Stephen Kingcast

In this episode, I read some listener e-mails, address some feedback and discuss why you've been hearing ads on the podcast and the promotion of the Patreon feed. I thought that you should all get a peek behind the curtain, and I wanted to be as transparent as possible. With all of that out of the way, I dive into the adaptation of Stephen King's Big Driver, a Lifetime movie starring Maria Bello. Please note that this review discusses sexual assault, and violence towards women. It's the reason why I never reviewed the movie before now, and if you don't want to spend your time in this headspace, I completely understand. But at the very least, I wanted everyone to be prepared for the subject matter.

Hello, everyone!  I know that I didn't put out a new episode last week, but I still wanted to make sure that you had something from me, so in this episode, you get a full, free episode that I recorded earlier this year. With HBO's House of the Dragon having just returned, I thought it was appropriate to publish my original review on the first four episodes of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. More importantly, I examine my relationship with this world, its books, and even wade into the raging waters of the finale of A Game of Thrones.  If you have any thoughts, write into [email protected] Find more episodes at patreon.com/stephenkingcast    

Mick Garris is back with another Stephen King adaptation. Starring James Bond himself as the chambray-shirt wearing best selling novelist who investigates a 100 year old mystery while grieving the recent death of his wife. The novel is a slow burn rumination on loss, heartbreak and the ghosts we carry with us. Is the movie the same? Find out this week! As always, write in at [email protected] Follow me on Instagram, Tik Tok, Facebook and Bluesky. Stay organized and up to date with all things Stephen King at stephenkingcast.com Check out bonus material, early episodes and reviews of all things pop culture over atpatreon.com/stephenkingcast

Welcome Tak! With Desperation, Mick Garris continues his run of King adaptations. Starring Steven Weber, Tom Skerrit, Matt Frewer, Annabeth Gish and Ron Pearlman as the possessed Sheriff, Collie Entragian, we are treated to the sun-baked and blood-soaked desert set tale of good v. evil. As always, you can write in at [email protected] Follow me on Bluesky, Tik Tok, Instagram and Facebook. And check out more reviews at patreon.com/stephenkingcast

In 1976, Anne Rice forever changed the vampire with the publication of Interview With The Vampire. Injected with romanticism, passion, sexuality, queer relationships and religious existentialism, this novel kicked off a franchise that is still going today. And of course, it introduced one of modern fiction's most impactful characters, the Vampire Lestat. Let's get ready for tonight's premeire of AMC's newest season of Interview with the Vampire by celebrating the book that started it all. You can find the full review, and much much more, over on Patreon.  Please write in at [email protected]  

This episode is an introduction to a larger exploration occurring over on Patreon. "Ladies and gentlemen, at long last I am diving into the bibliography of one of Stephen King's most prolific contemporaries, the legendary Dean Koontz. In the horror heyday of the 80s and 90s, you could count on two things in the horror section of any bookstore: massive quantities of King books taking up one section and massive quantities of taking up a complete other section just a few feet over. Their creative output and their books' close proximity from the beginning of their last names caused a generation to compare and contrast these two authors, and created a conjured, imagined war between the two: you were either a King fan or a Koontz fan. Clearly, King won the larger pop culture war, but let's not count out Koontz. With over 100 books under his belt, he has been a reliable source of entertainment for decades, and for many of us growing up in the 80s and 90s, it was a treat to have such a vast treasure trove of riches to choose from. Though I grew up reading nearly all of his books, over the last twenty years, I'd fallen off. And when I needed a book to read, I found myself pulling out Winter Moon from a box of old books in my basement. It was one of the books I don't remember clearly, and therefore, it was a perfect book to read again for the first time. I have a lot of thoughts, and I'm happy to share them here on the Dean Koontzcast, one man's musings on the works of Dean Koontz!" For the full episode, head over to the Stephen Kingcast Patreon page for this review, and much, much more!

