In honor of a possible re-imagining of 'IT'
My top five favorite Stephen king novels in countdown, in order to build tension in a completely boring post:
5) The Shining - this novel is best known for being a beautifully shot film. King didn’t like the Kubrick version. I’m guessing this was because of the infamously different ending, weakened by Kubrick’s vision of the Overlook Hotel. However, I think that the movie perfectly captures the tone and taut terror of cabin fever mixed with bad hotel mojo that King lays out in the novel. The book is certainly as scary if not scarier than the movie (think of Joey sticking his copy in the freezer).
4) Salem’s Lot - This book, in my humble opinion, is the scariest of all of King’s stories. It’s mostly due to the creepiness of this house that sits on a hill overlooking this town…terrifying because Salem’s Lot is drawn perfectly. You see every street, every creek, every stone and every freakin’ vampire tooth so vividly. Its prose as clear as stage direction. Even in the cheesy 80’s version of the movie starring David Soul, the part where that one kid is floating outside of that other kid’s window makes my skin crawl. I’m alone right now and I kind of wish I was wearing a turtleneck…
3) Night Shift - This collection of short stories is so badass! There are two stories that continue with Salem’s Lot history; ‘Jerusalem’s Lot,’ which is a prequel dating back to the infamous Chapelwaite house where the whole bloodsucking mess began and ‘One for the Road,’ which is a great title but also a really creepy short story set in a blizzard with another creepy kid. I also love ‘The Ledge,’ and ‘Quitters Inc.’ because they are good old fashioned ‘horrors of man’ type stories with no supernatural element. Don’t crap on ‘Trucks’ because of its association with ‘Maximum Overdrive’ - it is a great story. It has a soft spot in my heart right next to the Terminator movies. And last but best, ‘The Boogeyman,’ because Becky won’t even let me talk about this story at all.
2) The Stand - This monster of a novel (and Night Shift) were published the year I was born, so I consider myself super lucky (neener). I cannot believe how amazingly it details the end of the world. You can SMELL it. You can taste it. It’s so good.
1) IT - I have read this book cover to cover about 5 or 6 times. I can tell you anything you want to know about Derry, Maine. - The Tracker Brothers’ depot, the house where they were attacked by the werewolf and the Barrens where the Losers’ Club would meet. They are led by ‘Stuttering Bill’ Denbrough, who lost his little brother Georgie to IT, followed by obese but studious and well behaved Ben Hanscom (my favorite), Richie Tozier, the class clown, Beverly Marsh, the beautiful but abused tomboy, Stan Uris, a birdwatcher, Michael Hanlon, the smart librarian who stayed behind, and hypochondriac Eddie Kaspbrak. I love the way this book begins, because it is so terrifying. IT is scary because there are real world dangers AND there’s Pennywise. Anyone who tells you they like clowns is possibly be a demon.
I think the IT movie would be okay. I always wanted to see a non-made for TV version, no matter how brilliant Tim Curry was. This is definitely a Rated R, bust a gut movie - and it could be spectacular.
