One of the things I tried to work into my 31 days last year were horror adjacent movies as well. It’s all under the same umbrella but sometimes I like to shake it up a little bit. In this instance it meant changing up the direction we’ve been heading and take a little bit of a different look at the horror genre as a whole. So when I came across a horror documentary I figured I’d give it a whirl, just for something a little off the beaten path. Hence, King on Screen.
Admittedly I think this review will be shorter. Not that a documentary has less to say than a typical film, it just says it in a very different way than a standard movie would do so. I enjoyed the overall content of this movie. The reality is that there’s just not much to process. I think there was a part of me that was hoping it might be a little more telling of the process from King’s perspective. The actuality of the content in this documentary is that it was really just perspectives from many directors who have brought King’s literary works to life on the big screen. Now there were a great many interesting anecdotes both about the stories behind the film and then the processes by which each of those directors composed their visual versions of the King stories. Most of these were interesting in differing capacities. There was a hefty amount of Frank Darabont stories which were all masterfully shared. I think the most impressive item on the list was just the sheer volume of King’s tales that had been transformed for the big screen. I’ve never had a particular affinity towards King. Not to say I don’t enjoy “his” films because I have on a number of occasions. But I don’t have an undue devotion to him per se. After seeing the magnitude of his contribution to the world of cinema, I have to say I was fairly impressed. I think it was mostly that accounting of all his works in the end. Seeing the magnitude of his filmography it was undeniable that he’s made such a significant catalog of films that span a number of genres.
The other part of the film that was fun to see was the candid film and stories about King himself. The bulk of the documentary was obviously about his film adaptations but seeing the footage of him on set for different movies and the way he would interact with directors and actors alike was fun. I think many times it’s simply the name Stephen King that can become such a driver, especially in the vein of horror movies, that it almost acts as an adjective to describe the film. A Stephen King movie, primarily in the realm of scary, is something that’s bound to cause some significant frights. Seeing Stephen King, the man, in action was a good time. He was goofy at times and dynamic at others. He could integrate himself into a production with relative ease. He got along with cast and crew alike. In one rather enjoyable portion of the film they threw a surprise birthday party for King on the set of The Green Mile that was endearing.
If I had to point towards a downside in this film it would be just that I had different expectations as to what was going to be covered in the movie. I was hoping the film would include more about the stories of Stephen King than the production of their movie counterparts. I think had there been a little more insight into the world that King created and how he went about doing that would have been at least a complimentary portion of the film in my estimation. Hearing the behind the scenes stories from the men who helmed the creation of King’s visuals was definitely enjoyable. I think I would have just liked that extra little bit of how the story came to be in general. I know he couldn’t have gone into great detail for every story he’s written so maybe it would have just been interesting to learn about his creative process a little more. Where do the characters come from? How does inspiration tend to hit him and how does he build such vivid, spanning universes? These were just some of the questions that unfortunately went unanswered. I don’t fault the movie for not answering. They never claimed they would. It’s just the piece of this puzzle I’d like to have had were it there in the film.
I think If I was going to put a value on this movie I’d have to put it at a C+. This movie definitely doesn’t reach the level where I would want or need to own the film. And while I don’t necessarily anticipate a second viewing of the film, I would definitely feel comfortable recommending it to other people. I feel like the production quality of most modern day documentaries really eclipses the level that a movie like this brings to the table but the stories are fairly entertaining. I would definitely offer this up to anyone with a proclivity towards horror movies and especially anyone with a Stephen King bent. That’s the best audience for this particular movie. And I think that’s all I really have to say about this one. So until next time, I’ll catch you on the flip side.
