Stephen King's books that have not yet been adapted fall into three groups: "no one tried to adapt it," "someone tried but couldn't adapt it," and "someone is trying to adapt it right now."
The Long Walk is just one of those books, and it belongs to both the second and third categories. Stephen King himself considers it to be one of his best novels. The author created it as a student, but could not publish it for a long time.
What is The Long Walk About?
The characters in The Long Walk live in an alternative future America. Once upon a time there was a global catastrophe, but the author deliberately hides the details from us. It is now a police state ruled by a dictator known as the Major.
On his initiative, a survival game is held every year – 100 young men, accompanied by military personnel, set out on a certain route.
The Long Walk is just one of those books, and it belongs to both the second and third categories. Stephen King himself considers it to be one of his best novels. The author created it as a student, but could not publish it for a long time.
What is The Long Walk About?
The characters in The Long Walk live in an alternative future America. Once upon a time there was a global catastrophe, but the author deliberately hides the details from us. It is now a police state ruled by a dictator known as the Major.
On his initiative, a survival game is held every year – 100 young men, accompanied by military personnel, set out on a certain route.
- 5/20/2024
- by zoe-wallace@startefacts.com (Zoe Wallace)
- STartefacts.com
Ain’t no Stephen King like a kooky Stephen King! Join your horror hosts Kimmi & Jon for another silly-yet-serious, irreverent-although-enlightening, factually-inaccurate-but-still-super-fun edition of Nightmare on Film Street. This week, we’re peeling back the curtain on the Richard Bachman mystery to discuss Stephen King’s Thinner (1996).
Directed by Tom Holland (Child’s Play), this cursed movie is a heck of a lot of fun. Lizard men! Cursed pies! People kissing corpses! Thinner is Kooky with a capital K, and a brilliant example of the twisted, unstoppable mind of The Master of Horror. Join ussssss…
Support The Show:
Nightmare on Film Street is a labor of love – and Terror! Support us on Patreon at nofspodcast.com/fiendclub to unlock frightfully good rewards; like bonus episodes, watch parties, exclusive merch, producer credits, and much more!
Released:
March 7, 2024
Links:
Apple Podcasts – Spotify – Fiend Club – Street Team – Discord – Merch – Leave a Review
Where To...
Directed by Tom Holland (Child’s Play), this cursed movie is a heck of a lot of fun. Lizard men! Cursed pies! People kissing corpses! Thinner is Kooky with a capital K, and a brilliant example of the twisted, unstoppable mind of The Master of Horror. Join ussssss…
Support The Show:
Nightmare on Film Street is a labor of love – and Terror! Support us on Patreon at nofspodcast.com/fiendclub to unlock frightfully good rewards; like bonus episodes, watch parties, exclusive merch, producer credits, and much more!
Released:
March 7, 2024
Links:
Apple Podcasts – Spotify – Fiend Club – Street Team – Discord – Merch – Leave a Review
Where To...
- 3/7/2024
- by Nightmare on Film Street
Stephen King is inarguably one of the most adapted authors in the world. The reigning overlord of the horror genre has seen his work translated to film and TV almost continually since his first novel, Carrie, was adapted in 1976. While he’s had his ups and downs in terms of success in those venues, it’s almost a certainty that the King adaptations will continue as the author himself keeps working well into his sixth decade as a published writer.
Naturally, most of the adaptations of King’s work focus on his horror or horror-adjacent output: just about everything from 1,000-page behemoths like the post-apocalyptic The Stand to 10-page short stories like the single-setting monster tale “The Boogeyman” have found their way to the screen. But while filmmakers and creators gravitate toward the King material that they think will scare audiences – after all, that’s his brand – some of the...
Naturally, most of the adaptations of King’s work focus on his horror or horror-adjacent output: just about everything from 1,000-page behemoths like the post-apocalyptic The Stand to 10-page short stories like the single-setting monster tale “The Boogeyman” have found their way to the screen. But while filmmakers and creators gravitate toward the King material that they think will scare audiences – after all, that’s his brand – some of the...
