Such an annoying little brat who can't act to save his life. Also is he supposed to have fetal alcohol syndrome or something? What's up with his face and upper lip? He's almost as bad as that kid from Signs.
shareTo each their own but I have always thought he was absolutely adorable! I have yet to see this version of The Shining, but honestly I hated Stanley Kubricks! Boring!
Anyway, take a look at him now:
https://www.listal.com/courtland-mead
Gorgeous!!!
Fair enough, the book was a lot better than Kubrick's version, but at the end of the day the Kubrick version is one of the most iconic horror films ever made. This mini series is a complete POS.
shareI keep hearing people say that but I hated it. I didn't find it scary at all.
shareFair enough, may I ask what films do you find scary?
The only movie I ever saw that legitimately startled me was this one scene in The Terminator where the Terminator after having it's legs blown off just pops up out of nowhere and starts chasing Sarah once again.
I wouldn't call the scene in The Shining with the bathtub was scary but it was definitely creepy IMO.
The Exorcist terrified me and I had to sleep with a light on for weeks after seeing it the first time. And I was in my twenties! Lol. The Grudge scared me but not to the extreme that The Exorcist did. I don't know but I just don't seem to fit the "norm" of what most people find scary. The Ring was not scary to me at all but I do love that movie. Hated The Babadook and thought it was boring. I loved Hereditary, The Conjuring 1 & 2, Annabelle: Creation, Oujia: Origin of Evil, The Fog (1980) Halloween both the original and the 2018 version. Quite a few others that I enjoy and were scary to me. I thought Insidious was ridiculous.
I love The Terminator and I remember jumping at that scene as well. The bathtub scene in The Shining was creepy but I remember laughing and just shaking my head :)
See I never thought the Exorcist was scaring but that's just me. The Shining had me hooked from the very beginning. Again it's not because of jump scares or anything it's the atmosphere and it makes you feel that you are sinking into madness along with Jack.
shareI missed your reply so my apologies for the lateness of my reply.
Just goes to show the many different types of "scares" there are for people :) I think it's awesome that "The Exorcist" didn't scare you. I think what caused it to be awful for me was because I kept seeing that demonic face flashing on the screen and I decided to pause it to see what it was. So having that horrible face frozen on my 51" screen in the total darkness of my living room AND while I was home alone really freaked me out, lol.
Silly me XD
I get what you mean about The Shining and that makes perfect sense. I love a good atmospheric thriller! I think i'll watch it again just for kicks!
I think the scariness of The Exorcist is largely dependent on the viewer's openness to the possible existence of demonic possession. If you think that demons may actually exist and are able to have some kind of influence over people, the film is a lot more terrifying.
Apparently when it was released the movie was responsible for a sharp spike in church attendance, or so I read.
I consider myself very open-minded but that was not the case for me. However I can totally see your point as well. I think for me that face just struck a chord with me, perhaps it looked like a nightmare creature from my childhood or something, heh. I dunno. That awful face and the part where she crab-walks down the stairs was incredibly disturbing to me. I loved how they portrayed the priests in such a superhero-type light.
I read that as well. People also became sick during the movie, one person suffered a heart attack and several others fainted.
Now that's a movie! XD
I also like the way the priests are portrayed. When people think about "Christian" movies, they usually think about movies like The Passion of the Christ or some of the movies that have come out of the so-called Christian film industry (War Room, God's Not Dead, etc), but I have often said that The Exorcist is overlooked in this regard. It's an intensely Christian film and one where God is victorious in the end.
It's a powerful movie and an even better book. You've already mentioned that you're a reader, so I'd say pick up the novel. It's very good.
Yes, there are definitely some great Christian films out there, Passion being one and I also really enjoyed The Last Temptation of Christ. God's Not Dead and those other movies really feel like part of an agenda to me and I do not watch them. I believe in God but I do not follow any one religion. I believe, I say my prayers and I have faith and I believe that is all God wants. I don't believe God wants sacrifices, monetary donations to "churches" and many other requirements I have seen out there. But, that's a whole other topic :)
Anyway, I have read the book and loved it!! Some of the scenes would have been awesome in the film but I thought they did a fantastic job with their adaption :)
God's Not Dead and similar films definitely have an agenda, but I think of it as a good agenda. It's kind of like how the doctor has an agenda when he tells you to take your vitamins and get plenty of exercise, but he's trying to help you out with his advice.
