How can Mr. King continue to allow his work to be ruined by Hollywood?!

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MerlinFL

New Member
May 5, 2017
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Central Gulf Coast Florida
There are several quality exceptions. Three of these wonderful exceptions are all written for the screen as well as directed by Frank Darabont. Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, and The Mist.

But what I'm completely baffled and honestly angered by is what is supposed to be The Dark Tower. So completely unlike the life's work King began in 1970 on those famous odd bargain green near cardboard thick reams of paper he wrote his first words of what became The Gunslinger. I'm not angry with the actors or anyone who worked on this except those who were in charge of the screenplay and the decisions that defamed such a truly wonderful and by King's own words...Magnum Opus he aspired to. And after being bought and sold several times before this 'movie' was presented. Silly it might be to do, but I'm boycotting it. I read the first article describing what it was going to be and who was starring in it. Then is saw the teaser trailer and after that I knew I'd simply be angry watching some horrible mutation of one of my all time favorites novel series by any author, but especially by Stephen King.

What makes me even more angry and sad in equal measure is knowing that this could not have happened without the permission of Mr. King! He's ruined many of his own great stories by writing horrible screenplays. But to ruin such an important work that consumed King's life for nearly 45 years. And after he nearly died from the van hitting him walking, he chose to even write himself into the story since (again in his words), this story was 'killing him'. I'll guess that with his near death experience. He decide to simply finish it quick...perhaps to feel more safe in his life? But taking the typical 5-7 years between books each much longer than the previous up to Wizard & Glass. Out came books 5,6,7 all in less than a year. I liked books 5 & 6, but personally feel the final book was a huge let down just to finish the story instead of how it felt it would have gone had he not had his brush with death. However...there is no excuse for the permission to make a movie so unlike the story.

Why not make a deal with one of the cable networks and get Frank Darabont to do his magic in creating it for the small screen that would have the budget of Game of Thrones, Outlander, The Walking Dead (Darabont DID bring this comic book series to the small screen. Originally as a mini-series, but so many watchers loved it. They wrote in asking it to continue, and explains why season 1 is only six episodes and all subsequent seasons from 10-12 episodes and now heading into season 7. The Dark Tower could easily cover five seasons or more if the final books story was written better than the original book. I find it hard to believe that George R.R. Martin is a better known and more persuasive force in Hollywood than Stephen King. So why such garbage under the King brand name? I know nothing about him personally. I don't wish to seem authoritative, but as a lifelong successful musician/songwriter. I've turned down sales of my music to those who would turn it into some Hip Hop thing I'd hate to hear. Why then has Mr. King done or permitted so many terrible renditions of his stories after the well done first attempts such as Carrie and Salem's Lot? Dolores Claiborne, Storm of the Century, 1408, Misery, and now we have an excellent adaptation of Mr. Mercedes. Even The Stand was done pretty well even as a made for TV mini series that took up an entire week M-F with 2 hour installments each and the original TV version of It was done well except the conclusion. Oh, almost forgot...I stopped watching 11-22-63 after the first ten minutes since it showed it was already way off from the book which I truly enjoyed even if I don't agree with King's premise that what the government told us is true about the assassination of JFK.

Add to these those done by Darabont, and there plenty of proof that the wonderful works of Stephen King CAN be done as close to the original stories. And now with the very common use of CGI, ANYTHING King has thought up COULD BE done with integrity and as close to his written work as possible. So WHY was this horrible version of a seven books Magnum Opus covering most of all King's stories with many references in so many of all his novels written during the time he was working on each successive Dark Tower book installment?!

Is there any possibility he does these things because he needs or wants the money?? I've no idea, but I live my life filled with logical reasons for everything. So I'm stumped why any of his stories that were mutilated by his own screenplays or just giving permission for a price to allow Hollywood to do as they wish with his work. He seems he is proud of all or nearly all of what he has produced. So why allow such bastardized versions of his work? PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE DO NOT RUIN DUMA KEY, THE TALISMAN, BLACK HOUSE, or INSOMNIA! If not going to be done well and the same as the novels. Just leave them to our imagination.

Thanks for anyone's time who read my post.
 

GNTLGNT

The idiot is IN
Jun 15, 2007
87,651
358,754
62
Cambridge, Ohio
hello_merlin__john_hurt__by_doctordakota-d7wkj6i.png
 

Robert Gray

Well-Known Member
I'm pragmatic about it. The movie doesn't exist, didn't happen, doesn't matter, nor will I think of it again. :) Simply because someone makes a bad movie based on a book I love doesn't mean I have to accept it. I didn't get a say in it. You know those Star Wars movies that supposedly tell the story of young Darth Vader? Never happened. Poof. The Force remains, for me, a mystical force. I still say "may the Force be with you," and not "may the infection be with you." There are no weird microbes in my Star Wars mythology. It is really that simple. Bad movies have no more validity than you choose to give them.

