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Let’s be honest Longlegs was a disappointment. Although it did contain a great central performance from Maika Monroe, it’s supernatural storyline owed much too much to many far better films. Added to this, the marketing campaign – which hyped it beyond belief – set audience expectations far higher than anyone could achieve.

That said, the film did extremely well at cinemas across the land, propelling its writer and director into the limelight and as my review said “all we can hope is going forwards, Osgood Perkins uses the new found fame and commercial footing to indulge his more interesting and unconventional horror ideas.”

On the face of it, adapting a Stephen King story is neither interesting nor unconventional. With a career spanning over 50 years, King’s works have been remade by multiple directors inciting fear on screens large and small for centuries, from Carrie to Misery, The Lawnmower Man to The Shawshank Redemption,...

Stephen King is such an influential and irreplaceable literary force that even those who've never read his books still know of his name. This is thanks to the countless films and TV series based on his books. Much like King's own works, these adaptations varied greatly in terms of quality. Some went on to become pop culture legends, while others are fun guilty pleasures.

But regardless of their quality, not all these films and series can count as "good" adaptations due to how much they changed from King's original book. In fact, the only thing that some of these adaptations retained from King's novel was the title. It's no surprise that some of King's more devoted fans hated these controversial changes so much that they dismissed these films and series entirely.

The Film Changed Genres From Horror to Cyberpunk The Lawnmower Man and The Lawnmower Man 2: Beyond Cyberspace

King...

Since the publication of "Carrie" in 1974, Stephen King has knocked out over 60 books (which have been turned into 59 movies). That's better than a book-per-year pace, which is doubly impressive considering that he's still, at the age of 77, the United States' most prominent author of fiction. Every book isn't necessarily a winner, but he delivers the spine-tingling goods frequently enough to keep his massive fanbase happy.

Though he's still regularly acquiring new fans thanks in large part to the timelessness of novels like "The Shining," "It," and "Pet Sematary," his longtime readers are, in some cases, more than just fans. They're collectors. And they guard their early purchases fiercely due to a combination of sentimental value and actual monetary value — because depending on how early you started buying King's books, you might have some immensely valuable volumes resting on your shelf or stashed away in storage. How valuable? A signed 1st...

When the sci-fi action flick “Virtuosity” was first released in the summer of 1995, it opened to mixed reviews and modest box office. It was the kind of mid-range studio programmer (it came from Paramount under the Sherry Lansing regime) that came out with dependable frequency in those days, a movie enjoyed by some but quickly forgotten by most before it left theaters to make way for other genre films like “Desperado,” “The Tie That Binds,” and “Hackers.”

Looking back now, studio slates like the ones Lansing oversaw — release schedules that made room for an abundance of medium-budget comedies (“Clueless”), thrillers (“Primal Fear”), sci-fi films (“The Relic”) and adult dramas (“Nobody’s Fool”) in between large-scale blockbusters like “Mission: Impossible,” “Braveheart,” and “Titanic” — seem far more varied and artistically fruitful than they did at the time, when we never knew such range was in any danger of disappearing. It was easy at...

In 1992, New Line Cinema thought they had a surefire hit on their hands in the form of Stephen King's The Lawnmower Man. Having served as the author for countless bestsellers and the inspiration for numerous movie adaptations that became massive box office success stories, New Line couldn't have been happier to be in the Stephen King business. Then, everything went horrifyingly wrong.

When the final cut of The Lawnmower Man hit theaters, it bore such little resemblance to Stephen King's initial story that the master of horror was absolutely fuming. He was so angry that he decided to take action. King gathered together a collection of high-priced lawyers, sued New Line Cinema, and won. Little did King know that his association with The Lawnmower Man wasn't over yet.

Related Stephen King Called This 21-Year-Old Adaptation a Train Wreck (& He's Right)

Dreamcatcher is one of Stephen King's best literary works,...

The early 90s were full of blockbusters that explored the dangers of evolving technology. 1991s Terminator 2: Judgment Day dealt with the threat of A.I. against humanity. Additionally, 1992s The Lawnmower Man explored how a virtual reality simulation could manipulate the human mind. The latter films director, Brett Leonard, took the VR theme and capitalized on T2s success with his 1995 sci-fi thriller Virtuosity starring Oscar-winner Denzel Washington.

If anyone knows how difficult it is to maintain quality control of their adaptations, it's Stephen King. The man has been churning out barn-burning ideas for the better part of half a century, and many of them have been optioned by Hollywood, resulting in movies that are both classics and utter disappointments. King does what he can to field the best possible artists for his adaptations, but when it comes to the collective art of filmmaking, there are often too many variables for one author to control.

