Cujo (1983)

 

Cujo, a friendly St. Bernard, contracts rabies and conducts a reign of terror on a small American town.

From memory:  Competent, although not so inventive adaptation of the Stephen King novel comes up with the necessary thrills (and some gore), but offers not much more than that.

Halliwell (no star): ""Not much of a basis for a horror film, and this is not much of a horror film."

Maltin***: "Genuinely frightening...Builds slowly but surely to terrifying (but not gory) climax. Not for children."

1408 (2007)

 

A man who specialises in debunking paranormal occurrences checks into the fabled room 1408 in the Dolphin Hotel. Soon after settling in, he confronts genuine terror. 

Above-average Stephen King adaptation delivers the scary goods with a good John Cusack performance, but after a genuinely doom-laden introduction slowly goes over the top and adds an ambiguous ending.

Maltin***: "Genuinely scary chiller, nicely paced with clever touches, brings new meaning to the Carpenters' song "We've Only Just Begun.""

 

The Dead Zone (1983)

 

 

A man awakens from a coma to discover he has a psychic ability. 

David Cronenberg tones down his trademark gore excellent Stephen King adaptation in favor of a more subdued and atmospheric interpretation of the story - enhanced by Walken's sensitive performance.

Halliwell*: "Glum thriller with a fairly predictable outcome but some well-staged episodes."

Maltin***: "Absorbing Stephen King story...Walken's moving, heartfelt performance is the core of evolving, if sometimes meandering movie where (despite reputations of King and Cronenberg) the emphasis is not on blood-and-guts horror."  

The Mist (2007)

 

 

A freak storm unleashes a species of bloodthirsty creatures on a small town, where a small band of citizens hole up in a supermarket and fight for their lives. 

A monster movie executed as a psychological drama with a simple message ("We've seen the enemy, and he is us"), but with an extraordinary and downbeat ending.

On rewatching: A great monster movie for our times; the social analysis is even more virulent nowadays. 

Maltin***: "Suspenseful and graced with very good effects, this is a monster movie in the classic mode. It also has some social commentary...Controversial ending is changed from the story." 

 

Pet Sematary (2019)

Dr. Louis Creed and his wife, Rachel, relocate from Boston to rural Maine with their two young children, and soon they discover a mysterious burial ground hidden deep in the woods near their new home.

The script takes gracious liberties with Stephen King's original story; the result is definitely no improvement and rather a tired, cliche-ridden horror flick.

1922 (2017)

A simple yet proud farmer in the year 1922 conspires to murder his wife for financial gain, convincing his teenage son to assist, but their actions have unintended consequences.

This superb Stephen King adaptation is less a horror story, but rather a period tragedy about guilt, loyalty and human frailty; enhanced by top-notch performances and good atmospheric cinematography.

Gerald's Game (2017)

While trying to spice up their marriage in their remote lake house, Jessie must fight to survive when her husband dies unexpectedly, leaving her handcuffed to their bed frame.

Well-made, imaginative psycho-thriller delivers the goods with some twists, but is mainly watchable for Carla Gugino's appropriate performance.

In the Tall Grass (2019)

After hearing a young boy's cry for help, a sister and brother venture into a vast field of tall grass in Kansas but soon discover there may be no way out...and that something evil lurks within.

OK supernatural horror doesn't do much to enhance its (implausible) premise, but does deliver some mild shocks along the way.

Creepshow (1982)

An anthology which tells five terrifying tales based on the E.C. horror comic books of the 1950s.

Nicely reimagined homage to 50s horror comics balances humor with some nasty bits and is generally enjoyable, although the quality of the episodes vary considerably.

Halliwell (no star): "Supposedly funny, but mainly rather nasty recreation of a famous 'comic' style; far too extended for its own good."

Maltin**: "Romero nicely captures the look of a comic book..., but Stephen King's five "fantastic tales"...are transparent and heavy-handed..."

Children of the Corn (2009)

While traveling, an unhappy married couple encounter a cult of murderous children who worship an entity called He Who Walks Behind the Rows.

A half-hearted Stephen King adaptation neither thrills nor shocks; the greatest horror is the bickering couple during the first half of the movie.

Stand by Me (1986)

After the death of a friend, a writer recounts a boyhood journey to find the body of a missing boy.

Pleasantly nostalgic boys' coming of age story finely recreates 50s rural atmosphere; the boys' performances are sensationally realistic and credible.

Halliwell*: "Less macabre than its source may suggest, the film is mostly concerned with the friendships and tensions within the group; nostalgia for50s childhood is nicely conveyed."

Maltin***: "Affectionate Americana...Irresistible and wholly believable performances from all four youthful leads. Only complaint: the high volume of four-letter words, decidedly not characteristic of the 1950s."

It (1990)

 

 

In 1960, seven pre-teen outcasts fight an evil demon who poses as a child-killing clown. Thirty years later, they reunite to stop the demon once and for all when it returns to their hometown.

 

Lacklustre TV adaptation of Stephen King's mammoth novel doesn't spark any fright or thrills and goes too long for its undramatic ending; the children's sequences are superior to the 'present day' story.

Christine (1983)

A nerdish boy buys a strange car with an evil mind of its own and his nature starts to change to reflect it.

Although very well produced, this Stephen King adaptation is ultimately disappointing, doesn't quite deliver the expected thrills and is overlong.

Halliwell (no star): "Thin and gruesomely extended horror flick which never begins to be convincing. For teenagers only."

Maltin**: "...never hits bull's-eye, despite a promising start that captures teenage life quite nicely."

The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

Two imprisoned men bond over a number of years, finding solace and eventual redemption through acts of common decency.

Drawn-out, but never boring and always touching buddy story, the movie manages to revive some old and almost forgotten Hollywood virtues, basically an interesting story well told.

On renewed viewing: Still agree with my old assessment, a modern-day fairy tale.

Halliwell*: "A melodrama of wasted lives and male bonding with a twist ending, more enjoyable for the performances than the narrative, which veers unpredictably between toughness and sentimentality."

Maltin**1/2: "Widely praised film is well crafted but terribly overlong, and (like much of Stephen King's non-horror writing) hollow and predictable."