A Preview of Lisey’s Story on Apple TV+ by Bev Vincent

Bev VincentJune 3, 2021June 1, 2021Stephen King News from the Dead ZoneBag of Bones, Bev Vincent, Columns, Lisey's Story, News from the Dead Zone, Stephen KingLeave a comment

Preview: Lisey’s Story on Apple TV+

“Grief is a Bool hunt”

Lisey’s Story, the Apple TV+ adaptation of Stephen King’s 2006 novel of the same name, begins its eight-episode run on Friday, June 4. The miniseries features a stellar cast, including Julianne Moore as Lisey Landon, Clive Owen as her husband Scott and Joan Allen and Jennifer Jason Leigh as her sisters Amanda and Darla. Rounding out the cast are Ron Cephas Jones as Professor Dashmiel and Dane DeHaan as Jim Dooley. All eight episodes were scripted by King and directed by Pablo Larraín, who previously helmed the bio-pic Jackie.

King frequently cites Lisey’s Story as his favorite of his novels. His general policy towards adaptations of his books and stories is that he is either “all in” or “all out.” In the latter case, he has cast and script approval but he generally leaves the directors and other producers alone. However, he was heavily involved with every facet of the Lisey’s Story adaptation. In the video included below he says, “I thought if someone was going to screw it up, I used to tell my wife that no one was going to screw it up more than me.”

King of Crime Part III — Featured Review of LATER and what comes…later

Bev VincentMarch 2, 2021March 1, 2021Stephen King News from the Dead Zone'Salem's Lot, Bag of Bones, Bev Vincent, Billy Summers, Charles Ardai, Columns, Firestarter, Hard Case Crime, It, Joyland, Later, News from the Dead Zone, On Writing, Revival, Shawshank Prison, Stephen King, The Colorado Kid, The Outsider, The StandLeave a comment

King of Crime: Part III — Featured Review of LATER and what comes…later

Today is publication day for Hard Case Crime’s third Stephen King novel, Later. Although King is generally thought of as a horror writer, he has written numerous crime short stories, novellas and novels, giving them a unique twist. In Part I of this three-part series, I looked at King’s earliest involvement with crime fiction. In Part II, I explored his more recent writings in the genre, including his previous two books with Hard Case Crime and the Mercedes series. Today, I review Later and look ahead to King’s next crime novel, Billy Summers.

King of Crime Part II — Hard Case Crime and Beyond

Bev VincentFebruary 23, 2021February 28, 2021Stephen King News from the Dead ZoneBev Vincent, Billy Summers, Charles Ardai, Columns, end of watch, Finders Keepers, From A Buick 8, Hard Case Crime, If it Bleeds, Joyland, Later, Mr. Mercedes, News from the Dead Zone, Stephen King, The Colorado Kid, The OutsiderLeave a comment

King of Crime: Part II — Hard Case Crime and Beyond

Next week — on March 2^nd, 2021 to be specific — Hard Case Crime will publish their third Stephen King novel, Later. Although King is generally thought of as a horror writer, he has written numerous crime short stories, novellas and novels, giving them a unique twist. In Part 1 of this three-part series, I looked at King’s earliest involvement with crime fiction. This week, I’ll explore his more recent writings in the genre, including his previous two books with Hard Case Crime and the Mercedes series. Then, on publication day, I’ll review Later and look ahead to King’s next crime novel, Billy Summers.

