5. The Curse of King Adaptations
It's no secret that Stephen King has been wildly successful as a novelist, but as a producer, screenwriter, actor, and director, he has been less than popular. For every Shawshank Redemption or Stand By Me, there are three or four flicks that people would rather let themselves be hit in the tender bits by a flying can of soda than have to watch a second time. The Mangler. Maximum Overdrive. Rose Red. Storm of the Century. The Tommyknockers. Christine. The Running Man. I rest my case. What makes the work of Stephen King so wonderfully page-turning isn't necessarily the plot (which is most of what makes it to the big screen) but his style, his words, and above all his Voice. Can these things make the translation to the big screen with The Dark Tower? Sadly, methinks the answer is no.