ByStephen King is an oddity in the writing world. Over 70 films and television shows have been adapted from his work. That’s more than any other living author. What’s so incredible about that figure is that he’s primarily a genre writer–in a genre that’s not even particularly popular. According to a paper published in 1998 in the Journal of Media Psychology the horror genre isn’t even in the top five most popular genres of film.
Over the years, many filmmakers have tried their hand at translating a King story to the big screen, but relatively few have succeeded. Here are our picks from those successes for top five Stephen King adaptations:
#5. Carrie (1976)
Brian De Palma’s great film of “What ifs.” What if I could get back at all those that have wronged me? What if I could move things with my mind? Why not both? The film that launched Sissy Spacek’s career, she plays Carrie White, the telekinetic, picked-on teen.
#4. Misery (1990)
The Oscar winning film from Rob Reiner follows an unlucky novelist (James Caan) who gets stranded in the middle of nowhere. He’s rescued by a rabid fan (Kathy Bates) who also happens to be a rabid sadist–a fact she reveals slowly and painfully as she tortures the poor fellow. The film that ended Bates’ hopes of ever becoming a registered nurse.
#3. Stand By Me (1986)
Launching the careers of several future stars including River Phoenix, Corey Feldman, Jerry O’Connell, Wil Wheaton and Kiefer Sutherland, Rob Reiner’s Stand By Me captures the essence of adolescence. It makes you long for the days when everything was an epic adventure, and the summers seemed to last forever.
#2. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
Like me, you’ve probably seen this 1940′s prison-break film dozens of times on cable, but it never gets old. It’s certainly not the greatest movie of all time as voters on IMDB seem to think, but it’s definitely a good film. With beautiful cinematography, excellent performances from Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman, and especially James Whitmore (Brooks), and perfect pacing, Shawshank manages to compel, inspire, and entertain.
#1. The Shining (1980)
The Shining is not only the greatest adaptation of a Stephen King work ever, it’s also among the greatest horror films of all time. Directed by the legendary Stanley Kubrick, The Shining deviates greatly from the book resulting in a disturbing, psychologically complex study of the supernatural world’s effects on the mind. It’s also features some of the most beautiful and haunting images ever committed to tape.
