Damien—Omen II by Joseph Howard

 

(pb; 1978: movie tie-in novel, based on Stanley Mann and Mike Hodges’s screenplay. Second book in The Omen pentalogy.)

From the back cover

Little by little, one of the world’s most powerful families is close to being destroyed. And no one seems to know why. Those who suspect the truth do not live to reveal it.

“Only thirteen-year-old Damien Thorn seems immune from the bizarre accidents claiming the lives of those around him. Damien, whose own father tried to kill him seven years ago. . . Damien, whose loving foster family is learning the meaning of hellish fear. . . Damien, who is leaving behind the seeming innocence of youth to fulfill the terrifying prophecy foretold long ages ago. . . Damien, who is discovering that it is not, after all the meek but the master of ultimate evil who shall inherit the earth!”

Review

Damien is a solid, less dread-atmospheric follow-up to David Seltzer's The Omen. The writing is good, the characters and their relationships are well-sketched, the pacing of the book is an entertaining balance of backstory, characterization, action and kill scenes. Having said that, this first sequel is not as heady a B-movie thrill as its predecessor, a movie novelization that does little, if anything, to expand on the screenplay on which it’s based.

Damien is a fun, blast-through read, one that does not transcend its movie tie-in genre, but is still mildly entertaining─just don’t expect the over-the-top, beyond-its-source-flick thrills that Omen, a high-mark for movie tie-ins, trafficked in. Followed by another movie tie-in novel, Gordon McGill’s The Final Conflict (1981).

Additional note: In Damien (book and film) Richard Thorn’s brother is called “Richard,” the name given Damien’s human father in the film version of Omen. The book version of Omen calls Damien’s human father “Jeremy.”

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The film version of Damien was released stateside on June 9, 1978. Don Taylor and an uncredited Mike Hodges directed the film, from a screenplay by Hodges and Stanley Mann.

William Holden played Richard Thorn. Lee Grant played Ann Thorn. Jonathan-Scott Taylor played Damien Thorn. Lucas Donat played Mark Thorn.

An uncredited Ian Hendry played Michael Morgan. An uncredited Leo McKern reprised his role of Carl Bugenhagen. Sylvia Sidney played Aunt Marion. Elizabeth Shepherd played Joan Hart. Allan Arbus, billed as Alan Arbus, played Pasarian. Meshach Taylor played Dr. Kane. Nicholas Pryor played Charles Warren. Lew Ayres played Paul Atherton.

Robert Foxworth played Paul Buher. Lance Henriksen played Sgt. Neff. 

Night Shift by Stephen King

(hb; 1976, 1977, 1978: horror story anthology.  Introduction by John D. MacDonald)


Overall review:

Excellent anthology, all of the stories - many of them admirably varied in their sense of horrors - have something to recommend them.  This is one of my all-time favorite story anthologies.


Standout stories:

1.)   "Jerusalem's Lot":  An evil, haunted town repeatedly draws members of a cursed family into its Lovecraftian clutches over centuries.  This is a loosely linked prequel to a later story in this anthology ("One for the Road") and the novel 'Salem's Lot.


2.)   "Graveyard Shift": A Fourth of July cleaning shift at a mill goes horrifically wrong when the workers discover secret passages beneath its sub-basement.

The resulting film was released stateside on October 26, 1990.  David Andrews played John Hall.  Kelly Wolf played Jane Wisconsky.  Stephen Macht played Warwick.  Andrew Divoff played Danson.  Brad Dourif played Tucker Cleveland (aka "The Exterminator").  Victor Polizos played Brogan.  Robert Alan Beuth played Ippleston. 

Ralph S. Singleton directed the film, from a screenplay by John Esposito.


3.)   "I Am the Doorway":  An astronaut's return to Earth is troubled by forces and visions alien to his nature - elements and visions which may change those around him, as well.


4.)   "The Mangler":  A demon-possessed industrial laundry machine - a speed ironer - turns murderous.

With a  lesser writer, this would be a dumb story.  With King, who ties it into timeless penned notions, it is a fun, spooky, perhaps even milestone update of an old idea.  This is one of the best stories in this collection.

The resulting film was released stateside on March 3, 1995.  Robert Englund played William 'Bill' Gartley.  Ted Levine played Officer John Hunton.  Daniel Matmor played Mark Jackson.  Vera Blacker played Mrs. Adelle Frawley.  Danny Keogh played Herb Diment.  Ted Le Plat played Doctor Ramos.  Todd Jensen played Roger Martin. 

Tobe Hooper directed the film, from Stephen David Brooks (billed as Stephen Brooks) and Harry Alan Towers's (billed as Peter Welbeck) screenplay.

Two loosely linked - if linked at all - film sequels followed: The Mangler 2 (starring Lance Henriksen, a direct-to-video flick, released on February 26, 2002) and The Mangler Reborn (another direct-to-video flick, released on November 29, 2005).


