There's a certain brand of horror aficionado who'll tell you that the great Stan Lee of Marvel had no peer when it came to cinematic cameos. However, fans of macabre frights, things that go bump in the night, and tales spun from Maine's misty reaches might raise a skeletal finger and interject with two words: Stephen King.
The master of literary horror, King has not only bestowed upon us spine-chilling tales of the supernatural but has also graced the big screen (and occasionally the smaller one) with his presence in many of the cinematic adaptations of his works. Sometimes it's a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment; other times, he's fleshed out (pun slightly intended) into a character with lines and action.
Let's step into the fog and find the shadowy figure of King in his stories that leapt from page to projector, taking a look at some of his best cameos that graced the big (and small) screen.
1. Creepshow (1982) King Cameo: Jordy Verrill, a lunkhead who thinks he's discovered a meteor but gets more than he bargained for. Synopsis: A horror anthology directed by George A. Romero, "Creepshow" delivers five terror-filled tales written by King. King's character, Jordy Verrill, believes he's hit paydirt when a meteor lands on his property, only to find out it has other plans for him.
2. Maximum Overdrive (1986) King Cameo: Man at Cashpoint. Irritated by the machine's refusal, he barks, "Honey! Come on over here, sugar buns. This machine just called me an a**hole!" Synopsis: Machines turn against humanity when Earth passes through the tail of a rogue comet. Directed by King himself, it showcases a world where humanity is under siege from its own creations.
3. Pet Sematary (1989) King Cameo: Minister. Presiding over a somber funeral, King delivers his lines with solemnity. Synopsis: Directed by Mary Lambert, this eerie tale follows the Creed family who discovers a mysterious burial ground hidden deep in the woods. When tragedy strikes, the cemetery's sinister power is unveiled.
4. Thinner (1996) King Cameo: Dr. Bangor, a pharmacist. His name is a nod to King's hometown in Maine. Synopsis: An adaptation of King's novel (written as Richard Bachman), it tells of an obese attorney who is cursed by a gypsy to continually lose weight after accidentally killing the gypsy's daughter.
5. The Langoliers (1995) King Cameo: Tom Holby, a board member. Synopsis: During a red-eye flight from Los Angeles to Boston, ten passengers wake up to a shock: all the other passengers have vanished, and the world below them seems wrong. Time is of the essence as they unravel the mystery.
6. The Stand (1994) King Cameo: Teddy Weizak, one of the survivors of a deadly plague that decimates the world. Synopsis: A sprawling epic of good vs evil. A bio-engineered super-flu (nicknamed "Captain Trips") wipes out 99% of the world's population, and the survivors are drawn into an elemental fight against a nefarious figure.
7. IT (2017) King Cameo: Not an appearance in the flesh, but the character of Ben Hanscom references King by citing a quote from one of his books. Synopsis: In Derry, children start to go missing. A group of kids faces their biggest fears and confronts a shape-shifting evil entity that preys on the town every 27 years.
8. Mr. Mercedes (2017) King Cameo: In a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment, King pops up in the crowd of job seekers. Synopsis: Retired detective Bill Hodges is still haunted by the unsolved case of "Mr. Mercedes," who committed a mass murder by driving a stolen Mercedes into a line of job-seekers.
9. IT Chapter Two (2019) King Cameo: Shopkeeper in an antique store in Derry. He even jests about the protagonist's writing, saying, "I liked the ending." Synopsis: The Losers Club returns to Derry 27 years later to put an end to the evil they battled in their youth. They've grown up, but their past and fears are as real as ever.
10. The Shining (1997) King Cameo: Band Leader. In the mini-series adaptation of one of King's most famous works, he briefly appears at the Overlook Hotel's party scene, leading the band. Synopsis: Jack Torrance takes up a job as the winter caretaker for the remote Overlook Hotel. However, the malevolent spirits residing there slowly drive him mad, putting his wife and psychic son in grave danger.
11. Sleepwalkers (1992) King Cameo: Cemetery Caretaker. King's brief appearance adds an extra layer of eeriness as he tends to the graves. Synopsis: Charles and his mother Mary are the last of a dying breed who are capable of transforming into cats and have an insatiable need to feed on virgins to stay alive.
12. Rose Red (2002) King Cameo: Pizza Delivery Guy. Delivering pizza to a haunted mansion? Only King could pull that off. Synopsis: Dr. Joyce Reardon assembles a team of psychics to awaken the dormant psychic energy within the haunted Rose Red mansion. But the house has secrets, many of which are deadly.
13. The Tommyknockers (1993) King Cameo: Bus Driver. He drives a bus in the town that's undergoing some...changes, thanks to a mysterious buried ship. Synopsis: The discovery of a strange craft buried deep underground causes the residents of a small town in Maine to develop bizarre talents and behaviours, all while shedding their humanity.
14. Storm of the Century (1999) King Cameo: Lawyer in a commercial. King pops up on a TV screen as an attorney in a quirky advertisement. Synopsis: An evil force with the power to manipulate the townfolk arrives with a violent blizzard. The town's inhabitants must make a harrowing choice if they want the storm to end.
15. Under the Dome (2014) King Cameo: Diner Patron. King sips coffee in the diner as the town deals with the mysterious appearance of an invisible barrier. Synopsis: Chester's Mill, a small town, finds itself suddenly and inexplicably sealed off from the world by an enormous transparent dome. As the town's inhabitants fight to survive, they also search for answers about the dome's origin and purpose.
16. Kingdom Hospital (2004) King Cameo: Johnny B. Goode. Taking on a more character-driven cameo, King embodies a slightly more significant role in this series. Synopsis: This horror series set in the haunted Kingdom Hospital in Maine, built on the site of a mill that burned down a century earlier, blends chilling storylines with a touch of dark comedy. As the hospital's patients and staff experience inexplicable phenomena, a psychic artist seeks to uncover the establishment's dark history.
Stephen King's cameos in the adaptations of his novels are always a treat for the fans. It's like the universe's nod that while we're watching his haunting tales, he's watching us. Whether he's making us laugh or sending shivers down our spines with his creations, King's presence is a constant reminder of the brilliant mind behind these beloved stories.
The master of horror doesn't just write nightmares; he's lived them on the screen, making us wonder: Where will he pop up next?
No comments:
Post a Comment