It’s time for the penultimate edition of The King Beat for 2023, and while we may be veering into the time of year when everything slows down, there is still much to discuss from the world of Stephen King. Following its streaming premiere for Paramount+ subscribers in October, Pet Sematary: Bloodlines got a physical media release on Tuesday, and Sunday marked three years since the release of the 2020 remake of The Stand, but those aren’t the big headlines.
For this week’s column, I have a full interview with Henry Thomas about his legacy in Stephen King adaptations, a special recommendation from King to check out the new film American Fiction, and an exciting update about the forthcoming Blu-ray release of 1996’s Thinner. Let’s dig in!
From Desperation To Pet Sematary: Bloodlines, We Explore Henry Thomas’ Extensive History In Stephen King Movies And TV
By his own admission, Henry Thomas isn’t a person who can be described as a Constant Reader, but he nonetheless holds a special place in Stephen King history. With the exception of the author himself (who has been known to make fun cameos), Thomas has had credited roles in more King adaptations than any other actor. It’s a standout aspect of his long career, and I recently had the chance to talk with him about each of the projects.
His latest Stephen King movie, Pet Sematary: Bloodlines, arrived on 4K UHD and Blu-ray this week, and discussion of that film was the cap on our 20-minute conversation late last month – which you can watch above. Going through each of the projects in chronological order, I started things off talking about his shockingly brief role in Mick Garris’ Desperation; moved on to his Nightmares & Dreamscapes episode “The End Of The Whole Mess;” and then discussed the two King movies he’s made with writer/director Mike Flanagan: Gerald’s Game and Doctor Sleep. Each one has its own story, from Desperation being his first time working with Annabeth Gish (both are now two of Flanagan’s regulars), to recreating iconic scenes from The Shining in Doctor Sleep.
For Pet Sematary: Bloodlines, Henry Thomas was specifically cast because of his extensive history in Stephen King adaptations (along with co-star Samantha Mathis), and you can catch his work by picking up a physical media copy of the film today. In addition to the film, the discs also include five behind-the-scenes shorts about the making of the film, totaling about 55 minutes of special features.
Stephen King Offers High Praise For American Fiction, And The Director Had A Terrific Response
It doesn’t exactly register as a shock that Stephen King would be a fan of Cord Jefferson’s directorial debut American Fiction. After all, anyone even vaguely aware of King’s bibliography is aware of the fact that he is quite fond of stories about writers – the absolute version of “write what you know.” That being said, it’s always noteworthy when the literary legend publicly endorses a new work, and Jefferson had a terrific response to the praise.
It was this past Sunday that Stephen King took to his personal Twitter account to share his thoughts about American Fiction – seemingly fresh off of watching it. Demonstrating particular appreciation for the film’s dynamic story structure, he wrote,
AMERICAN FICTION is just terrific. So warmhearted and giving that you hardly notice the sharp teeth of its satire. Leslie Uggams stole my heart.
In the film, Jeffrey Wright plays Thelonious 'Monk' Ellison, a writer who is challenged to find a publisher for his latest book because it isn’t seen as “Black” enough. With his life suddenly in a state of chaos thanks to a shocking death in his family and his mother (Leslie Uggams) showing signs of dementia, Monk decides to write a stereotypical “Black” book out of spite under a pseudonym, and he is shocked when the work is not only published, but is fawned over and becomes a best-seller.
While the center point of the movie is the drug and crime filled novel that Monk writes as a joke and becomes a runaway success, the wonderfully orchestrated irony is that Monk’s personal crises that are playing out in parallel to the satire is the kind of story that a book publisher might reject for not being “Black” enough. It’s this family drama that Stephen King highlights as “warmhearted and giving,” and it’s disarming paired with the more comedic plot.
American Fiction also speaks to Stephen King’s love of controversial fiction (evidenced by his expressed pride amid some recent book banning in Florida). In a follow-up post, the author wrote,
Any movie that starts with the title of a Flannery O'Connor story that can no longer be uttered has me in its corner right away.
Because Twitter is a relatively small ecosphere, it didn’t take long for the word of Stephen King’s praise to make its way back to Cord Jefferson. The filmmaker didn’t use words in expressing his gratefulness, but instead opted to choose an appropriate bit of iconic cinema:
https://t.co/tUwIbpAx1K pic.twitter.com/XSxwkytcBlDecember 18, 2023
American Fiction is now playing in limited release, but it will be going wide starting this Friday, December 22. The movie has been earning praise and Oscar buzz since its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, so do yourself a favor and see it when you can.
Bonus Features Have Been Announced For The Upcoming Collector’s Edition Of Thinner
While director Tom Holland’s Thinner first got a Blu-ray back in 2012 from Olive Films, that HD release has never stood out as one of the better home video releases. While the movie looks good, it’s otherwise a barebones disc that has zero special features – despite the fact that the DVD released years prior included both an audio commentary track and a special effects-centric featurette. Stephen King fans have been forced to settle for the mediocrity… but thanks to Shout! Factory, that will soon no longer be the case.
A new Thinner Collector’s Edition was announced in late October, but it was only this week that the boutique home video label revealed all of the extras that will be included. It’s unclear what if anything they’ve done with the film itself, but the release is exciting because of how much additional material has been created:
- NEW Audio Commentary With Producer Mitchell Galin And Actor Joe Mantegna
- NEW Audio Commentary With Film Critic/Historian Lee Gambin And Novelist Aaron Dries
- NEW “Weight Of The World” – An Interview With Director Tom Holland
- NEW “Thick And Thin” – An Interview With Actor Lucinda Jenney
- NEW “The Incredible Shrinking Man” With Special Make-Up Effects Artist Vincent Guastini
- Audio Commentary With Tom Holland And Joe Mantegna
- Vintage Featurette: “The Magic Of Special Effects Make-Up”
- Theatrical Trailer
- TV Spot
- Still Gallery
As you can see, the Blu-ray will bring back the special features that were included on the DVD, but Shout! Factory has gone the extra mile with this package. While their recent 4K UHD releases of The Dead Zone and Silver Bullet have merely included a single new commentary track (in addition to excellent restorations), Thinner will include two of them – and one of them is with talent involved with the film. Via the included exclusive interview, it will be interesting to hear what Tom Holland thinks of the movie as it nears its 30th anniversary (I say this as someone who thinks that the movie hasn’t aged particularly well), and I also look forward to the reflections on the work from Lucinda Jenney and Vincent Guastini.
The Thinner Collector’s Edition Blu-ray is now available for pre-order on Shout! Factory’s website, and those who get their order in on time will receive an 18x24 poster with the original theatrical artwork for the film. The website lists the release date as January 23, 2024, but it’s worth noting that pre-orders tend to ship early.
Recommendation Of The Week: “The Breathing Method”
We always meet on the Thursday before Christmas. In fact, that is the one night of the year when we almost always have a large turnout… Many tales have been spun out in the main room, Mr. Adley, tales of every sort, from the comic to the tragic to the ironic to the sentimental. But on the Thursday before Christmas, it’s always a tale of the uncanny. It’s always been that way, at least as far back as I can remember.
When I found that quote during a recent re-read of “The Breathing Method”, I knew that I had to keep it in my back pocket for The King Beat. After all, today is the Thursday before Christmas, so this is the perfect time to recommend the forgotten novella from Different Seasons. “The Body,” “Rita Hayworth And Shawshank Redemption” and “Apt Pupil” get all the attention thanks to their Hollywood adaptations, but the final story in the 1982 collection is not to be skipped.
Identified as “A Winter's Tale” to fit the titular motif of Different Seasons, “The Breathing Method” is constructed as a story within a story, with the frame narrative centering on a middle-aged lawyer named David Adley who is thrilled to get an invite from a senior partner at his firm to spend time at an exclusive men’s club. There are many activities available to members, but the main attraction is storytelling.
On the Thursday before Christmas, the aging Dr. Emlyn McCarron tells a tale about his efforts to help a pregnant woman named Sandra Stansfield. He coaches her in breathing exercises to help get her through childbirth – and this effort proves disturbingly helpful despite horrific tragedy that unfolds the night that the baby is born.
Scott Derrickson was attached for a long time to direct a movie based on “The Breathing Method,” but as reported in The King Beat in early October, that project is no longer moving forward. We’ll have to wait and see if a filmmaker ever finds a way to adapt the story, but for now, it’s still a creepy novella worth checking out.
That does it for this week’s edition of The King Beat, but my final column of 2023 will be live here on CinemaBlend next Thursday. Between now and then, check out my Adapting Stephen King column chronicling the full history of King stories being brought to the big and small screens.
