Is this the haunted Nail Salon & Spa? It’s even named for NYC, which is where Stephen King’s dooming eponymous hotel room tormented poor Mike Enslin.
That’s some synchronicity worthy of The Dark Tower. FOLLOW THE PATH OF THE BEAM.
Tag Archives: Stephen King
Throwback Thursday: this 1980 ABC7NY holiday news segment about video games!
I actually remember Kaity Tong.
And listen to those New York accents! “My mutha.” For a pretty big portion of my life, that sounded perfectly normal to me.
I can only vaguely remember ads for that “Dark Tower” game, but I believe a group of my friends on Facebook were actually talking about it. I thought they were making a Stephen King reference, but they told me they periodically play a certain board game as a tradition … I’m guessing this is it.
I am linking here, by the way, to the ABC7NY YouTube channel.
“If you write … someone will try to make you feel lousy about it.”
“Your days as a member of polite society are numbered.”
“Salem’s Lot” hits differently if you’ve ever lived in a town named “Salem.”
Yep — we’ve got one in Southwest Virginia; it’s right next to Roanoke, and I lived there for a little while.
The people there are awesome. There are no vampires. And the only weird, alarming newcomer in town was me.
Anyway, the new “Salem’s Lot” was damned good. I loved it. This movie successfully channeled the dark energy that made Stephen King’s 1975 novel such a feast for horror fans — how the vampires are portrayed. They are at their scariest when they are mindless, Satanic minions of a mysterious overlord — and perversions of their former human selves. (I love the “Blade” movies to no end, but their chic, cool, articulate monsters just aren’t as frightening.)
The directing was slick, the storytelling was rapid, and the newly tweaked plot elements worked for me. The acting was good too. If you are a genre fan, see if you can spot Pilou Asbaek (the mean-ass, ambitious pirate king from “Game of Thrones”), among others.
This was loads of creepy fun. I recommend it.
Thankee Sai.
Thank you to everybody who made my birthday a happy one yesterday, including the many cool people who called or sent messages.
You brought a smile to an old man’s face. 😉
“I cry your pardon, Gunslinger.”
Blaine the Mono arrives alongside The Tower.
Only Stephen King fans will get that joke.
(This is actually an Amtrak, I believe, arriving alongside The Wells Fargo Tower in Roanoke, VA.)
More from the spooky season watchlist!
I saw three terrific movies during my annual effort to set the tone for Halloween. All three were book adaptations.
First up was this year’s “Mr. Harrigan’s Phone,” adapted from Stephen King’s 2020 novella (which I have not read). It deftly follows the right formula for a successful King adaptation (or any successful horror movie, really) — it methodically portrays characters that viewers can truly like and care about, and then imperils them. For me, it wasn’t just Jaeden Martell’s personable young protagonist — it was also the great Donald Sutherland’s titular Mr. Harrigan, whose ghost is the story’s putative (?) antagonist. (I like how the movie leaves that just a little open ended; I’ll bet the novella has a lot more to say there.)
Still, some seasoned horror fans might feel that the film just isn’t scary enough. By the time its thoughtful denouement rolls around, it feels more like a dark drama with horror movie elements than it feels like a “scary movie.” (The term “post-horror” was gaining currency a few years ago, and I don’t know if that’s still a thing.) After all, the ostensible ghost here appears to actually want to aid the protagonist. The movie might even feel like it is missing a third act — I counted only two victims of the vindictive entity, whose deaths occurred offscreen. The ending was well written and poignant, right down to its closing line, but it will still feel like an anti-climax to some.
Next up was the new adaptation of Clive Barker’s “Hellraiser.” This was pretty damn scary. It should be seen by only more intense horror hounds — it’s a predictably violent gorefest about sadomasochistic demons that literally torture their summoners, along with any innocents who are unfortunate enough to be nearby. I know it isn’t high art, but it was well executed, with capable acting and some really creative direction. (Odessa A’zion was quite good in her role, and the van scene was an especially nice touch.) If you can stomach its ultraviolence, then you might really enjoy this movie.
Finally, I revisited another King adaptation — 2019’s “Doctor Sleep.” You guys already now how zealously I love this movie, so I want burden you yet again with my fanboy adulation of it.
“What I tell kids is, don’t get mad, get even.”
This has been circulating on Facebook and Twitter. As always, I’ll cheerfully credit the meme-maker if am notified.
Eric Robert Nolan, Author 