Not the man - his work.

Someone somewhere asked for a comment on The Stand and I did this:

I’d become a King fan with Salem’s Lot, and so I snatched up The Stand as soon as it appeared. But here was a different Stephen King—he’d widened his lens and was shooting in Cinemascope now. I was captured by the sweep of the story, but stopped cold when he first described Randall Flagg, the dark man, the distillation of human evil, walking south on US 51. Usually if I’m taken out of a story it’s because of bad writing; but this was so good I had to stop and reread it. I’ve never forgotten that chapter.

Then a guy in France asked for a short piece on my favorite King novel. It appeared in Le Livre des Livres de Stephen King and will most likely never see print in English, so here it is:

’Salem’s Lot: Mutant Makes Good

We were born in the forties in the first wave of the baby boom. We were raised through the fifties by stay-at-home moms and WWII Two vets in family units of 2.3 children, a dog, and two cats. We witnessed the advent of rock ‘n’ roll and our Elvis remains young, slim, and twangy. We went to school with the neighbor kids—where we all learned the duck-and-cover move in the event of nuclear attack—and played with them after school and on weekends.

But we weren’t like them. Not really. Sure, we liked baseball and watching Friday night wrestling on our tiny black-and-white TVs. But somehow it wasn’t enough. We didn’t know what was missing, but we knew we felt incomplete.

Then we got our first glimpse of the cover of a horror comic—for me it was Witches Tales #25—and experienced a galvanizing thrill. But in 1954 Frederick Wertham’s Seduction of the Innocent was making waves about horror comics, convincing our parents they’d twist our minds. Ha! We were already twisted. We were born twisted.

So horror comics were banned from many of our houses. No problem. We bought Tales from the Crypt or Vault of Horror and stuck them inside Donald Duck covers, or hid them in the garage.

And then we saw our first monster movie trailer on TV—most likely Beast from 20,000 Fathoms or Godzilla—and it was love at first sight.

Sure, they were popular movies, and millions upon millions of kids went to see them. But they didn’t live for those moments.

We did.

We combed through TV Guide for titles of movies that had horror potential. The Betamax was three decades off, so we couldn’t simply pop in a favorite movie and watch it. If we found an interesting title playing at two A.M., we couldn’t record it. No, we had to set our alarm clock, get up, and sneak downstairs to catch it.

When the first issue of Famous Monsters of Filmland hit the stand we snatched it up and read and reread it until the staples fell out.

We celebrated when we found the rare anthology that contained horror stories. Reading our first Lovecraft was almost sexual. And when Universal released its horror library to TV, we were in heaven.

Tom Monteleone has labeled us mutants and it’s as good a handle as any. We were wired in ways that deviated from the norm.

Since then the world has changed. The VCR makes seeing the classic and not-so-classic horror films easy. Monsters and vampires have been mainstreamed. I mean, breakfast cereals named Frankenberry and Count Chocula—can you believe it?

Back then, thanks to Roger Corman and others, we had plenty of low-budget fodder to keep us in the movie houses. But as for horror fiction . . . not much happening.

Sure, we found an occasional collection like Cry Horror or The Macabre Reader, but they were mostly reprints from Weird Tales and the like. Arkham House books cost more and were pretty much the same. We’d hunt down Poe and M.R. James, and classics like Dracula and Frankenstein, but besides occasional publishing aberrations like The Haunting of Hill House, where was the new stuff?

Then, in 1967 . . . Rosemary’s Baby. An oasis in a desert of blah that had its moments, but no sock on the jaw. The imitations that followed were mostly awful.

It took four years for our next fix, a gut punch called The Exorcist.

Then in 1974 came Carrie, a novel about a telekinetic adolescent by a newcomer named Stephen King. I read the paperback in 1975 and it was . . . okay. I dug the pyrotechnics but teenage angst wasn’t my bag.

I liked it enough, though, to order his second novel, ’Salem’s Lot, when I saw it listed in the Literary Guild circular.

Nothing in the book club blurb or the flap copy hinted at vampires. Maybe because, with no such thing as a horror genre back then, Doubleday thought the word “vampire” on the jacket would hurt sales. Looking back I feel fortunate that I was able to come to ’Salem’s Lot with no idea of what I’d find.

Though the flap copy mentioned a stranger “with a secret as old as evil,” it took a while before what might be supernatural evil revealed itself. Oh, there were hints when Straker bought the Marsten house, and portents with the dog spiked on the cemetery fence, but the early parts seemed more concerned with human evil—I still remember the sick jolt of reading about Sandy punching her ten-month-old baby.