- 1/15/2024
- by Don Kaye
- Den of Geek
Actor Joe Mantegna has previously recorded a commentary for the 1996 Stephen King adaptation Thinner with the film’s director Tom Holland (whose other credits include Fright Night and Child’s Play)… but that didn’t stop him from sitting down to record a new commentary for Scream Factory’s upcoming Blu-ray release of Thinner! This time, Mantegna was joined by producer Mitchell Galin – and we’ll get to hear what they had to say about Thinner when the Blu-ray is released on January 23rd. Copies are available for pre-order through the Scream Factory website and on Amazon.
Scripted by Tom Holland and Michael McDowell, Thinner is based on a novel King wrote under his Richard Bachman pen name and tells a story of supernatural terror as one man faces a countdown to the ultimate excruciating payback. A 109-year-old Romani man, hell-bent on revenge for the death of his daughter, exacts a...
Scripted by Tom Holland and Michael McDowell, Thinner is based on a novel King wrote under his Richard Bachman pen name and tells a story of supernatural terror as one man faces a countdown to the ultimate excruciating payback. A 109-year-old Romani man, hell-bent on revenge for the death of his daughter, exacts a...
- 1/5/2024
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Edgar Wright is back in the limelight after producing “Scott Pilgrim Takes Off,” the critically adored anime expansion of “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World” which reunites the entire cast of his beloved 2010 film. But the success of the Netflix series has many fans wondering when Wright will get back in the director’s chair for another movie.
In a new appearance on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Wright offered some hints about what his first film since “Last Night in Soho” might be. The director gave an update on his planned reboot of “The Running Man,” Stephen King’s dystopian novel that inspired the 1987 Arnold Schwarzenegger movie of the same name. Wright explained that his film would not necessarily be a remake of the movie, but a more faithful adaptation of King’s novel, including parts that director Paul Michael Glaser omitted.
“’The Running Man’ is something that is in active development,...
In a new appearance on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Wright offered some hints about what his first film since “Last Night in Soho” might be. The director gave an update on his planned reboot of “The Running Man,” Stephen King’s dystopian novel that inspired the 1987 Arnold Schwarzenegger movie of the same name. Wright explained that his film would not necessarily be a remake of the movie, but a more faithful adaptation of King’s novel, including parts that director Paul Michael Glaser omitted.
“’The Running Man’ is something that is in active development,...
- 12/3/2023
- by Christian Zilko
- Indiewire
The Running Man is among some of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s beloved works. It’s definitely a movie that looks like a product of its time, but there was still plenty of fun to be had. The action film originated as a novel by Stephen King. He would write it under the pseudonym Richard Bachman. In the years since the movie’s release, there have been similarly-themed films about a dystopian future that showcase people fighting for their lives for the sake of entertainment, such as The Hunger Games films. However, there has yet to be a faithful adaptation made from The Running Man‘s source material.
Edgar Wright aims to change that. The Shaun of the Dead director is a fan of the Arnold Schwarzenegger film, but he does think there is an opportunity to adapt the Stephen King novel closely since the movie strayed from it. According to ScreenRant,...
Edgar Wright aims to change that. The Shaun of the Dead director is a fan of the Arnold Schwarzenegger film, but he does think there is an opportunity to adapt the Stephen King novel closely since the movie strayed from it. According to ScreenRant,...
- 12/1/2023
- by EJ Tangonan
- JoBlo.com
Earlier this week, we heard that Francis Lawrence, whose previous credits include Constantine, I Am Legend, Water for Elephants, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Parts 1 and 2, Red Sparrow, Slumberland, and The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, is the latest director to be attached to helm an adaptation of The Long Walk, a Stephen King novel that was published under the Richard Bachman pen name back in 1979. Now The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed that The Long Walk is set up at Lionsgate, with Lawrence in “final talks” to direct. So this will be a continuation of the working relationship Lionsgate and Lawrence have had on the Hunger Game films.
Joe Drake of the Lionsgate Motion Picture Group provided the following statement: “When you have enjoyed the strong creative collaboration and success that we have had working with Francis, you want to repeat that experience as much as possible.
