Carrie (2013): Book vs Film

I was pleasantly surprised when I saw the new remake of Carrie and actually really enjoyed it. But how does it compare to the original Stephen King novel on which it's based?

For me, Stephen King is one of the greatest storytellers of our time. In Carrie, his first published novel, King proved he could not only get into the mindset of a teenage girl but that he could also go to incredibly dark places and weave a story together at a slow pace, leading to one of the most shocking endings ever written.

In the novel, King switches between the running story of Carrie and the reports done after the fact. Carrie's story is a tortured one. Firstly, she gets her first period and thinks she's dying, then she continues to struggle to deal with all the bullies at school. On top of that, she discovers that she has telekinetic powers. There's also her self-harming, religious fanatic mother to contend with!

It's a lot for her young shoulders to take but King moves fluidly between her 'present day' story and reports of what has come before. There are interview transcripts and reports from people who met her over the years like the neighbour who spoke briefly to Carrie when she was a toddler. There is more information on Carrie's life earlier life and more explanation as to what happened to her now absent father. By switching between the two, King paints a picture piece by piece and with every page, the reader better understands who Carrie is and her sheer strength at having managed to get this far! The story is not just hers but also that of her classmates: Sue Snell, who grows a conscience and decides it's time somebody did something nice for Carrie, and Chris who wants quite the opposite.

The book really builds to the now infamous explosive finale and, after the prom scene, has one of the most chilling deaths ever written - a death which has been changed for the purposes of both this film and the earlier 1970s version.

The main difference between book and film is that the film pays no attention to the backstory, choosing to interweave the key points - namely the relationship Carrie has with her mother - into the present without looking at the reports or stories found the book. The focus is very much on the here and now and, with it, the fundamentals of the story remain.

A massive change in this remake is that the story has been brought forward to our present day. The horrific bathroom scene which opens the story is now filmed on mobile phones and put on YouTube, something they obviously couldn't have done when King originally wrote the story. It works, however, and makes the film feel that much more current. The plot still resonates today so it makes sense to bring it up to date.

Chloë Moretz and Julianne Moore are both equally stunning in their respective roles as Carrie and her mother Margaret. The horror of both the psychological and physical damage Margaret inflicts on her daughter remains for the film, including one shocking use of a Bible! More is also made of Margaret's self-harming and the loving way in which Carrie tries to calm her moods. Moretz somehow manages to be both sweet and innocent and completely terrifying and handles the role with a maturity way beyond her years.

Overall, the film manages to remain loyal to the original but be brave enough to break new ground at the same time. The book remains utter perfection: endearing, horrifying and chilling.

Carrie is out in the UK Friday 29th November 2013. The book is available to buy now.

Book - 5/5

Film - 4/5

 

The new adaptation (yes another one!) of Stephen King's Carrie is actually rather good!

I know, shocking. It manages to be faithful to what has come before but be brave enough to be its own film. The cast (namely Chloë Grace Moretz and Julianne Moore) are STUNNING and the infamous prom sequence is heart-pounding.

For my full review of the film, check out Filmoria and if you haven't yet read the book - do!

Just don't mess with the girl with telekinetic powers. It's not a good move.

The Ultimate Adaptations Book Bundle Giveaway

THIS COMPETITION HAS NOW CLOSED.

I love a great adaptation. That's no secret. It's largely because I adore both book and films but in the right hands a beloved book can become a great film and appreciated by more fans, just in a different medium.

So it seems only fitting to do a competition which celebrates some fantastic adaptations, with books provided courtesy of Robert Hale Ltd, Scholastic, Hodder, Hesperus, Canongate and Bloomsbury. 

For your chance to win all of the following great books, just send an email over to filmvsbook@gmail.com with your favourite adaptation ever made and why, including 'The Ultimate Adaptations Book Bundle Giveaway' as the subject line and the town where you live in the UK. Don't worry, they don't have to be from the list below!

Head to the Bates Motel to see what happens when a woman on the run from the law meets Norman Bates. Psycho by Robert Bloch became one of Alfred Hitchcock’s most iconic films.

