The Stephen King Collection

Most of the Stephen King fans that I know personally are willing to acknowledge that when it comes to Films and TV Series adapted from the author's books and short stories, the ratio of crap to outright classic favours the crap. That's not King's fault, of course, and it certainly hasn't hindered sales of his books. It might even have helped them, initiating the "Man, that was garbage; I wonder is the book any better?" train of thought that sometimes ends with an actual book purchase. (Surely that's not just me?)
I'd love someday to have every adaptation represented on these pages, but I don't think it'll ever happen. Regardless, I'm compelled to gather what we have into one post - for my own personal use, if nothing else.

Films here on In a Nutshell:
King has a label all to himself. Click HERE.

TV Series on Nut Box:
King has a label all to himself on Box, too. Click HERE.

Books and comics on Nut Ink:
You guessed it, there's a King label. Click HERE.

Albela (2001)

A fortune teller tells an enthusiastic tour guide named Tony (Govinda) that his dream woman is on her way. When Tony spies Sonia (Aishwarya Rai) at the airport, he believes it to be her. Instantly besotted with Aish, he does his best to charm her with his happy-go-lucky personality.
The initial setup gave the impression that fate would be watching events with us, lurking around corners or behind closed doors, perhaps, but it turned out to be forgotten about for most of the running time, returning only when all else had failed to stir. If you're a fan of Govinda, then maybe you'll get something worthwhile out of it. But in truth there's not a lot of substance to anything. If Albela was a food, then it'd be little more than a light snack, and about five minutes after finishing it I'd be just as hungry as when I started.

1½ yellow plush toys out of

Heroic Duo (2003)

An upstanding HK police officer commits a crime against his own station, but he doesn't know why. Tough cop Ken Li (Ekin Cheng) is on the case, but he needs help, so enlists hypnotist and convicted criminal Jack Lai (Leon Lai).
There's a recurring theme of weaknesses being either overcome in time of need or preyed upon by a stronger willed individual; and because everyone in the film has a secret that they're guarding, they're all vulnerable to attack.
It has some neat ideas that are forced to share space with obligatory action scenes, but overall the film is too scattershot for my liking. An attentive rewrite that brought strengths to the fore and evened out everything else could've made a huge difference to the final product.

2½ unlocks out of 5

I.D. (1995)

A no-frills British film about police officers who get boozed and bloodied while investigating football (soccer) hooliganism from the inside - they join the Shadwell Army, a group of footy fans with a sideline in GBH.

Films about cops with good intentions getting seduced by the seedier side of life while undercover aren't in short supply, but I.D. manages to hold its own even when placed next to them. It's believable and fully aware of its limitations, yet still manages to deliver a few surprises from time to time. 

John (Reece Dinsdale) is the lynchpin of the story, but kudos to Warren Clarke, too, as bar-owner Bob, whose dialogue was like thuggish poetry.

4 red cards out of 5

Fukuchan of FukuFuku Flats (2014)

It's named for Fukuda (Miyuki Oshima) but the story has a slightly wider focus. By day Fukuda paints concrete buildings, by night it's homemade kites. He also acts as occasional mediator between the other oddball characters that reside in the titular flats. Elsewhere, a woman (Asami Mizukawa) unable to decide if she's a photographer or not is having difficulty keeping her life on track. Both individuals are coping with the distant past in their own unique way.
FoFF is an unassuming gem of a film with a quirky wit that engenders heart-warming feelings even in its quietest moments. In addition, throughout are deadpan comedy scenes that are as touching as they are belly-busting.
The sincerity of its protagonist is its greatest strength, proof that simplicity done well can easily accommodate the true heart of storytelling.