Joe Drake of the Lionsgate Motion Picture Group provided the following statement: “When you have enjoyed the strong creative collaboration and success that we have had working with Francis, you want to repeat that experience as much as possible.
- 11/30/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
We just learned earlier this week that Francis Lawrence (The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes) is on board to direct an adaptation of Stephen King’s 1979 novel The Long Walk, and The Hollywood Reporter brings us some more information tonight.
The project had previously been set up at New Line, but THR reports that Stephen King’s The Long Walk has a new home at Lionsgate, with Lawrence in “final talks” to direct.
Additionally, they report that Jt Mollner (Strange Darling) will write the script.
THR also notes that Roy Lee (It) is on board to produce the upcoming movie.
“When you have enjoyed the strong creative collaboration and success that we have had working with Francis, you want to repeat that experience as much as possible,” said Joe Drake, chair of the Lionsgate Motion Picture Group. “We couldn’t be more excited about reuniting with him on The Long Walk.
The project had previously been set up at New Line, but THR reports that Stephen King’s The Long Walk has a new home at Lionsgate, with Lawrence in “final talks” to direct.
Additionally, they report that Jt Mollner (Strange Darling) will write the script.
THR also notes that Roy Lee (It) is on board to produce the upcoming movie.
“When you have enjoyed the strong creative collaboration and success that we have had working with Francis, you want to repeat that experience as much as possible,” said Joe Drake, chair of the Lionsgate Motion Picture Group. “We couldn’t be more excited about reuniting with him on The Long Walk.
- 11/29/2023
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
The Long Walk has new spring in its step as Lionsgate is now behind a big-screen adaptation of the Stephen King book.
Lionsgate has picked up the rights to the 1979 dystopian novel, with Francis Lawrence in final talks to direct. Jt Mollner will pen the script. The move puts Lawrence back in business with Lionsgate, for whom he directed The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, which is currently in theaters and has grossed more than $200 million globally.
Roy Lee is producing Long Walk with Lawrence.
New Line was previously developing the project with director André Øvredal and a script from James Vanderbilt before the rights lapsed in the summer of 2022. Now Lionsgate will begin anew with its own take.
“When you have enjoyed the strong creative collaboration and success that we have had working with Francis, you want to repeat that experience as much as possible,” said Joe Drake,...
Lionsgate has picked up the rights to the 1979 dystopian novel, with Francis Lawrence in final talks to direct. Jt Mollner will pen the script. The move puts Lawrence back in business with Lionsgate, for whom he directed The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, which is currently in theaters and has grossed more than $200 million globally.
Roy Lee is producing Long Walk with Lawrence.
New Line was previously developing the project with director André Øvredal and a script from James Vanderbilt before the rights lapsed in the summer of 2022. Now Lionsgate will begin anew with its own take.
“When you have enjoyed the strong creative collaboration and success that we have had working with Francis, you want to repeat that experience as much as possible,” said Joe Drake,...
- 11/29/2023
- by Ryan Gajewski and Borys Kit
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The director of The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes is heading to the world of Stephen King next with The Long Walk. More here:
Here’s one of two news updates today on projects based on Stephen King stories that will at some point be heading to a cinema near you. Oddly enough, both projects also focus on murderous dystopian TV contests and both were originally written under King’s Richard Bachman pseudonym, his one-time alter ego who was known for penning a harder, nastier brand of horror.
The first story concerns the announcement of The Long Walk, a novella published by King back in 1979. It was eventually published in a collection of other ‘Bachman tales’ in 1985. That collection also featured The Running Man, which is also in development at the moment with Edgar Wright this week offering an update on the project.
As for The Long Walk, 'the story...
Here’s one of two news updates today on projects based on Stephen King stories that will at some point be heading to a cinema near you. Oddly enough, both projects also focus on murderous dystopian TV contests and both were originally written under King’s Richard Bachman pseudonym, his one-time alter ego who was known for penning a harder, nastier brand of horror.