I grew up within the Christian faith, left for 20 years, and recently returned. There is something compelling about Jesus and his call to live a life that is not conformed to the destructive pattern of this world, and this stuck with me for the many years that I tried to ignore him. We are all made in the image of God, but but I do believe that Jesus is the gateway to spiritual truth and life. But as you say, that's a whole other topic.
Glad to hear that you read The Exorcist! It was actually many years ago that I read it actually, far enough back that I can't remember many details. But I do remember it being an EXCELLENT read and really filling out the story from the movie with a lot of extra depth.
I admire your return to your faith and am happy for you :)
I was Catholic until about the age of 13, then we started to go to a Lutheran church when our mom married our stepfather. My Aunt and Uncle would take us to their Baptist church whenever we stayed with them. They were all so different! I have to admit I enjoyed the Baptist church the most!
Another really good read is Rosemary's Baby. They really kept to the book when they made that movie.
That's interesting, I was actually raised in the Baptist church. My whole family were essentially lifelong Baptists. Ironically, I actually came close to becoming Catholic in my late teens, however the more I researched what the Catholic church actually believed the more issues I had and I ended up swerving into my 20-year escapade into agnosticism instead.
I'd say my faith right now is a pretty weak faith and I haven't found a place to land in terms of a church home, but as I said, it's really the figure of Jesus Christ who has brought me back. I'm still working on the details.
I had no idea Rosemary's Baby was even a book! Interesting. I may have to check that one out at some point.
Wow, I can't believe I missed this post from you :(
I don't attend any church or subscribe to any religion at this point. I believe in God and have faith but I don't feel it is necessary to subscribe to a religion. I pray to God to keep me strong and for safety and good health, to make good decisions and keep my head level. I never ask for riches or to win the lottery or things like that as I don't believe that is what God is about. My oldest kids go back and forth between atheism and faith but I don't push my beliefs on them. They will have to make up their own minds.
The novel of Rosemary's Baby is literally the movie. The movie followed it to the letter and I think there were just a few cuts made to keep the movie from being 4-5 hours long :) It's worth the time to read though!
Have you started on The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon yet?
I would say keep an open mind and perhaps pray about it. Like I said, I left Christianity for almost 20 years but made my way back. I'm not sure why exactly--the prodding of the Holy Spirit?--but a few years ago I decided to pick the Bible up again and start reading. It took a while, but eventually I ended up back at the foot of the cross. Just remember, if Jesus was right when he said that he is "the way, the truth and the life," then you want to be with him.
And yes, I have started The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon! But as I mentioned earlier, I am a dreadfully slow reader and I also have a few other books I'm reading at the same time, so it's slow going. I just looked and it appears that I've made it to page 77. It's pretty good so far, but yeah, I'm definitely taking my time getting through it. Maybe I should try to pick up the pace!
I think he was a cute enough kid but I didn't think he was right for the part and imo was the second weakest part of the mini-series (behind sub-par made-for-TV CGI effects).
shareGranted nothing in this mini-series really worked but listening to that kid was like listening to a nail being dragged across a chalkboard. Now Danny Lloyd had a few moments in the original that were questionable but I tend to watch the UK version where those scenes are edited out.
shareThere were parts of the mini-series I really liked and thought both Steven Weber and Rebecca DeMornay were good in the roles.
shareI'll watch it anyway just so I can see what it's like. I get what you're saying because I remember when the ads for it were on tv and I was surprised that they had cast him for the role. I thought he was too cutesy and babyish to make it work. Really cute kid but not what I would have liked. I would have chosen Miko Hughes :) Maybe even Macaulay Culkin.
I thought Storm of the Century was very well done as well as Salem's Lot.
Storm of the Century is amazing. I watched it for the first time a few years ago because I remembered it being a big deal when it first came out and I was really surprised by how good it was.
I'd say it's the best of the made-for-TV adaptations of King's work, at least of the ones that I've seen and I've seen a good handful.
Totally agree with you! It was on Youtube for free about a month ago but then it was removed :( I have been wanting to buy it forever but I can't find it anywhere for a decent price.
It really was! I would love to see an adaptation of "The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon." I think that would be awesome!
