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Blade_of_tyshalle posted:Re-reading 'salem's Lot now. I know Susan's supposed to be, like, 26 or so, but I can't help picturing her as an 17- or 18-year-old and it makes Ben seem much creepier. Since I saw the original mini-series first I picture them as the actors that played them (funny I still think Salem's Lot every time I see Fred Willard aka Larry Crockett). That said given the way Susan's mother treats her you would think she was 17. Bonus a ridiculous long trailer of the original Salem's Lot that almost gives you the whole movie. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIbJ2rQ59ZE&t=24s
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Jan 22, 2014 14:17
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Blade_of_tyshalle posted:Re-reading 'salem's Lot now. I know Susan's supposed to be, like, 26 or so, but I can't help picturing her as an 17- or 18-year-old and it makes Ben seem much creepier. I can write an essay about how Susan is one of the most disappointing characters of King's fiction. Some of that would definitely be solved by her being a teenager. Some.
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Jan 22, 2014 15:43
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There is one good thing about Susan. It's creepy as hell when she comes back as a vampire outside Mark's window. Just the idea that this sweet lady we knew for most of the book is now an eternal thing. Yeesh. I really really like Salem's Lot though, it's one of my favorites by King.
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Jan 22, 2014 17:40
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FreezingInferno posted:There is one good thing about Susan. Salem's Lot is unquestionably my favorite, sullied by this one one darkness. I get so filled with rage when she suddenly turns into an idiot and then gets almost literally fridged. She's so loving smart for the whole book and then suddenly becomes stupider than a 12 year old boy. At that point she becomes more problematic than Frannie "All women want a man to tell them what to do" Goldsmith
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Jan 22, 2014 18:27
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I just finished Joe Hill King's Twentieth Century Ghosts and the story 'Voluntary Committal' will probably stick with me for as long as 'The Jaunt' did. I really liked all the stories in this book, but that one... *shiver*.
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Jan 22, 2014 21:30
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ThatGirlAtThatShow posted:I just finished Joe Hill King's Twentieth Century Ghosts and the story 'Voluntary Committal' will probably stick with me for as long as 'The Jaunt' did. I really liked all the stories in this book, but that one... *shiver*. That whole collection is really good. The one that sticks out to me the most is Pop Art, because it's weird and poignant on the surface and really creepy below, if you realize that the main character is crazy, probably due to his lovely upbringing, and his inflatable friend (and later, wife) is a Real Doll instead of an actual person. Can You Hear the Locust Sing is my second favorite. It's so bizarre and gross. Voluntary Committal is really good too. It's not nearly as scary as The Jaunt but it's still good.
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Jan 22, 2014 21:47
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rypakal posted:Salem's Lot is unquestionably my favorite, sullied by this one one darkness. On a similar note, I feel more bad for Susan in Dark Tower 4, since her death was more unavoidable.
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Jan 22, 2014 22:58
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Finished Dolores Claiborne last night. I thought it was pretty good. So I was telling my girlfriend about Stephen King this past weekend, and I mentioned the trope about his books having terrible endings...but I blanked out on which ones they were. I could only come up with Needful Things and the Stand with confidence. Can anyone come up with a list of the bad Stephen King endings? Oh poo poo I just thought of Under the Dome's ending while typing this. That one was awful.
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Jan 23, 2014 05:11
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Cell had a godawful ending. It also falls victim to the aforementioned problem of needlessly killing off female characters. There's that scene where he kills the girl by just having some assholes drive by and throw a cement block at her head. When I got to that scene I was just angry and confused.
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Jan 23, 2014 05:26
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I just want to add that people have various objections to King's endings. They all aren't the same. In early King you just get used to the idea that basically, kinda like Game of Thrones books, people you like are going to have horrible endings. Sometimes it's telegraphed with a "and that was the last time he saw her alive" or whatever, but if you like King you're ok with that stuff. My only problem with the ending of Cell (other than it started out so strong) was that it was completely unresolved, like The Mist, for example. I'm ok with that because I don't need, to use an extremely hackneyed and completely non-judgemental (from me) phrase, "everything wrapped up in a little bow." E.G. I thought the ending to Under the Dome, though massive, was pure classic King and I wouldn't change it. The aforementioned thing that happened in Cell was very powerful and it added something to the narrative: even the borg zombies said that poo poo was out of bounds and they would deal with the perps. You don't see that every day in a novel and it's something King did that I'd not seen before. So really I don't think anyone can really answer your question because it's too vague. What do you consider a weak ending, and why? Then we can tell you other books that fall into that category. Just my $0.02. [edit to add] With so much backlash against the Dark Tower, I am not 100% satisfied with it but I'm glad I read it and I'm ok with the ending. It's hard for me to criticize King for his "endings" when he's written and I've read and enjoyed so much. Dr. Faustus fucked around with this message at 08:10 on Jan 23, 2014 |
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Jan 23, 2014 08:06
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I actually loved Needful Things enough that the ending didn't bother me all too much. Just the visuals of some old, evil thing/man selling antiques and being generally a bad guy engrossed me.