The first story concerns the announcement of The Long Walk, a novella published by King back in 1979. It was eventually published in a collection of other ‘Bachman tales’ in 1985. That collection also featured The Running Man, which is also in development at the moment with Edgar Wright this week offering an update on the project.
As for The Long Walk, 'the story...
- 11/29/2023
- by Dan Cooper
- Film Stories
He has the Hunger Games prequel :a[The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes]{href='https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/the-hunger-games-the-ballad-of-songbirds-snakes/' } in cinemas now, but with his latest trip to Panem in the rearview, Francis Lawrence can make a start on something else from his extensive To Do list. Or… He can add to that list! According to a new interview with the director in Business Insider, he's also now attached to make the long-gestating adaptation of Stephen King's The Long Walk.
The 1979 dystopian tome, published under his Richard Bachman pseudonym is the story of 16-year-old Ray Garraty, who against the wishes of his mother, is about to compete in the annual grueling match of stamina and wits known as the Long Walk. One hundred boys must keep a steady pace of four miles per hour without ever stopping… With the winner being awarded "The Prize," Aka anything he...
The 1979 dystopian tome, published under his Richard Bachman pseudonym is the story of 16-year-old Ray Garraty, who against the wishes of his mother, is about to compete in the annual grueling match of stamina and wits known as the Long Walk. One hundred boys must keep a steady pace of four miles per hour without ever stopping… With the winner being awarded "The Prize," Aka anything he...
- 11/28/2023
- by James White
- Empire - Movies
Before there was "The Hunger Games," there was "The Long Walk." So it's perhaps only fitting that "Hunger Games" franchise helmer Francis Lawrence is now attached to direct an adaptation of Stephen King's 1979 dystopian novel. Published under King's pseudonym Richard Bachman, "The Long Walk" is set in a future where teenage boys are forced to walk for miles and miles without rest along U.S. Route 1. If any of the walkers drop below 4 miles per hour for more than 30 seconds, they get a warning. That might not sound too bad, but here's the rub: if anyone gets three warnings, they're shot dead. Essentially, the contestants are forced to walk until they drop. The last surviving walker is then given both a sum of money and a prize of their choice.
A potential film adaptation of King's book has been kicking around for years and years, and Lawrence is just the...
A potential film adaptation of King's book has been kicking around for years and years, and Lawrence is just the...
- 11/28/2023
- by Chris Evangelista
- Slash Film
An adaptation of The Long Walk, a Stephen King novel that was published under the Richard Bachman pen name back in 1979, has been trudging through development hell for decades. At one point, the rights were in the hands of Frank Darabont, who made the King adaptations The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, and The Mist. Then the rights passed over to New Line Cinema, where Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark director André Øvredal was hired to direct the film from a screenplay by James Vanderbilt, whose credits include the two most recent Scream movies. While doing the press rounds for his film The Last Voyage of the Demeter earlier this year, Øvredal revealed that he was no longer involved with The Long Walk, and said not making that movie is one of the big regrets of his life. Now we know who has replaced him at the helm: Francis Lawrence.
- 11/28/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
An adaptation of Stephen King’s 1979 novel The Long Walk has been in various stages of development over the years, with filmmakers including the late George A. Romero, Frank Darabont, and André Øvredal attached at different points in time. Of course, none of those movies ended up coming to fruition, but it looks like a new filmmaker has entered the chat.
In a new chat with Business Insider, Francis Lawrence (The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes) let it slip that he’s currently attached to King’s The Long Walk.
“I’m now attached to The Long Walk, the Stephen King book. Very excited about that,” Lawrence told the outlet, when speaking about his slate of upcoming projects.
Stephen King penned The Long Walk under the pseudonym Richard Bachman. First published in 1979, the novel is set in future dystopian America ruled by an authoritarian.
In The Long Walk,...
In a new chat with Business Insider, Francis Lawrence (The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes) let it slip that he’s currently attached to King’s The Long Walk.
“I’m now attached to The Long Walk, the Stephen King book. Very excited about that,” Lawrence told the outlet, when speaking about his slate of upcoming projects.