What that means is that for every one of The Shining, Stand By Me, and The Shawshank Redemption, there are half a dozen Sleepwalkers, The Lawnmower Man, and Children of the Corn IV. Those latter films are what King would have no problem referring to as "train wrecks" adaptations that spiraled out of his control as the creative team that he fielded wound...

The nineties was the heyday of the mid-level action hero. Jean Claude Van Damme and Steven Seagal churned out a whole series of increasingly profitable action programmers in the early part of the decade. Seagal’s movies were wildly profitable for Warner Bros, while Van Damme had a home at Universal Pictures. Every studio wanted its own Jcvd or Seagal, with Paramount trying to launch Jeff Speakman with The Perfect Weapon (which has a devoted fan in our own writer Ej Tangonan) and Fox even trying with football player Howie Long in Firestorm. One studio that badly wanted their own action guy was New Line Cinema, but before they found their niche in the genre with Rumble in the Bronx and Mortal Kombat, they tried to launch two promising action heroes. One was Thomas Ian Griffith, whose (pretty awesome) action flick Excessive Force was only given a small regional release.

Quick Links The Bizarre Sci-Fi Experience That Is Lawnmower Man Stephen King and Critics Hated Lawnmower Man Lawnmower Man Has Not Aged Well

Considered one of, if not the greatest authors to ever approach the horror genre, Stephen King has always been very vocal about what he does and does not like when it comes to the medium. Sometimes, he gets it right; sometimes, he doesn't. Even a master of the macabre can be wrong. However, there is one sci-fi horror film that Stephen King despised more than any of his other works adapted to the screen, 1992's The Lawnmower Man.

Stephen King's history with the movie is not just one of distaste, but also a legal battle with the production company behind it. We will head back to the era of awful CGI to dissect one of the most despised movies to come out of the decade and explore...

Stephen King isn’t just an author by this point: He’s an institution, a legacy of classic horror stories that capture our imaginations, fuel our nightmares, and speak — when he’s at his best — to our shared experiences as flawed, emotional beings. The best King stories scare so many of us that we all feel connected, and even the worst are usually pretty fun.

King’s books and short stories quickly became hit movies, many of them celebrated in their time, and some flopped so hard that hardly anybody remembers them. Cataloguing every adaptation might be a fool’s errand, so we made some tough choices and decided to focus only on his theatrical releases.

And even then, there are so many King adaptations that it gets tricky. The sequels to King’s work rarely have anything to do with the source material, so they’re all disqualified. We...

Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.

Babes (Pamela Adlon)

Transitioning the naturalistic comic sensibilities that made Better Things a success, Pamela Adlon’s feature debut Babes manages to co-opt the rhythms of a romantic comedy to explore the relationship between two best friends at opposite points of their lives. – Christian G. (full review)

Where to Stream: Hulu

Dìdi (弟弟) (Sean Wang)

While trying to chat up classmate Madi (Mahaela Park) on Aim, Chris (Izaac Wang) skims her MySpace for an “in”. Then, beneath all the Paramore pictures and low-res GIFs is a list of her favorite movies. Oh, A Walk to Remember is one of them. He fakes loving it; “its helllllla good,” he says. Now he has to maintain that––at least for a few scenes. This...

In the 1990s -- back when the internet was new and smartphones didn't yet exist -- there was a healthy amount of skepticism about new technology. "Cyberspace," a term coined by sci-fi author William Gibson, was a terrifying new concept for some, and many Luddites feared it. A stationary network of millions of unknown users? And they're all tapping into the same ineffable, electric realm of information that's Not inside my personal computer? It's like someone peeled back a layer of reality and revealed a whole new dimension. Indeed, Brett Leonard's 1992 sci-fi/horror film "The Lawnmower Man" refers to the 'net in those exact terms. That film also posited that Virtual Reality would come to replace real reality.

Throughout the decade, audiences were treated to numerous paranoid cyberthrillers that alternately vaunted the possibilities of the internet while also pointing out its potential for destruction. This was the age that...

Stephen King has been scaring us for half a century, and he shows no signs of stopping. King has penned a lot of books, and fans will tell you there's value to be found in almost all of them. But what are the best of the best? That's a loaded question — everyone's tastes are different, and everyone has their own personal favorite King title. But we're going to take the leap and try to whittle it down to 10 books. Some of these choices might be controversial, but when considering King's entire body of work, we think these are the 10 best Stephen King books.

Read more: The 15 Best Horror Franchises Of All Time, Ranked

Night Shift

Stephen King has published a few short story collections, but the King collection that had arguably the most impact was the first, "Night Shift," released in 1978. The common consensus in the world of publishing is...