King of Crime Part I — The Earlier Years

Bev VincentFebruary 16, 2021February 14, 2021Stephen King News from the Dead Zone11/22/63, A Good Marriage, Bag of Bones, Bev Vincent, Billy Summers, Charles Ardai, Columns, Creepshow, Dolan's Cadillac, Full Dark, Hard Case Crime, Joyland, Later, Mr. Mercedes, News from the Dead Zone, No Stars, Richard Bachman, Stephen King, The Colorado Kid, The Dark Half, The Dead Zone, The Doctor's Case, The Fifth Quarter, The Green Mile, Umney's Last CaseLeave a comment

King of Crime: Part I — The Earlier Years

In a couple of weeks—on March 2^nd, 2021, to be specific—Hard Case Crime will publish their third Stephen King novel, Later. Although King is generally thought of as a horror writer, he has written numerous crime short stories, novellas and novels, giving them a unique twist. In Part 1 of a three-part series, I look at King’s earliest involvement with crime fiction[1]. Next week, I’ll explore his more recent writings in the genre, including his previous two books with Hard Case Crime and the Mercedes series. Then, on publication day, I’ll review Later and look ahead to King’s next crime novel, Billy Summers.Continue Reading

Stephen King: News from the Dead Zone #221

Bev VincentOctober 9, 2020October 9, 2020Stephen King News from the Dead ZoneBev Vincent, Chapelwaite, Charles Ardai, Columns, Creepshow, dark tower, Firestarter, Frank Darabont, From A Buick 8, Hard Case Crime, If it Bleeds, Jerusalem's Lot, Joyland, Later, Lisey's Story, Mr. Mercedes, News from the Dead Zone, Sleeping Beauties, Stephen King, survivor type, The Colorado Kid, The Eyes of the Dragon, The Green Mile, The Outsider, The Shawshank Redemption, The Shining, The Stand, The TommyknockersLeave a comment

Hard Case Crime (The Colorado Kid, Joyland) will publish Stephen King’s next supernatural crime novel in March 2021. Later will be a paperback original (cover by Paul Mann) and eBook, but there will also be a limited edition hardcover featuring two covers by Gregory Manchess, one for Later itself and one for a fictitious novel within the novel that features prominently in the plot.

In this installment of News from the Dead Zone, I’ll tell you a little more about Later, bring you up to date on recent King appearances, let you know what adaptations you can expect to see soon, which ones are in production, which ones are on the table and which ones have died on the vine. I’ll also give you an early look at Hope and Miracles from Gauntlet Press, which collects the screenplays of The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile, along with tons of ancillary material. Pull up a chair!

Stephen King: News from the Dead Zone #220

Bev VincentJuly 3, 2020July 2, 2020Stephen King News from the Dead ZoneBev Vincent, Chldren of the Corn, Columns, dark tower, Doctor Sleep, Gerald's Game, If it Bleeds, Lisey's Story, News from the Dead Zone, Sleeping Beauties, Stephen King, The StandLeave a comment

It’s the end of an era. On June 30, 2020, the message board at Stephen King’s official website closed permanently. On the same day, his long-time personal/executive assistant, Marsha DeFilippo, retired.

Shortly after King launched his website in 1998, a guest book was added to the site. By 2003, this was converted to a “message board,” an unthreaded list of comments from fans that were occasionally answered by the staff.
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Bev Vincent Reviews If It Bleeds by Stephen King

Bev VincentApril 20, 2020April 19, 2020Reviews, Stephen King News from the Dead ZoneBag of Bones, Bev Vincent, castle rock, dark tower, Different Seasons, If it Bleeds, Mr. Harrigan's Phone, Mr. Mercedes, News from the Dead Zone, Rat, Reviews, Stephen King, The Life of Chuck, The Outsider, The Shining, TR-90Leave a comment

“I Contain Multitudes”

What is a novella? In some quarters, it’s defined as a long short story or a short novel. But this is the Stephen King Universe we’re dealing with, where “The Langoliers,” coming it at over 90,000 words—a length many writers would find appropriate for a novel—is considered a novella because it was bundled with three other works of similar length. On the other side, some often consider the four entries in The Bachman Books novellas because they are bundled in similar fashion when, in fact, all four were originally published as standalone novels.

