Interviewer: Why do you write all that creepy stuff?
Stephen King: What makes you think I have a choice?
Mr Stephen King, the Current number 3 on my favourite people list, is 68 tomorrow - AS IF he's that old, so as is tradition, I'm going to do him a birthday top ten.
I've always been a fan of his books, ever since my Nan gave me a copy of Carrie in my early teens and since I first saw IT and scarred myself for life as a naive 12 year old. I still know every word to that mini series now so I cant have been that scared surely?! However, even as a 34 year old, I still look down every drain - its a silly habit, along with saluting single magpies, that will never go away it would seem.
Famously, Mr King has always been very critical of the adaptations of his work, especially Stanley Kubrick's take on The Shining, which he absolutely hates, but I absolutely love each and every one of them for various reasons - I think the only one he has ever said that is completely spot on was Rob Reiner's adaptation of The Body (We all know and love it as the film, Stand By Me) which just happens to be my favourite film of all time.
Anyway, I'm waffling - here we go.............
10. Carrie
I love this film mostly for the 'plug it up' scene and a very youthful John Travolta. The ending is also known as one of the biggest jump scares in cinema history.
9. Pet Sematary
This film is actually responsible for the one movie monster that still scares me shitless, so much so that I cant even watch the parts she's in or listen to her voice. Zelda is to me, what Pennywise the Clown or Freddie Kruger is to so many people - I just can't cope with her, she's too frightening for me to deal with and I have seen the scariest and sickest shit there is. I also love the sequel so much, its probably in my top ten most watched films of all time (that doesn't mean its actually good though) - not a lot of people actually realise there was even one made.
8. The Stand
This reminds me of my best friend in the whole land - we used to watch this when we were very young, far too young to be watching anything by Stephen King. If I remember rightly her Dad had it in a double video pack ha ha that's how long ago I'm talking. We both had a huge crush on Rob Lowe and were petrified of Randall Flag - god knows why - he had a mullet and wore double denim!
7. 1408
It's John Cusack for an ENTIRE film! Why would I not be completely in love with this?? Not many people can carry a whole film by themselves (with a teeny bit of help from Samuel L Jackson) not unless you are Tom Hanks or John Cusack, it would seem.
6. IT
I don't care how dated this is now, I still love it so much and as I've said before can still recite most of the script like a total geek. I don't get the chance to watch it much anymore because its ten thousand hours long, but if it was any shorter it would be missing far too much detail for my liking. They are remaking it as we speak and I am all for the horror reboots we have had in recent years (except Poltergeist - jesus christ that was shit) but I am interested to see how the hell they are going to make it into a normal feature length film, without taking away from the story too much.
5. The Shining
This became one of my go to films for a while, I think its genius, so much so that Shelley Duvall's face has stopped making me wince, I've watched it that much.
4. Misery
This has been slightly ruined by Seth MacFarlane because now when I watch it all I see and hear is Stewie and Brian ha ha I think this is one of the best films ever made and it's defo in my top 50 possibly even 20!
3. The Green Mile
I don't need to write any actual words about this, lets be honest.
2. The Shawshank Redemption
Now, a lot of people would argue that this should be at number one but those people either don't know me at all or aren't even aware that number one is a Stephen King adaptation. I actually had a conversation about this being at the top spot on IMDB (for years now) and we decided that it definitely belonged there but we couldn't pinpoint exactly why or more importantly, why not.....
1. Stand By Me
Adapted from the short story, The Body, this is my undisputed number 1 favourite film of all time. For once he takes a break from the supernatural and the psychos and tells a heartwarming coming of age story - it is no less than perfect and deserves my number 1 spot wholly. If you haven't seen it then have a word with yourself and do so immediately.
Stephen King: What makes you think I have a choice?
Mr Stephen King, the Current number 3 on my favourite people list, is 68 tomorrow - AS IF he's that old, so as is tradition, I'm going to do him a birthday top ten.
I've always been a fan of his books, ever since my Nan gave me a copy of Carrie in my early teens and since I first saw IT and scarred myself for life as a naive 12 year old. I still know every word to that mini series now so I cant have been that scared surely?! However, even as a 34 year old, I still look down every drain - its a silly habit, along with saluting single magpies, that will never go away it would seem.
Famously, Mr King has always been very critical of the adaptations of his work, especially Stanley Kubrick's take on The Shining, which he absolutely hates, but I absolutely love each and every one of them for various reasons - I think the only one he has ever said that is completely spot on was Rob Reiner's adaptation of The Body (We all know and love it as the film, Stand By Me) which just happens to be my favourite film of all time.
Anyway, I'm waffling - here we go.............
10. Carrie
I love this film mostly for the 'plug it up' scene and a very youthful John Travolta. The ending is also known as one of the biggest jump scares in cinema history.
9. Pet Sematary
This film is actually responsible for the one movie monster that still scares me shitless, so much so that I cant even watch the parts she's in or listen to her voice. Zelda is to me, what Pennywise the Clown or Freddie Kruger is to so many people - I just can't cope with her, she's too frightening for me to deal with and I have seen the scariest and sickest shit there is. I also love the sequel so much, its probably in my top ten most watched films of all time (that doesn't mean its actually good though) - not a lot of people actually realise there was even one made.
8. The Stand
This reminds me of my best friend in the whole land - we used to watch this when we were very young, far too young to be watching anything by Stephen King. If I remember rightly her Dad had it in a double video pack ha ha that's how long ago I'm talking. We both had a huge crush on Rob Lowe and were petrified of Randall Flag - god knows why - he had a mullet and wore double denim!
7. 1408
It's John Cusack for an ENTIRE film! Why would I not be completely in love with this?? Not many people can carry a whole film by themselves (with a teeny bit of help from Samuel L Jackson) not unless you are Tom Hanks or John Cusack, it would seem.
6. IT
I don't care how dated this is now, I still love it so much and as I've said before can still recite most of the script like a total geek. I don't get the chance to watch it much anymore because its ten thousand hours long, but if it was any shorter it would be missing far too much detail for my liking. They are remaking it as we speak and I am all for the horror reboots we have had in recent years (except Poltergeist - jesus christ that was shit) but I am interested to see how the hell they are going to make it into a normal feature length film, without taking away from the story too much.
5. The Shining
This became one of my go to films for a while, I think its genius, so much so that Shelley Duvall's face has stopped making me wince, I've watched it that much.
4. Misery
This has been slightly ruined by Seth MacFarlane because now when I watch it all I see and hear is Stewie and Brian ha ha I think this is one of the best films ever made and it's defo in my top 50 possibly even 20!
3. The Green Mile
I don't need to write any actual words about this, lets be honest.
2. The Shawshank Redemption
Now, a lot of people would argue that this should be at number one but those people either don't know me at all or aren't even aware that number one is a Stephen King adaptation. I actually had a conversation about this being at the top spot on IMDB (for years now) and we decided that it definitely belonged there but we couldn't pinpoint exactly why or more importantly, why not.....
1. Stand By Me
Adapted from the short story, The Body, this is my undisputed number 1 favourite film of all time. For once he takes a break from the supernatural and the psychos and tells a heartwarming coming of age story - it is no less than perfect and deserves my number 1 spot wholly. If you haven't seen it then have a word with yourself and do so immediately.