8 Ways to Fix the Disappointing New Stephen King Movie

The long-awaited new film adaptation of Stephen King ‘Salem site arrived, and it’s safe to say that longtime regular readers like myself were deeply disappointed with the results, and I corrected a few flaws to make the film better. This And It: Chapter Two writer Gary Dauberman sat in the film’s director’s chair ‘Salem site adaptation, tasked with the unenviable job of solving King’s original sprawling project. ‘Salem site story in a two-hour running time at the direction of studio executives. The results were mixed at best.

I have to give Dauberman credit for skillfully recreating iconic scenes from the book, especially the scene where Danny Glick floats in front of Mark Petrie’s window, as well as for including many Stephen King Easter eggs in the book. ‘Salem site. He also did a good job of going the extra mile to create a fast-paced, action-packed horror film out of the much longer film he envisioned. However, the end result left a lot to be desired, especially for fans of the 1979 book. ‘Salem site miniseries. The potential was there, but unfortunately its limitations could be seen. If I had unlimited time and money, I would fix a few key problems in the adaptation (and I suspect Gary Dauberman would want to do it too).

1

Develop your main characters

The actors didn’t have much to work with

First of all, the biggest problem with the new ‘Salem site in that he cut so much from the runtime environment that the characters appear not as fully realized people, but as brief sketches of people. These are all the introductory Wikipedia pages, without notes. All the actors were great – this is not a slight on them because I think they were all well cast. They certainly did the best they could with what they had to work with, and there were flashes of much deeper and richer development in each character that were clearly cut. I also appreciated the update to Susan’s personality from the book, which made her a little more sarcastic and much more worldly.

However, it doesn’t matter how much the actors give if key threads of character development have been cut. It’s really unfortunate because ‘Salem site It’s as much a character study as it is a vampire novel, and some of the original book’s main characters undergo a fascinating evolution. Unfortunately, the new film ditches this entirely, and we never get to see who these characters are despite these disappointing glimpses of depth.

2

Make a mini-series instead of a movie

Salem’s Lot Was Never Intended to Be a Two-Hour Movie

Honestly, I don’t blame Gary Dauberman for ‘Salem sitestripped down feeling. The director always gets the blame when a film flops, but given the problems with getting ‘Salem site to the screen – first the Covid-19 pandemic, then the Warner Bros. merger. and Discovery throwing everything into chaos, then WBD execs dithering over whether to scrap it, then the writers and actors going on strike – I’d say Dauberman can hardly be held accountable for the outcome. It’s a miracle that ‘Salem site even made it to the screen, even after Dauberman agreed to the studio’s demands and sacrificed an entire hour of his original version, and Stephen King publicly called out the studio.

However, this ‘Salem site proves why this story is better suited to a miniseries. I suspect Dauberman’s three-hour version was much, much better, but WBD required him to cut it so much that he was left with only the ability to jump from plot point to plot point, sacrificing the entire story. Whether it’s a canceled three-hour movie or miniseries, ‘Salem site has always been a story that takes time to tell in order for it to have an impact. The next time it gets remade (because it almost certainly will be in a few years or decades), I hope the executives greenlighting it remember this.

3

Tell the story of the Marsten house (and Ben’s attitude towards it)

House Marsten is a separate character in the book

While this isn’t necessarily the most important part of the book, it’s a shame that ‘Salem site 2024 cut the entire House Marsten story from the film, including Ben Mears’ terrifying childhood encounter. In the original novel, House Marsten was a character in its own right. The Haunting of Hill Houselike a building that at times showed a sinister type, almost sentient.

The house had a terrifying backstory: it was the home of former hitman turned probable serial child killer Hubert “Hubie” Marsten, who later moved into the Marsten House with his wife Birdie. While there, several children went missing and were never found; it is strongly implied and believed that Hubie kidnapped and killed them. Their story came to an explosive end when he killed Birdie and then took his own life. The Marsten house is drenched in blood, and witnessing so many atrocities has turned it into a conduit for even greater evil, which is why Kurt Barlow and Richard Straker decide to settle there; Barlow and Marsten corresponded for many years until the latter’s death.

New ‘Salem site also cut off Ben Mears’ connection to House Marsten and why he is so drawn to it. When he was nine years old, he snuck into the Marsten House and saw the body of Hubie Marsten hanging from the rafters in the spot where he committed suicide. This image haunted Ben for the rest of his life and became the driving force behind his return to Jerusalem’s Lot as he intends to write a book about House Marsten, a detail omitted from the film. Although none of this is absolutely decisive for creating a good ‘Salem site adaptation, it certainly helps set the scene and add some needed color to the story.

4

Don’t mention character deaths in the book.