This week, I'm taking a break from the coverage of televised Stephen King works to review this banger of a movie that passed me by when it first came out. Starring rising Scream Queen Sophie Thatcher (Yellowjackets, Heretic, Companion), always likeable Chris Messina and everyone's favorite weirdo, David Dastmalchian (Late Night with the Devil), The Boogeyman tells the tale of a wounded family, recently shattered from the loss of its mother/wife, stalked by the mythological creature. This very easily could have been a generic, run of the mill, cut and paste horror movie, but between the talent on screen, the believable characterizations, the lived-in-world of this family, the visual flourishes and the strong direction from Rob Savage (director of Host, the Zoom-inspired horror that you need to see if you haven't already), it is a must watch Stephen King adaptation. As always, you can write in at [email protected] Follow me on Bluesky, Tik Tok, Instagram and Facebook. And check out more reviews at patreon.com/stephenkingcast  

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, Star Wars crashed and burned its sequel trilogy with a final installment that created doubt for the future of the franchise. However, at that same time, a little show called The Mandalorian had taken the pop cultural world by storm, and the inclusion of Star Wars' newest character, Baby Yoda, breathed new life into a franchise that, at least on the big screen, seemed on life support. Flash forward seven years later, and Disney finally releases its next Star Wars movie, one based on that smash hit television show. However, we have to ask the question is, did they wait too long? Have audiences tired of this lone wolf and his cub? Is there enough substance in this movie to warrant its place in theaters? In this episode, I contextualize the character, his television show and his movie in the greater landscape of Star Wars before breaking down the elements of the film into the categories of The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. Strap on your jet packs and launch into my my review of The Mandalorian and Grogu. This is the way. Subscribe for more episodes at patreon.com/stephenkingcast Write in at [email protected]  

Come for the review of Riding the Bullet, stay for the examination on Houlden Caufield, Jim Steinman, Meat Loaf and 28 Years Later.  It was a fun review. I can't say the same about the movie itself. But for all my thoughts, check it out.  As always, you can write in at [email protected] Follow me on Bluesky, Tik Tok, Instagram and Facebook. And check out more reviews at patreon.com/stephenkingcast  

I can't believe I actually did it! I went back and rewatched the 2004 Rob Lowe-starring TNT television movie adaptation of Salem's Lot. I have strong memories of watching it back in the day, and they were not positive memories. I had told myself that I wouldn't revisit it, but as the decades rolled on, heading into my time machine and checking out the early 2000s was an interesting proposition. I mean, with a cast that includes Rob Lowe, Donald Sutherland, Rutger Hauer, Andre Braugher and James Cromwell, this deserves a second look. What could go wrong? To find out what went wrong (and what went right--there's some good stuff here, too), tune in this week to the Stephen Kingcast!

2004 was a big year for Stephen King. We saw the publication of Song of Susannah, and The Dark Tower. And in TV, we saw Salem's Lot, Riding the Bullet, and the 13 part one season television adaptation of Lars von Trier's acclaimed surreal hospital nightmare tale, as known in the States as Stephen King's Kingdom Hospital. The dreamy, surreal, strange sensibility of the original is replaced with broad, cringe-comedy, early 2000s aesthetics and Stephen King tropes galore. As always, if you have any thoughts on anything related to Stephen King, write into [email protected] Follow on Bluesky, Facebook, Tik Tok and Instagram.  Stay organized and up to date with all things Stephen King at stephenkingcast.com For even MORE Stephen Kingcast content, check out patreon.com/stephenkingcast

In this week's episode, I follow up with the sequel/prequel/spinoff of Rose Red, the TV movie, The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer. Reframing the flashbacks from Rose Red, it gives a new perspective on what we thought we knew about Ellen.  Buuuuuut. . .is it good?  Find out! As always, if you have any thoughts on anything related to Stephen King, write into [email protected] Follow on Bluesky, Facebook, Tik Tok and Instagram.  Stay organized and up to date with all things Stephen King at stephenkingcast.com For even MORE Stephen Kingcast content, check out patreon.com/stephenkingcast

