Stephen Kingcast

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]

1997 was a prolific year for Stephen King. Not only did he publish Wizard and Glass, but the television world also saw adaptations of The Shining, "Chattery Teeth" (Quicksilver Highway) and the second adaptation of his story "Trucks."  A vast tonal departure from 1986's Maximum Overdrive, Trucks strips down the more over-the-top, cocaine-fueled insanity of the original adaptation, leaving behind, well frankly, a car frame without an engine.  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, head on over to patreon.com/stephenkingcast

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

In 1997, Mick Garris stepped back behind the camera to launch what he'd hoped would be an ongoing anthology horror show on FOX. Capitalizing off the success of The X-Files, Quicksilver Highway would have been an ongoing series of standalone stories tethered together by a troupe of actors and narratively framed by the enigmatic Aaron Quicksilver, played by legendary Christopher Lloyd.  Though the show never took off, we were provided with a great What Could Have Been? In this episode, I review the movie, comprised of an adaptation of Stephen King's "Chattery Teeth" and Clive Barker's "The Body Politic." 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

At long last, your greatly demanded requests for me to review Stephen King's The Golden Years has been granted! What? What do you mean you don't know what I'm talking about? What do you mean you've never heard of The Golden Years? You mean you've never seen the the 1990 seven episode CBS television show about an elderly janitor bombarded by energy after a scientific experiment goes awry which causes him to begin to age backward? You don't remember cat and mouse espionage story of government officials trying to outsmart Shop operatives as the walls close in around the janitor, whose powers are stranger than we were led to believe? Well, don't worry. You're not alone. The Golden Years is not one of Stephen King's most recognized, fondly remembered--or remembered at all--work, but it is worth discussing for its place in television history. Coming off the heels of the success of Twin Peaks, TV stations were rabid for their own quirky, speculative, genre-story. Enter: Stephen King's The Golden Years. Tune into my thoughts on the Golden Years, how it ties into King's larger multiverse and whether or not Harlan, our main character, ever shows up in a little town called Derry. What am I talking about??? You'll just have to tune in! 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 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

Welcome back, or should I say, welcome home to Stephen King's most celebrated town, the one and only Castle Rock. We've all been waiting for this moment for over a year, since we first witnessed that surprise trailer drop on February 19th, 2017.  And last night at midnight, the very first episode of this original series set within King's town was dropped.  How did it fare? Did it live up to expectation? Want to discuss the many mysteries and Easter Eggs found within? Then you've come to the right place, everyone.  Welcome back to Castle Rock! 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 prepare for Castle Rock. Let's get excited, everyone! 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 jammed packed episode in which I give my general thoughts on The Haunting of Hill House, my review of the Pet Sematary trailer and a deeper look into the recent publication of Elevation.  Have a great Thanksgiving, everyone. I know I'm thankful for all of the support throughout the years.  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 episode originally aired on July 17, 2018.  Here is the original description: "Welcome back, everyone! A listener recently asked me to provide an update on all of the upcoming Stephen King adaptations to look forward to, so here you have it!" 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

I'm here to discuss the final episodes of HBO's adaptation of The Outsider. 

Here are all my thoughts on the conclusion of The Outsider! 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