Character deaths have been removed from impact

‘Salem site What changed was the death of almost every main character in the book, which I understood but didn’t like. Perhaps the only deaths that remained virtually unchanged were those that were of little consequence, such as the conversion of Mark Petrie’s parents or the conversion of Danny Glick. The rest just didn’t have the same effect as in the book. While some of this is definitely due to the aforementioned lack of character development, I would argue that the changes have gone too far.

I understand why this was done: some book deaths simply did not make it into the film adaptation. For example, Matt Burke being turned by Kurt Barlow and allowing Mark Petrie to escape is a much more noble end than the one he received in the book, where he suffered a heart attack and died in a hospital bed. Death of Dr. Cody ‘Salem site However, it is the most brutal and memorable piece in the book and should have been preserved. I understand that the idea of ​​a race- and gender-swapped character dying by falling down the stairs onto knives might be a step too far for WBD execs. However, Alfre Woodard’s character being unceremoniously killed by a shotgun was offensive. Dr. Cody deserved a greater and more painful death than this.

5

Give Father Callahan his same book. Plot and ending

Callahan’s father’s story was one of the most compelling in the book.

What angered me the most was the death of Father Callahan. Of all the characters who were shortchanged in ‘Salem site adaptation may be Father Callahan. In the book he doesn’t die at all. Instead, he suffered a much worse fate. During the confrontation at the Petrie house, Kurt Barlow force-feeds the conflicting priest his blood, making him permanently “unclean” and ensuring that Father Callahan can no longer enter his church, or any sacred place or consecrated ground. This is a more cruel and tragic ending. ‘Salem site than death for Callahan’s father, especially since it ties into the themes of Callahan’s father’s story.

Stephen King’s Piece of Riches ‘Salem site in how deeply it explores the concepts of good and evil, faith and unbelief. Barlow manages to defeat the priest because Father Callahan’s faith has wavered for years and is ultimately not strong enough to protect him from the legendary evil being. When Barlow tarnishes him forever, it robs the priest of any future options. Even if he restored his faith, he would be forever banned from visiting sacred places. Ironically, this act is a terrifying way to restore the doomed priest’s faith in God. For a person who is no longer confident in the priesthood, the cruelest ending will be the realization of how much worse the situation could become when he cannot access this calling at all.

6

Better develop Ben and Susan’s romance

She could just as easily have been killed by any character

The circumstances of Susan’s story and death remain largely unchanged in the new novel. ‘Salem siteeven if the location and events around it were changed from the book. Just like in the book, Ben has to kill her after she turns, and I believe he should always be the one to kill her, no matter the adaptation. This is a pivotal moment in the book and for Ben’s character, and given their romantic relationship, no other character ending their life as an undead would have as much of an impact.

Unfortunately, it could have been any character in the new film. ‘Salem site put new vampire Susan at stake, given that her romance with Ben has barely formed on screen. Ben was the one who did it, but it could have been Dr. Cody, or her mother, or Matt Burke, or even Mark Petrie – in fact, it could have been even more impressive and horrific for a child to end a child’s life. his ally. We just couldn’t get enough of their love story, which was so wonderfully constructed in the book to make their connection feel particularly deep. This lack of buildup robs Susan’s death of any emotional weight, as we never once get the sense that she and Ben are in love.

7

Make the people of Jerusalem more outstanding individuals

The townspeople in the film became nameless NPCs

The main characters aren’t the only ones who suffer from a lack of development in the new film. ‘Salem site. They may not be developed enough, but at least they have some screen time. One of the many elements sacrificed for the sake of the shortened running time in the new film is that many of the colorful residents of the city of Jerusalem’s Lot are either given one scene or cut out entirely.

This is a real shame as they are the backbone of the story in the book. Getting to know their flaws, their little rivalries, their problems and their joys, their little town secrets is exactly what makes the takeover of Jerusalem’s Lot so heartbreaking. When they are turned or killed, it hurts; they were real people with real lives. Unfortunately, the film turns them into nonentities, non-player characters who are created only to create an army of vampires with glowing eyes.

8

Fix shaky computer graphics

Other glaring issues made it even more noticeable

The last thing I would fix in the new ‘Salem site The film is computer graphics. This isn’t a deal breaker – a film’s plot and characters will always trump any shaky CGI – but when everything else is lacking, bad CGI becomes even more noticeable. Some shots in ‘Salem site were truly magnificent, and the mid-70s production design and set were almost flawless. Indeed, I was impressed. It’s as natural and exciting as any period piece we’ve seen over the years. The cinematography was also impeccable; some of the footage could have been a painting.

All this visual perfection made the sometimes really bad CGI stand out, especially towards the end. Particularly bad were the scenes with the Marsten house in the background and the sunset shots in the film’s third act. The film also relied too heavily on CGI to enhance Kurt Barlow’s appearance and make him more monstrous where practical effects would have been better. While again not a deal breaker, it was noticeable enough to put me off ‘Salem site at times when it was already struggling to overcome its other problems.