his works and always will (my pre-teen obsession hasn’t subsided one bit).  Stephen King has been a significant part of my life and here are fifteen of my favorite films based on his stories, although I could definitely name some more I like if asked…

Ten (and ½) Best Stephen King Adaptations

1.            Carrie (1976)*

2.            Children of the Corn (1984)

3.            Creepshow/Creepshow 2

4.            Cujo

5.            It (1990)*

6.            Maximum Overdrive*

7.            The Mist*

8.            The Night Flier*

9.            Pet Sematary*

10.          The Shawshank Redemption

11.          The Shining (1980)

12.          Silver Bullet

13.          Sleepwalkers

14.          Sometimes They Come Back

15.          Stand by Me*

*indicates a standout title

---Sean O.