In 2002, Stephen King continued his successful collaboration with ABC to bring an original story to life. The three part Rose Red was a ratings success, spawned supplemental promotional material and a spinoff prequel one year later.  Sandwiched between the heyday of the TV mini-series and the rise of prestige TV, Rose Red finds itself like a ghost, haunting the shifting landscape of television.  What legacy does it leave behind?  Not only do I discuss Rose Red, but I place it in context of other horror properties such as The Haunting, The Haunting of Hill House, The Blair Witch and The Sixth Sense. What do these horror tales have to do with Rose Red? Well, you'll have to listen to find out.  As always, if you have any thoughts on anything related to Stephen King, write into [email protected] Follow on Bluesky, Facebook, Tik Tok and Instagram.  Stay organized and up to date with all things Stephen King at stephenkingcast.com For even MORE Stephen Kingcast content, check out patreon.com/stephenkingcast

Hello, everyone!  I just wanted to provide this mini-bonus episode. I fill you in on what's occurring over on the Patreon page (www.patreon.com/stephenkingcast) and provide the first ten minutes of the near 2 hour review of Haley Z. Boston's (not the Duffer Brothers') Something Very Bad Is Going To Happen.  I hope you like it! For all of your thoughts and questions, write into [email protected]

Hi, everyone! I just wanted to keep you all in the loop with a big announcement regarding this podcast! 

In this episode, with a new introduction, I talk about the strength of this story and my disappointment that it wasn't a novel first as well as the impact of the character of Andre Linoge.  As always, if you have any thoughts on anything related to Stephen King, write into [email protected] Follow on Bluesky, Facebook, Tik Tok and Instagram.  Stay organized and up to date with all things Stephen King at stephenkingcast.com Get even MORE Stephen Kingcast episodes over at patreon.com/stephenkingcast

In the Spring of '97, King once more partnered with director Mick Garris to fulfill his dream of bringing a more faithful adaptation of his novel The Shining to the screen. For years, King has never shied away from his criticism of Stanley Kubrick's take on his his material. Though 1980's Jack Nicholson starring movie is considered a horror classic, one of the best horror adaptations of all time, and one of the greatest works of cinema, it never measured up to King's own opinion of what the story should have been.  And in 1997, he had the opportunity to tell his story, except this time on his terms. Comparisons be damned! Who cares if the performance by Jack Nicholson will reverberate through the generations as a once-in-a-lifetime showcase? Who cares if the iconography that Kubrick brought to the property (elevators of blood, the teddy bear guest, the twins) has become synonymous with the story itself and wouldn't be present in the remake? Who cares if it, by the very nature of it airing on primetime television, couldn't compete with the visceral imagery of its horror counterpart?  King didn't care, and apparently, audiences didn't either. The movie was a ratings smash hit, but now that nearly 30 years have passed since it aired, how does it hold up?  As always, if you have any thoughts on anything related to Stephen King, write into [email protected] Follow on Bluesky, Facebook, Tik Tok and Instagram.  Stay organized and up to date with all things Stephen King at stephenkingcast.com

This was a fun one to revisit. The movie is atrocious, but it's a fun romp!  As always, if you have any thoughts on anything related to Stephen King, write into [email protected] Follow on Bluesky, Facebook, Tik Tok and Instagram.  Stay organized and up to date with all things Stephen King at stephenkingcast.com

As always, if you have any thoughts on anything related to Stephen King, write into [email protected] Follow on Bluesky, Facebook, Tik Tok and Instagram.  Stay organized and up to date with all things Stephen King at stephenkingcast.com