King told us about the junkyard man, detailed Bonnie’s affair, the Glick family dynamics, Crockett’s wheeling and dealing . . . all these characters. Was this going to turn out to be some kind of dark soap opera?

Then “darkness enfolded” Danny Glick . . . followed by the “unspeakable” scene in the cemetery.

Now I was into it. This wasn’t your mother’s Peyton Place.

The anemic Danny Glick dies in his hospital room . . . and the epitaph on Hubert Marsten’s tombstone: God Grant He Lie Still.

Ooooh, is this going where I hope it’s going?

And then the epiphanic scene.

I knew nothing of this Stephen King guy except that the flap said he lived in Maine with his wife and kids. No jacket photo, so for all I knew he could have been fifty-sixty-whatever years of age.

King was a stranger until I came to section 5 of Chapter Six: The Lot (II) where we find Mark Petrie gluing the arms on an Aurora glow-in-the-dark Frankenstein monster. He has a whole table of the models, including Dracula, the Mad Doctor, and Mr. Hyde.

Just like I had when I was Mark’s age.

With a sudden burst of joy I knew all about Stephen King. I remember thinking, THIS GUY IS ONE OF US!

If joy seems an inappropriate response, let me explain.

Rosemary’s Baby had been written by a guy born in the 1920s, a playwright best known for “No Time for Sergeants”—a comedy.

William Peter Blatty was also a child of the 1920s. A mundane novelist and comedic screenwriter—A Shot in the Dark, for chrissake.

But here was someone from my generation referencing a shared mutant past. A bestselling author—and he was a member of the club.

Stephen King was a fellow mutant.

I’d just sold my first novel—sf because no horror market existed then—and the idea that one of us was already making it big was more than heartening and inspiring, it was goddamn electrifying.

And I knew right then that he wasn’t going to let me down by jimmying up a real-world explanation of all the weirdness he’d been describing. My fellow mutant would deliver.

And deliver he did. ’Salem’s Lot is a classic not just of vampire fiction, but of the whole horror genre. I gobbled every word. There are so many reasons to love this book, but the mutant epiphany in Chapter Six cast it in stone as my favorite King novel.

Mutants rule!

I have been listening to this song for about the past hour, hour and a half or so and it just occured to me, this could be Dawn's theme song. If it is maybe a spoiler, please feel free to tell me so I can put a spoiler bar over it, or mods can do it. WARNING: EXTRREME PARENTAL ADVISORY WARNING KoRn - Daddy (lyrics) I don't feel like finding the audio unedited online right now. Thoughts on this as a so called theme song?

A friend of mine finally decided to put down his Tom Clancey and Dan Brown books, which he has read dozens of times, and listen to me about FPW and Repairman Jack. So, I thought that I would get him a set of books for the holiday season.
Borders bookstores = NOTHING! Target = FORGET IT! Walmart = YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING! I even hit a couple of used book stores = "F. Paul WHO???"
GEEEEEEEZZZZZ The guy has written a TON of books and nobody has even ONE copy. I had to drive downtown just to pick up a copy of the "By the sword" hardcover, which only the Borders downtown had a copy (12 miles one way, but it was worth it!) Everyone can ORDER me a copy, but there is not one in stock anywhere! What is going on? AND, forget about trying to get a copy of "Reborn", you will just have to try and find a used copy on Ebay or Amazon somewhere!
I think that this is a sign of the end times, when an accomplished author such as Doctor Wilson cannot have a giant section in most bookstores. Granted, the Borders downtown did indeed have one copy of about 10-12 books, including "The Keep" and "The Tomb" (Have not seen "Rakoshi" anywhere yet) but, as I said, only ONE copy of each! (But they were NEW!) But Stephen King had about 3 rows of EVERY book he has ever written, and at least 3 copies of each book, at LEAST 3!!!!
That really frosts my GOAT!!!!

Lexator

In November 2008, FPW said: "...the latest director they’re talking to (he's done some big pictures and has worked with Beacon before)."

I have looked at Beacon's filmography on IMDB and, in the Poll above, are all the male directors that have worked with Beacon and have also had more than one "big picture".

Enjoy.