The Criterion Channel’s at its best when October rolls around, consistently engaging in the strongest horror line-ups of any streamer. 2024 will bring more than a few iterations of their spooky programming: “Horror F/X” highlights the best effects-based scares through the likes of Romero, Cronenberg, Lynch, Tobe Hooper, James Whale; “Witches” does what it says on the tin (and inside the tin is the underrated Italian anthology film featuring Clint Eastwood cuckolded by Batman); “Japanese Horror” runs the gamut of classics; a Stephen King series puts John Carpenter and The Lawnmower Man on equal playing ground; October’s Criterion Editions are Rosemary’s Baby, Night of the Hunter, Häxan; a made-for-tv duo includes Carpenter’s underrated Someone’s Watching Me!; meanwhile, The Wailing and The Babadook stream alongside a collection of Cronenberg and Stephanie Rothman titles.

Otherwise, Winona Ryder and Raúl Juliá are given retrospectives, as are filmmakers Arthur J. Bressan Jr. and Lionel Rogosin.

Stars: Cynthia Rothrock, Caitlin Dechelle, Sofia O’Brien, Jose Manuel, Jeff Fahey | Written by Bruce Del Castillo, Stephen Carolan | Directed by Bruce Del Castillo

The good news is that Cynthia Rothrock has a new film, Lady Scorpions. The bad news is that it’s from Tiger Style Media, the same production company that gave us the underwhelming Art of Eight Limbs and The Lockdown. The good news for you is that I’m willing to risk taking a bullet, or a kick to the head, to tell you if the third time is a charm for them.

On her way to her car, Lacy gets jumped by a pair of attackers whom she makes quick work of. Not that she was in any danger, it was a demonstration for her self-defence class. She’s less successful at getting her mother Alena (Cynthia Rothrock) to pick up the phone when she calls...

Quick Links Needful Things Plot and Cast Needful Things Performed Badly at The Box Office Needful Things Found a Second Life with a Cult Following

When it comes to horror, you would be hard-pressed to think of a name more influential than Stephen King, particularly in movie adaptations. With over 350 movies drawing influence from his original works, many projects are loved, and almost equal numbers are despised; for every Shining and Misery, you get a Dreamcatcher and The Lawnmower Man. Still, out of so many films, there are bound to be a few that fall through the cracks, deserving of greater attention but largely forgotten with time.

1993's Needful Things falls into the latter category. The movie was a box office flop and critically panned on release, pushing it to be a side note in the ever-growing list of Stephen King adaptations. However, with time, the movie has found a cult following,...

Stephen King's It sets high expectations for the Welcome to Derry prequel series. Reimagining King's stories can lead to failed adaptations, but a fresh approach like The Shining can succeed. The teaser for Welcome to Derry shows promise in capturing the eerie and terrifying essence of the original.

Stephen King's It remains one of the most widely celebrated horror novels of all time, but the upcoming spin-off TV series, Welcome to Derry, has a lot to live up to. King is one of the most adapted authors of all time, with dozens of novels and short stories in his bibliography, and many of those titles being adapted for TV and movies. However, not all King stories are equal, and there have been numerous adaptations that have failed to hit the mark.

In particular, when King's stories are taken and completely reimagined in new ways, going off book, like with The Lawnmower Man,...

In the 1990s, Hollywood found both success and failure by digging deep into the back catalog of horror master Stephen King. The decade saw some of the best adaptations of his work and some of the worst (we don't need to talk about "The Lawnmower Man"), but its high and low points alike notably drew from lesser-known King works, as many of his major hits were already adapted in the decades prior. "Thinner" falls into this category: Released in 1984, the novel that inspired the movie was well-regarded upon release, but is mostly known now as the book that helped readers identify King as the writer behind pseudonym Richard Bachman.

Plenty of King fans love "Thinner," but the novel about an overweight man who is cursed to lose weight rapidly to the point of emaciation isn't exactly as high profile as the novelist's more zeitgeist-defining works. The Tom Holland-directed film...

Expect a faithful adaptation - Edgar Wright's take on The Running Man will stick closely to Stephen King's novel. Wright's unique style promises a more experimental and stylized remake. The remake will feature a different antagonist and setting, providing a darker vision of a dystopian future.

Edgar Wright's adaptation of The Running Man promises to be completely different to Arnold Schwarzenegger's version, as the British director claims that he will stick to Stephen King's novel. Schwarzenegger's 1987 adaptation is a cult action classic, but it has very little in common with the Stephen King book that it's based on, except for the fact that both stories feature a man who competes in a dystopian game where his life is at stake.

Now, 37 years later, Edgar Wright is helming a second adaptation with Hit Man star Glen Powell stepping into Schwarzenegger's old role. Powell has promised that this...