Stephen King penned The Long Walk under the pseudonym Richard Bachman. First published in 1979, the novel is set in future dystopian America ruled by an authoritarian.
In The Long Walk,...
- 11/28/2023
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
Directed by Tom Holland, Stephen King adaptation Thinner was released in 1996, and it’s now getting a Collector’s Edition Blu-ray from Scream Factory.
Thinner is coming to Blu-ray on January 23, 2024 from Scream Factory.
The classic King adaptation stars Robert John Burke and Joe Mantegna in a story of supernatural terror as one man faces a countdown to the ultimate excruciating payback.
Extras are in progress and will be announced at a later date.
You can pre-order your copy from Scream Factory now.
Stephen King’s novel Thinner was published under the pseudonym Richard Bachman, and it was released in 1984 – twelve years before the movie adaptation came along.
The post Scream Factory Brings Stephen King Movie ‘Thinner’ to Blu-ray Early Next Year appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.
Thinner is coming to Blu-ray on January 23, 2024 from Scream Factory.
The classic King adaptation stars Robert John Burke and Joe Mantegna in a story of supernatural terror as one man faces a countdown to the ultimate excruciating payback.
Extras are in progress and will be announced at a later date.
You can pre-order your copy from Scream Factory now.
Stephen King’s novel Thinner was published under the pseudonym Richard Bachman, and it was released in 1984 – twelve years before the movie adaptation came along.
The post Scream Factory Brings Stephen King Movie ‘Thinner’ to Blu-ray Early Next Year appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.
- 10/30/2023
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
Richard Bachman's 1982 novel "The Running Man" is set in the far-off future of 2025 when corporate America is ruling the country, people are having trouble finding work, and appearing on salacious government-run game shows seems like a viable way to make money.
Contestants in "The Running Man" are deemed to be enemies of the state and are sentenced to execution. They are then set loose and hunted by government assassins, each one outfitted with a colorful gimmick. The contestants earn $100 for every hour they stay alive, with a $100 bonus for each cop they kill. If they live for 30 days, they win a billion dollars. The public takes bets on how long the contestants will survive before their inevitable slaughter.
The 1987 feature film adaptation of "The Running Man," directed by Paul Michael Glaser and written by Steven E. de Souza, changed the premise slightly. Now set in 2017, the film sees Ben Richards...
Contestants in "The Running Man" are deemed to be enemies of the state and are sentenced to execution. They are then set loose and hunted by government assassins, each one outfitted with a colorful gimmick. The contestants earn $100 for every hour they stay alive, with a $100 bonus for each cop they kill. If they live for 30 days, they win a billion dollars. The public takes bets on how long the contestants will survive before their inevitable slaughter.
The 1987 feature film adaptation of "The Running Man," directed by Paul Michael Glaser and written by Steven E. de Souza, changed the premise slightly. Now set in 2017, the film sees Ben Richards...
- 10/25/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark director André Øvredal’s latest film, the Dracula tale The Last Voyage of the Demeter, reached theatres last weekend (you can read our review Here), but unfortunately it didn’t get off to a great start at the box office, pulling in just $7 million. That’s not the only disappointing news there is to share about an Øvredal project, as the director has also revealed that he is no longer attached to an adaptation of The Long Walk, a Stephen King novel that was published under the Richard Bachman pen name back in 1979.
An adaptation of The Long Walk has been trudging through development hell for decades. At one point, the rights were in the hands of Frank Darabont, who made the King adaptations The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, and The Mist. Then the rights passed over to New Line Cinema, where...
An adaptation of The Long Walk has been trudging through development hell for decades. At one point, the rights were in the hands of Frank Darabont, who made the King adaptations The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, and The Mist. Then the rights passed over to New Line Cinema, where...
- 8/16/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Clockwise from top left: Stand By Me (Columbia Pictures), Creepshow (Warner Bros.), The Shining (Warner Bros.), Misery (Columbia Pictures), Carrie (United Artists)Graphic: AVClub
You don’t receive the nickname “The Master of Horror” by being crap at your job. Since his first novel was published in 1974 (that would be...
