Stephen King's "The Long Walk"

**LouCipherr** · 06-May-2010

From an interview here, Darabont had this to say about The Long Walk:

UGO: What's next for you?

FD: Hopefully, my dream project, is the one I've wanted to do since I was nine years old and I read the book -- Farenheit 451. It's so hard to get a movie greenlit in our business. Forrest Gump took ten years to get made and finally when it got made, everyone said, 'Why'd it take so long?' So ultimately you have to talk somebody into parting with a lot of cash. That's the process I'm in right now. And somewhere down the line, I'll be doing the The Long Walk, which is another Stephen King piece (written as Richard Bachman). And when I make that, that'll be even lower budget than The Mist was. It'll be weird, existential and very contained, like the story. A bit more of an arthouse film than anything.

He also talks about the ending of The Mist, how King approved it, and how it was actually 'suggested' in the story in thought by David. I have to admit, I do not remember that being suggested - even in thought - in the story, but apparently it was indeed there. Perhaps this warrants a re-read.

**Maggot Farmer** · 08-May-2010

Absolutely loved the long walk. Read it as a kid and remember feeling like I was walking along with the characters (my calves are burning just thinking about it). I always thought of it like a coming of age story, similar to the breakfast club only obviously darker. A deep insight into the thoughts and dreams of an average teenager.
They think they're invincible, but once they realize they're not the true feelings come spouting out in a torrent.
Do the movie low budget because you can with this particular one and do it now.
With teenage movies doing what they are at the moment and reality TV being the dominant force that they are...well...it seems like a homerun to me.

But what do I know, I'm just a zombie killer with no zombies to kill.

**Wooley** · 16-May-2010

Since this thread has gone into the Bachman books as a whole, does anyone think that if/when they remake The Running Man, they'll do a more faithful version, complete with the book's ending?

That final line was the first thing that came into my head on 9/11 when I saw the Towers.

Also, any chance of Rage being made, since it's about a kid who kills his teacher and holds his class hostage, while playing mind games with the police and the class?

**LouCipherr** · 17-May-2010

Originally Posted by Wooley

Since this thread has gone into the Bachman books as a whole, does anyone think that if/when they remake The Running Man, they'll do a more faithful version, complete with the book's ending?

That final line was the first thing that came into my head on 9/11 when I saw the Towers.

Also, any chance of Rage being made, since it's about a kid who kills his teacher and holds his class hostage, while playing mind games with the police and the class?

As far as the Running Man, it's possible, although I haven't heard any rumblings about a remake (although it wouldn't surprise me).

Rage, on the other hand, will probably never be made into a movie. King loathes that story at this point and it almost seems as though he's kind of sorry he wrote it since it's been references several times by some of these "go into a school and shoot everyone up" nutcases. I know I've read several interviews where he just doesn't look back on that one too fondly.

***Neil*** · 04-Jul-2010

FFS! Finished "The Long Walk" yesterday morning... Very moving and depressing book through its course... And then, to complete my depression, when reversing off the drive yesterday afternoon I went over my cat and had to sit there and watch him go through his death throws for a minute while he bled to death...

FFS! He's been a fixture of the street for 15yrs and a damn friendly lump since the moment we got him. He's even come and sit the kids laps

Not a good mix, finishing with that book, and then finishing with that cat... Really not very happy

BTW - Really not very impressed with the ending of the book!

**fartpants** · 05-Jul-2010

what is it with King/Bachman taking a great story and screwing it with a crap ending....Cell springs to mind but there have been countless wtf endings to what were great stories........

**Danny** · 05-Jul-2010

Originally Posted by fartpants

what is it with King/Bachman taking a great story and screwing it with a crap ending....Cell springs to mind but there have been countless wtf endings to what were great stories........

Ive always thought kind was more like a painter. He can create a world out of nothing that you can imagine so clearly, but when it comes to the story contained within it, like a painting, is always a snapshot of something bigger than what he shows you. So his stories never end so he gives them a tagged on ending to finish the book.

Which is annoying but considering it took him decades to tell a full story with the dark tower its not that bad i guess.

**fartpants** · 05-Jul-2010

Originally Posted by hellsing

Ive always thought kind was more like a painter. He can create a world out of nothing that you can imagine so clearly, but when it comes to the story contained within it, like a painting, is always a snapshot of something bigger than what he shows you. So his stories never end so he gives them a tagged on ending to finish the book.

Which is annoying but considering it took him decades to tell a full story with the dark tower its not that bad i guess.

i can see where your coming from Hells but you gotta admit the ending to Cell was bad, even by King standards

**JDFP** · 05-Jul-2010

Originally Posted by hellsing

Which is annoying but considering it took him decades to tell a full story with the dark tower its not that bad i guess.

More like 20+ years for "The Dark Tower" series and the ending, if you ask me, is a complete and total cop-out. "It's not about the destination, but about the journey" -- which is great if it was poorly scripted sci-fi (ahem, "Star Trek: Voyager") but not a 5,000 + piece of writing. The end of "The Dark Tower" was pure terrible. I hated it so badly I ended up trading in the whole series at my local used book store.

EDIT: Okay, you changed it to "decades" while I was posting this. Pay no attention to the first line above in that case.

j.p.

**Danny** · 05-Jul-2010

the ending to the dark tower was superb. one man against the universe, time and destiny itself. One single man who could only change it minutely each time he reached the tower, each time improving the universe and undoing the damage but only slightly. Like a wave wearing down a cliff slowly but surely he was proving himself the true lynchpin of the universe, with the tower just being his method to undo what had been done. it was sad, but inspiring at the same time. it only made rolands quest and himself more epic and was a lot more poignant and rewarding than "LOL MAGIC GOD SWITCH IN TOWERE, AVERTHING FIXED FO EVAR!" or something which would have been piss poor darren shan style larry stu writing.

**JDFP** · 05-Jul-2010

Originally Posted by hellsing

the ending to the dark tower was superb. one man against the universe, time and destiny itself. One single man who could only change it minutely each time he reached the tower, each time improving the universe and undoing the damage but only slightly. Like a wave wearing down a cliff slowly but surely he was proving himself the true lynchpin of the universe, with the tower just being his method to undo what had been done. it was sad, but inspiring at the same time. it only made rolands quest and himself more epic and was a lot more poignant and rewarding than "LOL MAGIC GOD SWITCH IN TOWERE, AVERTHING FIXED FO EVAR!" or something which would have been piss poor darren shan style larry stu writing.

Better throw this in: POTENTIAL DARK TOWER SPOILERS BELOW... just in case none here haven't read it yet...

I think you're reading too much into it. I see what you're saying about: "Oh, the journey just keeps on continuing on and on to right the wrongs!" but it's like the ending of "Boxing Helena" to me. It's a cop-out for having an inability to bring the story to an end so you say: "Oh, it was just a dream!" or "Oh, the tower pulled him back to the beginning of his journey again!" -- it's basically the exact same thing.

For seven books we're walking along with Roland in his quest and when we finally reach the tower instead of spending a good 100 + pages on the majesty and power of it introducing us to whatever "Force" inhabits it we're given 15 pages on Roland yelling the names of everyone he lost along his journey and then pulled back to the beginning. Are you shitting me? It's basically pulling an escape clause so King doesn't have to create what lies within the tower. I think it's lazy writing from a guy who became burned out on the series and just wanted an exit from the journey to move onto something else.

Out of all his endings (and many of them are pretty poor), it's my least favorite. I would love for there to be a Book 8 in giving the series a proper ending. It's always a possibility (and a hope) that he'll break down and return to the series again.

j.p.