The books are eternal. Someday someone will make a good film based on them, but the books will still be the same and eternal.
 

mjs9153

Peripherally known member..
Nov 21, 2014
3,494
22,165
Supposedly the movie was set after the events in the Dark Tower book series,if I am correct.That being said,I have to agree with the poster.There are so many of SK's works that are literally bastardized,and they say,well,it is the director's or the studio's interpretation and you still have the books..that is all well and good,but what movies have really succeeded from his works?THOSE THAT STICK TO THE STORYLINE!! So stick to the really good story,tell it faithfully,use great actors and all that,if you want to do some ridiculous mashup type story later,all well and good,but can't we see a faithful interpretation of the story we love without some psycho director making it into nonsense? I am agreeing with this poster,yeah the book is there,but why spend gazillions making a bastardized movie version,which will more than likely turn people off from checking out SK's works..
 

Tilly

Well-Known Member
Sep 23, 2017
435
1,629
62
Not sure how a movie can ruin a book, unless you're talking about someone's checkbook.
A movie can never ruin a book, but it can be so off mark that you wish you could take back seeing it because your imagination was so much better. Maybe some of his stories lend themselves to screenplays better than others. I remember renting Salem's Lot to see what they'd done. I remembered that if a vampire did set up camp in a town, that's how it might go down. 3/4 of the movie was a policeman sitting in his car and looking at a creepy big house on the hill. Now, I knew what he was THINKING, but unless you'd read the book...you'd be lost.
 

AnnaMarie

Well-Known Member
Feb 16, 2012
7,068
29,564
Other
I see at as a problem with adapting things from one medium to another. Certain things just work best as one medium, but not as well with others.

In some instances, like DT, they do not even try. And if there is no attempt, then why use the same name? Unless it’s to entice fans of the book who might not be interested in the movie on it’s own. Which is kind of insulting, if you think about it.
 

AnnaMarie

Well-Known Member
Feb 16, 2012
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Other
A movie can never ruin a book,

As I’ve said elsewhere, if it is a book you have enjoyed reading more than once, and if you ever plan to read it again, a movie CAN and DOES ruin a book.

Clan of the Cave Bear is a perfect example. I loved that book and had read it at least 4 times. They made a mockery of it (called it a movie...but mockery is more accurate a word). I made the mistake of watching the movie, and for several years, whenever I tried to read the book again all I could see was Daryl Hannah, and all the scenes that were so very wrong.

The movie ruined the book.

This is why I will never watch DT.
 

GeorgieFan2003

Bill and Georgie Fan
Sep 17, 2017
1,376
4,480
40
In some instances, like DT, they do not even try. And if there is no attempt, then why use the same name? Unless it’s to entice fans of the book who might not be interested in the movie on it’s own. Which is kind of insulting, if you think about it.

This is a good point, thanks for bringing it up. Yeah I hate it when they do not even try, or they get some director/writer who thinks they are better than the original author.
 

Neesy

#1 fan (Annie Wilkes cousin) 1st cousin Mom's side
May 24, 2012
61,289
239,271
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
There are several quality exceptions. Three of these wonderful exceptions are all written for the screen as well as directed by Frank Darabont. Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, and The Mist.

But what I'm completely baffled and honestly angered by is what is supposed to be The Dark Tower. So completely unlike the life's work King began in 1970 on those famous odd bargain green near cardboard thick reams of paper he wrote his first words of what became The Gunslinger. I'm not angry with the actors or anyone who worked on this except those who were in charge of the screenplay and the decisions that defamed such a truly wonderful and by King's own words...Magnum Opus he aspired to. And after being bought and sold several times before this 'movie' was presented. Silly it might be to do, but I'm boycotting it. I read the first article describing what it was going to be and who was starring in it. Then is saw the teaser trailer and after that I knew I'd simply be angry watching some horrible mutation of one of my all time favorites novel series by any author, but especially by Stephen King.

What makes me even more angry and sad in equal measure is knowing that this could not have happened without the permission of Mr. King! He's ruined many of his own great stories by writing horrible screenplays. But to ruin such an important work that consumed King's life for nearly 45 years. And after he nearly died from the van hitting him walking, he chose to even write himself into the story since (again in his words), this story was 'killing him'. I'll guess that with his near death experience. He decide to simply finish it quick...perhaps to feel more safe in his life? But taking the typical 5-7 years between books each much longer than the previous up to Wizard & Glass. Out came books 5,6,7 all in less than a year. I liked books 5 & 6, but personally feel the final book was a huge let down just to finish the story instead of how it felt it would have gone had he not had his brush with death. However...there is no excuse for the permission to make a movie so unlike the story.