You don’t receive the nickname “The Master of Horror” by being crap at your job. Since his first novel was published in 1974 (that would be...
- 6/5/2023
- by Matt Mills
- avclub.com
Robert John Burke in ThinnerPhoto: Paramount
Maine doesn’t have many celebrities, so when someone makes it on a national scale, it’s a big deal. Anna Kendrick, Patrick Dempsey, and Judd Nelson all come to mind, but the Pine Tree State’s favorite son is Stephen King. When I...
Maine doesn’t have many celebrities, so when someone makes it on a national scale, it’s a big deal. Anna Kendrick, Patrick Dempsey, and Judd Nelson all come to mind, but the Pine Tree State’s favorite son is Stephen King. When I...
- 6/2/2023
- by Drew Gillis
- avclub.com
Of all the advice Stephen King offers in On Writing, “write what you know” may be the best. It’s certainly advice he follows as his vast catalogue is bursting with writers and the occasional villainous scribe. With King’s last literary outing as Richard Bachman behind them, the Losers round up all of King’s fictional writers to duke it out in a March Madness style tournament.
Join Losers’ Club co-host Jenn Adams as she cues up the arena rock and tips off a series of head-to-head battles in which an expert panel that includes fellow co-hosts Michael Roffman, Dan Caffrey, and Julia Marchese slowly narrow down the field to an epic, final showdown. Nail-biters and buzzer-beaters abound in our quest to identify King’s ultimate writer.
Who wins? Play along and find out!
Stream the episode below and return next week when the Losers head to Hollywood to...
Join Losers’ Club co-host Jenn Adams as she cues up the arena rock and tips off a series of head-to-head battles in which an expert panel that includes fellow co-hosts Michael Roffman, Dan Caffrey, and Julia Marchese slowly narrow down the field to an epic, final showdown. Nail-biters and buzzer-beaters abound in our quest to identify King’s ultimate writer.
Who wins? Play along and find out!
Stream the episode below and return next week when the Losers head to Hollywood to...
- 5/12/2023
- by Michael Roffman
- bloody-disgusting.com
With Blaze back on the shelf, the Losers have finished their Richard Bachman run. To cap it off, they do what any self-respecting Constant Reader would do: argue and rank all seven of his novels. To recap, that includes: 1977’s Rage, 1979’s The Long Walk, 1981’s Roadwork, 1982’s The Running Man, 1984’s Thinner, 1996’s The Regulators, and 2007’s Blaze.
“Wait, fellas, who is this Richard Bachman,” you say? Hey, it’s a fair question, and for those in the dark, Bachman is the late pseudonym for world renown author Stephen King. Still lost? Good news: We’ve got an exhaustive primer episode on King’s alter ego that offers an A-to-z account of the fictional author. You can get it now in The Barrens (Patreon).
Stream the ranking below and return next week when the Losers unlock their interview with American author and feminist essayist Meg Ellison. For further adventures,...
“Wait, fellas, who is this Richard Bachman,” you say? Hey, it’s a fair question, and for those in the dark, Bachman is the late pseudonym for world renown author Stephen King. Still lost? Good news: We’ve got an exhaustive primer episode on King’s alter ego that offers an A-to-z account of the fictional author. You can get it now in The Barrens (Patreon).
Stream the ranking below and return next week when the Losers unlock their interview with American author and feminist essayist Meg Ellison. For further adventures,...
- 4/28/2023
- by Michael Roffman
- bloody-disgusting.com
“You always were the clumsy one, old hoss.”
Believe it or not, but this month marks the 30th anniversary of George A. Romero‘s The Dark Half. Starring Timothy Hutton in a dual role and Michael Rooker as Sheriff Alan Pangborn, the 1993 supernatural thriller brought Romero back to King’s Dominion with the late filmmaker both writing and directing the adaptation of Stephen King’s 1989 novel of the same name.
