Leland Gaunt

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Autumn13

Active Member
Feb 14, 2012
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While Max was great casting, and most of the casting was good, IMO the movie was a major car crash. My least favorite adaptation.
I feel the same. I loved the book and was convinced by a secretary in my tax office to go see the movie. Too much was changed. Too many characters revised. For example, why did Polly change from running sewing shop to a diner?
 

Doc Creed

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Nov 18, 2015
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I feel the same. I loved the book and was convinced by a secretary in my tax office to go see the movie. Too much was changed. Too many characters revised. For example, why did Polly change from running sewing shop to a diner?
I saw this at the theater, too. It was a passable movie and I enjoyed most of it but I wished it had been developed for television as a miniseries. Brian Rusk is a big character and the story line with his brother and mother was nil. Less streamlining of plot for budgeting reasons and more character development. Who knows? Maybe we will see a version of this in the near future.
 

blunthead

Well-Known Member
Aug 2, 2006
80,755
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Atlanta GA
I stumbled upon the movie Needful Things a long time ago before I was familiar with Stephen King other than to simply know that he wrote horror stories. Maybe I was just in the right mood for the movie, or maybe Ka's all-knowing, unseen finger was nudging me in a new direction unintended by me. Anyway, I got really caught up the story, and especially dug Ed Harris who was fantastic, and the kid who played the kid who stole the show. I think I didn't know it was an sK story.
 

Autumn13

Active Member
Feb 14, 2012
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I never pictured Ed Harris as Alan Pangborn. For some reason I always pictured the police uniforms of Castle Rock as dark khaki pants with a lighter khaki shirt. I also pictured the hats as Stetsons or maybe the kind of hats that Park Rangers wear. I also pictured Pangborn as a sort of Chris Noth as he played in Law & Order.
Back to Leland Gaunt - I would have like to have seen his Tucker Talisman. I wonder what Preston Tucker would have thought about the "added features".
 

doowopgirl

very avid fan
Aug 7, 2009
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I feel the same. I loved the book and was convinced by a secretary in my tax office to go see the movie. Too much was changed. Too many characters revised. For example, why did Polly change from running sewing shop to a diner?
I'm not a stickler for everything has to be the same as in the book, but the changes that were made were stupid and pointless.
 

muskrat

Dis-Member
Nov 8, 2010
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Under your bed
Haven't seen this in years. Max Von Sydow is one of the greats. His cameo as the 'old and sodded' King Osrik in Conan the Barbarian (1982) never fails to give me goosebumps.

"There comes a time, thief, when the jewels cease to sparkle, when gold loses its luster, when the throne room becomes a prison...and all that is left is a father's love for his child."

And Strange Brew, eh? Beauty.

 

recitador

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Sep 3, 2016
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I feel the same. I loved the book and was convinced by a secretary in my tax office to go see the movie. Too much was changed. Too many characters revised. For example, why did Polly change from running sewing shop to a diner?

probably just because as good of a character as nan was, they didn't really have time to flesh out another person.
 

Maddie

Even a stopped clock is right twice a day.
Jul 10, 2006
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that dollhouse at the end of the street
I never have read the book Needful Things but fell in love with the movie. The character portrayal of Leland Gaunt in the movie , for me, it was perfect. He is probably one of my favorite of all Stephen's characters. Once, when we were playing a game, I don't know if it was a game, or a thread at that time, or what, but it was about similarities to board members to characters in Stephens movies and books, and who would be who, and I chose Leland Gaunt, for John (Dalglish) and I knew that he was like, wondering hmmmnnn, puzzled with a little wonderment about that, considering any and all evils of Mr. Gaunt, but it was because he was sooo charming and alluring and he always had 'something' for 'everyone' and how him arriving at the board, was kind of like him coming to town, and it was ultimately a huge compliment. He chose the character of Rose Daniel for me of Rose Madder by the way which I was extremely flattered. ; )
 
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Ebdim9th

Dressing the Gothic interval in tritones
Jul 1, 2009
6,137
22,104
lolol Just about everybody on the first page agrees with you on the similarities .. I've read Needful Things several times but have never watched the movie. Looks like I'll have to catch up on this one ...
 

BrokenolMarine

Well-Known Member
Dec 13, 2016
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I liked the movie, loved the book.
Sadly, I once saw a situation similar to this play out in real life.
A tight knit group of friends torn apart never to repair the damage... because isolated actions wrongly blamed on this one, then that one, dominoed thru the group until not one person was left untouched.

No, I wasn't involved, except in the end, trying to tell folks to let things ride... sigh.
Of course they didn't.
 

Ebdim9th

Dressing the Gothic interval in tritones
Jul 1, 2009
6,137
22,104
Rumors kill is my takeaway from Needful Things, its symbolic of situations like the one you're recalling, yes .... btw a belated welcome aboardie mate!
 
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Maddie

Even a stopped clock is right twice a day.
Jul 10, 2006
4,945
9,346
that dollhouse at the end of the street
lolol Just about everybody on the first page agrees with you on the similarities .. I've read Needful Things several times but have never watched the movie. Looks like I'll have to catch up on this one ...


I'm the worst about jumping into a thread, at the very end, and not reading what was on page one :laugh: but nice to know that others saw those cool similiarities too! :snowman: