Journey step started: May 6, 2022
Journey step ended: Sep 10, 2022
Click the Google sheet to the right to see every item covered on this step of the journey.
Jerusalem’s Lot — Graveyard Shift — Night Surf — I Am The Doorway — The Mangler — (next) 🡲
Jerusalem’s Lot
Day 126: May 6, 2022
It’s a beautiful day in my Stephen King Journey when I kick off the next book in the plan. I’m back in release sequence as I kick off reading “Night Shift”! I expect to be here for most of the year.
I last read Night Shift when I was in the 6th grade. Nearly 40 years later, here I am revisiting the first story in the collection, “Jerusalem’s Lot”.
“The house was built in unhappiness, has been lived in with unhappiness, there has been blood spilt on its floors”
Day 127: May 7, 2022
I continue to read “Jerusalem’s Lot”, the first story of SK’s “Night Shift”. Hopefully, I’ll be able to get started on that TV series Chapelwaite later tonight.
“Yet the most interesting document is a few jottings on the back of an advertisement for gentlemen’s beaver hats.”
I’m fixated on this line for some reason. I feel a compulsion to go to the local Target and ask the manager where I could purchase “gentlemen’s beaver hats”.
“I beheld Eyeless and Noseless Children, Women who wept and gibbered and pointed at the Sky for no Reason, and garbled talk from the Scriptures with talk of Demons”
Doesn’t sound too dissimilar to what I see here in the South, just throw in a few Confederate flags…
So, let’s now see how one goes about turning a short story like “Jerusalem’s Lot” (which was a story made more of mood than plot) into a 10 episode television series!
I think I just signed up for 10 straight hours of this:
Day 128: May 8, 2022
To help me digest what I saw in the first episode of “Chapelwaite” is David Farrington.
I didn’t pay much attention to the opening credits sequence of Chapelwaite. I’m glad he brought it up and made me appreciate it – especially the possible call-back to Barlow from the ’79 ‘Salem’s Lot mini-series.
I really thought the “sick” girl towards the end just had typhoid or something. I didn’t even consider that she suffered from vampire syndrome. Now I’ll have to see this in a new light.
Now watching Episode 2 and remain grateful I don’t live in the 1850’s.
Only 30 seconds in and I already have good nightmare material for this evening.
This is one high quality series! It reminds me of “The Terror”, which I absolutely loved. I bet David Farrington loves Chapelwaite too!
Day 129: May 9, 2022
Now watching Episode 3. This isn’t a chore at all. It’s been a sheer delight!
It’s like they had cameras on me today at work!
I paid extra attention to this last episode anticipating what David Farrington had to say about it. Will he have me kicking myself over something I missed?
Day 130: May 10, 2022
The opening scene where Silence yanks her own tooth out almost made me bail on Episode 4. But I soldiered on and enjoyed another very fine episode!
What a shocking delight to hear David Farrington share that he’d been contacted by the Chapelwaite creators, the Filardi brothers. You never know what connections you make around these haunted parts!
Who is Jakub? Inquiring minds are scared to know.
Day 131: May 11, 2022
My days recently have been more long than my nights have been pleasant. Still, I’m going to try to squeeze in a bit of the next episode of Chapelwaite!
My days recently have been more long than my nights have been pleasant. Still, I’m going to try to squeeze in a bit of the next episode of Chapelwaite!
Day 132: May 12, 2022
Busy day today but I will always find some time to squeeze in some King! Tonight, I was able to wrap up the second half of Chapelwaite Ep 6. These last four episodes are gonna be a hell of a ride!
Day 133: May 13, 2022
That was a helluva family reunion at the end of Chapelwaite Ep 6! What does David Farrington have to say about that pivotal moment?
Aaaaand… May that be the last reference to Paula Abdul I ever see again in any Stephen King material. 😂
Next up in this incredible series. I’m going to go out on a limb here and guess that THE BOOK is heavily involved in this episode.
I am just swooning over this scene!
Day 134: May 14, 2022
I hear Ep 8 is gonna blow my mind. I’m gonna be up late tonight to experience it!
This final stand at the house has a Game of Thrones “Battle of Winterfell” vibe to it, but better.
Day 135: May 15, 2022
I watched a video from David Farrington that he has since set to PRIVATE so no point in sharing it here.
Day 136: May 16, 2022
Nearing the end of Chapelwaite! Tonight, I take on the penultimate episode.
The question is: If you haven’t watched Chapelwaite yet… Why not?
Just marvel at how beautiful the cinematography is!
There are a lot of similarities to Game of Thrones in this series. Alliances, enemies, defensive actions, offensive incursions. It’s not a blatant ripoff, but the inspiration is certainly felt.
We all have channeled our inner Brody-really-worried persona from time to time.
That episode was f’ing AMAZING! I cannot wait to get to the season finale!
Day 137: May 17, 2022
Before I get to the last episode of Chapelwaite, I’m going to take an hour with David Farrington and his deep dive on Episode 9.
There had better be a Dune-sized worm at the end of all this!
Day 138: May 18, 2022
And now, the season finale of Chapelwaite. I’m so f’ing stoked!
The most stunning visual since Rose the Hat’s dream travel sequence in Doctor Sleep!
I WANT A WORM!
And true to form, as with most Stephen King stories, the bad guys were too easily dispatched.
Nope. Did not enjoy this last episode one bit. A big let down after 9 great episodes. Yet another inspiration taken from Game of Thrones.
Day 139: May 19, 2022
I’m still disappointed in that final episode of Chapelwaite. Let’s see if David Farrington has a different view on it.
I am glad to see that a second season has been announced for this. It was a fantastic series, setting the ending aside. And maybe in season 2 will get the damn worm-god after all.
“While I think the finale is strong, I was also a little let down.’
Yes, thank you! Now I can settle down and hear his reasons why.
Hahaha! I also found it nuts that Jakub took about 27 minutes to lower his bite into Charles’ neck.
Worst vampire move ever.
David should be given screenwriting duties for Chapelwaite Season 2. All of his ideas for more suspenseful and meaningful conflicts in that last episode are spot on!
Day 140: May 20, 2022
Now listening to what the gang over at The Losers’ Club think about Chapelwaite. In this podcast episode, I don’t think they had made it to the end of the series, so it’s been a set of glowing reviews so far.
Considerable time spent determining how “meme-able” Chapelwaite was. I can’t believe images like this didn’t take off in the meme-world!
Listened to the interview with Adrien Brody. Great actor, dry interviewee. The worm-in-the-nose story was interesting, though.
Day 141: May 21, 2022
The Losers’ Club got to interview the charming female lead of Chapelwaite. What a delightful person! She has almost the exact opposite personality of Adrien Brody, yet the two talented actors had perfect chemistry on screen.
What an amazing treat to get to hear the creators of Chapelwaite be interviewed! Great behind-the-scenes stuff.
I’ll conclude today with Kingslingers‘ review of Chapelwaite. They were the most critical so far, but even still, they rank it very favorably among King adaptations.
I really hope the Filardi brothers end up standing alongside Mike Flanagan as the premiere King screen producers!
Day 142: May 22, 2022
Still enjoying the vacation resort of Preacher’s Corners where I’ve rented a b&b at Chapelwaite Manor. Aside from some scratching behind the walls & a minor flu that’s sweeping through town, it’s been relaxing!
Day 143: May 23, 2022
I am grinning from ear to ear for David Farrington and his reaction to the surprise, shirtless guest that popped up on this interview. How amazing to be able to interact with the creators and actors of Chapelwaite!
This is a great interview. To be able to conduct an interview with an unscripted guest is no easy feat!
Day 144: May 24, 2022
Today was an absolutely shitty day with what happened in TX. I still plowed through my journey with this mixed review of Chapelwaite, but the joy just isn’t there. You know what I’m talking about. #PrayersForUvalde
Day 145: May 25, 2022
I’m nearing the end of the Chapelwaite step. I enjoyed the light-hearted discussion of the series with Chat Sematary.
Day 146: May 26, 2022
My last day with Jerusalem’s Lot & Chapelwaite. I’m spending it with David Farrington & his epic interview with the amazing actor Jennie Raymond who played Alice Burroughs. Looking forward to music from the band “The Fornicators”!
Day 391: Jan 26, 2023
***circling back***
I’m now cycling back to Night Shift to catch up on podcast episodes that were released/discovered since I originally finished that book’s step back in Sept’ 2022.
First up is The Kingcast who explore “Jerusalem’s Lot” with filmmakers Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead (Something’s in the Dirt, The Endless).
Day 392: Jan 27, 2023
***circling back***
Two Guys to the Dark Tower Came take a crack at “Jerusalem’s Lot”.
Graveyard Shift
Day 147: May 27, 2022
After several weeks, I am finally on to the next story in the Night Shift collection: Graveyard Shift!
“The only thing he did not like was the rats.” Right there on page 1 of the story.
