Shawshank Redemption. What an impact!!! (1 Viewer)

[GlenH]

One of my all time favorite King novels IT makes me nostalgic about my own childhood friends. He taps right into the heart of things...

DUDE! I loved "It". I agree with you 100%. That movie made me feel like a total kid again. IMO, that was one powerful book. As we grow older, we become more jaded about everything. That book took me back to my childhood days when all the emotions I felt seemed much stronger and the bonds of friendship with your buddies seemed unbreakable. Great book.

Glen

 

[Carlo_M]

I also agree with what Glen said..a lot of Stephen King's stories seem to use horror as a device to drive the story along. However, the real meat and bones are the characters in the story.

Agree completely.
It is unfortunate that he has been pigeonholed as a "horror" writer, when he is in fact a fabulous writer of characters and stories (never to be confused with "plot" as SK said himself) that just happen to have varying levels of "horror" in them.
People are often shocked to hear that Shawshank, Green Mile and Stand By Me (called The Body and appears in the same collection of short stories as Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption) are all SK stories. "Wow, it's hardly horror at all" they say, to which I reply "most of what he writes isn't..."

BTW, I asked Frank Darabont if he'd ever consider making The Dark Tower series into a movie. He said he'd love to, in his dreams, but who would play Roland? We were both stumped at that. Outside of a young Clint Eastwood (like in The Good, the Bad & the Ugly) I don't know who could pull it off.

 

[MatS]

The Shawshank Redemption is an amazing SK adapataion, most likely his best (Dead Zone a close second IMO). And The Green Mile is a fine movie in its own right despite the unfair comparisons made in this thread.
ps. Stephen King's 'Rose Red' mini-series debuts on network tv in Janurary
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htfo...threadid=34465

 

[Seth Paxton]

Like most classics this film started out underappreciated, but I think it's safe to say that it no longer is. The IMDb rating says it all, rather than falling as it aged I think it has actually climbed that list which is rare indeed.
We (well some of us ) dread making comparisons to things like Casablanca, but I think this film will end up being thought of in similar terms 20 years from now. It has extremely strong cross-appeal.
It's not in my top 10-20 personally, but I respect the hell out of it and it's power as a great film.

 

[RicP]

BTW, I asked Frank Darabont if he'd ever consider making The Dark Tower series into a movie. He said he'd love to, in his dreams, but who would play Roland? We were both stumped at that. Outside of a young Clint Eastwood (like in The Good, the Bad & the Ugly) I don't know who could pull it off.

You know who could pull it off if they started production on "The Gunslinger" right now?....Hugh Jackman. I think he'd be a perfect Roland.
I'd think the first movie would have to include a little of "Drawing of the Three", because "The Gunslinger" by itself wouldn't make as compelling a film unless they included a lot of Roland's backstory from "Wizard & Glass". In that case they could make the first film focus on Roland's pursuit of The Man in Black and allow some backstory through flashbacks when Roland stops in the desert to rest.
Damn...I really want this epic to be filmed.
Also, some other stories of King's that aren't "Horror" but are superbly well written stories are:
"Gerald's Game"
"Delores Claiborne"
"Bag of Bones" -- a ghost story but certainly not what I'd consider "horror".
In addition a lot of the stories in the collection "Nightmares & Dreamscapes" don't really fit into the "horror" genre.
New collection due in March! and Stephen King has a new story in the current issue of "The New Yorker", check it out.

 

[Greg_C_T]

There's something about Shawshank Redemption that really hooks me. Even when I flip by it on TBS, I have to leave it on the channel and watch the rest of the movie.
I think it's subliminal messages...

 

[Dominik Droscher]

You know, this discussion makes me wish that we would finally get a books forum. The only Stephen King book I read so far is "It". One of the greatest books I ever experienced (I was 15 and it freaked me out). I will certainly read another book from him in the future.

Shawshank Redemption is also one of my favorite movies and it is sad that it was so overlooked in its theatrical run.