To celebrate the occasion, the Losers are unlocking their Ka-mmentary track for the underrated Friday night rental. Join co-hosts Dan Caffrey, Dan Pfleegor, and Justin Gerber as they return to Castle Rock to talk all things Romero, all things Rooker, and all things ’90s pop culture. Note: This track was recorded in March 2022, so some references might not be so topical anymore.
Stream the Ka-mmentary track below and return next week when the Losers discuss the final Richard Bachman book...
Believe it or not, but this month marks the 30th anniversary of George A. Romero‘s The Dark Half. Starring Timothy Hutton in a dual role and Michael Rooker as Sheriff Alan Pangborn, the 1993 supernatural thriller brought Romero back to King’s Dominion with the late filmmaker both writing and directing the adaptation of Stephen King’s 1989 novel of the same name.
To celebrate the occasion, the Losers are unlocking their Ka-mmentary track for the underrated Friday night rental. Join co-hosts Dan Caffrey, Dan Pfleegor, and Justin Gerber as they return to Castle Rock to talk all things Romero, all things Rooker, and all things ’90s pop culture. Note: This track was recorded in March 2022, so some references might not be so topical anymore.
Stream the Ka-mmentary track below and return next week when the Losers discuss the final Richard Bachman book...
- 4/14/2023
- by Michael Roffman
- bloody-disgusting.com
Stephen King, that one-man cultural juggernaut, unleashes his latest cinematic effort with this adaptation of one of the novels he wrote under his pseudonym, Richard Bachman. That name doesn't sell quite as well as his own, hence "Stephen King's Thinner".
Unfortunately, this horror flick, which has arrived just in time for Halloween, is one of the decidedly inferior King adaptations, more on a par with "Sleepwalkers" than "The Dead Zone". The film opened on Friday without the benefit of press screenings.
The story involves an obese lawyer, Billy Halleck Robert John Burke), who falls under the spell of a gypsy curse. Halleck and his wife Heidi (Lucinda Jenney) are driving home from dinner when she impulsively decides to provide him with some oral gratification. Understandably distracted, he fails to see the old gypsy woman and runs her down. When the judge and police chief, who happen to be his good friends, decide in a quick hearing that the incident was strictly an accident, the woman's father (Michael Constantine) takes matters into his own hands. He lays curses on all three of the conspirators, with Halleck's being described in only one word: "thinner."
Although momentarily disturbed, Halleck is soon overjoyed at his newfound weight loss, in which he loses pounds a day while continuing to eat all he wants. His elation turns to fear, however, when he discovers that he can't stop the process and that he's literally fading away. Meanwhile, his fellow victims are experiencing their own horrible transformations. Blaming his wife for causing the accident that brought about the curse, he also becomes suspicious of her close relationship with the family doctor.
He decides to fight back, with the aid of a gangster (Joe Mantegna) whom he's successfully defended on a murder charge. Soon, it's open warfare between "the white man from town" and the gypsies, whose ranks include the beautiful Gina (Kari Wuhrer), someone you definitely wouldn't want to play darts with.
After a fairly slow and subtle buildup, all hell eventually breaks loose in a violent conclusion, with a particularly nasty final development involving a lethal strawberry pie.
"Thinner" is not one of the more cinematic King stories, with the first two-thirds mainly concerned with the lead character's alarming weight loss. This transformation is well-achieved by makeup artist Greg Cannom, who convincingly alters Burke into a 300-pound behemoth and back down again. But the chief effect of watching the actor, in his fat makeup, chowing down again and again is a desire to watch a Richard Simmons infomercial. Theater owners be warned: Concession sales are likely to plummet.
Director Tom Holland, who has quite a bit of experience with this type of thing ("Fright Night", "Child's Play"), is ultimately unable to prevent the material from lurching into camp, and he is not helped by such decisions as casting Constantine as a 106-year-old gypsy. Burke, who's a long way here from working with Hal Hartley, does an effective job while coping with various kinds of inhibiting makeup. And Mantegna, who truly deserves better material than this, provides some fun moments as the Mafioso who consults his mother when it comes to important matters like curses. The author, himself, shows up in a cameo as a befuddled pharmacist.