101 Films presents groundbreaking 90s sci-fi The Lawnmower Man (1992) and its sequel, Lawnmower Man 2: Beyond Cyberspace (1995) on Blu-ray in the UK for the very first time. Presented in a 3-disc set including both the theatrical and director’s cuts of The Lawnmower Man, in limited edition packaging featuring newly commissioned artwork, and complete with a booklet with new writing on the film.

The Lawnmower Man

Dr. Lawrence Angelo (Pierce Brosnan) is a brilliant scientist obsessed with perfecting virtual reality software. When his experiments on animals fail, he finds the ideal substitute – Jobe Smith (Jeff Fahey), a slow-witted gardener. Dr. Angelo’s goal is to benefit his human guinea pig and ultimately mankind itself, but evil lurks in the guise of “The Shop”, a shadow group that seeks to use the technology to create an invincible war machine. When the experiments change the simple Jobe into a superhuman being, the stage...

Denzel Washington's move into action films began with Virtuosity, which featured him chasing down an unstoppable killer played by Russell Crowe. Virtuosity help fill the void left by the Terminator franchise, with Sid's ability to regenerate and AI themes borrowing from Cameron's sci-fi saga. The Big Bang Theory's Kaley Cuoco made her big-screen debut in Virtuosity as Karin, the daughter of Kelly Lynch's character.

A 1995 cyberpunk action movie fronted by Denzel Washington also marked Kaley Cuoco's big-screen debut. While some movie stars start their careers with action movies before moving into other genres, Denzel took the opposite route. Denzel Washington's movie CV is filled with stirring dramas and taut thrillers like Training Day, but in the early stages of his career, he largely avoided traditional action roles. Crimson Tide is a psychological thriller at its core, and while 1991's Ricochet is a secret Die Hard spinoff, it too largely eschews action.

Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s turn in Bullet Train has led to theories he’s going to play Bond next. But do actors who play Bond-like characters go on to actually play 007? We take a look.

At the time of writing, at least, there’s much speculation about Aaron Taylor-Johnson and his connection to the James Bond franchise. In March, a British newspaper with a big red masthead spread the rumour that the actor is secretly being lined up to play 007, taking over from Daniel Craig.

It’s a rumour so persistent that Taylor-Johnson has started to get a bit cross when ‘The Bond Question’ is brought up in interviews. When asked by an Associated Press reporter about the whole matter, Taylor-Johnson looked down at his feet, as though trying to repress some terrifying wellspring of anger, before abruptly marching off with a chirpy, “Alright, have a good one!”

Adding fuel to...

Science fiction has long captivated audiences by imagining the impossible and turning it into a visual and literary spectacle. This genre does more than entertain; it offers a creative playground where writers and filmmakers can explore the potentials and perils of future technologies.

Remarkably, many of these fantastical ideas have leaped from the pages of novels and scenes of films into our real-world experience.

This article explores some of the most significant sci-fi predictions that have materialized into today’s technologies, demonstrating the uncanny ability of sci-fi to precede real scientific advancement.

Related: 12 Must-Watch Sci-Fi Movies That Redefine the Genre

Early Sci-Fi Predictions and Their Realizations

The lineage of sci-fi predictions traces back to the literary masters of the genre. Jules Verne, for instance, described detailed undersea adventures in submarines long before they were technically feasible in Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. Similarly, H.G. Wells’s The First Men in the Moon...

Marvel's Man-Thing movie featured mature themes like F-bombs, sex scenes, and gruesome murders, which is a departure from family-friendly content. The film, released on Syfy in 2005, showcased a dark and gritty version of the Marvel character, focusing on horror elements and body horror. Despite being little-known and criticized, Man-Thing's unique take on the Marvel property offers a refreshing look at the character, exploring themes untouched by the MCU.

F-bombs. Gruesome murders. Sex scenes. If you tried telling somebody that Marvel once made a movie with all three of these mature themes, they would either try to convince you that you’re crazy or point to 1998’s Blade being the culprit. While that surprisingly dark and gritty superhero movie starring Wesley Snipes contains every aspect listed, it debuted on the big screen and not on the Syfy channel.

Believe it or not, in between the airings of such programs that...

1992’s The Lawnmower Man and 1995’s Lawnmower Man 2: Beyond Cyberspace are making their UK Blu-ray debuts.

Here’s an intriguing pair of 1990s features, that are being bundled together for their first ever appearance on Blu-ray in the UK. 1992’s The Lawnmower Man and its sequel, 1995’s Lawnmower Man: Beyond Cyberspace are both arriving in a new double pack.

