On this day in movie and book history - Doctor Sleep (2019 and 2013)

Doctor Sleep

directed and written by Mike Flanagan,

based on the novel by Stephen King,

was released in the United States on November 8, 2019.

Music by The Newton Brothers.

Cast:

Ewan McGregor, Roger Dale Floyd, Danny Lloyd, Rebecca Ferguson, Kyliegh Curran, Dakota Hickman, Carl Lumbly, Zahn McClarnon, Emily Alyn Lind, Bruce Greenwood, Jocelin Donahue, Cliff Curtis, Robert Longstreet, Carel Struycken, Alex Essoe, Zackary Momoh, Jacob Tremblay, Henry Thomas, Catherine Parker, Met Clark, Selena Anduze, James Flanagan, Violet McGraw, Bethany Anne Lind, Sadie Heim, KK Heim, Kaitlyn McCormick, Molly Jackson, Sallye Hooks, Michael Monks, Hugh Maguire.

Recommended reading:

 

Doctor Sleep

by Stephen King.
 
Published by Scribner.
First Edition.
Published 2013.
Hardcover.

ISBN-10: 1476727651
ISBN-13: 978-1476727653
 
Description:
 
“I liked you, honeybear. That’s why I came to warn you. Stay away from the woman in the hat.”
 

Years ago, the haunting of the Overlook Hotel nearly broke young Dan Torrance’s sanity, as his paranormal gift known as “the shining” opened a door straight into hell. And even though Dan is all grown up, the ghosts of the Overlook – and his father’s legacy of alcoholism and violence – kept him drifting aimlessly for most of his life. Now, Dan has finally found some order in the chaos by working in a local hospice, earning the nickname “Doctor Sleep” by secretly using his special abilities to comfort the dying and prepare them for the afterlife. But when he unexpectedly meets twelve-year-old Abra Stone – who possesses an even more powerful manifestation of the shining – the two find their lives in sudden jeopardy at the hands of the ageless and murderous nomadic tribe known as the True Knot, reigniting Dan’s own demons and summoning him to battle for this young girl’s soul and survival...

 

“[A] vivid frightscape … terrifying.” – The New York Times.
 
“[King’s] cast of characters is as memorable as any [he] has produced…. Satisfying at every level.” – Kirkus Reviews (starred review).
 
“Terrific … [King’s] power lies in narrative drive and macabre.” – Chicago Tribune.

On this day in movie and book history - Carrie (1976 and 1974)

Carrie

directed by Brian De Palma,

written by Lawrence D. Cohen, and based on the novel by Stephen King,

was released in the United States on November 3, 1976.

Music by Pino Donaggio.

Song: I Never Dreamed Someone Like You Could Love Someone Like Me performed by Katie Irving.

Cast:

Sissy Spacek, Piper Laurie, Amy Irving, William Katt, John Travolta, Nancy Allen, Betty Buckley, P. J. Soles, Priscilla Pointer, Sydney Lassick, Stefan Gierasch, Michael Talbott, Doug Cox, Harry Gold, Noelle North, Cindy Daly, Deirdre Berthrong, Anson Downes, Rory Stevens, Edie McClurg, Cameron De Palma.

Recommended reading:

Carrie

by Stephen King.
 
First published 1974.

ISBN 13: 9781416524304
ISBN 10: 1416524304
ASIN: 1416524304

Mass Market Paperback.
 
Description:
 

Unpopular at school and subjected to her mother's religious fanaticism at home, Carrie White does not have it easy. But while she may be picked on by her classmates, she has a gift she's kept secret since she was a little girl: she can move things with her mind. Doors lock. Candles fall. Her ability has been both a power and a problem. And when she finds herself the recipient of a sudden act of kindness, Carrie feels like she's finally been given a chance to be normal. She hopes that the nightmare of her classmates' vicious taunts is over . . . but an unexpected and cruel prank turns her gift into a weapon of horror so destructive that the town may never recover.

 

A modern classic, Carrie introduced a distinctive new voice in American fiction – Stephen King. The story of misunderstood high school girl Carrie White, her extraordinary telekinetic powers, and her violent rampage of revenge, remains one of the most barrier-breaking and shocking novels of all time.