I remembered looking a while ago for Storm of the Century on DVD, and like you said, it was weirdly expensive. However, it appears that it was reissued on DVD last October:
https://www.amazon.com/Storm-Century-Colm-Feore/dp/B07VJWWJRD
That price is good enough for me. I just bought it.
I can't say I'm familiar with The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon. I may have to look that story up.
I'll also mention that The Stand had its moments (I thought the first half was pretty solid but it got too goofy on the back end) and Rose Red did as well (though it was a bit slow and uneventful).
Omg thank you so much! I just bought it too! XD
You need to read that book! It's awesome! I personally think it stands out from his other horror novels because it's more tame.. if that makes sense. It is scary for sure. It's about a 9 year old girl that get's lost in the woods. That's all I will say. I'd love to hear your thoughts if you do decide to read it :)
I still have not watched "The Stand" but it's on my list. I remember when "Salem's Lot" came out way back in 79. I was 8 years old and to this day when I watch it, scares the heck out of me! It's definitely better than the remake they did recently.
I thought another decent one was "The Tommyknockers". Very creepy. "Rose Red" was decent but yes, it was very slow.
Cool, glad to hear you bought it! I will make a point to rewatch it when winter rolls around. It's definitely a winter movie.
And I guess with an endorsement like that for The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon I just HAVE to read it! I went ahead and ordered it from Amazon. It should be here in a few days. I'm a slow reader, but I'll chime back in when I'm done with it.
The Stand starts well but I don't love the ending. It's also very much a mini-series that is of its time but I guess you could say that about a lot of King's adapted work (the IT mini-series definitely comes to mind in this regard). The real strength of The Stand is its cast. With Gary Sinise, Molly Ringwald, Ossie Davis, Miguel Ferrer and Rob Lowe among others, it has a surprisingly stacked cast for a mid-90s made-for-TV production.
It is and now I have two reasons as to why I can't wait for winter! π
Awesome! I hope you enjoy it! I think you will but i'll wait and see what you have to say!
I will need to watch "The Stand" when I can. I am pretty sure it's on Tubi or Amazon Prime so I'll check it out. Another one I have not seen is "Riding the Bullet". I started watching "The Langoliers" but was interrupted and have not had a chance to get back to it yet so that's another on my list.
I hate to admit it but this COVID thing is definitely helpful for catching up on movies. π
Well I got my copy of Storm of the Century in the mail, along with Tom Gordon!
Storm is going on the shelf until the appointed time. Tom Gordon I'm a few pages into. I'm a slow reader so it will take a little while for me to get through it, but I'll chime back in once I'm finally done with it.
I don't know anything at all about Riding the Bullet. Looks like it's on Tubi so I'll have to check it out!
I remember watching Langoliers many years ago. What I remember most is the absolutely atrocious, genuinely horrible, positively god-awful CGI. That, and the fact that it starred the dude from Perfect Strangers LOL.
Nice!! I am looking forward to hearing your thoughts! :)
Hahahaha!! I remember that too! It was so bad! They might as well have had hands holding up cardboard cutouts of the Langoliers and waving them around, lol!!
Oh dear, good times :) I have only ever enjoyed that guy in two movies, "First Wives Club" and "True Romance". Other than that I find him so annoying!
Guess what, it took me a while but I finally finished Tom Gordon. As I said, I'm a slow reader!
It was a good book. The plot is simple and very straightforward, but interesting enough. Clearly the book is not about the plot though, but about our 9-year-old protagonist Trisha and the psychological forces at work within her. From start to finish we stick almost entirely with a single character as she deals with the reality of being lost in a hostile environment, one young girl by herself in the woods and trying to survive.
In many ways it reminds me of being young and vulnerable and fearful of the world, while at the same time possessing that zeal and spunk and hope that only children can have. When I was a kid I also was into baseball, so that part was nostalgic, though that interest has long since faded for me.
I can't say that it was my favorite King read--that honor would have to go to either Carrie or Firestarter--but I did enjoy it and I'm glad that I've read it. Thanks for the recommendation!
Yay! You're welcome! Thank you for giving me your feedback about the book! Your thoughts on it reminding you of being young and vulnerable and still possessing spunk and hope is almost exactly what Stephen King said in an interview about how he wanted his young character to make readers feel.
I have not read Carrie or Firestarter but they are on my list. I started reading King's work in my early twenties. The first book I read was Pet Semetary and it scared me so much I didn't read anymore of his books until much later, lol.
