Nightmares & Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King

[MacGuffin]

Battleground: Awesome episode. It was like classic Twilight Zone. After recently watching another terrible King adaptation (Desperation - please keep Mick Garris away from King), this was a welcome relief. It helped that, since it dealt with toys, Brian Henson directed. But what really won me over was Richard Matheson's teleplay using not one word of dialogue throughout the entire episode. The fades, although probably meant for commercial breaks, really made it feel like chapters in a book.

Crouch End:  'Nuff said.


Here's the episode guide:

TNT's miniseries Nightmares and Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King will air in the summer of 2006. The eight episode series will air in pairs debuting every Wednesday, over four weeks, in special commercial-free broadcast.

Umney's Last Case
Starring William H. Macy, Jacqueline McKenzie
Teleplay by April Smith, based on the short story by Stephen King; directed by Rob Bowman
After the death of his son, writer Sam Landry (Macy) is so desperate to lead another life, he writes himself into his own book, forcing his long-time character (also played by Macy) to change places with him and live in the modern day. But things get deadly when Landry realizes Umney is trapped and cannot write himself out of his new reality.

The End of the Whole Mess
Starring Ron Livingston, Henry Thomas
Teleplay by Lawrence D. Cohen, based on the short story by Stephen King, directed by Mikael Salomon
The world had changed. Violence, war and hatred have been replaced with kindness, peace and love. But at what price? Renowned filmmaker Howie Fornoy (Livingston), with just one hour to live, recounts the details of his brother's (Thomas) worldwide experiment gone terribly wrong.

Crouch End
Starring Eion Bailey, Claire Forlani
Teleplay by Kim LeMasters, based on the Short Story by Stephen King, directed by Mark Haber
A newlywed American couple (Bailey and Forlani) honeymooning in London goes to Crouch End to have dinner with a friend. They soon learn the town is not what it appears to be, and the more they get lost, the more they become trapped in another dimension.

The Fifth Quarter
Starring Jeremy Sisto, Samantha Mathis
Teleplay by Alan Sharp, based on the short story by Stephen King, directed by Rob Bowman
Willie (Sisto), a just-released convict, learns from his dying friend of a map in four parts that reveals the location of several million dollars from a robbery. Seeking revenge for the death of his friend and the money, as well, Willie hunts down the others who hold the remaining three parts to the map, risking his family and his freedom.

Autopsy Room Four
Starring Richard Thomas, Greta Scacchi
Teleplay by April Smith, based on the short story by Stephen King, directed by Mikael Salomon
Businessman Howard Cottrell (Thomas) is on vacation playing one of his many games of golf. Chasing the ball into the undergrowth, he is bitten by a snake and completely paralyzed, showing no signs of life. At the hospital, unable to communicate, he is the key witness to his own autopsy.

You Know They Got a Hell of a Band
Starring Kim Delaney, Steven Weber
Teleplay by Mike Robe, based on the short story by Stephen King, directed by Mike Robe
A wrong turn on a lonely road turns frightening for Clark and Mary Willingham (Weber and Delaney) as they stumble upon a town not on any map - Rock and Roll Heaven, Oregon. There is a free concert every night, but the price of admission is high - once the audience enters, it can never leave.

Battleground
Starring William Hurt
Teleplay by Richard Christian Matheson, based on the short story by Stephen King, directed by Brian Henson
Jason Renshaw (Hurt), a professional hit man, successfully murders the CEO of a prestigious toy company, only to face the biggest fight of his life when a package from the toy company is delivered to his house with surprising, deadly contents.

The Road Virus Heads North
Starring Tom Berenger, Marsha Mason
Teleplay by Peter Filardi, based on the short story by Stephen King, directed by Sergio Mimica-Gezzan
Richard Kinnell (Berenger) is a famous writer who, at a doctor's visit, learns he may soon have to deal with his own mortality. On the drive back to his home, he buys a mysterious painting. Each time he looks at it, it changes to become more menacing and sinister. He pieces together that the painting is trying to kill him...but not if he can destroy it first.

Four of the adaptations that are being cast for NIGHTMARES & DREAMSCAPES come from King's 1993 anthology of the same name. The Road Virus Heads North comes from King's 2002 anthology Everything's Eventual, while Battleground comes from 1978's Nightshift.

[polkablues]

Crouch End:  'Nuff said.

Damn it... that was my favorite story from the book.  Super creepy, super intense, ripped right out of HP Lovecraft, minus all the purple prose.  Sucks to hear they botched that one.

[grand theft sparrow]

After recently watching another terrible King adaptation (Desperation - please keep Mick Garris away from King), this was a welcome relief.

Now that I think of it, has anyone adapted SK's books for TV well, with the apparent exception of Brian Henson (which if I had known he directed Battleground, one of my favorite stories from Night Shift, I would have actually watched this)?  Seeing It when I was 12 or so was what got me into King's books in the first place but after reading the book, I realized that it wasn't very good, but it's still the best TV adaptation.

[Pubrick]

I realized that it wasn't very good, but it's still the best TV adaptation.

i used to really like the Langoliers tv movie as a kid but now i realise it was probably an abomination.

wow i just found out it was by the writer/director of Child's Play and Fright Night. anyway i never got into king's books so i can't judge it in terms of purity of adaptation, but the premise of the langoliers affected me deeply at the time. as did what i can only assume were its hackneyed plot contrivances and ridiculous character arcs (king's fault? i guess we'll never know..).