5.)  "The Boogeyman":  A man, whose family has been slaughtered, visits a psychiatrist.  Effective twist to this one.

This story has been, or is scheduled to be, filmed as a short several times.


6.)  "Battleground":  A hitman fights for his life against a bizarre array of enemies.  Excellent, worthy of a Twilight Zone episode.

This story became the basis for the debut episode of a television series, Nightmares & Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King.  It aired stateside on June 12, 2006 on the TNT network.  Brian Henson directed the episode, from a teleplay by Richard Christian Matheson.

William Hurt played Jason Renshaw.  Bruce Spence played Hans Morris.  Mia Sara played "Beautiful Passenger". 


7.)   "Trucks":  Another 'murderous machine'-themed tale, this time set as a pluralistic affair, with automobiles and other electronics involved.  Fun, B-movie-esque work.

The resulting film, titled Maximum Overdrive and directed by Stephen King, was released stateside on July 25, 1986.  Emilio Estevez played Bill Robinson.  Laura Harrington played Brett.  Pat Hingle played Bubba Hendershot.  Yeardley Smith played Connie.  John Short played Curtis.  Frankie Faison played Handy.  Christopher Murney played Camp Loman.


8.)   "Sometimes They Come Back":  A high school teacher confronts the strangely youthful bullies who murdered his brother years before.  Unsettling, effective story.

The resulting television film aired stateside on May 7, 1991.  Tim Matheson played Jim Norman.  Brooke Adams (who also co-starred in the King-based 1983 film The Dead Zone) played Sally Norman.  Robert Rusler played Richard Lawson.  Robert Hy Gorman played Scott Norman.  William Sanderson played "Carl Mueller (age 44)".  Nicholas Sadler played Vinnie Vincent.  T. Max Graham played Chief Pappas.

The telefilm was followed by two direct-to-video, loosely linked sequels: Sometimes They Come Back. . . Again (released September 3, 1996, starring Michael Gross, Alexis Arquette and Hilary Swank) and Sometimes They Come Back. . . for More (released on September 7, 1999, starring Clayton Rohner and Chase Masterson).


9.)   "Strawberry Spring":  A string of murders haunts a collegiate-later-family man.  Especially well-written.


10.)   "The Ledge": Twilight Zone-esque fusion of noir and natural horror.  Excellent.

This story was incorporated into the threefold-tale film Cat's Eye, which was released stateside on April 12, 1985.  Lewis Teague (who also helmed the King-based 1983 film Cujo) directed, from a screenplay from Stephen King.  Drew Barrymore (who co-starred in the King-based 1984 film Firestarter) played Amanda (a.k.a. "Our Girl"), one of the characters that links the stories.

Kenneth McMillan played Cressner.  Robert Hays played Johnny Norris. 


11.)   "Quitters, Inc.":  A man, trying to quit smoking, is compelled to do so in startling ways.  Distinctive, clever.

This story was also incorporated into the threefold-tale film Cat's Eye, which was released stateside on April 12, 1985.

James Woods played Dick Morrison.  Alan King played Dr. Vinny Donatti.


12.)   "Children of the Corn": Excellent, creepy tale about an argumentative husband and wife who, traveling through Nebraska, get trapped in a strangely empty town. 

A film short, Disciples of the Crow, was made in 1983.  It was based on this story.

The first resulting full-length film was released stateside on March 9, 1984.  Linda Hamilton played Vicky.  Peter Horton played Burt.  John Franklin played Isaac.  Courtney Gains played Malachai.  Julie Maddalena played Rachel.  Robby Kiger played Job.  Anne Marie McEvoy, billed as Annemarie McEvoy, played Sarah.

Fritz Kiersch directed the film, from a script by George Goldsmith.

Seven loosely linked sequels (many, if not all of them, direct-to-video works) and one remake followed. 

Sequels: Children of the Corn II: The Final Sacrifice (released stateside on January 29, 1993); Children of the Corn III: Urban Harvest (released stateside on September 12, 1995, featuring Johnny Legend as a "Derelict Man"); Children of the Corn: The Gathering (released stateside on October 8, 1996, co-starring Naomi Watts and Karen Black); Children of the Corn V: Fields of Terror (released stateside on June 21, 1998, co-starring Alexis Arquette - seen earlier in the King-based 1996 flick Sometimes They Come Back. . . Again - and Fred Williamson.  David Carradine and  Eva Mendes also co-starred, as well as Kane Hodder - who has played Jason in several of the Friday the 13th sequels. 

The fifth sequel, Children of the Corn 666: Isaac's Return, was released on October 19, 1999, co-starring Nancy Allen - who appeared in the King-based 1976 film Carrie - and  Stacy Keach.  John Franklin, who made his screen debut as Isaac in the original Children, played Isaac in - and co-scripted - this sequel as well.

