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Dean (6921 KP) rated Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (2019) in Movies
Apr 18, 2020
Ok scary tales film
I missed this at the cinema and caught on Amazon prime last night. I thought it was going to be an anthology of scary stories. It's more of a few mini tales set within the main plot of the whole film. I enjoyed it and at times it felt a bit like @Creepshow (1982) or @Trick 'r Treat (2007) The overall feel of the film was similar to a Stephen King short story. Only downside it isn't that scary, maybe why it got a PG-13 rating in the US. If you like ghost stories check it out but it won't give you sleepless nights.
Night Reader Reviews (683 KP) rated Two Past Midnight: Secret Window, Secret Garden in Books
Apr 14, 2020
Casual Reading Review
I will admit this is one of the few books that I have read after watching the movie. I was not impressed by the movie at all and had high hopes that the book would be better, as is usually the case. This time I was somewhat wrong. While the book was better than the movie, it still was not good. It is a rare occurrence when I do not like something that Stephen King writes but this one just was too confusing. I understood what was happening and why, but oddly enough I felt as if Stephen King did not explain how it happened quite well enough to satisfy me.
After recently getting divorced an author goes to his old lakeside house unsure of how long he is going to stay there, while his ex-wife takes over their old house. It is here that he is confronted by someone claiming that he is the original author of a story that was published a few years back and is demanding that things be made right. The author slowly starts to fall victim to paranoia and go crazy, leaving to question was he crazy before or after the appearance of the man accusing him of plagiarism.
That was an extremely vague summary of this short story but like with much of Stephen King's work, I am afraid of saying too much and spoiling some shocking twists for those who have not yet read it.
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After recently getting divorced an author goes to his old lakeside house unsure of how long he is going to stay there, while his ex-wife takes over their old house. It is here that he is confronted by someone claiming that he is the original author of a story that was published a few years back and is demanding that things be made right. The author slowly starts to fall victim to paranoia and go crazy, leaving to question was he crazy before or after the appearance of the man accusing him of plagiarism.
That was an extremely vague summary of this short story but like with much of Stephen King's work, I am afraid of saying too much and spoiling some shocking twists for those who have not yet read it.
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Sarah (7798 KP) rated Black House in Books
Jan 4, 2020
Another of King's epic stories
Stephen King is my favourite author, so I'm always going to enjoy his stories although it varies as to how much. I have a particular fondness for his short stories or epic doorstop sized novels, and I'm pleased that Black House falls into the latter.
The Talisman is a great story, and this is a very welcome sequel with Jack now as a rather endearing and heroic adult, scarred by his past. This is a story that starts off as a standard crime story and as it goes on turns into a fantastical horror, filled with King's usual mix of well written secondary characters and a nice amount of gore. What I also loved about this is how it links into other King stories - not just The Talisman, but others that I won't spoil but are very much beloved.
That's not to say this book is perfect. It is VERY long and I feel like there are parts of this that get too rambling and long winded, and there are some parts that could quite easily have been cut out without impacting on the main plot. There are also a few characters in this with odd speech impediments or accents, and trying to read their manner of speech gets very irritating after a while.
But apart from this, this is a hugely enjoyable King epic novel. Although only one to read if you've read The Talisman - this is not a standalone sequel.
The Talisman is a great story, and this is a very welcome sequel with Jack now as a rather endearing and heroic adult, scarred by his past. This is a story that starts off as a standard crime story and as it goes on turns into a fantastical horror, filled with King's usual mix of well written secondary characters and a nice amount of gore. What I also loved about this is how it links into other King stories - not just The Talisman, but others that I won't spoil but are very much beloved.
That's not to say this book is perfect. It is VERY long and I feel like there are parts of this that get too rambling and long winded, and there are some parts that could quite easily have been cut out without impacting on the main plot. There are also a few characters in this with odd speech impediments or accents, and trying to read their manner of speech gets very irritating after a while.