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Jan 23, 2014 08:32
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Has anyone ever asked King why he just can't finish a bloody book by tying up loose ends, drawing a line under scenes without it all being loving aliens?
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Jan 23, 2014 13:37
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The ending to Cujo was pretty depressing: Tad dies at the same time as Cujo. As the cops and cleanup crew arrive, Donna keeps trying to give air to her son's dead body until she's finally pulled away. Flies start to gather on Tad and Cujo's bodies. I think I read somewhere that King regrets killing off Tad and was glad that the kid survives in the movie.
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Jan 23, 2014 14:43
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He also says he doesn't remember actually writing Cujo so he didn't really have a choice in how it ended.
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Jan 23, 2014 19:14
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So according to my Facebook trending feed (ugh), Aaron Paul was approached to play Eddie in that Dark Tower adaption that's been stumbling along in development hell. Not who I pictured, but I think he'd be a pretty good Eddie (except for all the Bitch! jokes that unoriginal nerds will end up making after the shootout in Balazar's).
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Jan 23, 2014 19:57
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I think it's a good choice. Breaking Bad proved he can do serious junkie acting and isn't limited to just Popsicle commercials.
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Jan 23, 2014 20:10
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3Romeo posted:So according to my Facebook trending feed (ugh), Aaron Paul was approached to play Eddie in that Dark Tower adaption that's been stumbling along in development hell. Not who I pictured, but I think he'd be a pretty good Eddie (except for all the Bitch! jokes that unoriginal nerds will end up making after the shootout in Balazar's). Is that a sure thing? I ask because a few months ago he tweeted (in response to a question from some follower) that he'd love to play Eddie Dean. Depending on wording, this sounds like it might be a belated rumor based on that. (Though if the rumor is true, it would make the choice even cooler.)
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Jan 23, 2014 23:14
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Here's the link, dated two days ago: http://screenrant.com/dark-tower-movie-cast-aaron-paul/ and the AICN interview, in which I ask myself how AICN is still around like I always do whenever I go to the website: http://www.aintitcool.com/node/65837
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Jan 23, 2014 23:19
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That's definitely enough to get my hopes up. I just searched for Dark Tower adaptation yesterday to see if there was anything new on that front.
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Jan 23, 2014 23:25
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Can't wait to see Aaron Paul's dingdong flapping in slow motion during that gunfight, mm-mmm.
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Jan 24, 2014 03:28
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Blade_of_tyshalle posted:Can't wait to see Aaron Paul's dingdong flapping in slow motion during that gunfight, mm-mmm. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZZGpfQCNmE
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Jan 24, 2014 04:27
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It is so cool. Because I have been enjoying Weber's audiobook reading of IT, I recommended it to my father to listen to. And he actually said YES. Now, this is a big deal because my Dad, as I have mentioned, has owned a summer house just a couple houses down the road from Stephen King for about 15 years or so now. And for the last 5 years King has owned the house DIRECTLY next to to ours (the old Beckhardt house he used in the seventh Dark Tower book) and somebody is often using it, whether its guests or someone in the family. But anyway, during this time (and before) my dad has completely refuses to read *one single book* by Stephen King, which is odd given that he reads all kinds of books by all kinds of people and has been a huge bibliophile his whole life. But because of some snobbery thing he has always looked down his nose at King as popular trash. So what I did was just point out the absolute absurdity of all this - being so close in the summers to one of the best-selling authors in the history of the world and refusing to read a single book of his on some stupid principle. So he agreed to listen to IT very reluctantly and I told him to just listen to the first two parts (the Georgie chapter and the Adrian Mellon chapter) and if he isn't hooked he can stop. But of course he got hooked and is (reluctantly) enjoying the hell out of listening to it. He finally got to the first set of 1958 flashbacks and is now *really* loving it. But he is also obviously quite disquieted. Something he mentioned was that he really liked the first Derry Interlude chapter, and that at least one of the oral historian sorta guys Mike Hanlon "talks" to was a real person, which I found amusing. It always is fun to read King as a Mainer because the amount of in-jokes and references that only Mainers would understand is pretty shockingly great.
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Jan 24, 2014 04:32
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Congratulations, your dad is a Steven King character. "Ghosts? Monsters? Don't tell me you believe those ignorant legends. No, that sound in the back yard is probably just the town drunk scrounging around for something to steal. I think I'll go out there and tell him off..." And that was the last time kaworu saw his dad.
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Jan 24, 2014 12:24
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Kaworu's nails bit into his palms, leaving bloody half-moons.
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Jan 24, 2014 14:31
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I listened to a song last night that had the lyrics "sodium light" and thought of all you goons. It wasn't the The The's song actually titled Sodium Light, but some Franz Ferdinand joint. Now I kind of want to edit the wikipedia on arc sodium lights to have an "In popular culture" section. Kaworu, kiss me In the alleyway by [Incomprehensible] Jacket in the sodium light Yes, I love you, I mean, I, I mean, I need to love And though your opened eyes stay bored Upon the overflowing pipes above me Tonight I don't mind Because I never wonder how the girl feels
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Jan 24, 2014 18:34
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crankdatbatman posted:Finished Dolores Claiborne last night. I thought it was pretty good. I'm actually of the belief that the ending of a really good book should always be a letdown. I prefer if the mcguffin used to create the conflict isn't over explained. I'd like to see someone who disliked an ending to a King book formulate a better one. Because even the ones I hate hate hate hate hate hate hate like Tommyknockers, I can't come up with them.
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Jan 24, 2014 21:08
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I actually liked the ending to Under The Dome. I thought the idea of the newspaper-lady drawing on her childhood bullying was a neat way of underscoring just how alien the things responsible for the dome were, but also hopeful in that they could learn to appreciate the suffering they were causing. "Oh wait, you things are sentient? Aw, yeah, well then, we're kind of being dicks. Our bad, sorry.". rypakal posted:I prefer if the mcguffin used to create the conflict isn't over explained. Same. If you've read The Colour Out of Space by HPL, nothing about that story could be improved by some detailed explanation. If you haven't read it, you should. Sharkie fucked around with this message at 22:59 on Jan 24, 2014 |
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Jan 24, 2014 22:57
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Blade_of_tyshalle posted:Kaworu's nails bit into his palms, leaving bloody half-moons. He drew the perfectly-folded white handkerchief from his breast pocket and wiped the blood away, and he didn't see the orange eyes staring at him from a tangle of brambles and sterile blackberry bushes to his left. This brambly patch scrubbed the entire bank for thirty feet, and in the centre of it was a Morlock hole. It was from this raised concrete pipe that the eyes, each more than two feet across, stared.
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Jan 25, 2014 00:00
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Blade_of_tyshalle posted:Kaworu's nails bit into his palms, leaving bloody half-moons. He then lit a stale cigarette off of the closest of the nineteen hot arc-sodium lamps and brushed off his blue chambray workshirt, unaware he had spoken aloud.
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Jan 25, 2014 00:04
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I was keen to borrow Skeleton Crew from my university library which, when I last looked a few years ago, had all of King's books. Now every single book by King has been reorganised into the Rare Books collection which you can't take out on loan.  I suppose I might try a bookstore but they mostly only ever have newer books.
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Jan 25, 2014 01:44
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Octy posted:I was keen to borrow Skeleton Crew from my university library which, when I last looked a few years ago, had all of King's books. Now every single book by King has been reorganised into the Rare Books collection which you can't take out on loan. Thrift store, Salvation Army, Goodwill, Amazon.com (starting at under $4) I've never had to buy a King book new.
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Jan 25, 2014 02:05
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Finding his old weird 80s covers while sorting through stacks of his used books is just part of the Stephen King Experience.
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Jan 25, 2014 03:13
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I find a lot of his "door-stop sized" book club editions at Goodwill, but a lot of paperbacks too. In fact, I'm due for a scavenging trip for books in general.
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Jan 25, 2014 03:15
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Aquarium Gravel posted:Thrift store, Salvation Army, Goodwill, Amazon.com (starting at under $4) Thrift stores might be a good option. I hadn't thought of that. I'd like to use Amazon more frequently but their delivery time is either really good (under a week) or really bad (over a month).
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Jan 25, 2014 03:17
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rypakal posted:I'd like to see someone who disliked an ending to a King book formulate a better one. Because even the ones I hate hate hate hate hate hate hate like Tommyknockers, I can't come up with them. Frank Darabont pulled it off with The Mist!
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Jan 25, 2014 04:29
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Blade_of_tyshalle posted:Can't wait to see Aaron Paul's dingdong flapping in slow motion during that gunfight, mm-mmm. This is my own private airplane bathroom and I will not be harassed, Bitch!
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Jan 25, 2014 16:11
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King weighs in on the issues of the day:
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Jan 25, 2014 16:21
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<Roland> EDDIE. WE HAVE TO COOK. *montage of Eddie and Roland making Gunslinger Burritos to 'Crystal Blue Persuasion*
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Jan 25, 2014 17:38
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did i call it or did i call it Asbury fucked around with this message at 18:04 on Jan 25, 2014 |
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Jan 25, 2014 17:49
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syscall girl posted:I listened to a song last night that had the lyrics "sodium light" and thought of all you goons. The Sisters of Mercy mention it in their song 'Lights' and I always thought of Stephen King. Yes, I am a real- life Gary King
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Jan 25, 2014 18:08
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