Sparking a resurgence in young adult fiction Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins is the second novel in her Hunger Games trilogy which follows Katniss Everdeen as she fights to protect those she loves but somehow manages to put them in even more danger. Dramatic, powerful and gripping from start to finish, the adaptation – which stars Jennifer Lawrence – is out in November.
 

Carrie by Stephen King is one of King’s most beloved books as he follows a high school girl battling with a religious fanatic mother and her own powers of telekinesis. It’s so good, they’ve adapted it more than once!

 

12 Years a Slave by Solomon Northup was the film to watch at this year’s London Film Festival and received rave 5* reviews across the board. But it all began with a true story by Solomon Northup back in the 1800s. Read the memoir that started it all.
 

A book that was deemed unadaptable was adapted by Ang Lee thanks to 3D technology and an incredible performance from newcomer Suraj Sharma. Booker prize winning Life of Pi by Yann Martel is one of the most thought-provoking and evocative tales ever written.

As an extra bonus to this great bunch of adaptations, the competition also includes the fantastic The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon. Though the adaptation does not currently exist, Andy Serkis' company have bought the film rights and are working on getting it made!

*A new book has been added to the giveaway, courtesy of the lovely people over at Random House. Enjoy all the glamour and opulence of 1920s New York with F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic tale, The Great Gatsby.*

This competition is available to UK readers only and will close on midnight GMT Friday 1st November.

Book Review: Joyland by Stephen King

Is there anything Stephen King can't do? Apparently not. 

For his latest novel, Joyland, King has turned his incomporable writing style to a piece of pulp fiction which follows a young man as he recovers from his break-up, by working at an amusement park. 

As is always the case with King's stories, each and every character - no matter how small - is so intricately woven that you care about each relationship, each event.

Joyland is more of a coming-of-age tale than anything else for the most part but throw in a haunted ride legend and a mystery woman with a sick kid and you have every ingredient for a great King tale.

Joyland is endearing, adorable, frightening and it really is a joyous read.

4 FOBLES

New Carrie poster arrives

A new poster has arrived for the long-awaited - and, annoyingly, delayed - Carrie adaptation which stars Chloe Moretz and is out later this year.

What do you think? Will it be more like the Stephen King novel? It certainly looks that way from the trailer...

Source: Shortlist

New Interactive Cover Revealed for Stephen King's 'Doctor Sleep': the sequel to The Shining

Fans of Stephen King's The Shining rejoice! The sequel to the chilling story, Doctor Sleep - which looks at where now middle-aged Danny Torrance's life has ended up - is out this September. Check out the synopsis and interactive new cover below...

 

King says he wanted to know what happened to Danny Torrance, the boy at the heart of THE SHINING, after his terrible experience in the Overlook Hotel. The instantly riveting, stand-alone novel, DOCTOR SLEEP picks up the story of the now middle-aged Dan.

 

On highways across America, a tribe of people called The True Knot travel in search of sustenance. They look harmless - mostly old, lots of polyester, and devoted to their comfortable Recreational Vehicles. But they live off the ‘steam’ that children with the ‘shining’ produce when they are slowly tortured to death.

Following a childhood haunted by the time he spent with his parents at the Overlook Hotel, Dan Torrance has been drifting for decades, desperate to shed his father's legacy of despair, alcoholism, and violence. Finally, he settles into a job at a nursing home in rural New Hampshire where his remnant ‘shining’ power provides the crucial final comfort to the dying. Aided by a prescient cat, Dan becomes ‘Doctor Sleep.’

Then Dan meets the evanescent Abra Stone, and it is her spectacular gift, the brightest shining ever seen, that reignites Dan’s own demons and summons him to a battle for Abra’s soul and survival...

Publication of the hardcover, eBook and digital download will be September 24, 2013. 

