10 Most Disappointing Stephen King Movies

The Lawnmower Man was a big hit back in 1992, and with a cast that includes Pierce Brosnan, Jeff Fahey and Geoffrey Lewis, you might reasonably expect a quality movie. In which case you should know that King took the filmmakers to court for trading on his name because this film has nothing to do with his short story.

Instead of a story about a crazed gardener, director Brett Leonard gives us a crazed story that throws in virtual reality, a shadowy organization known as The Shop, gonzo scientists and Fahey in a bad blond wig, looking (and acting) like Trey Parker playing Forrest Gump. Courtesy of Dr Brosnan, he develops psychic and telekinetic powers, and the insanity spirals from there.

In a plot turn pilfered from King’s novel Firestarter, Fahey’s newfound powers cause The Shop to come after him and Brosnan. This only angers Fahey, who takes on all-comers (most hilariously with a flying lawnmower) before entering cyberspace, where he manifests himself as a cross between Max Headroom and Freddy Krueger.

Incidentally, director Leonard’s next movie was an adaptation of Dean Koontz’s Hideaway, which the author took his name off rather than be associated with. Are you seeing a pattern here?