[hedwig]

my favorite stories from Night Shift were "I Know What You Need" and "THE LAST RUNG ON THE LADDER". other than that, the only King books i read were Carrie, Cujo, and the best one, On Writing. also 200 pages of The Stand.

i used to really like the Langoliers tv movie as a kid but now i realise it was probably an abomination.

wow i just found out it was by the writer/director of Child's Play and Fright Night. anyway i never got into king's books so i can't judge it in terms of purity of adaptation, but the premise of the langoliers affected me deeply at the time. as did what i can only assume were its hackneyed plot contrivances and ridiculous character arcs (king's fault? i guess we'll never know..).

hahah yeah i remember watching that at my grandmother's house.. it's an awesome idea, but now i imagine i would laugh at those SPOILERS FOR THE LANGOLIERS munchy bastards chomping the past, and that one crazy dude shredding papers and thinking about his abusive dad. 

somebody should properly adapt that story someday. it could be really scary.

[grand theft sparrow]

hahah yeah i remember watching that at my grandmother's house.. it's an awesome idea, but now i imagine i would laugh at those SPOILERS FOR THE LANGOLIERS munchy bastards chomping the past, and that one crazy dude shredding papers and thinking about his abusive dad. 

somebody should properly adapt that story someday. it could be really scary.

The novella WAS scary.  That was one of the ones where I read the story first and it ruined the miniseries for me but Bronson Pinchot as the guy who ripped the paper was the best thing about it.

Why isn't there an "All Things Stephen King" thread yet?

[polkablues]

From what I remember of The Langoliers, that special effect looked ridiculous even back then; I can't imagine how laughable it is today.  The movie itself was pretty entertaining, though.

MINOR "BATTLEGROUND" SPOILS BELOW

I just watched "Battleground", and was very impressed.  The total lack of dialogue was exactly the sort of gimmick that it needed to really elevate it above what it could have been (also, casting William Hurt doesn't... um... hurt).  There were a few illogical bits throughout (why go to all the trouble with the "flamethrower" when he could just run up to them really fast and stomp 'em?), but it built nicely, and the effects were surprisingly decent.

I still have "Crouch End" on tape, and I'll probably watch it tomorrow.  I really hope it's not as bad as Macguffin thought it was.

And Hedwig, if the only novels you've read of King's are Carrie and Cujo, no wonder On Writing is your favorite thing he's written.  For god's sake, man, pick up Needful Things, Insomnia, Salem's Lot, It, The Dark Half, Rose Madder, and the whole Dark Tower series.

[Pubrick]

For god's sake, man, pick up Needful Things, Insomnia, Salem's Lot, It, The Dark Half, Rose Madder, and the whole Dark Tower series.

i have read none. and i hav at least 23 books on my to-read list. currently working through 6 of them simultaneously. don't make me have to get an extra pair of eyes , one out of all them thanks!

[grand theft sparrow]

And Hedwig, if the only novels you've read of King's are Carrie and Cujo, no wonder On Writing is your favorite thing he's written. For god's sake, man, pick up Needful Things, Insomnia, Salem's Lot, It, The Dark Half, Rose Madder, and the whole Dark Tower series.

I haven't read all of Insomnia or any of Rose Madder but polka's right.  Desperation was pretty good too, especially for 90s King.  But Insomnia, Salem's Lot, and especially The Stand are pre-requisites for the Dark Tower books.

[polkablues]

one out of all them thanks!

Needful Things is a pretty impressive piece of fiction.  Starting there couldn't hurt.

But Insomnia, Salem's Lot, and especially The Stand are pre-requisites for the Dark Tower books.

Also, Hearts in Atlantis is very directly tied in to the Dark Tower series.

[MacGuffin]

Umney's Last Case: An interesting take on what felt like a cliched story of a writer and his character swapping lives. What really made this episode was Macy.

The End of the Whole Mess: The better of the two episodes tonight. It really built the subtle suspense as the story was (literally) told. A plague story that was more tense and creepy than any Outbreak/Andromeda Strain-type flick. I almost wanted it to be a full length film, but the ticking countdown was what made it work so well.

[RegularKarate]

For god's sake, man, pick up Needful Things, Insomnia, Salem's Lot, It, The Dark Half, Rose Madder The Shining, and the whole Dark Tower series.

It's been disputed that King even wrote all of Rose Madder... a good deal of the books that came out during that period weren't very good at all, then he kind of revealed a little with his redemption novel "Bag of Bones".

Needful Things is a pretty impressive piece of fiction.  Starting there couldn't hurtmight not be the best idea.

Needful Things is the last Castle Rock book... it has tie-ins to almost everything written to that point... it's not a great first, but it is a great book.

Also, Hearts in Atlantis is very directly tied in to the Dark Tower series.

But the first half is the only part worth reading

[polkablues]

It's been disputed that King even wrote all of Rose Madder...

Seriously?  I've heard nothing about this.  Rose Madder is one of my favorite Kings.

[RegularKarate]

It's been disputed that King even wrote all of Rose Madder...

Seriously?  I've heard nothing about this.  Rose Madder is one of my favorite Kings.

All rumor-based, of course... one of those things where I have a friend who knows someone who knows that Stephen King didn't write all of a good deal of his book around that period.  I've heard it from a few different people, but nothing that makes me think it's actually true, but it makes a little sense.

Rumor goes he was running dry and he pulled shit he hadn't finished out of his "bag of bones", but unlike his bag of bones book, he just had other writers finish them because he lacked the drive.  A couple people have suggested Tabitha wrote some.