In 1994, Mick Garris had the unenviable task of bringing one of King's most beloved novels to life on ABC.  People tuned in to watch it, and it certainly remained faithful to the text, but does that make for a good adaptation?  Find out this week in The Stephen Kingcast! During my original review of this mini-series, I didn't fully appreciate how faithful this adaptation was to the source material and how difficult a production like this must have been for the time period. I provide new thoughts to kick off this review to the classic television mini series.  As always, if you have any thoughts on anything related to Stephen King, write into [email protected] Follow on Bluesky, Facebook, Tik Tok and Instagram.  Stay organized and up to date with all things Stephen King at stephenkingcast.com    

Let's travel back to a simpler time, to 1993 when TV mini series were safe, the visuals were soft, floral printed and rustic locations where overlayed with peaceful, ambient soundtracks. Though having aired over 30 years ago, it is incredibly resonant in our modern era. For a discussion on the role of AI plays in harming creativity, Apple TV's Pluribus, and the concept of a hive mind, tune into today's episode.  As always, write in at [email protected] Follow me on Instagram, Tik Tok, Facebook and Bluesky. Stay organized and up to date with all things Stephen King at stephenkingcast.com Check out bonus material, early episodes and reviews of all things pop culture over at patreon.com/stephenkingcast

In this episode, I review the classic ABC TV mini series and begin by placing it within the context of the more recent interpretation of the material and character of Pennywise with the It: Chapter One and Chapter Two movies along with It: Welcome To Derry. At the original time of this recording, the movies had not yet been made and Bill Skarsgard had not put his stamp on the character. Now that we are nearly a decade out from that original Chapter One release, it's important to contextualize the legacy of the original ABC adaption its relationship to its successor. Enjoy! As always, if you have any thoughts on anything related to Stephen King, write into [email protected] Follow on Bluesky, Facebook, Tik Tok and Instagram.  Stay organized and up to date with all things Stephen King at stephenkingcast.com

Welcome back to the Stephen Kingcast. As I continue to explore King's adapted televised works, I re-examine the seminal 1979 Salem's Lot two part TV movie.  The original review was published in the early fall of 2014, and in this updated and expanded examination, I provide an additional half hour of context and appreciation to Tobe Hooper's vision.  Original description: "In this week's episode of The Stephen Kingcast, I examine 1979's adaptation of Salem's Lot. But first, I read some listener e-mail. I then finish up the review with some recommendations. Enjoy!" As always, if you have any thoughts on anything related to Stephen King or vampires, write into [email protected] Follow on Bluesky, Facebook, Tik Tok and Instagram.  Stay organized and up to date with all things Stephen King at stephenkingcast.com

Hello, everyone! Here is an announcement regarding the status of the Stephen Kingcast.  From upcoming episodes, to the re-organization of old episodes, to the new website and . . . a Patreon page. . .take a listen to learn about the future of the Stephen Kingcast! As always, write in at [email protected] Follow me on Instagram, Tik Tok, Facebook and Bluesky. Stay organized and up to date with all things Stephen King at stephenkingcast.com

In this episode, I talk about how Osgood Perkins' The Monkey was my favorite moviegoing experience of 2025 and how it successfully managed to become the best Stephen King content of the year, in a year that included The Long Walk, The Life of Chuck, Never Flinch, It: Welcome To Derry and The Running Man.  Feel free to write in at [email protected]  

Happy New Year, everyone! One thing I've been grateful for this year is the opportunity to discover new authors I haven't been familiar with. In this episode, I share my joy of the works of Andrew Van Wey, Keith Rosson, JH Markert, Marcus Kliewer, Nat Cassidy and Philip Fracassi. I fell in love with these authors, and I hope you do the same.  As always, write in at [email protected] Follow me on Instagram, Tik Tok, Facebook and Bluesky. Stay organized and up to date with all things Stephen King at stephenkingcast.com  

Don't Flinch! My review is here! As always, write in at [email protected] Follow me on Instagram, Tik Tok, Facebook and Bluesky. Stay organized and up to date with all things Stephen King at stephenkingcast.com

Hello, everyone and Happy Holidays! In this bonus episode, I share 4 wonderful spooky cartoons that you can watch as a family!

