244: The Running Man with Steven E. de Souza

You can always count on Kate Siegel to keep things chaotic and Emily V. Gordon to bring her psychology degree to the table when analyzing King's work. Be prepared for lots of talk about "that scene" from IT and to desperately want a tee-shirt with the slogan "Stank Some Os" by the time this chat wraps up.

The Life of Chuck is a recent King novella published in If It Bleeds, a standout story about finding joy in life, even if that means dancing your ass off in front of complete strangers. The odd feel good story about a world falling apart that has been adapted into a wonderful new film from Mike Flanagan.

Revival is the story of a nice guy preacher who suffers great personal tragedy, loses his faith, and seeks for answers about the afterlife that he, and us, the constant readers, aren't ready to face. Released in 2014, this book still has yet to be adapted, even though folks like Mike Flanagan have tried. 

1408 is about a skeptical writer who is in search of ghosts. He stays at all the most famous haunted places without ever stumbling across anything supernatural... until, that is, he stays in room 1408 at the Dolphin Hotel in New York City. 

Edgar Freemantle travels to Duma Key, Florida for a little R&R after a horrible accident took his right arm and permanently damaged his marriage. He picks up a paintbrush and starts churning out amazing paintings that might have a sinister supernatural side to them.

Based on the Richard Bachman book of the same name, 1987's The Running Man is a cheesy action spectacular with some of the all-timer Arnold Schwarzenegger one-liners. The movie bears very little resemblance to the book, however it remains one of the more prescient movies of the '80s.

Maximum Overdrive is King's one and only outing as director and is based on his short story "Trucks," a much bleaker and meaner tale of mankind's machines turning against their makers. 

The Long Walk is set in an Authoritarian future where the masses are entertained by a competition where 100 of America's youth start in one spot and have to keep walking until there is only one walker remaining. Those who fall during the walk don't just lose out on the grand prize, but are executed right there in broad daylight. 100 boys enter and only one will win. 

King's latest short story collection, You Like It Darker, is a showcase of the master hitting all his best notes, from crime fiction to straight horror. From angry alligators to creepy aliens that grant wishes to terrifying ghost toddlers and dream doorways that should absolutely, positively never be opened, this one's a banger.

The Shining was released in 1980 to tepid critical response and weak financial success, but it has aged like a fine wine and is now considered a genre masterpiece. It's hard to deny that the movie's iconography is even stronger today than it was upon release, and that's thanks in no small part to young Danny Lloyd's central performance.