Discussion: Stephen King novels and their adaptations for the big screen

1. The Shining:

a) the novel:

One of Stephen King's best novels I have already read. The story is simple, and however or therefore even more thrilling and intensive. The whole atmosphere of the Overlook Hotel really comes out of this book and surrounds the reader. King shows in an almost impressing way that he is the master of literary horror. The characters and psychological realism are more important than bloody effects, and it's exactly that what makes the novel so moving. 'The Shining' is definetly a modern classic of horror literature, probably the greatest classic since Stoker's 'Dracula'.
Style: 9
Thrilling factor: 9,5
Characters: 9,5
Story: 8
Final result: 36/40 --> excellent

b) the film:

Out of King's novel, Kubrick made his own film. He put out a lot of elements of the novel, and instead used his own ideas. A lot of critics think that the film is as subtle and suggestive as the novel. That's probably right, but that doesn't disturb at all. There is still enough subtely to make out of this King-adaptation the best of them all. The brilliant photograpghy and the labyrinth-like settings are just terrific. There is just someone in this movie, who is even more diabolic: Jack Nicholson. Kubrick could not have made a better choice for the leading actor. However, there is just one drawback: Shelley Duvall's part as Wendy Torrance is reduced to a minumum. She's doing nothing in this film but crying and running away.
Direction: 9
Thrilling factor: 9
Actors: 9,5
Story: 7,5
Final Result: 35,5/40 --> brilliant

c) Novels 1:0 Films

2. Misery (POSSIBLE SPOILERS!!!!!!!!!!!!)

a) the novel:

Another outstanding novel by Master King: very suggestive, in a terrifying way realistic and with two psychologically excellent main characters. Once again King uses the settings (Annie Wilkes's house) to develop an incredibly intensive atmosphere. As a reader, one becomes addicted to this novel that is quite possibly King's most thrilling one. The 'relationship' of Paul Sheldon and Annie Wilkes increasingly becomes a sort of struggle for survival. In the novel, you have got a striking and absurd contrast between humour (irony) and (in a positive sense) disgusting passages.
Style: 8,5
Thrilling Factor: 9,5
Characters: 10
Story: 8,5
Final Result: 36,5/40 --> excellent

b) the film:

Even though director Rob Reiner ignored, for his screen adaptation, a few passages of the book that were more or less important, his film come quite close to the novel, concerning at least the structure and the dialogues. In the movie, there are certainly also enough of suggestive scenes and gallows humour, but the story loses a little bit of its psychological accuracy. However, this is compensated by the two brilliant actors: James Caan and Academy Award-Winner Kathy Bates. As a spectator, you are absorbed in writer Paul Sheldon's fight for survive, due to Caan's excellent performance . With this film, Kathy Bates clearly shows that she is one of the best actresses of our time. Her performance is one of the best ever and that's why she absolutely deserved the Academy Award for Best Leading Actress. Reiner has also introduced a few new scenes and characters, that weren't in the novel. For instance the dinner with Annie. The most interesting of the new characters is surely the old sheriff. Nevertheless there is another major drawback: the ending of the film. It just comes too fast, so that you have got the impression that the movie is very short, too short. The very last scene is well made, but compared to the rest of the film it's neither 'touching' nor moving.
Direction: 7,5
Thrilling Factor: 8,5
Actors: 9,5
Story: 8,5
Final Result: 35/40 --> brilliant

c) Novels 2:0 Films

3. Pet Sematary

a) the novel:

Apart from 'The Shining', 'Pet Sematary' is one of King's most popular novels. The story is simple and not very original, but it's once more the atmosphere created by Stephen King that makes this novel so convincing. The whole horror becomes effective, because of the realism given by the main characters, the family Creed and the neighbours Judd and Norma Crandle. It's the clash of 'normal events', for instance, the emotions of these average people, and the fantastic horror elements that makes the novel so terrific.
Style: 8
Thrilling factor: 8,5
Characters: 8,5
Story: 6,5
Final Result: 33,5/40 --> brilliant

b) the film:

Definetly one of the worst adaptations of a King novel ever. The whole plot becomes predictable and one-dimensional. The characters are stereotyped and the actors wooden. The esprit of the novel gets lost through the cheap, bloody effects. The end that was in the novel so brilliant and breathtaking is in the movie just ridiculous.
Direction: 3
Thrilling factor: 5,5
Actors: 3,5
Story: 6
Final Result: 18/40 --> disappointing

c) Novels 3:0 Films

4. Christine (POSSIBLE SPOILERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

a) the novel:

Arnie Cunningham is what one calls a 'loser'. But one day he sees Christine and immediately fells in love with her. From there on his life changes. Sounds like a typical teenager comedy, but considering the facts that Stephen King has written this story and that Christine is actually a car it becomes special and atypcial. Apart from that Christine leads her/its own life and kills by the way people. But the novel is much more complexe. On the one hand, we have got the horror elements around Christine and on on the other hand, Arnie and his problems: his changes, his friendship with Dennis, his relationship to Lee, his difficulties with his severe mother, etc. That's why the novel is psychologically so correct.
Style: 7
Thrilling factor: 7,5
Characters: 8
Story: 7
Final Result: 29,5/40 --> good

b) the film:

Specialist John Carpenter adapted 'Christine' for the big screen and made out of the complexe story a simple horror film with convincing visual effects and likeable actors. Unfortunately Arnie's problems (see above?) are displaced by the horror elements to a minor role. That's also why the spirit of the literary pattern gets almost lost. Carpenter could definetly have done more out of this story.
Direction: 5,5
Thrilling factor: 5,5
Actors: 6
Story: 5,5
Final Result: 22,5/40 --> average

c) Novels 4:0 Films