Stand By Me
Perhaps it was because elements of the novella ‘The Body’ were autobiographical that the story has so much heart compared to Stephen King’s previous works. Perhaps it was because there weren’t supernatural elements. Or that it didn’t fall into the horror genre. Whatever the reason, ‘The Body’ and the film based on it, Rob Reiner’s 1986 film “Stand By Me,” are beautiful and touching stories about childhood, growing up, friendship, and journeys. Join us — Pete Wright and Andy Nelson — as we talk about the next film in our King series, “Stand By Me.”
Christine
There’s something about your first love, and there’s something about your first car. Stephen King found an interesting way to tap into that with his novel “Christine,” and John Carpenter found an interesting way to develop it even further in his 1983 adaptation. Sure, the car may be possessed, but Arnie sure falls for his car… and she for him. It’s an interesting take, and one we delve into this week. Join us — Pete Wright and Andy Nelson — as we continue our Stephen King series with Carpenter’s “Christine.”
The Dead Zone
Back in the 70s and 80s, Stephen King’s stories generally had a lot more scares in them, as did their cinematic equivalents. Perhaps that’s why David Cronenberg’s adaptation of “The Dead Zone” feels a bit out of place — it comes off as much more of a dramatic thriller than a horror film. It certainly garnered critical praise and found its audience, but 31 years later, it comes across a bit dated. Join us — Pete Wright and Andy Nelson — as we continue our Stephen King series with 1983’s “The Dead Zone.”
Cujo
There’s something truly terrifying about a lovable pet turning on you and attacking. Especially when that pet is a St. Bernard, one of the big dogs with a small barrel of brandy around its neck that’s supposed to rescue people lost in the snowy Alps. But that’s what makes for great horror, right? Turning something lovable into something horrible. And Stephen King did that perfectly in his novel “Cujo,” which was turned into a film in 1983. Join us — Pete Wright and Andy Nelson — as we continue our King series with Lewis Teague’s great horror film “Cujo.”
Creepshow
George A. Romero had already established himself as a master of the horror genre when he and Stephen King created their horror anthology film “Creepshow.” With two stories based on King’s short stories and three original stories written just for this, Romero created a film that pays homage to the great horror comics from the 40s and 50s, like Tales From the Crypt. It balances horror with humor, all in a beautifully stylized comic book template. Join us — Pete Wright and Andy Nelson — as we continue our Stephen King series with Romero’s 1982 film “Creepshow.”
The Shining
Stephen King may not have been a fan of what Stanley Kubrick did when he turned King’s third novel, “The Shining,” into one of his films, but audiences didn’t seem to mind. King purists still have problems with some of Kubrick’s decisions, but the film has withstood the test of time and still stands up as one of the great horror movies out there. Join us — Pete Wright and Andy Nelson — as we begin our Stephen King series with Kubrick’s “The Shining.”
Labor Day
There is something interesting about going into a film that’s had as many bad reviews as Jason Reitman’s “Labor Day” has had, and that has flopped at the box office. Does it taint our own views or make us more critical of it? Hard to say, but it certainly makes for an interesting exploration of a film that works in some ways and doesn’t in others. Join us — Pete Wright and Andy Nelson — as we celebrate the US’s Labor Day holiday weekend with another Reitman film to add to our collection and deliberate on our own views of whether we like this film or not.
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
The last of Leone’s ‘Man with no name’ trilogy is the longest and considered by many to be the best. By the time he made it, he was a much more assured and mature storyteller. And it shows. Join us — Pete Wright and Andy Nelson — as we finish the trilogy with 1966’s “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.”
For a Few Dollars More
Sergio Leone continued building on the mythos that he and Clint Eastwood had created in “A Fistful of Dollars” with the follow-up, “For a Few Dollars More,” and it is in this film that Eastwood really developed so many of the tropes that he would continue using throughout his career. The squinting, silent gazes he’d give before gunning someone down. The one-liners. And for Eastwood’s other westerns, a defined look. Join us — Pete Wright and Andy Nelson — as we continue our misnamed Man With No Name trilogy series and talk about Eastwood in his second film with Leone, 1965’s “For a Few Dollars More.’
A Fistful of Dollars
Spaghetti Westerns didn’t completely begin with Sergio Leone’s 1964 film “A Fistful of Dollars,” but his film certainly set a new bar — and created an international audience — for these films. This film revitalized a genre that had been slowly dying by getting rid of the black hat/white hat type of story that instead focused on characters who had a lot more gray in them. And this film is really the film that set Leone on his way to making the types of films he’d continue making throughout his career. Join us — Pete Wright and Andy Nelson — as we start our Man With No Name Trilogy series with a conversation about “A Fistful of Dollars.”