 

[MatS]

more King works coming to a theater near you. I really enjoyed TGWLTG and look forward to seeing how it translates onto the BIG screen.
Bag Of Bones
Major Motion Picture Release
Film rights for Bag of Bones have been optioned. MGM will be distributing this as a theater release. Bruce Willis is the Producer.
Asylum
Screenplay
Stephen has adapted the Patrick McGrath novel, Asylum as a screenplay for a major motion picture release by Paramount Pictures. This is the first time he has adapted another author's novel as a screenplay. Jonathan Demme has been slated to direct this production.
The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon
Major Motion Picture Release/Castle Rock
Currently in production. George Romero will direct and is writing the screenplay.
The Sun Dog (from Four Past Midnight)
Major Motion Picture Release/I-Max.
Production has just begun. No theater date yet.
Desperation
Major Motion Picture Release
Currently making progress in negotiations with a film studio. Production has not yet begun. Mick Garris will direct.
The Mist
Major Motion Picture Release
Film rights are owned by Frank Darabont; production has not begun at this time.
http://www.stephenking.com/future.html

 

[Paul W]

Ooooooh! The Mist. Here is a movie that I would love to see (as long as they don't give it the Langoliers treatment).

 

[Chuck C]

It's my all-time fav...tied with Braveheart. I cry at the end.

 

[Sanjay Gupta]

I remember while watching the movie the first time, it is such a compelling story presented with such conviction that somehow it felt like it was based on a true story. Infact I was kinda shocked that it was just a work of fiction. Anyhow after watching thefilm I had a new found respect for Stephen King as a writer. To be honest before that I had only thought of him as a write of horror stories, a genre I personally have no liking for. Also even though I had seen and loved Stand By Me earlier I was not aware of it being written by Stephen King until I watched Shawshank Redemption.

 

[Carlo_M]

Ric,
I like Hugh Jackman but I'm not sure he'd be right for the role. I think he's not too...tall. Maybe they could digitally stretch him ala the hobbits in LoTR?
I'd be fine if Dark Tower were never filmed. The books read wonderfully but you'd have to have major compromises in storyline / storytelling to bring it to the screen. I just wanted to hear Mr. Darabont's take on it.

 

[Rob P S]

Shawshank = my all-time favorite movie.

 

[Allen Hirsch]

Andy: "Get busy livin' or get busy dyin'."

"Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies."

"That's the beauty of music. They can't take that away from you."

"The funny thing is - on the outside, I was an honest man, straight as an arrow. I had to come to prison to be a crook."

Red: "Let me tell you something my friend. Hope is a dangerous thing. Hope can drive a man insane."

"These walls are kind of funny. First you hate 'em, then you get used to 'em. Enough time passes, gets so you depend on them. That's institutionalized. They send you here for life, that's exactly what they take. The part that counts, anyways."

"I find I'm so excited, I can barely sit still or hold a thought in my head. I think it the excitement only a free man can feel, a free man at the start of a long journey whose conclusion is uncertain. I hope I can make it across the border. I hope to see my friend, and shake his hand. I hope the Pacific is as blue as it has been in my dreams. I hope."

Red: "Makin' yourself some friends, Andy?"

Andy: "I wouldn't say "friends". I'm a convicted murderer who provides sound financial planning."

Amazing how much hope and inspiration there is in such a well-done "prison story".

 

[Lou Sytsma]

Glad to see another convert! One of my favourite movies.

Love movies about the endurance of the human spirit!

To paraphrase a line from Starman - humans are often at their best when things are at their worst.

That's what Shawshank is about.

 

[Christ Reynolds]

Shawshank Redemption is one of my absolute all time favorite films. In my opinion it deserved the best film award over Forrest Gump that year.

maybe, but i think pulp fiction eclipses them both. i forgot how good that movie actually is, over the past few years. a few days ago i popped in my pulp fiction criterion laserdisc and actually sat down and watched it. i was blown away all over again, its among the best movie of the 90s, top 5 easily. not to discredit shawshank by any means, a damn fine film. i'm not a weepy kind of guy, but i almost lose it every time i see the end of shawshank. great story, great film.

CJ

 

[Louis C]

I haven't been able to figure out why such a great movie as SR somehow doesn't get the Special Edition treatment, while unimaginative drek like "American Pie" gets an "Ultimate" edition.

Go figure. Someone go wake up the guys over at WB.

 

[Neil Joseph]

Good question but if there is a reason, $$$ is probably one of them. I vaguely remember that the current version of Shawshank was supposed to include some extra material and the DVD got delayed so that that material could be taken out. Some kind of contractural thing.

 

[Aurel Savin]

Shawshank is my 2nd Favorite movie ...

Morgan Freemans naration alone should have won an Oscar! He has the most mesmerising voice in this movie ...

 

[Ray Suarez]

Neil,

I seem to recall that when I preordered the disc, one of the specs was an audio commentary by Morgan Freeman. This, as well as other bonus materials, may have been pulled at the last minute. If there were contractual issues, hopefully these will be cleared up and we can get a nice 2 disc SE that honors this outstanding, epic film.

Ray