4 lenses of truth out of 5

Monkeybone (2001)

An adult comedy about a soon to be super-successful cartoonist (Brendan Fraser) who has to contend with his animated creation for control of his own future. By 'adult' I mean that it's generally inappropriate for kids, not that it's mature or hard to follow. The titular Monkeybone is the 'zany' type of character that makes me twitch violently.
There's a lot of creativity on display in the designs and in how they're brought to life, including many different animation techniques that someone clearly put a lot of work into, but the actual film was probably more fun to make for all involved than it is for any discerning person to watch.

1½ nightmare tailwinds out of 5

The Angry Red Planet (1959)

Earth's first manned rocket to land on Mars is returned to the home planet but with less crew than when it took off. Via flashback, the scientists and doctors of the day listen to a survivor recall what happened on the distant planet.
Dir. Ib Melchior's version of Mars is the reddest that I've personally ever seen. The overcompensating CineMagic (solarisation) process that helps mask cheap FX (sort of) will polarise viewers. I liked the FX, even the very obvious 2D paintings. What ruined it were the open helmets; that was asking too much of me. And I'd have preferred if the eerie space music had been used solely for characterising the Mars times, as opposed to wherever and whenever to fill the lack of atmosphere elsewhere. Gotta love that creature, though!

2 ear twitches out of 5

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (2008)

Based upon the novel by John Boyne, it's an emotionally powerful and truly unforgettable story of an eight-year-old boy named Bruno in Nazi Germany during WWII. Bruno's privileged upbringing means he has time to explore his surroundings, to study the soldiers that frequent his father's house; he sees his mother stressed but is unaware of the truths they both hide from him. He's an innocent, and most of the time we see events from his perspective.
It's a gently paced narrative that's as beautiful as it is horrible. It looks gorgeous, too, with cinematography that never fails to impress. Logic says that it should've been in the youth's native language, but then we wouldn't have had the wonderful actors that we got, so it gets a semi-pass.

4 non-farmers out of 5

Fine, Totally Fine (2008)

I've probably said this at least once before over the years, but it deserves repeating: many regular, everyday people are amazing, and all it takes to realise it is to observe in the correct way. Dir. Yôsuke Fujita does that beautifully in his début feature, with comedy timing that's almost flawless.
There are about half a dozen characters of interest, but the three primary ones are a shy female artist who secretly paints the crazy homeless lady that lives near a bridge, a manual labourer who's obsessed with all things horror and likes to scare people, and a hospital clerk who just wants to be loved. They cross paths eventually, coming together in a book store that's owned by the father of the labourer, and who may be suffering from depression.

4 fish sausages out of 5

Idaho Transfer (1973)

Because it's my favourite genre I've watched hundreds of sci-fi films in my lifetime, from Méliès to modern trash, but never one quite like Idaho Transfer before, which makes it even more special for me than it'd be normally.
It's an arty, minimalist production directed by Peter Fonda that's both peaceful and oddly unsettling. Even though they're different genres, it's reminiscent of Easy Rider (1969) at times in its editing and in how it presents an important worldview in an understated but engaging manner.
The plot involves an unnamed future cataclysm that destroys life on earth; all life or just some of it, we don't know. A chosen group of under-twenties travel fifty-six years into their own future to avoid the end. Free of government and societal pressures they have an opportunity to start civilisation over again.

4 distance skips out 5

The Godfather: Part III (1990)

I find it's best to view Part III similar to how Dir. Coppola reportedly does, as an epilogue to the Godfather's story as told in Parts I (1972) and II (1974).
A mournful tone segues into the familiar large family gathering, a setting wherein the current Don is lavished with honours and respect. His move into more legitimate business affairs gives the film a different kind of edge, but it's one that's dulled by a screenplay that feels stretched thin. In addition, the appointed successor to the Corleone name is never fully able to step out of the shadow of the characters/actors that came before. Even when considered as a counterpoint, it's not as satisfying as it could've been.
Pacino and Shire are great (and for the record I don't think Sofia deserved the criticism she received), but the highlight is the superb finale, staged at an opera it is itself a beautifully orchestrated piece of pure drama.

3 accounts settled out of 5