I'm back because HE'S back with a new collection of short stories. I review each one of them and rank them in order of appreciation. Grab a flashlight and join me for You Like It Darker! As always, write in at [email protected] Follow me on Instagram, Tik Tok, Facebook and Bluesky. Stay organized and up to date with all things Stephen King at stephenkingcast.com

It's a Christmas Miracle! I'm back to talk about King's later book, Holly. Enjoy! As always, write in at [email protected] Follow me on Instagram, Tik Tok, Facebook and Bluesky. Stay organized and up to date with all things Stephen King at stephenkingcast.com

Welcome back, everyone! In this week's final episode, I discuss the nature of fan service, give my thoughts on the totality of Gwendy's Final Task, and then focus in on the ending of Gwendy's Final Task. If you have any thoughts, please head on over to [email protected], and leave a review on iTunes when you get a chance.  As always, write in at [email protected] Follow me on Instagram, Tik Tok, Facebook and Bluesky. Stay organized and up to date with all things Stephen King at stephenkingcast.com

Here it is, everyone! I'm so happy to dive into the Well of the Worlds to give you my review of Stephen King's latest!  It's a wonderful story about magic, the lengths you'll go for your love of a dog, and a fairy tale world worthy of standing alongside the Territories and Mid-World.  As always, write in at [email protected] Follow me on Instagram, Tik Tok, Facebook and Bluesky. Stay organized and up to date with all things Stephen King at stephenkingcast.com

Here's my review of Later! A boy who can speak to the dead.  A killer from beyond the grave.  And the return of Ritual of CHUD.  What's not to love? As always, write in at [email protected] Follow me on Instagram, Tik Tok, Facebook and Bluesky. Stay organized and up to date with all things Stephen King at stephenkingcast.com

Originally published on July 17, 2020, I provided a number of book recommendations to help get everyone through the pandemic. Original description: "I'm back! I'm alive! No need to worry about things. This week, I read some listener e-mail and then give a list of book recommendations of the books that I've been consuming since quarantine." As always, write in at [email protected] Follow me on Instagram, Tik Tok, Facebook and Bluesky. Stay organized and up to date with all things Stephen King at stephenkingcast.com

We contain multitudes. It's a beautiful message, wonderfully explored by Mike Flanagan in his latest adaptation of a King story.  As always, write in at [email protected] Follow me on Instagram, Tik Tok, Facebook and Bluesky. Stay organized and up to date with all things Stephen King at stephenkingcast.com

Welcome back for another analysis of a brand spankin' new Stephen King publication, this time the 2020 novella collection If It Bleeds.  Please write in at anytime to [email protected]  As always, write in at [email protected] Follow me on Instagram, Tik Tok, Facebook and Bluesky. Stay organized and up to date with all things Stephen King at stephenkingcast.com

Welcome back! This week, I discuss the recent trailer for The Outsider, preview Castle Rock season 2, discuss my thoughts on The Stand casting, quickly review In The Tall Grass, read some listener e-mails and finish up with an in-depth review of The Institute. As always, write in at [email protected] Follow me on Instagram, Tik Tok, Facebook and Bluesky. Stay organized and up to date with all things Stephen King at stephenkingcast.com

Please note that this was originally published on June 25, 2019.  Original description: "I'm alive! For real! And I'm back to give my thoughts on the It: Chapter 2 Trailer, the Doctor Sleep Trailer, Amazon's Dark Tower series, Hulu's Eyes of the Dragon announcement, and The Stand casting." As always, write in at [email protected] Follow me on Instagram, Tik Tok, Facebook and Bluesky. Stay organized and up to date with all things Stephen King at stephenkingcast.com

Please note that this was originally published on February 18, 2019. Hello all! Welcome to this week's episode. I have a big announcement to drop. But first, I share some listener e-mail, some iTunes reviews, discuss my general thoughts on The Outsider and quickly share my experience with Doctor Sleep: The Director's Cut. And then I get to the announcement.  As always, write in at [email protected] Follow me on Instagram, Tik Tok, Facebook and Bluesky. Stay organized and up to date with all things Stephen King at stephenkingcast.com

