Nobody puts baillee in the corner

I was raised on Stephen King. One of my first ever, full-blown horror movies was Carrie (thanks Ma, for telling me I had to sit really close to the screen during the final jump scare). I read a different Stephen King novel every single October, and that’s exactly why I chose Christine today for 80s horror; I thought it would be cool to watch the movie while I’m reading the novel for (surprisingly) the first time. Plus, it’s absolutely one of my favorite Stephen King adaptations ever, so I decided to talk about some of my other favorite Stephen King film adaptations as well! This is far from a comprehensive list, but as always, I’m basing this listicle off the flicks I revisit the most. Stephen King rules. 

Pet Sematary (1989)– I shouldn’t have to include the year because the remake is very, very bad, but I digress. I watch Pet Sematary all the time. Fred Gwynne is phenomenal, and the Achilles’ cutting scene get me every time. Zelda is HORRIFYING. The effects are brutal. All and all, I think it really does the book justice. Sometimes read is better, but the movie is great too. 

Carrie (1976)– This is a given. Carrie would be a great, stand-alone horror film, but the fact it takes its source material from the King is even better. I think I love Carrie so much because it’s so beautifully tragic, and there’s something almost Shakespearean about it. It’s also a prime example of slow and steady 70s horror. This flick will always be at the top of my King adaption list, even if they’re all going to laugh at me. 

Christine (1983)– I can’t pinpoint exactly why I love Christine so much because it has so much going for it. John Carpenter. Great score. Killer effects. I think what really sends it over the top for me is how Carpenter managed to successfully convey King’s story about a murderous machine. I honestly think if Christine were remade, it wouldn’t work. At all. The fact that so many digital effects were out of the question helps this movie out so much. God, I hate rock and roll, but boy, do I love this movie.

The Shining (1980)– This one was a tough call, only because King and Kubrick fought so hard over it. Saying Kubrick took a few creative liberties would be a huge understatement, but The Shining is such a brilliant movie, and as much as they were at odds, King and Kubrick needed each other to make a quality film. It’s difficult to keep an audience’s attention span for so long, but you never want to look away because, well, there are so many things to look at, especially if you watch Room 237. Please watch the documentary and then rewatch the movie because it’ll give you an entirely new perspective. Maybe there is so truth to that whole all work and no play thing after all. 

It (1990)/It (2017)/It: Chapter Two (2019): It is the rare exception where both the original and remakes of the adaptation are extremely well done. I know some people aren’t fans of It: Chapter Two for some reason, but outside of the scene where Mike drugs Bill, I thought it was great. I like to look at Tim Curry’s Pennywise as taking the form of an entity that would scare adults as to Bill Skarsgaard playing Pennywise as to what would have terrified the children, and I think that holds for both films as well. The original miniseries has more of an adult horror film whereas the new films have more Stranger Things/80s teen horror/coming of age vibes, and I think that’s why I enjoy both iterations so much. Don’t compare the two entries to each other but rather look at them as two completely separate takes. Hail to the Stephen King, baby.