Kevin's Watch

Although I've liked a few, I would probably say Stand By Me.

Interesting.

There's a Worst Movie Adaptation thread in the King forum, but not a Best Movie Adaptation.

Good choice for a thread, MB. I look forward to hearing the opinions of Watchers.

Tough one.

I think The Dead Zone, though it takes some liberties with the book, was/is excellent. I've been saying that for years. Yes I think it's better than Shawshank. Yes I think it's better than Stand By Me (which is also excellent).

But....

Last year saw both 1408 and The Mist make it to screen. I really enjoyed both films. 1408's success hinges on a career performance from John Cusack. The Mist, even though it really strays from the book towards the end, is so unrelentingly bleak that it's impossible to tear your eyes away from the screen.

I wanna watch The Dead Zone again, but I suspect it'll remain my favorite.

So, the miniseries, The Stand doesn't count, eh? I need to re watch Stand by Me but for now I'll go with The Shawshank Redemption and 1408.

As a film on its own the Stand is watchable, but it has to be one of my most hated adaptations because of the use of character combination. "Ok now we dont have enough room for the Rita Blakemoor character, and the Nadine Cross character, so well give Nadine, Ritas drug problem ,and have Nadine meet Larry in New York, then we'll just have Joe show up with Lucy later." It bummed me, big time.

It wasn't horrible, but it couldn't live up to the scope of the book.

I saw the series before I read the book, so I'm tainted.

my favorites are

Stand By Me
The Shawshank Redemption
The Dead Zone
Misery
Delores Claiborne

these, i think are the best adaptations of his work to film thus far,
but i haven't seen 1408 or the mist, tho i don't think the source material
for those two stories stands up to any of the five listed above.

Shit, I always forget Misery. That was really good as well.

The Shining. The only tuly great film adapted from a King book, in my opinion.

Other notable mentions:

Pet Sematary
Misery
The Shawshank Redemption
The Dead Zone
Dalores Claiborne
Stand By Me

I'll try to forget the rest ever happened.

Carrie!! Saw both Carrie and The Shining when i was about 10 or 11 and Carrie scared me far more. Scared the crap out of me infact.

Running Man.

ok...i forgot Carrie which was brilliant!

but the shining? bah. kubrick is over-rated and he certainly didn't
do that story justice, in my opinion. (the usual disclaimer applies,
my opinion is not carved in granite, its only my opinion)
jack didn't play the character that king wrote,
shelley duval needs a swift kick in the rear,
and scatman carruthers doesn't friggin DIE.

The Green Mile? Is there some reason no one else has mentioned it?

I consider it a masterpiece of storytelling.

The Dreaming wrote:The Green Mile? Is there some reason no one else has mentioned it?

I consider it a masterpiece of storytelling.

<hurk!>

Shameless whoring for an Oscar.

Well, that's kind of what it seemed like, until John Coffey grabbed Tom Hanks junk and cured his urinary tract Infection. (Funny that I can't remember his characters name, just "Tom Hanks") There were still great performances by everyone. (David Morse and Sam Rockwell in particular) I also never think of a prison movie as Oscar whoring. (Although it did have a mentally deficient black man with a heart of gold.) There was never any pointless dramatic fluff, every event served the story well. (Unlike The Hours, which I would call the most shameless Oscar whoring movie ever made. And I absolutely hated it.)

Ever see The English Patient?

Ugh.

Sorry, I absolutely hated The Green Mile. If I ever start drinking and doing drugs again, I imagine it'd be a hoot to watch, but certainly not as serious cinema.

enjoyed the green mile - because i love david morse.

i also enjoyed bronson pinochets performance in the langoliers. the movie was not good though.

enjoyed the mist so much i bought it.

I like David Morse, too, null. Seeing him, Berry Pepper, and Sam Rockwell together in one freaking movie, WHILE involving circus mice, electric chairs, and James Cromwell--the movie should be renamed God, not The Green Mile.

That said, I like The Shining more. Nicholson's acting was superb, since all he had to do was play himself.

I just IMDB'd David Morse, and was reminded of another FANTASTIC King adaptation. Hearts in Atlantis has to be one of the most underrated and under watched movies of all time. (It was brilliant!)