Screening Stephen King : Adaptation and the Horror Genre in Film and Television

Since the 1970s, the name Stephen King has been synonymous with horror. His vast number of books has spawned a similar number of feature films and TV shows, and together they offer a rich opportunity to consider how one writer’s work has been adapted over a long period within a single genre and across a variety of media—and what that can tell us about King, about adaptation, and about film and TV horror. Starting from the premise that King has transcended ideas of authorship to become his own literary, cinematic, and televisual brand, Screening Stephen King explores the impact and legacy of over forty years of King film and television adaptations. Simon Brown first examines the reasons for King’s literary success and then, starting with Brian De Palma’s Carrie, explores how King’s themes and style have been adapted for the big and small screens. He looks at mainstream multiplex horror adaptations from Cujo to Cell, low-budget DVD horror films such as The Mangler and Children of the Corn franchises, non-horror films, including Stand by Me and The Shawshank Redemption, and TV works from Salem’s Lot to Under the Dome. Through this discussion, Brown identifies what a Stephen King film or series is or has been, how these works have influenced film and TV horror, and what these influences reveal about the shifting preoccupations and industrial contexts of the post-1960s horror genre in film and TV. “Gathers together the unruly mess of King adaptations . . . And places it within the sociocultural and industrial context of four decades of horror.” — Philip L. Simpson, author of Psycho Paths Starting from the premise that Stephen King has transcended ideas of authorship to become his own literary, cinematic, and televisual brand, Screening Stephen King explores the impact and legacy of over forty years of King film and television adaptations. Simon Brown first examines the reasons for King’s literary success and then, starting with Brian De Palma’s Carrie , explores how King’s themes and style have been adapted for the big and small screens. He looks at mainstream multiplex horror adaptations from Cujo to Cell , low-budget DVD horror films such as The Mangler and Children of the Corn franchises, non-horror films, including Stand by Me and The Shawshank Redemption , and TV works from Salem’s Lot to Under the Dome . Through this discussion, Brown identifies what a Stephen King film or series is or has been, how these works have influenced film and TV horror, and what these influences reveal about the shifting preoccupations and industrial contexts of the post-1960s horror genre in film and TV. “Well-written . . . It really is the most exhaustive analysis of Stephen King on the screen that has ever been written.” — Cinepunx “This book is not only essential as a study of Stephen King and his works adapted to the big and small screen; it is also an exemplary study of the evolution of the horror genre in its ebb and flow from literary adaptation to gore-laden saturation and beyond since the mid-1970s.” —Sorcha Ní Fhlainn, author of Postmodern Vampires Since the 1970s, the name Stephen King has been synonymous with horror. His vast number of books has spawned a similar number of feature films and TV shows, and together they offer a rich opportunity to consider how one writer's work has been adapted over a long period within a single genre and across a variety of media - and what that can tell us about King, about adaptation, and about film and TV horror. Starting from the premise that King has transcended ideas of authorship to become his own literary, cinematic, and televisual brand, 'Screening Stephen King' explores the impact and legacy of over 40 years of King film and television adaptations. Simon Brown first examines the reasons for King's literary success and then, starting with Brian De Palma's 'Carrie,' explores how King's themes and style have been adapted for the big and small screens Mainstream Horror And Brand Stephen King -- Stephen King From Vietnam To Reagan : The Early Adaptations And The Establishment Of Brand Stephen King On The Screen -- The Mainstream Adaptations, 1986/2007 -- Stephen King As Low-budget And Straight-to-dvd Horror -- Stephen King As Tv Horror -- Conclusion. The Future Is Also History : The Contemporary Evolution Of Brand Stephen King. Simon Brown. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 199-211) And Index. Includes Filmography. Surveying adaptations of Stephen King's work across four decades, this volume links the evolution of King's "brand" to the changing preoccupations and industrial contexts of the horror genre in film and TV since the seventies.