The 1992 original in particular was really rather groundbreaking. Notwithstanding the fact that it was the film Stephen King went to court to get his name taken off (when he realised how little the resultant movie had to do with the book it was supposedly based on), The Lawnmower Man was also the first big screen virtual reality movie. Not in an interactive sense, more in a strange shapes getting fruity with each other sense. It was quite a big screen experience too.

Brett Leonard directed, with Pierce Brosnan and Jeff Fahey starring.

Horror icon Stephen King is not just one of the greatest American authors of all time, but also one of the most prolific. Starting with Carrie in 1976, his works have been adapted into some of the scariest horror movies, but with the sheer volume of his output, not everything has landed. For every blockbuster like It, there are duds such as Firestarter and The Lawnmower Man, that were both flops and poorly regarded films.

King himself has stated that Stanley Kubrick's 1980 masterpiece, The Shining, is his least favorite adaption, so determining the best and worst of his work is subjective. Box office numbers are usually a pretty good indicator of the quality of a film, but not always. Combining receipts with ratings from sites like IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes, however, seems like a fair way to gauge the most disappointing Stephen King adaptations.

The Night Flier Wasn't Cleared For...

Welcome to the digital den of dread, where horror meets headsets in a mind-melting mashup! In the realm of horror movies set in virtual reality, the bizarre becomes the baseline, and the uncanny is commonplace. Imagine strapping on a VR headset, only to find yourself in a world where every turn brings a new terror, and every pixel could be your doom. That’s the twisted reality of VR horror films, a genre that blends the eerie with the electronic in ways you’ve got to see to disbelieve.

From the cybernetic showdowns of Virtuosity to the cerebral labyrinths of eXistenZ, these films are not just about scares; they’re about making you second-guess every digital decision you’ve ever made. Picture this: one minute, you’re a sofa-bound spectator; the next, you’re lost in a labyrinthine VR game fighting for your virtual life, and maybe your real one too.

Join your horror hosts Kimmi & Jon for a movie so kooky, so outlandish, and off-the-rails that Stephen King sued the studio to have his name taken off of it! Bow before an 8-bit Antichrist and quiver in pixelated terror at the sight of…..The Lawnmower Man (1992).

We’re closing out our Kooky King double feature with a movie that tries really hard to take you to another plain of existence, but mostly just reminds you of bad Microsoft screensavers. It’s a sci-fi joy ride where chimpanzees fistfight security guards, priests are burned alive by poorly rendered CGI hellfire, and bullies get their brains turned to mulch! Join ussssss…

See AlsoPodcast[Podcast] Apocalypse Soon! The Dead Zone (1983) Support The Show:

Nightmare on Film Street is a labor of love – and Terror! Support us on Patreon at nofspodcast.com/fiendclub to unlock frightfully good rewards; like bonus episodes, watch parties, exclusive merch,...

In "Y2K," director Kyle Mooney recreates December 31, 1999 with such a specific but deliberately broad brush that it recalls the vision of the 1950s in "Back to the Future." A specific moment in time, simultaneously captured and reduced in such a manner to sell the younger folks on the setting while making the older folks do the "Leonardo DiCaprio finger point meme" every five seconds. Millennials may wince once they realize the era of their childhood has now become period piece fodder, their entire childhood now an alien enough world to require very specific production design, but it'll only happen after they've giggled in recognition and appreciation. Mooney's film assumes its target audience was alive and aware at the turn of the century, and gears its best jokes accordingly.

But "Y2K" is only a period piece raunch comedy about two dorky teens trying to get laid (or at least score...

Buckle up, horror fiends and cinephiles, for a ride through the wackiest, wonkiest, and downright weirdest territories of the Stephen King cinematic universe. If you thought haunted hotels and telekinetic teenagers were the peak of King’s oddities, prepare to have your minds delightfully boggled. We’re venturing into a realm where machines develop murderous intentions and laundry presses harbor demonic spirits. Yes, you read that right.

Without further ado, let’s dive into the “Kooky King: 6 of the Weirdest Stephen King Film Adaptations,” ranked by their sheer ability to make you say, “What the King?”

New Line Cinema 6. The Lawnmower Man (1992)

Kicking things off with The Lawnmower Man, a film so out there, Stephen King wanted his name off the marquee. Imagine virtual reality mixed with a splash of mad scientist vibes courtesy of Pierce Brosnan, leading to a cybernetic spree that’s more trippy than terrifying. This flick...

Stephen King film adaptations are hit or miss, from the highs of It (take your pick) to the lows of The Lawnmower Man. The 1986 cult classic Maximum Overdrive is in the latter category. Well, well into the latter category. Nevertheless, King's first directorial effort lands squarely in the "so bad it's good" realm. Yet there's a sense of a missed opportunity to make something truly special. And if ever there was a time to remake Maximum Overdrive and create something more, something deeper, that time is now.