STEPHEN KING'S THINNER
Paramount Pictures
Presented by Spelling Films
A Richard P. Rubinstein production
Director Tom Holland
Screenplay Michael McDowell, Tom Holland
Producers Richard P. Rubinstein,
Mitchell Galin
Executive producer Stephen F. Kesten
Director of photography Kees Van Oostrum
Editor Marc Laub
Music Daniel Licht
Color/stereo
Cast:
Billy Halleck Robert John Burke
Richie Ginelli Joe Mantegna
Heidi Halleck Lucinda Jenney
Linda Halleck Joy Lenz
Gina Lempke Kari Wuhrer
Tadzu Lempke Michael Constantine
Running time -- 92 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
Unfortunately, this horror flick, which has arrived just in time for Halloween, is one of the decidedly inferior King adaptations, more on a par with "Sleepwalkers" than "The Dead Zone". The film opened on Friday without the benefit of press screenings.
The story involves an obese lawyer, Billy Halleck Robert John Burke), who falls under the spell of a gypsy curse. Halleck and his wife Heidi (Lucinda Jenney) are driving home from dinner when she impulsively decides to provide him with some oral gratification. Understandably distracted, he fails to see the old gypsy woman and runs her down. When the judge and police chief, who happen to be his good friends, decide in a quick hearing that the incident was strictly an accident, the woman's father (Michael Constantine) takes matters into his own hands. He lays curses on all three of the conspirators, with Halleck's being described in only one word: "thinner."
Although momentarily disturbed, Halleck is soon overjoyed at his newfound weight loss, in which he loses pounds a day while continuing to eat all he wants. His elation turns to fear, however, when he discovers that he can't stop the process and that he's literally fading away. Meanwhile, his fellow victims are experiencing their own horrible transformations. Blaming his wife for causing the accident that brought about the curse, he also becomes suspicious of her close relationship with the family doctor.
He decides to fight back, with the aid of a gangster (Joe Mantegna) whom he's successfully defended on a murder charge. Soon, it's open warfare between "the white man from town" and the gypsies, whose ranks include the beautiful Gina (Kari Wuhrer), someone you definitely wouldn't want to play darts with.
After a fairly slow and subtle buildup, all hell eventually breaks loose in a violent conclusion, with a particularly nasty final development involving a lethal strawberry pie.
"Thinner" is not one of the more cinematic King stories, with the first two-thirds mainly concerned with the lead character's alarming weight loss. This transformation is well-achieved by makeup artist Greg Cannom, who convincingly alters Burke into a 300-pound behemoth and back down again. But the chief effect of watching the actor, in his fat makeup, chowing down again and again is a desire to watch a Richard Simmons infomercial. Theater owners be warned: Concession sales are likely to plummet.
Director Tom Holland, who has quite a bit of experience with this type of thing ("Fright Night", "Child's Play"), is ultimately unable to prevent the material from lurching into camp, and he is not helped by such decisions as casting Constantine as a 106-year-old gypsy. Burke, who's a long way here from working with Hal Hartley, does an effective job while coping with various kinds of inhibiting makeup. And Mantegna, who truly deserves better material than this, provides some fun moments as the Mafioso who consults his mother when it comes to important matters like curses. The author, himself, shows up in a cameo as a befuddled pharmacist.
STEPHEN KING'S THINNER
Paramount Pictures
Presented by Spelling Films
A Richard P. Rubinstein production
Director Tom Holland
Screenplay Michael McDowell, Tom Holland
Producers Richard P. Rubinstein,
Mitchell Galin
Executive producer Stephen F. Kesten
Director of photography Kees Van Oostrum
Editor Marc Laub
Music Daniel Licht
Color/stereo
Cast:
Billy Halleck Robert John Burke
Richie Ginelli Joe Mantegna
Heidi Halleck Lucinda Jenney
Linda Halleck Joy Lenz
Gina Lempke Kari Wuhrer
Tadzu Lempke Michael Constantine
Running time -- 92 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
- 10/28/1996
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.