But apart from this, this is a hugely enjoyable King epic novel. Although only one to read if you've read The Talisman - this is not a standalone sequel.
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated Children of the Corn (1984) in Movies
Feb 28, 2020
Is Corn Really Scary?
Children of the Corn- is based off of stephen king short story. This movie is awful. Its soo bad thats its good in a way. Like how Maximum Overdrive is. Their in the same boat. Stephen King ask the question- is corn really scary and our answer- no. Are children scary- no. Is the ending weird and crappy and left a on cliffhanger kinda of- yes. Is this movie weird overall- yes. Is the villian of the movie creepy and scary- yes. Will i get to the plot of the movie- yes.
The plot: As physician Burt Stanton (Peter Horton) and his girlfriend, Vicky (Linda Hamilton), drive across the Midwest to his new job, their trip comes to a sudden halt when they encounter the body of a murdered boy in the road. In trying to contact the authorities, Burt and Vicky wander into a small town populated only by children, followers of sinister young preacher Isaac Chroner (John Franklin). Soon the couple is fleeing the youthful fanatics, who want to sacrifice them to their demonic deity.
Also by the way this movie has like six-seven sequels, a tv series and a reboot. That are all unesscary.
Skip this movie, its not good.
The plot: As physician Burt Stanton (Peter Horton) and his girlfriend, Vicky (Linda Hamilton), drive across the Midwest to his new job, their trip comes to a sudden halt when they encounter the body of a murdered boy in the road. In trying to contact the authorities, Burt and Vicky wander into a small town populated only by children, followers of sinister young preacher Isaac Chroner (John Franklin). Soon the couple is fleeing the youthful fanatics, who want to sacrifice them to their demonic deity.
Also by the way this movie has like six-seven sequels, a tv series and a reboot. That are all unesscary.
Skip this movie, its not good.
Everything's Eventual: 14 Dark Tales
8.3
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Book
The first collection of stories Stephen King has published since Nightmares & Dreamscapes nine years...
The Lottery and Other Stories
8.0
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Book
This is the definitive collection of Shirley Jackson's short stories, including 'The Lottery' - one...
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated Creepshow (1982) in Movies
Sep 27, 2019
Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark
Creepshow- is a very great movie, with its five short stories that are really horrorfyed and terrorfyed. Each one of them are scary.
The Plot: A compendium of five short but terrifying tales contained within a single full-length feature, this film conjures scares from traditional bogeymen and portents of doom. In one story, a monster escapes from its holding cell. Another focuses on a husband (Leslie Nielsen) with a creative way of getting back at his cheating wife. Other stories concern a rural man (Stephen King) and a visitor from outer space, and a homeowner (E.G. Marshall) with huge bug problems and a boozing corpse.
The film consists of five short stories: "Father's Day", "The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill", "Something to Tide You Over", "The Crate" and "They're Creeping Up on You!" Two of these stories were adapted from King's short stories, with the film bookended by prologue and epilogue scenes featuring a young boy named Billy (played by King's son, Joe), who is punished by his father for reading horror comics.
The film was adapted into an actual comic book of the same name soon after the film's release, illustrated by Bernie Wrightson, (of Heavy Metal and Warren magazines fame), an artist fittingly influenced by the 1950s E.C. Comics.
It is a very great movie and i would highly reccordmend it.
The Plot: A compendium of five short but terrifying tales contained within a single full-length feature, this film conjures scares from traditional bogeymen and portents of doom. In one story, a monster escapes from its holding cell. Another focuses on a husband (Leslie Nielsen) with a creative way of getting back at his cheating wife. Other stories concern a rural man (Stephen King) and a visitor from outer space, and a homeowner (E.G. Marshall) with huge bug problems and a boozing corpse.
The film consists of five short stories: "Father's Day", "The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill", "Something to Tide You Over", "The Crate" and "They're Creeping Up on You!" Two of these stories were adapted from King's short stories, with the film bookended by prologue and epilogue scenes featuring a young boy named Billy (played by King's son, Joe), who is punished by his father for reading horror comics.
The film was adapted into an actual comic book of the same name soon after the film's release, illustrated by Bernie Wrightson, (of Heavy Metal and Warren magazines fame), an artist fittingly influenced by the 1950s E.C. Comics.
It is a very great movie and i would highly reccordmend it.
Sarah (7798 KP) rated Gwendy's Button Box in Books
Mar 18, 2019
Wanted more
I’m a massive Stephen King fan and often find that his books fall into two categories; so brilliant that you can’t put them down, or stilll good but somehow lacking his usual brilliant magic.
For the most part, Gwendy’s Button Box falls into the first category. Admittedly this is only a novella, but I couldn’t put it down. It was such an easy read with an intriguing plot and a well developed and likeable main character. There’s just enough intrigue to keep you reading yet it doesn’t explain too much and still leaves you with questions at the end. Any story set in Castle Rock is always a safe bet too. Gwendy is a very likeable character and King always manages to write his child characters well without them seeming too young and childish, which is often a frustration with other books that feature children (especially YA).
My only criticism is that I think this story was far too short. The button box is a great idea and i think they’ve not done it as much justice as it deserves. This could easily have made for a much longer and detailed novel, and would’ve been all the better for it.
For the most part, Gwendy’s Button Box falls into the first category. Admittedly this is only a novella, but I couldn’t put it down. It was such an easy read with an intriguing plot and a well developed and likeable main character. There’s just enough intrigue to keep you reading yet it doesn’t explain too much and still leaves you with questions at the end. Any story set in Castle Rock is always a safe bet too. Gwendy is a very likeable character and King always manages to write his child characters well without them seeming too young and childish, which is often a frustration with other books that feature children (especially YA).
My only criticism is that I think this story was far too short. The button box is a great idea and i think they’ve not done it as much justice as it deserves. This could easily have made for a much longer and detailed novel, and would’ve been all the better for it.
Mothergamer (1517 KP) rated Chapelwaite in TV
Sep 30, 2021
It's not a bad show, but it definitely could be better. It's based on the short story by Stephen King from his Night Shift anthology setting up a prequel to Salem's Lot. The premise is good, but the execution is lacking. It's meant to be a horror show, but sometimes it feels very dull with one or two jump scares. It takes far too long to get to the point and reveal with what is going on in the town and with Charles and his family. The cast is uneven too. Adrien Brody does a great job and some of the other cast are great too, but then you have some of the cast that don't deliver lines well, in a stilted robotic manner. If you're going to do a horror show, then do a horror show that is actually scary rather than boring and hardly any horror.
BobbiesDustyPages (1259 KP) rated The Gunslinger in Books
Apr 21, 2019
I first read The Gunslinger when I was in high school and at the height of my Stephen King obsession. Going in and didn't really know what to expect from the story since I didn't really look too much into the series when I first picked it up which I'm pretty glad I didn't because I have never been much of a western fan so I'm not sure if I really would have have this a fair shot.
The Gunslinger honestly can be on the slow side even for such a short book but King does an amazing job of really showing you the world ge is building while still leaving a lot open for the series to build around. After reading this for the first and second time in still not sure how I feel about Rowland aka The Gunslinger I do grow to really love the character in the next book but as an introduction my feelings are never really solid. The character that really peaks my interest is The Man In Black through out the book I just can't wait to find out more about him and why Rowland is chasing him.
The Gunslinger honestly can be on the slow side even for such a short book but King does an amazing job of really showing you the world ge is building while still leaving a lot open for the series to build around. After reading this for the first and second time in still not sure how I feel about Rowland aka The Gunslinger I do grow to really love the character in the next book but as an introduction my feelings are never really solid. The character that really peaks my interest is The Man In Black through out the book I just can't wait to find out more about him and why Rowland is chasing him.