 

Make a date with terror and live the nightmare that is ... Carrie.
 
"Stephen King’s first novel changed the trajectory of horror fiction forever. Fifty years later, authors say it’s still challenging and guiding the genre." – Esquire.
 
“A master storyteller.” – The Los Angeles Times.
 
“Guaranteed to chill you.” – The New York Times.
 
"Gory and horrifying. . . . You can't put it down." – Chicago Tribune.

Stephen King, on writing:

 

A little talent is a good thing to have if you want to be a writer.

But the only real requirement is the ability to remember every scar.

- Stephen King.

On this day in movie history - The Mist (2007)

The Mist

directed and written by Frank Darabont,

based on the novella by Stephen King,

was released in the United States on November 12, 2007.

Music by Mark Isham.

Cast:

Thomas Jane, Marcia Gay Harden, Laurie Holden, Andre Braugher, Toby Jones, William Sadler, Jeffrey DeMunn, Frances Sternhagen, Nathan Gamble, Alexa Davalos, Chris Owen, Sam Witwer, Robert C. Treveiler, David Jensen, Melissa McBride, Andy Stahl, Buck Taylor, Brandon O'Dell, Jackson Hurst, Brian Libby, Susan Malerstein-Watkins, Mathew Greer, Juan Gabriel Pareja, Walter Fauntleroy, Amin Joseph, Kelly Collins Lintz, Ginnie Randall, Tiffany Morgan, Kim Wall, Julio Cesar Cedillo, Ron Clinton Smith, Gregg Brazzel, Sonny Franks, Dodie Brown, Taylor E. Brown, Jay Amor, Kristin Barnhart, Kevin Beard, Derek Cox-Berg, Kip Cummings, John F. Daniel, Tammy Eaton, Ron Fagan, Ted Ferguson, Travis Fontenot, Cherie Gierhart, Louis Herthum, Walt Hollis, Brian Scott Hunt, R. Todd Jones, Jimmy Lee Jr., Cherami Leigh, Mike Martindale, Cindy McBride, Eric Kelly McFarland, Amy McGee-Harrell, Ritchie Montgomery, Michaela Morgan, Darrick Mosley, James Paul, Mark Robin Price, Charles Sutherland, Chuck Vail, Steven E. Williams.

On this day in movie and book history - The Long Walk (2025 movie & novel):

The Long Walk

directed by Francis Lawrence,

written by JT Mollner,

based on the novel by Stephen King,

released in the United States on September 12, 2025.

Music by Jeremiah Fraites.

Cast: Cooper Hoffman, David Jonsson, Garrett Wareing, Tut Nyuot, Charlie Plummer, Ben Wang, Jordan Gonzalez, Joshua Odjick, Mark Hamill, Roman Griffin Davis, Judy Greer, Josh Hamilton, Noah de Mel, Daymon Wrightly, Jack Giffin, Thamela Mpumlwana, Keenan Lehmann, Dale Neri, Teagan Stark, Samuel Clark, Emmanuel Oderemi, Cameron MacConomy, Gabriel Daniels, Adam Hurtig, Marina Stephenson Kerr, Athena Barten, Leo King, Ruger Red Barnes, Steven Ratzlaff, Kevin McIntyre, Antonius Hackett, Sheaya Labiuk, Sharon Bajer, Toni Reimer, Laura Olafson, Carson Nattrass, David MacInnis, Lam An, Jonathan Dehaan, Kara Myskiw, Izabella Raven, Ken Steen.

 

Recommended reading:

The Long Walk

by Stephen King.

Published by Scribner.
First published 1979.
ISBN-10: 1668208814
ISBN-13: 9781668208816

Description:

In a dystopian near-future, America has fallen on hard times. Sixteen-year-old Ray Garraty is about to compete in the annual grueling match of stamina and wits known as the Long Walk. One hundred boys must keep a steady pace of four miles per hour day and night, without ever stopping. The winner gets “The Prize” – anything he wants for the rest of his life. But the rules of the Long Walk are harsh and the stakes could not be higher. There is no finish line – the winner is the last man standing. Contestants cannot receive any outside aid whatsoever. Slow down under the speed limit and you’re given a warning. Three warnings and you’re out of the game – forever.