Having written over 70 books and hundreds of short stories, Stephen King has provided the source material for dozens of movies over the past five decades. This has included classics like The Shining, Carrie, and Misery, contemporary hits like It and Gerald's Game, and a few infamous entries like Maximum Overdrive and The Lawnmower Man. Through this, King's name (both in film and literature) has largely become synonymous with horror. However, with such a vast list of publications and movie adaptations, though, the author's work is not exclusive to a single genre. In fact, his favorite movies based on his books aren't even horror.

Audiences love a Stephen King movie. The work of the best-selling horror novelist has inspired a large number of films, and even the not-so-good ones draw a crowd. King isn't just an author, he's a brand, and when you slap his name on a movie poster, people tend to notice. Most of King's major works have already been adapted to the big and small screen, but he has plenty of short stories left for filmmakers to draw on. One of King's many short stories is "The Lawnmower Man," first published in a 1975 issue of "Cavalier" before being added to his short story collection "Night Shift," released in 1978. In the 1990s, Hollywood came calling and brought "The Lawnmower Man" to the big screen. Sort of. Kind of. Maybe. Well, not really.

Directed by Brett Leonard, with a script penned by Leonard and Gimel Everett, "The Lawnmower Man" is a curious piece...

"It's your basic down-and-dirty horror movie. It has one purpose, which is to scare you, and entertain you, and give you that funhouse experience where you scream your head off and then you laugh because you feel kind of silly."

So said Stephen King about "Sleepwalkers," the first screenplay he wrote directly for the screen. This was not an adaptation of one of his works — this was something he penned specifically for the movies, and that was the selling point. We weren't just getting a new Stephen King movie — it was Stephen King's first original screenplay! The poster even boasts that this is "The first Stephen King story written expressly for the scream." And what was this original tale of terror about? Incestuous werecats, of course! We're talkin' deeply horny cat-monsters.

"Sleepwalkers" is indeed a down-and-dirty horror movie. And it is kind of silly. It's a sleazy, cheesy bit of pop art,...

Authors may hate film adaptations of their books because they lose control over how their stories are told. Some popular movies loved by audiences are disliked by the authors of the books they are based on. Authors may object to adaptations miscasting characters, changing key plot details, or misinterpreting themes.

Every time a popular book is adapted into a movie, some fans object to the changes that are made, but in extreme cases, even the author will voice their hatred for the film. Each filmmakers taking on an adaptation must decide which parts of the book to alter or cut, and what the book will look like on film. Sometimes, authors praise the movie adaptations of their works, but it's just as likely that they'll hate the final outcome. Once an author signs away the movie rights to their book, they may lose control over how their stories are told.

NYC Weekend Watch is our weekly round-up of repertory offerings.

Museum of Modern Art

A massive run of Luis Buñuel’s Mexican films begins; “To Save and Project,” continues.

Film at Lincoln Center

“Never Look Away: Serge Daney’s Radical 1970s” brings films by Tati, Samuel Fuller, Nicholas Ray (x2), Godard, Straub-Huillet, Pasolini, and more.

Film Forum

“Sapph-o-rama” highlights lesbian cinema with films by Chantal Akerman, Lizzie Borden, Ulrike Ottinger, Yvonne Rainer, Celine Sciamma, and more; a 4K restoration of The Pianist, I Heard It Through the Grapevine, and The Third Man continue; a print of Calamity Jane plays on Sunday.

IFC Center

As Francis Ford Coppola’s latest recut, One from the Heart: Reprise, continues, Bertrand Bonello’s masterpiece Coma gets a New York premiere and a Dario Argento series begins; Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar plays late.

Roxy Cinema

Cronenberg’s Crash and Keith McNally...

In 1975, Cavalier magazine published a weird little story by Stephen King called "The Lawnmower Man" about Harold Parkette, a suburban dad who hires a lawn care company to mow his overgrown yard and finds himself dealing with an odd but jovial man who apparently works for the Greek god Pan and whose magic lawnmower seems to have a mind of its own. When the man strips naked to eat the grass clippings in full view of any nosy neighbor who cares to look, the hapless suburbanite calls the cops, who arrive too late — Parkette has become the lawnmower man’s latest sacrifice. In 1992, New Line Cinema released a film adaptation originally titled Stephen King's The Lawnmower Man, which bore so little resemblance to King's original story that the author sued the distributor to get his name taken off the title and out of the marketing — and won.

The Lawnmower Man - which is streaming now on Tubi - is a new erotic drama featuring a head-turning cast.

The new thriller from internet creator, musician, and Detroit native Murda Pain follows a suburban wife who gets a local landscaper to "[cut] much more than just the grass" (via the film's official synopsis) and her husband's realization that he is getting cheated on. 

