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The new documentary, King on Screen, is now in select theaters. Director Daphné Baiwir explores Stephen King’s legacy of terror and the films and series we all love to fear. We’ve always heard that “The book is always better than the movie,” but I don’t believe that is always true, and a laundry list of Stephen King’s adaptations over the decades provides us a great foundation to cross reference this. Over time it has always been fascinating on the process of novels transferring over to the Screen; many times, authors feel differently from filmmakers. Of course, that is a conversation we could go into great depth with for another time.
Stephen King is a prolific and viral author that takes charge of captivating storytelling and develops complex characters and imaginative plots. King’s novels and short stories serve as rich source material for filmmakers to adapt into movies. King’s works span various genres, including horror, suspense, science fiction, fantasy, and drama. This diverse appeal attracts a broad audience, contributing to the films’ popularity. King’s work is now embedded into pop culture, and this is because many of Stephen King’s stories have become cultural touchstones, influencing and shaping the horror and thriller genres. Iconic characters like Pennywise the Clown (from “It”) and Jack Torrance (from “The Shining”) have become ingrained in pop culture. Besides King’s works embedding themselves into pop culture, his stories delve into psychological and emotional complexities, often confronting those dark and disturbing unimaginable themes. Traveling to these depths adds intrigue to the films based on his work.
Daphné Baiwir breaks down King’s work’s themes, hopping between loss of innocence, chaotic families, the constant fight between good and evil, and everything that lurks in the darkness. Many can identify with King’s writing, especially his characters and small towns with a creepy ambiance. You can’t think of the lovely state of Maine without thinking of King. The documentary explores some of his most famous works and speaks with some prolific people that have worked with King over the years, such as Frank Darabont, Mick Garris, Tom McLoughlin, Mike Flanagan, Tom Holland, and Greg Nicotero. I enjoyed hearing these talented Directors speak about their experiences working with King, giving their take on the stories they were adapting and the process and responsibilities that came with it all. Stephen King wasn’t featured in this documentary; there was a little archive footage, and I thought it would have bothered me, but it didn’t. I was immersed in what others said, and it didn’t impact the experience.
I had a chance to chat with Daphné Baiwir, and we discussed what drew her into this particular project, the opening sequence with many references to the King verse, the learning moment when gathering all of this information, and much more!
Darkstar Pictures will release the horror documentary KING ON SCREEN in Theaters on August 11, 2023, and On Demand and Blu-Ray on September 8, 2023.