I am currently on a Dean Koontz binge and the last novel I read made me think of you and some of the things we have discussed here and I think you would really like it! It's called "The Taking". I very, very much recommend it and can't wait to hear your thoughts on it.
Ha, I was thinking that either you had missed the notification of my response or you had just decided not to reply.
That's pretty interesting about the King interview. A friend of mine actually came over one day, saw the book, and said that she had read it also. She enjoyed it.
Carrie and Firestarter are both good, and both are relatively short so they don't require a huge time commitment. I've only read a few of King's books but those were the first two and I still remember them fondly. (Oddly, despite its overwhelming popularity, I later started The Shining only to fail to finish it. I just had a hard time getting into it.)
I guess I'll have to pick that Dean Koontz book up! I never have read any of his work.
Awww, no, I will always reply to you π This is a family account that I share with my husband, oldest son and daughter so they are on here much more than me lately. This site has become way too toxic for my liking.
I finished The Shining and enjoyed it much more than the movie but that's probably not surprising, lol. I would give it another try if I were you. It's a bit slow but worth finishing. It's very atmospheric. I am currently reading Devoted by Dean Koontz and will start Carrie afterward. Then Firestarter.
The Taking was recommended to me in my Kindle recommendations. I had never read his (Dean Koontz) works before so I thought I'd give it a try since I enjoyed the movie Watchers and Odd Thomas, and those are both based on his books. It's a fantastic read and now I have quite a few of his books in my lineup!
Anyway, keep me posted! I'm excited to hear your thoughts on The Taking!
Family account! That's weird. Now I won't ever really know who I'm talking to!
Upon your recommendation, I just ordered The Taking. I'm sure it will be a while before I finish it--how many months did it take for me to chime back in on Tom Gordon?--but I will get it done and let you know my thoughts!
And I'll be curious to hear your thoughts on Carrie and Firestarter, though it has been years since I read either of them myself.
Lol, I am the only one that will ever reply to you π Yes, it is weird but our second son is 14 and loves to come on here to talk about movies and we monitor our kids online activities. This account is shared by myself, my husband, our 23 year old daughter and 14 year old son. We don't monitor our daughter since she is an adult but she's too lazy to get her own account, lol!
Nice! I am excited to hear your thoughts and I understand. I take forever to finish books sometimes so no worries!
I am halfway through A Dance With Dragons and then will move on to Carrie π
Hey, guess what? I finished The Taking!
All told it took me just over a month to read it. For me, that's a pretty brisk pace. (You will remember how long it took me to get through the 300-page Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon!)
You were on target with the recommendation. I DID enjoy it. A lot of books I start today fail to really pull me in and end up being a chore to finish, but I can honestly say that I was always interested in opening this one back up and seeing where the story would go next. The opening scene with the coyotes does a good job of setting the tone and drawing the reader in and making you wonder what the source of all the weirdness is.
In a way, it's a mystery story. Koontz dangles two threads of information, one hinting at a supernatural source and the other point directly to extraterrestrials. He successfully had me really, really wanting to know what the root cause of everything is.
The reveal in the final chapter is pretty well done, but that also points to one of the few things in the story that I thought were a little bit weak: The ending feels somewhat anticlimactic as everything just suddenly comes to an end. It didn't quite feel like a natural ending place for the story.
Overall though, I thought the book was well-written and interesting, and I certainly found it an enjoyable read.
I would give it an 8/10.
Hi there! Haha, that is awesome! π I'm sorry it has taken me so long to reply, my son just let me know you had responded. I don't post here as much at all anymore, this place has become way too toxic.
Anyway, I am so happy to hear you enjoyed it. I too love the opening and the fact that I am an insomniac as well really helped me to relate to the story and feel like a part of it.
I hit on it being the rapture pretty early but was still waiting to see how it would be explained and I have to admit I loved the way she figured it out and the way Koontz basically spelled it out for her and us, the readers.
I actually thought the way it ended made sense but mostly because of my own thoughts about the rapture, armageddon, etc. But I did have some questions in the end that I would have liked to have had answers too.
If you haven't read it already I would highly recommend you read his novel "Watchers". It's a fantastic read and I think you would really enjoy it as well. The movie did not do it justice in any form.
I hope you and yours are all safe and doing well! I look forward to your next review!
Take care π