Long live the King
The Shining is one of the bestknown, most highly acclaimed psychological horror movies of all time. And Stephen King doesn’t like it very much.
Horror maestro King has famously said he considers the Stanley Kubrick-directed masterpiece to be a poor adaptation of the novel, and that Kubrick’s film never “gets you by the throat” the way good fright flick should.
We wonder, then, what King thinks of The Dark Tower, the recently released adaptation of his series. Actually, no need to wonder: King is mostly positive about the film.
Film critics, though, are far less enamoured. But let’s be honest, this isn’t exactly the first film adaptation of a King book to lay an egg. Children of the Corn, anyone? Maximum Overdrive? The Lawnmower Man?
Fortunately, King’s cinematic oeuvre is chockablock with movies that are good ... and you can stream or digitally rent them from your own haunted house.
CARRIE (1976)
Don’t bother with the 2013 remake or the weird 2002 TV movie — director Brian De Palma’s original take on the story of a meek teen with supernatural powers is by far the best. It’s unapologetically R-rated ( just in case the opening scene in a girls’ locker-room didn’t make that abundantly clear), and Sissy Spacek absolutely kills in the title role. Literally.
Find it on: iTunes, Google Play, PlayStation Store, Microsoft Store
MISERY (1990)
The first of two King/Rob Reiner joints on this list, this unforgettable movie about a romance novelist (James Caan) and a deranged fan who saves him from a car wreck (Kathy Bates) holds up to repeat viewings. We still cringe every time THAT SCENE with the sledgehammer happens. Bates won a well-deserved Oscar for this one.
Find it on: PlayStation Store
STAND BY ME (1986)
Any King fan knows his books are as much about humanity as much as they are about horror. Directed by Reiner, this non-supernatural, bittersweet tale of four boys searching for a dead body in the woods is funny, scary, heartbreaking and intimately relatable. The lads are played by a very young Wil Wheaton, Corey Feldman, Jerry O’Connell and the late River Phoenix.
Find it on: Amazon Video, iTunes, Google Play, PlayStation Store, Microsoft Store
THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION (1994)
This amazing movie seems to be on TV every five minutes, but maybe you’ve already cut the cord and are jonesing for your annual fix of Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman and a sewer pipe full of liquefied poop. This jailhouse drama is King storytelling at its peak, helped by the directorial talents of Frank Darabont.
Find it on: iTunes, Google Play, Cineplex Store, PlayStation Store, Microsoft Store