Chloe Moretz, Julianne Moore and Kimberly Peirce Talk 2013's Carrie Adaptation

There are a few adaptations coming up in the near future that have got me more than a little excited recently. I was excited about the film musical adaptation of Les Misérables the second I discovered Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway were going to be in it. I scoffed when I heard David Mitchell's Cloud Atlas was being adapted. It seemed impossible! Then my lovely friend Hillary saw the film at the Toronto International Film Festival and sung its praises so highly I finally started to believe it might actually be more than a little bit brilliant. None have got me quite as excited though as the short trailer for Carrie - based on the fantastically sinister book by Stephen King and starring Chloe Moretz.

At the recent New York Comic Con, stars Moretz and Julianne Moore joined director Kimberly Peirce to discuss this new adaptation - which looks to be closer to the original source text than the 1970s Brian De Palma, thanks to the teaser trailer which swept over a burning town and had the voiceovers of the town's inhabitants.

Peirce said that she adored De Palma's adaptation but clarified: "I took a lot from reading Stephen King's fantastic novel - Carrie's plight, Carrie's mother, and thinking 'My god, this is a fantastic story.' That was always what I went back to." The cast were behind her on this as, Peirce said, they all loved the book.

When discussing the on-screen relationship between mother Margaret (Moore) and daughter Carrie (Moretz), Moore stated that "we were able to push it pretty far" as they felt so comfortable together off screen. What the pair will have made of the rather nasty scenes of abuse and punishment remains to be seen but it certainly seems to have the potential for the same level of darkness found in King's novel.

The panel debate seemed to suggest that the two key elements of the story are going to take centre stage for this film - that of the mother/daughter relationship and Carrie's bullying. Moore said she felt King was ahead of his time for addressing the bullying issue, adding that "one of the great things about Stephen King and this story is [that it] allows us to participate [in] many different ways." Peirce also said added: "I certainly think in some of the scenes there's an awareness of the teacher and the school...There's also a subplot about what one of the characters does in social media."

Those elements aside though, let's not forget that Carrie is - at it's heart - a horror of epic proportions. Those who know and love the story of Carrie White - in either book or film form - will understand why it was entertaining that director Peirce attempted to figure out a rough idea of just how much fake blood had been used during the shoot. Her final answer?  "1000 gallons of fake blood!"

Roll on 2013!

Source: Indiewire

First Teaser Trailer and Poster for Carrie Remake

The first teaser trailer and poster have arrived for the new Carrie remake starring Chloë Grace Moretz. And if the town's burning destruction is anything to go by, this adaptation might just stick a little closer to the original book, written by the master that is Stephen King.

Who's excited?

Source: Yahoo! Movies

Stephen King to Write Sequel to The Shining

The Shining was one of author Stephen King's most controversial adaptations. The book, published back in 1977 is one of King's most popular tales and the film adaptation of the same name (1980), which starred Jack Nicholson is equally popular with audiences - though not perhaps with King's fans who hated the changes made to the source text. 

Now, more than twenty-five years later, it seems King is set to revisit the story of the Torrance family with a look at young Danny Torrance in Doctor Sleep. Now middle-aged and working at a hospice, Dan is trying to shake his own demons and the terrifying legacy left by his father. Whilst working at the hospice, he meets a 'special' 12-year-old girl, Abra Stone and soon Dan must save her from a tribe of murderous paranormals, called the True Knot.

Doctor Sleep is described as "an epic war between good and evil, a gory, glorious story that will thrill the millions of hyper-devoted readers of The Shining and readers new to King, too."

The book will be released next September and an audio sample of King reading the prologue can be found on the CD or download of The Wind Through the Keyhole.

Source: We Love This Book

 

Stephen King to Read His Own Audiobook

Stephen King Books

Stephen King fans who prefer listening to his creations rather than reading them may have just hit the jackpot with the news that he is to lend his own voice to the audiobook recording of The Wind Through the Keyhole.

King had this to say on the decision:

“I’ve spent a lot of time with the character of Roland Deschain and the Dark Tower universe over the years. Now that I am revisiting that world, it felt like a fine time to lend it my voice.”

So what do you think? Will he do a good job? Are any fans who normally read his book tempted to go audio for this one...?  Let me know in the comments section.

Source: Stephen King Books Facebook page