Every Main Character & Actor in The Lawnmower Man Read full article on The Direct.

Warning: This article contains spoilers for Stephen King's Insomnia and Dark Tower books.

Insomnia cannot be faithfully adapted due to its connection to the Dark Tower series, which is integral to the story. The third act reveal in Insomnia changes everything and makes the entire book meaningful, but this twist would be impossible to incorporate into a movie. Previous Stephen King adaptations that veered too far from the original story, like The Lawnmower Man, were met with backlash and legal action from the author.

While Stephen King adaptations have experienced a resurgence in recent years, there's still one Stephen King novel that would be impossible to adapt–at least not without completely rewriting the story. In terms of modern-era authors, no one writer has been adapted nearly as frequently as Stephen King. Of course, part of this is helped by the fact that few modern authors are as prolific as King,...

Jeff Fahey stars in the action thriller Due Justice alongside Kellan Lutz and Efren Ramirez. Fahey plays Ellis, the leader of a gang of organ traffickers, who sees little value in human life. Fahey discusses his long Hollywood career, his friendship with various collaborators, and his enjoyment of playing the antagonist in the film.

Alongside Kellan Lutz and Efren Ramirez, Jeff Fahey stars in Due Justice, a new action thriller from writer/director Javier Reyna. Lutz stars as Max, a former marine who becomes a vigilante after his family is brutally attacked by a gang of organ traffickers. Fahey plays Ellis, the leader of the gang, and a man for whom human life has almost no meaning beyond immediate dollar value. Finally, Ramirez plays Detective Santiago, the cop trying to pursue justice the old-fashioned way, by the book, without breaking the law.

Jeff Fahey has been a significant part of Hollywood for decades,...

Stephen King needs no introduction. However, some of his films sure do. Although his books have been monstrous successes, there have been many movie adaptations that have not fared quite so well. But it appears that is starting to change. King’s work has been experiencing a cinematic renaissance as of late.

Horror has taken on a new life, and many new studios and directors are starting to remember just how great King’s universe actually is. He has spent over forty years putting things together and is now allowing these new creators to take over. But is this new trend leading to a combined universe?

First, a Look Back

Stephen King has mastered the art of getting people’s attention. His first novel, Carrie, was not only a huge success but was made into a highly successful film in 1976. His novel The Shining is even more famous for its...

The science fiction films of 1992 showcased a diverse range of genres, including cyberpunk noir, dystopian thrillers, and technology-gone-wrong stories. While lacking in tentpole franchises, the underrated '90s sci-fi B-movies kept the struggling genre together, incorporating elements of action and horror to create a unique and difficult-to-pin-down tone. Despite not being a banner year for science fiction, 1992 had its unforgettable highlights, including films like "The Lawnmower Man," "Freejack," and "Universal Soldier" that captivated audiences with their cutting-edge CGI and pulse-pounding excitement.

To assemble a list of 1992 science fiction films is to plumb the depths of cinema in the early '90s and discover a few hidden gems released in a truly weird year for movies. Coming off the science fiction high of the 1980s, the first handful of years of the burgeoning '90s struggled to find their cinematic identity despite more than a few bona fide blockbusters. Science fiction...

The Virus episode of Wtf Happened to This Horror Movie? was Written and Edited by Ric Solomon, Narrated by Adam Walton, Produced by Andrew Hatfield and John Fallon, and Executive Produced by Berge Garabedian.

The ’90s are chock full of some great sci-fi horror films. Who can forget Event Horizon, The Lawnmower Man, Mimic or Deep Blue Sea…. ya know, the one where Samuel L. Jackson gets eaten by a shark? Anyways, let’s fast forward to the end of the decade, 1999 in particular. It was, and still is, considered to be the best year movies were released. In January, director John Bruno would bring us the film, Virus (watch it Here). A movie that makes us ask the question “Wtf Happened To This Horror Movie?”

Back in 1992, writer Chuck Pfarrer and Canadian artist Howard Cobb brought to life the comic series Virus. The story revolves around a group of...

Plot: 1976, Brian de Palma directs Carrie, the first novel by Stephen King. Since, more than 50 directors adapted the master of horror’s books, in more than 80 films and series, making him now, the most adapted author still alive in the world.

Review: Almost as prominent as the books of Stephen King are the film adaptations of his work. Everyone has their favorites (and their not-so-favorites) and they’re prominent as can be. Whether it’s at the top of the Netflix charts or the latest Scream Factory release, there’s never been an easier way to watch his filmography. His adaptations are varied, adorning best and worst lists alike. Yet there’s a charm to most of them and a throughline that, despite the various filmmakers involved, feel part of a greater universe. So a documentary based on anything King-related feels like a no-brainer.