I wonder if this will be featured as a prominent plot point? 🤔
“And after a while the rats came out and sat atop the bags at the back of the long room watching him with their unblinking black eyes. They looked like a jury.”
So they made an entire movie out of this little ditty, eh? Looking forward to seeing how that turns out!
Now watching…
Brad “Wormtongue” Dourif is in this???
A jury of one’s peers.
So the short story was about the creepy unknown “below” where monstrous things scurried about.
The movie appears to be a rodent revenge fantasy.
Brad Dourif: Ratbuster
Dourif essentially plays the same character in every film.
This was such a dumb movie. Still, not as dumb as “A Return to Salem’s Lot”.
Day 148: May 28, 2022
Oh no. The Kingcast is forcing me to watch “Graveyard Shift” again! But this time, they have brought the hilarious Ben Mekler along to add some color commentary.
Completely agree that Brad Dourif should’ve been the main character of this movie.
I’m glad I wasn’t the only one who noticed “Graveyard Shift” was 63% padding. So many scenes just lingered too long for absolutely no reason.
This was definitely one of the funnier commentaries that immeasurably improved the film watching experience!
Day 149: May 29, 2022
Another examination of the movie “Graveyard Shift” with The Kingcast. Maybe this ought to get a little more respect from me than I gave it? Nah… Still pretty terrible.
I appreciate the sacrifice that Chat Sematary made in watching “Graveyard Shift” for my entertainment. Despite the casting, a crap movie was made!
Day 150: May 30, 2022
Started off the morning with Stephen King Cast and his scathing yet fun review of the movie “Night Shift”. Most heartbreaking was his exciting dissection of the upcoming “Dark Tower” movie. To hear his high hopes for that film!
Last week, The Kingcast dropped their THIRD episode about the movie “Graveyard Shift”. Something about this movies keeps drawing them and their guests back to it. Fun episode!
And to close out “Graveyard Shift” is Zach Dionne’s Streamin’ King writeup about this movie.
Or rather, Steamin’ King in this case (IMO).
“Foreman Warwick’s voice is a fusion of Mr. Burns, Ben Kingsley, and a boy who grew up two days a week in Mississippi and the other five in Boston.”
Day 565: Jul 19, 2023
***circling back***
Next is an article about the film “Graveyard Shift”, the only memory of which I have was Brad Dourif’s role as an eccentric exterminator.
That “Graveyard Shift” article was as dull as the movie it was about. The director was quoted as saying this about his own film: “It didn’t have the fear and the scare.”
Can’t disagree with him.
Night Surf
Day 150: May 30, 2022
While I still have a few minutes of consciousness left, I’m going to close out the night reading the fourth story in Night Shift: “Night Surf”.
“His head was bloated to the size of a football and his neck looked like a sausage. He had Captain Trips and not far to go, either.” Ooooooh… An early “The Stand” reference!
Day 151: May 31, 2022
Time for some analysis of those first three Night Shift stories with David Farrington!
I am totally digging the change in scenery, a live stroll through the Bronx! A welcome change from the highly produced green screen videos up to this point. Personally, I don’t think I could keep up any coherent monologue without walking into lampposts or moving delivery trucks.
Day 152: Jun 1, 2022
This is the first “Dollar Baby” short film I’ve encountered so far. The apocalyptic & minimalist “Night Surf” – featuring British accents that threw me off for a bit.
Day 392: Jan 27, 2023
***circling back***
Two Guys to the Dark Tower Came review the short story that is “The Stand”-adjacent: “Night Surf”.
I Am The Doorway
Day 153: Jun 2, 2022
The 4th story of Night Shift is “I Am the Doorway”, which inspired the book cover (and my profile pic). Next to Roman Catholic demonic horror, cosmic horror is my favorite!
Reading this, I remembered that the “eyes” had control over the host’s actions. But I had completely forgotten that it could control the weather too! 🌩️
This is NOT a camera angle that ever needs to be used.
Ok. This was just really bad. But it was, with the exception of the missing wheelchair and lightning bolt (certainly due to budget constraints) it was very faithful to the story.
“ASK ME ABOUT MY” My what?
What am I supposed to be asking you about, David?
I am so going to be distracted by this for the entire episode.
Day 393: Jan 28, 2023
***circling back***
Two Guys to the Dark Tower Came read “I Am the Doorway,” one of my personal favorite short stories.
The Mangler
Day 154: Jun 3, 2022
The fifth story of Night Shift is “The Mangler”, which appears to have inspired a movie and three sequels. What about this story is so riveting that it launched a franchise?