During his live reading of the first chapter of the novella “If It Bleeds” on YouTube last week, King described the book If It Bleeds as a collection of three novellas and a short novel. The four works, “Mr. Harrigan’s Phone,” “The Life of Chuck,” “If It Bleeds,” and “Rat” come in at 85, 60, 187 and 85 pages respectively.

The original King novella collection, Different Seasons, was notable in that three of the four stories had no supernatural elements. The same claim could almost be made about If It Bleeds, although with some caveats. Strange things appear in every story—a dead man avenging the protagonist, a room where people see visions of impending death, a shapeshifting scavenger, and a talking rat that grants wishes—but an argument could be made that in at least two stories, and maybe three, the existence of the supernatural is, itself, speculative. It could also be based on assumptions made by the characters or their delusions. About the fourth story, though, there is no question.

Bev Vincent reviews The Outsider (HBO)

Bev VincentJanuary 10, 2020January 5, 2020Stephen King News from the Dead Zone11/22/63, Bev Vincent, castle rock, Haven, Lisey's Story, Mr. Mercedes, News from, Reviews, Stephen King, Stephen King News, The Mist, The Outsider, The StandLeave a comment

“There’s Always a Reasonable Explanation”

This Sunday, January 12th, HBO premieres the first two episodes of their 10-episode adaptation of The Outsider. Is it good? Absolutely. One of the best. Before I get into that, let me take a little step back.Continue Reading

Bev Vincent reviews Doctor Sleep

Bev VincentDecember 4, 2019December 4, 2019Stephen King News from the Dead ZoneBev Vincent, Doctor Sleep, Reviews, Stephen King, The Dark Tower, The ShiningLeave a comment

“The World Will Shine Again”

I know, I’m seriously late in reviewing the latest big screen adaptation of a Stephen King novel. Hopefully better late than never! I finally got a chance to see Mike Flanagan’s tour-de-force film this week and I am so glad I got to see it on the big screen. And I can’t wait to see it again, although that may have to wait, because I don’t think it’s going to be in theaters much longer.
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Bev Vincent reviews Mr. Mercedes Season 3

Bev VincentSeptember 10, 2019September 9, 2019Stephen King News from the Dead Zonebill hodges, brady hartsfield, end of watch, Finders Keepers, John Rothstein, Mr. Mercedes, News from the Dead Zone, Reviews, Stephen KingLeave a comment

“A Series of Dreams”

Today is publication day for Stephen King’s new novel, The Institute, which I reviewed last week. Book release day is always a big one for fans. However, that’s not the only thing happening today. Season 3 of Mr. Mercedes launches on AT&T Audience Network, and it’s a good one! [Note: Everything I’m going to discuss in this review is covered in the trailer, more or less.]Continue Reading

Bev Vincent reviews It Chapter Two

Bev VincentSeptember 5, 2019September 6, 2019Reviews, Stephen King News from the Dead ZoneBev Vincent, Cameos, Christine, It, It Chapter One, It Chapter Two, News from the Dead Zone, Reviews, Stephen King, The ShiningLeave a comment

“We Are What We Wish We Could Forget”

aka

“Let’s Kill this Fucking Clown”

Let’s get this out of the way right up front. Yes, It Chapter Two is nearly three hours long. Did it feel like it? Not in the least. Because my phone was turned off during the press screening I attended on Tuesday evening, I had no sense of the passage of time, but I never felt the movie dragged. Not for a moment. I saw it on an IMAX screen, the first time I’ve seen anything on a screen that big in many years. It’s hard to say if it’s worth the premium, but the experience felt immersive to me.

The movie is R-rated, with good reason. It’s pretty darned scary, and very, very bad things happen to cute little kids. I admit, without reservation, that I was jolted into yelling out loud on at least a couple of occasions, which hardly ever happens to me. While the movie has more than its fair share of jump scares, it’s also tense, full of dread, and frightening.

It Chapter Two picks up exactly where we left off two years ago, with the young Losers in the aftermath of their battle with Pennywise, promising to come back if the killings in Derry, Maine start again.