Why not make a deal with one of the cable networks and get Frank Darabont to do his magic in creating it for the small screen that would have the budget of Game of Thrones, Outlander, The Walking Dead (Darabont DID bring this comic book series to the small screen. Originally as a mini-series, but so many watchers loved it. They wrote in asking it to continue, and explains why season 1 is only six episodes and all subsequent seasons from 10-12 episodes and now heading into season 7. The Dark Tower could easily cover five seasons or more if the final books story was written better than the original book. I find it hard to believe that George R.R. Martin is a better known and more persuasive force in Hollywood than Stephen King. So why such garbage under the King brand name? I know nothing about him personally. I don't wish to seem authoritative, but as a lifelong successful musician/songwriter. I've turned down sales of my music to those who would turn it into some Hip Hop thing I'd hate to hear. Why then has Mr. King done or permitted so many terrible renditions of his stories after the well done first attempts such as Carrie and Salem's Lot? Dolores Claiborne, Storm of the Century, 1408, Misery, and now we have an excellent adaptation of Mr. Mercedes. Even The Stand was done pretty well even as a made for TV mini series that took up an entire week M-F with 2 hour installments each and the original TV version of It was done well except the conclusion. Oh, almost forgot...I stopped watching 11-22-63 after the first ten minutes since it showed it was already way off from the book which I truly enjoyed even if I don't agree with King's premise that what the government told us is true about the assassination of JFK.

Add to these those done by Darabont, and there plenty of proof that the wonderful works of Stephen King CAN be done as close to the original stories. And now with the very common use of CGI, ANYTHING King has thought up COULD BE done with integrity and as close to his written work as possible. So WHY was this horrible version of a seven books Magnum Opus covering most of all King's stories with many references in so many of all his novels written during the time he was working on each successive Dark Tower book installment?!

Is there any possibility he does these things because he needs or wants the money?? I've no idea, but I live my life filled with logical reasons for everything. So I'm stumped why any of his stories that were mutilated by his own screenplays or just giving permission for a price to allow Hollywood to do as they wish with his work. He seems he is proud of all or nearly all of what he has produced. So why allow such bastardized versions of his work? PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE DO NOT RUIN DUMA KEY, THE TALISMAN, BLACK HOUSE, or INSOMNIA! If not going to be done well and the same as the novels. Just leave them to our imagination.

Thanks for anyone's time who read my post.
Hi Merlin,

Another one I consider pretty good would be Dolan’s Cadillac. I enjoyed both the story and the movie.

96F24F9E-F0F6-4E5C-920D-C3DDF6F8E1EA.jpeg
 

doowopgirl

very avid fan
Aug 7, 2009
6,946
25,119
65
dublin ireland
Welcome Merlin. There are a lot of misses out there, there are also a lot of hits.Sometimes a book just doesn't translate to the screen and sometimes a director has a vision that many readers do not. Some of my favorites hav been recent. Mr. Mercedes, 1922 and Geralds Game. Told so well that if even if you haven't read the books the tory would still be soooo good.
 

kingricefan

All-being, keeper of Space, Time & Dimension.
Jul 11, 2006
30,011
127,446
Spokane, WA
Welcome Merlin. There are a lot of misses out there, there are also a lot of hits.Sometimes a book just doesn't translate to the screen and sometimes a director has a vision that many readers do not. Some of my favorites hav been recent. Mr. Mercedes, 1922 and Geralds Game. Told so well that if even if you haven't read the books the tory would still be soooo good.
I can't wait till these get released on dvd! Just last night at a Halloween party I was talking to a friend who's not a King fan and she watched Gerald's Game and loved it. I told her to watch Delores Claiborne now as it's tied into GG.
 

Gerald

Well-Known Member
Sep 8, 2011
2,201
7,168
The Netherlands
The (perhaps more capable) people that were interested in it enough to make it (like J.J. Abrams) had already turned it down.

I think his screenplays are not bad at all. Perhaps too many were done as bland tv-series or tv-movies, but you can see with something like Pet Sematary that they can work too.
The ones I don't like at all mostly are the sequels (Return to Salem's Lot, Pet Sematary 2, Carrie 2, Firestarter: Rekindled etc.): even when the adaptations leave a lot to be desired, there is still always a little of his magic in them, but that doesn't go over into most of the sequels.

With the adaptations he mostly has a sit-back and wait approach. He knows he cannot fully control what happens in Hollywood and can only do so much to get it in the best hands as possible. His books have certainly yielded enough classic or semi-classic movies to keep allowing them to be filmed, but he knows he can't possibly control the outcome of every one of them.