I love computer tech understanding from the 70’s. One of the main characters typed in a bunch of exorcism rituals into “computer tech” so that it could find patterns. They used the results to exorcise a laundry machine.
“The Mangler” was a fairly ridiculous story. 😂
Now watching the Tobe Hooper film adaptation of a story that really didn’t cry out to anyone to be adapted.
I will admit that the pan shot of the Mangler itself was quite impressive.
🎵🎶So you had a bad day…🎶🎵
Robert Englund make a terrible appearance as the factory boss who’s a cross between the Penguin and Mr. Burns. I think I would have enjoyed this movie better if this character were completely written out.
Day 155: Jun 4, 2022
I’m kicking off my vacation with by finishing off Tobe Hooper’s “The Mangler”.
Somebody might’ve been a little influenced by Raiders of the Lost Ark.
And what’s with the twinkly stars at the end? THAT’s supposed to be scary???
Robert Englund is doing what here? Was he trying to signal an airplane? Trying to fly himself? What is this?
“The Laundrocist”
The short story itself was terrible. The movie matched it perfectly, maybe even notched it up a level.
And with so many loose ends that demand answers, no wonder there are three sequels to “The Mangler”!
Day 156: Jun 5, 2022
Now to help remove the sour taste that Tobe Hooper’s “The Mangler” left in my mouth is The Kingcast and DC Pierson.
“It is a great movie to talk about. It is not a great movie to watch.”
Day 157: Jun 6, 2022
Tonight’s “The Mangler” commentary is with Chat Sematary. Yeah, they had a good laugh at this one as well!
Day 158: Jun 7, 2022
“The Mangler” movie is ripped to shreds by Stephen King Podcast!
“The Mangler” is not reviewed favorably by Stephen King Cast either. 😂
Day 159: Jun 8, 2022
Duty and OCD compels me to watch “The Mangler 2”. There ought to be laws against these sequels out of concern for public safety.
This is about the lowest IMDB score of any movie I’ve seen so far.
Day 160: Jun 9, 2022
Finishing off “The Mangler 2” – a film that has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING at all to do with the original story or movie. In fact, here’s a clip that basically summarizes this film overall.
Back in the good old days when computer hacking was as simple as just loading up hacker-dot-com into your Netscape browser.
Not since Freddy Krueger has there been an evil entity with such wit as this.
This movie has me like:
The soundtrack to The Mangler 2 wanted me to puncture my eardrums with a flaming toothpick.
What is up with those sudden same-scene transitions?
What happened to the book in the girl’s hand?
Why is her bottom cover slipping down suddenly?
What the holy hell is this cinematography?
The most cringeworthy moment in all of cinema history!
Day 161: Jun 10, 2022
Was watching “The Mangler 2” worth it? According to the gang on Chat Sematary for this episode, it was a resounding “no”.
The only reason to watch “The Mangler 2” is to hear the 2 hr+ laughfest mocking this movie by The Kingcast. The stories of even locating this film on DVD (or anywhere else for that matter) made suffering through the film worthwhile.
Day 162: Jun 11, 2022
The Mangler 3: Reborn (2005) made the first Mangler film look like a goddamn masterpiece.
Day 163: Jun 12, 2022
Not since Lord of the Rings has there been such an powerful trilogy of film as The Mangler series. Here to close things out is Chat Sematary with their review of Mangler 3: Reborn. Note: They were the ONLY ones to cover it!
I ought to be awarded a sticker for having successfully watched all three The Mangler films. Note to The Kingcast: You threatened back in Feb to cut an episode for The Mangler 3.
Please.
Don’t.
It’s worse than Mangler 2 and completely devoid of anything to even make fun of.
Day 393: Jan 28, 2023
***circling back***
Two Guys to the Dark Tower Came turn the page and were as unimpressed with The Mangler as I was.
Finally, for today, is The Kingcast who revisits a really crappy movie.
Day 502: May 17, 2023
***circling back***
Day 565: Jul 19, 2023
***circling back***
Finally, I get to the article about the Tobe Hooper-helmed King film: “The Mangler”.
I remember this film being as ridiculous as it’s source material. The folded employee scene was gnarly, but everything else afterwards was just absurd.
The only interesting fact was that, at the time the article was written, Malcolm McDowell was slated to appear in “The Mangler 2”.
Having just watched him in Firestarter 2: Rekindled, I can’t say which would have been the worse of the two films for him to have appeared in.
Day 828: Apr 7, 2024
Circling back to podcast episodes that have released covering books I’ve already completed:
Moving on to Night Shift, The Losers’ Club has fun with the film adaptation of The Mangler.
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