Welcome back! In this easy, breezy ep, I turn my thoughts towards episode 2 of Castle Rock, Season 2. As always, write in at [email protected] Follow me on Instagram, Tik Tok, Facebook and Bluesky. Stay organized and up to date with all things Stephen King at stephenkingcast.com

I heard there was a new season of a Stephen King show floating about the world. I wanted to talk about it! As always, write in at [email protected] Follow me on Instagram, Tik Tok, Facebook and Bluesky. Stay organized and up to date with all things Stephen King at stephenkingcast.com

Here we are at the conclusion of Castle Rock? Did it live up to expectations? What did it all mean? What were Thomason and Shaw playing at this entire time? Tune into this episode to find out! As always, write in at [email protected] Follow me on Instagram, Tik Tok, Facebook and Bluesky. Stay organized and up to date with all things Stephen King at stephenkingcast.com

There are other worlds than these. As always, write in at [email protected] Follow me on Instagram, Tik Tok, Facebook and Bluesky. Stay organized and up to date with all things Stephen King at stephenkingcast.com

Things have begun to spiral out of control within this sleepy little berg. Thankfully that makes for thrilling television! As always, write in at [email protected] Follow me on Instagram, Tik Tok, Facebook and Bluesky. Stay organized and up to date with all things Stephen King at stephenkingcast.com

Grab your tissues. You're going to need them. Sometimes an episode comes along that cements a show in history.  This is that episode.  This is that show.  As always, write in at [email protected] Follow me on Instagram, Tik Tok, Facebook and Bluesky. Stay organized and up to date with all things Stephen King at stephenkingcast.com

Oooooh, boy, this show is getting good, guys! As always, write in at [email protected] Follow me on Instagram, Tik Tok, Facebook and Bluesky. Stay organized and up to date with all things Stephen King at stephenkingcast.com

Welcome back, everyone! In this week, I talk about the recent news regarding Castle Rock season 2, dive into some e-mails and review episode 5!  As always, write in at [email protected] Follow me on Instagram, Tik Tok, Facebook and Bluesky. Stay organized and up to date with all things Stephen King at stephenkingcast.com

In this very special episode, co-creator and co-showrunner of Castle Rock, Dustin Thomason and I talk about all things Stephen King, the origins of Castle Rock, the push/pull of creativity v. continuity, why they settled on Alan Pangborn. . .and Polly Chalmers.  If you are enjoying the show of the summer for 2018, then I believe you'll get a lot out of this episode.  I want to thank Dustin for his thoughtfulness and generosity for takign the time (for God's sake, the man stepped away from editing the final episodes of his show to speak with me!) to sit down for this interview.  Here we go, everyone! Sit back and enjoy my conversation with Dustin Thomason! As always, write in at [email protected] Follow me on Instagram, Tik Tok, Facebook and Bluesky. Stay organized and up to date with all things Stephen King at stephenkingcast.com

"You had my curiousity, but now you have my attention." These words were uttered in the movie Django Unchained, but they sum up how I feel with Castle Rock, coming out of episode 4. This episode raised the bar in terms of stakes and weight. Make no mistake, Castle Rock has been a fun show until now, but with episode 4, it became a GREAT show. There's a lot to unpack, so freshen up with a high and tight in your local forest barber murder den, pop on some Roy Orbison and dive into Castle Rock, episode 4! As always, write in at [email protected] Follow me on Instagram, Tik Tok, Facebook and Bluesky. Stay organized and up to date with all things Stephen King at stephenkingcast.com

Welcome back, everyone! Here are all my thoughts on Castle Rock's second and third episodes. As always, write in at [email protected] Follow me on Instagram, Tik Tok, Facebook and Bluesky. Stay organized and up to date with all things Stephen King at stephenkingcast.com