Bev Vincent Reviews The Institute by Stephen King

Bev VincentSeptember 3, 2019September 3, 2019Reviews, Stephen King News from the Dead ZoneBev Vincent, Breakers, Charlie McGee, dark tower, Everything's Eventual, Firestarter, Flight or Fright, Jerusalem's Lot, ka, News from the Dead Zone, Reviews, Stephen King, The Institute, The Outsider, The Shop2 Comments

“Great Events Turn on Small Hinges”

When The Institute was announced in January, the book’s description had people wondering if it would have ties to Firestarter or the Dark Tower series. Kidnapping kids with psychic powers sounds like what happened to the Breakers at Algul Siento, and Charlie McGee underwent extensive testing at a compound run by the Shop to determine the range of her pyrokinesis.

In fact, The Institute isn’t connected to those earlier works—or really to anything else in King’s work. The organization that runs the Institute in remote northern Maine (in TR-110, for those keeping track) isn’t the second coming of the Shop. The covert group has been operating for over sixty years. The kidnapped children, ranging from eight to sixteen years of age, aren’t being used to bring down the Beams supporting the Dark Tower. The one story that comes to mind when reading King’s latest is his 1997 novella “Everything’s Eventual,” which ultimately turned out to have Dark Tower implications, although that wasn’t clear at the time.

Stephen King: News from the Dead Zone #213

Bev VincentAugust 9, 2019August 8, 2019Stephen King News from the Dead Zone'Salem's Lot, Bev Vincent, castle rock, Columns, Creepshow, Cycle of the Werewolf, dark tower, Doctor Sleep, Finders Keepers, Flight or Fright, Gwendy's Magic Feather, If it Bleeds, In the Tall Grass, It, Joe Hill, Lisey's Story, Mick Garris, Mr. Mercedes, News from the Dead Zone, Revival, Richard Chizmar, Roadwork, Sleeping Beauties, Stephen King, The Eyes of the Dragon, The Institute, The Long Walk, The Outsider, The Stand, Wizard and GlassLeave a comment

Sometimes it’s hard to stay on top of everything that’s going on in the Stephen King Universe. There are so many projects underway or about to get underway or that could possibly some day get underway that it boggles the mind. This is a new Golden Age for King, especially when it comes to the various adaptations of his work to screens large and small, silver and otherwise. I’m here to help you keep track!
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Stephen King: News from the Dead Zone #212

Bev VincentMay 3, 2019May 2, 2019Stephen King News from the Dead ZoneBev Vincent, castle rock, Columns, Creepshow, dark tower, Doctor Sleep, Duma Key, Eli Roth, Finders Keepers, Flight or Fright, Gwendy's Button Box, Gwendy's Magic Feather, In the Tall Grass, It, Joe Hill, Lisey's Story, Mick Garris, Mile 81, Mr. Mercedes, News from the Dead Zone, Pet Sematary, Rest Stop, Richard Chizmar, Stephen King, The Institute, The Outsider, The Stand, The Talisman, Throttle, Wizard and GlassLeave a comment

Bev Vincent reviews Pet Sematary (2019)

Bev VincentApril 5, 2019Stephen King News from the Dead ZoneBev Vincent, movie, Movie Reviews, News from the Dead Zone, Pet Sematary, Reviews, Stephen King3 Comments

Sometimes they come back again, but they don’t come back the same.

The possibility of a remake of Pet Sematary first emerged (from the grave?) in February 2011. Every year or two since then, there would be new and different names attached to the project. Each time, it seemed like it was just about to happen. Any day now! I greeted these reports with a shrug. Why remake such an effective film?
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Preview: Lisey’s Story on Apple TV+

“Grief is a Bool hunt”

King of Crime: Part III — Featured Review of LATER and what comes…later

King of Crime: Part II — Hard Case Crime and Beyond

King of Crime: Part I — The Earlier Years

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