King on Screen is a very...

Pierce Brosnan – while most may immediately recognize him for his role in the James Bond film franchise, the Irish actor has had a prolific history in film, playing just about any role you can think of. Even decades after his on-screen debut, he's still putting on a good show for the audience, appearing in films like DC's Black Adam and, more recently, Netflix's latest action-comedy flick, The Out-Laws. But while it's easy to write The Out-Laws off as yet another Happy Madison film, let's not get too hasty.

The Out-Laws may be the first of more streaming films starring this storied actor, where the freedoms streaming allows and the tastes it caters to drastically differ from mass-market theatrical productions. In many ways, streaming offers a means to "cut loose" from an actor's established body of work, in a similar vein to how independent films serve the same function.

But...

Stephen King is among history’s most frequently adapted writers, up there with Charles Dickens, the Brothers Grimm, and William Shakespeare for inspiring the most successful page-to-picture creations. From Rob Reiner and David Cronenberg to Mike Flanagan and Andy Muschietti, genre filmmakers have clamored to take on King’s words for decades.

There’s no shortage of material to go around, of course. Horror’s reigning titan of literary terror has written more than 60 books and 200 short stories: many of them rooted in King’s signature strangeness and the believable humanity that turned 2017’s “It” into a global sensation. King has teamed up with his son Joe Hill to produce even more cinematic fodder in recent years. The pair’s “In the Tall Grass” novella became a Netflix movie in 2019, and Hill enjoyed his own success with Scott Derrickson’s 2022 “The Black Phone” adaptation.

Almost all of King’s titles...

The works of Stephen King are one of (if not the) biggest reasons that I fell in love with horror. With so many of his novels and short stories having been turned into feature films, it’s kind of hard to have never watched at least one – even if by accident. You have classic films such as The Shining and Pet Sematary, and then you have adaptations that you’re better off just reading the book. Speaking of Cell, its two stars, John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson, happen to be in one of my all-time favorite King stories brought to life, 1408. Based on the short story of the same name, it started out as an audiobook (Blood and Smoke) before being printed in the collection, Everything's Eventual in 2002.

In the film, John Cusack plays Mike Enslin, an author who is highly skeptical of anything paranormal (even if writing about...

Stephen King’s short story “The Mangler” really shouldn’t work as well as it does. The fifth tale in his first collection, Night Shift, follows an industrial laundry press that somehow becomes possessed by a demon and begins flattening laundry workers like king-sized sheets. First published in a 1972 issue of Cavalier, the story contains the kind of grisly gore and fast scares that would keep readers turning the pages even when running alongside ads for edible panties and sex hotlines. With a gory premise and loose occult references, “The Mangler” may not be the most high-brow story King has ever published, but it is 19 pages of sheer horror perfection. Part urban legend, part splatterpunk lite, the story reads like a procedural cop drama from hell as Detective John Hunton (Ted Levine in the film) tries to stop a series of grisly deaths at the hands (er… gears) of a sinister machine.

One of horror author Stephen King’s worst movie adaptations gets an honest defense from its star. The list of successful horror films made from the works of best-selling writer King includes such classics as Carrie, The Shining, The Dead Zone, Christine and many more. But King’s books and short stories have also received some notoriously terrible movie versions over the years, resulting in a list of turkeys that includes titles like Children of the Corn, Maximum Overdrive, The Lawnmower Man, Dreamcatcher and Cell.

But another film that is often listed among the worst King adaptations, 1995’s The Mangler, has now received a little unexpected love via its own star Robert Englund. Speaking to /film ahead of the release of the new documentary Hollywood Dreams & Nightmares: The Robert Englund Story, the Freddy Krueger actor insisted that despite its reputation as a huge disaster, The Mangler may deserve a little reappraisal.

Hey, "Jimmy Kimmel Live" fans. It's that time again. We've got more great news for you guys because ABC is serving up another brand new installment of Jimmy Kimmel Live tonight, April 26,2023, and we've got some new preview information for it. In tonight's new, April 26, 2023 edition, you guys are going to see another set of actors arrive on the set, and a new musical performance is going to round everything out. The first description for tonight's new, April 26,2023 episode reveals that 69 year old Irish actor Pierce Brosnan is going to hit up the set ,tonight, to talk with Jimmy. Pierce has had a very long and successful acting career. He's been in productions like: DC's Black Adam movie, Die Another Day movie, The Simpsons tv show, Tomorrow Never Dies movie, GoldenEye movie, Mrs. Doutfire movie, The Lawnmower Man movie, Around The World In 80 Days, Remington Steele tv show, Moonlighting tv show,...