-Wapitikev

God Bless All,
My Husband just recently lost his job, and we don't have even one present for our two sons 12 and 15 years old. I just feel awful, but there is no money coming from anywhere. so if anyone could possibly spare any amount, or gifts or anything appropriate for my sweet boys. They don't deserve this, if no one can help, I completely understand, the economy I know. Maybe this is the year my kids have to find out what life is like. Pretty bad sometimes.
Thank you, and Merry Christmas to one and all, no matter the outcome.
We wish a Happy Holiday Season, and God Bless a wonderful new year to all.I don't want anyone to think we are beggars,cons artists, or anything like that, I guess I just thought there might be some people who might be able to help a couple, who so recently became down on there luck. My Husband was buying a company from a man name James Bennett, Kenny had been paying 50% of the money the company made, and 650.00-to 850.00 per late payment a month. Kenny had been paying Jim, and all the equipment which was still in Jim's name, for 3 years, A Caterpiller, An brand new International chipper truck, and a brand new Chipper, plus the phone bills, advertising, etc involved in the business. Well 3 Sundays ago, Jim came in the middle of the night, and took all the equipment. We had to go sign up for food stamp, and medicaid, but no money. I am sorry to have to even write this, and probably won't get a response. Its okay, sometime Kids have to learn early, and I am sure they will understand someday.
If anyone would happen to feel the spirt, and would like to help, I am ashamed but would still love to not disapppoint my kids, and let them believe in Christmas Angels.
God Bless You, all and have a wonderful Holiday Season. Sorry about looking like Spam, or a Scam. We are just having a baaaad thing happen so unexpectedly.
I beg of you
Peace...Love...and Happiness to all
Lisa
[email protected]
314-706-0327, Please only serious call please.
74 Mockingbird Hill, House springs,MO 63051 Jesse-15yrs old/Joseph 12yrs old. WWJD or ABC Tree Service 5700 Old State Hwy 21, Imperial, MO 63052

Possible Spoilers in my questions and speculations.


Yes I'm one of the newbies, but I'm reading as fast as I can here. I need some answers. I've looked through many of the older threads as well as the newer ones. So please forgive these questions if they repeat. I can't find the answers and asking somebody gets me just a partial answer. Or "there are no more coincidences". quigglemouth: So here's my questions. ANY hint would help.

Were Tesla's experiments the source of the energy seen in Legacies? Is that energy still there,waiting for something to tap into it?

Was that energy what powered the implosion of the house in Monroe in Conspiracies? The twins, WTF were they? Were they agents of the Otherness?

In All The Rage, the rakosh was just left to roam the barrens? You would have thought Jack would want to kill that one especially. Why did he let it live? Do we see it again?

I'm more than half way through Hosts, I'm thinking Jack's sister is a goner. Is this the first lady and dog seen? Did I miss one?

I'll have more questions once I'm done I'm sure.

Thanks for any help.

I was surprised that nobody posted about this excellent movie "Body of Lies". Today was the opening day at Japan. I've been waiting for this one, and I really enjoyed it. Has anyone seen this?

In this year, I saw two Ridley Scott's movies. American Gangsters, and "Body of Lies". Both were great, but I prefer "Body of Lies". DiCaprio and Crowe, both actors showed their best acting. They are CIA agents. Dicaprio is in Mid-East, Crowe is in America, and Crowe give instructions by communication via satellite to Dicaprio, "Do this, do that... blar blar blar....". But, soon their missions go to wrong directions and they get into big problems because of their "lies".

Plot lines are well written by William Monahan. Thrilling, but sometimes humorous. His script is perfectly fitting to both of actors' personality. DiCaprio and Crowe's passage of words had witty and funny humor.

I'm Ridley Scott fan. I always enjoyed his movies. Any genres. As for the story of CIA, Tony Scott's "Spy Games" disappointed me. But "Body of Lies" is great one. I highly recommend this to all Ridley Scott fan.

Don't miss it! :thumbsup:

This is an animated graduate film someone sent me the link to. Really amazing work.

From the sites description: What if you watch a film and whenever you pause it, you face a painting? This idea inspired Reza Dolatabadi to make Khoda. Over 6000 paintings were painstakingly produced during two years to create a five minute film that would meet high personal standards. Khoda is a psychological thriller; a student project which was seen as a ‘mission impossible’ by many people but eventually proved possible!

Check out the short film at Vimeo.

Story here.

I enjoyed Spaced. Just now I finished watching all 14 episodes. That's one of funniest TV series. It's very unique and it has originality. Somebody said "This is British version FRIENDS", but I thought this is better than FRIENDS.

Someone noticed Ricky Gervais was in one episode? And John Simm (Life on Mars) played Stephen in one episode.


Dr.Who, Torchwood, MI-5, The Office, Life On Mars......now I really like BBC! :thumbsup: