The King of Horror, Stephen King is one of the most popular authors of modern times, it is only natural that many of his works have been adapted into feature films, miniseries and television shows. Born on September 21, 1947, the 72-year-old author has published over 61 novels and over 200 short stories.
Even though Stephen King has been quoted as saying that Kubrick's The Shining (based on his novel by the same name) is a film with memorable imagery, it was poor as an adaptation of his work, the film is considered to be a cult classic, with the author even later writing in his book Danse Macabre that he considered Kubrick's film among those that "contributed something of value to the (horror) genre".
On the author's 72nd birthday, here's looking at seven adaptations based on his works that one must watch.
Carrie (1976): The Brian De Palma film adapted from Stephen King's 1974 epistolary novel of the same name stars Sissy Spacek as Carrie White, a 16-year-old teenager who is consistently mocked and bullied at school until she uses her telekinteic powers for a gory and gruesome revenge. Carrie received widespread critical acclaim and was cited as one of the best films of the year and has attained cult status over the years.
The Shining (1980): Produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick and co-written with novelist Diane Johnson, the film is based on Stephen King's 1977 novel of the same name and is about Jack Torrance, an aspiring writer and recovering alcoholic, who accepts the position as the off-season caretaker of the isolated historic Overlook Hotel in the Colorado Rockies. However, Jack's sanity deteriorates due to the influence of the supernatural forces endangering his family. The film stars Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Scatman Crothers and Danny Lloyd.
Stand by Me (1986): The coming-of-age film directed by Rob Reiner and starring Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman, and Jerry O'Connell is based on Stephen King's 1982 novella The Body. The film is a fictional story of four boys in a small town in 1959 Oregon who go on a hike to find the dead body of another boy.
Pet Sematary (1989): Based on Stephen King's 1983 novel of the same, the Mary Lambert directorial is about the Creed family—Louis, Rachel, and their children Ellie and Gage, whose life take a turn for the worse, when they move from Chicago to rural Ludlow, Maine, settling down near a pet cemetery (spelled Sematary) where anything buried return as something more sinister.
The Shawshank Redemption (1994): Written and directed by Frank Darabont, the film is based on the 1982 Stephen King novella Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption. The movie tells the story of banker Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins), who is sentenced to life in Shawshank State Penitentiary for the murder of his wife and her lover, despite his claims of innocence. Over the next twenty years, he befriends fellow prisoner and manages a daring escape from the prisoner.
Dolores Claiborne (1995): The psychological thriller starring Kathy Bates is based on the novel of the same name by King. The plot of the film focuses on the relationship between a mum and her daughter after the daughter arrives to her remote hometown where her mum has been accused of murdering the women she cared for.
It and It Chapter Two (2017, 2019): The supernatural horror film based on the 1986 novel of the same name by Stephen King is about seven children in Derry, Maine, who are terrorised by an evil entity, who takes on the guise of Pennywise the Dancing Clown. While the first part saw the 'The Losers Club' fight and defeat the entity, the second part sees them come back together as adults to finish the evil force once and for all after it has risen again.
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