Children of the Corn: Revelation, the sixth sequel, was released stateside on October 9, 2001.  It co-starred Claudette Mink, Michael Ironside and Kyle Cassie (who also made in an appearance in a television episode of Stephen King's Dead Zone).

A television remake of the original Children aired on stateside television on September 26, 2009.  It was directed and co-scripted by Donald P. Borchers; author Stephen King was his co-screenwriter.  David Anders played Burton Stanton.  Kandyse McClure played Vicky Stanton.  Daniel Newman played Malachai.  Preston Bailey played Isaac. 

The seventh sequel, Children of the Corn: Genesis, was released stateside on March 17, 2012.  It co-starred Billy Drago and Duane Whitaker.  As far as I know of, it isn't linked to the television remake that aired in 2009.


13.)  "One for the Road": On a winter stormy night, three men (Herb Tooklander, Booth and Gerard Lumley) head out to rescue the latter man's wife and daughter -  whom, unknown to Lumley, he left at the mercy of vampires.

Excellent, gripping expansion tale that builds on the history of "the 'Lot" (as seen in the earlier/first story, "Jerusalem's Lot") and, like that story, links to King's novel 'Salem's Lot.

The resulting 22-minute short film, released stateside on March 1, 2011, was directed and scripted by Paul Ward.

Reggie Bannister played Herb Tooklander.  Adam Robitel played Booth.  Danny O'Connor played Gerard Lumley.  Audrey Walters played Janey Lumley.  Sydney Ackman played Wendy.  Drew Walters played Francis Lumley.


14.)  "The Lawnmower Man":  Fun, gleefully bloody and bizarro tale about a unique yard service company.

The resulting short film was released stateside in 1987.  It was directed by James Gonis, from a script by Michael De Luca.

Andy Clark played Karras.  Helen Hanft played Mrs. Parkette.  E.D. Phillips played Howard Parkette.  Neil Schimmer played Castonmeyer.  Robert Tossberg played Bannerman.

A full-length film, linked to the story in name only, was released stateside on March 6, 1992.  (King sued to have his name removed from the film.)  Brett Leonard directed and co-scripted the film; his co-screenwriter was Gimel Everett.

Jeff Fahey - recently seen in the King-based television series Under the Dome - played Jobe Smith.  Pierce Brosnan, who later starred in the King-based television miniseries Bag of Bones, played Dr. Lawrence Angelo.  Jennie Wright played Marnie Burke. Geoffrey Lewis played Terry McKeen.  Dean Norris - who co-stars with Fahey in Under the Dome - played The Director.  Colleen Coffey played Caroline Angelo.

A loosely linked sequel to the film, Lawnmower Man 2: Beyond Cyberspace, was released stateside on January 12, 1996.  Like its source film, it bears no relation to the King story, aside from its title reference.

Patrick Bergin played Dr. Benjamin Trace.  Matt Frewer played Jobe Smith. Austin O'Brien played Peter Parkette.  Ely Pouget played Dr. Cori Platt.  Molly Shannon played a "Homeless Lady".

Farhad Mann directed the film, from a script by he co-authored with Michael Miner.

Appaloosa, by Robert B. Parker

(hb; 2005)

From the inside flap:

". . . the untamed territories of the West during the 1800s. . .

"When Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch arrive in Appaloosa, they find a small, dusy town suffering at the hands of renegade rancher Randall Bragg, a man who has so little regard for the law that he has taken supplies, horses, and women for his own and left the city marshal and one of his deputies dead. Cole and Hitch, itinerant lawmen, are used to cleaning up after opportunistic thieves, but in Bragg they find an unusually wily adversary -- one who raises the stakes by playing not with the rules, but with emotions."

Review:

Like many of the better Westerns I've read, Parker's Appaloosa is lean and mean, with sentence structures that are bare-bones basic (but not simple-minded), and characters whose words and actions effectively echo their personalities and intentions.

Appaloosa follows a familiar plotline, with a few well-placed and highly-effective pseudo-twists to individualize the story. Between these pseudo-twists, Parker's no-frills writing style, and the engaging (or hiss-worthy) characters, this is a must-read for anyone looking for a burn-through, modern-day Western.

Check it out.

Appaloosa became a theatrical film release on October 3, 2008. Ed Harris, who also directed and co-scripted the film with Robert Knott, played Virgil Cole. Viggo Mortensen played Everett Hitch. Jeremy Irons played Randall Bragg. Renee Zellweger played Allison French. Timothy Spall played Phil Olson. Cerris Morgan-Moyer played Tilda. Lance Henriksen (who co-starred with Ed Harris in The Right Stuff) played Ring Shelton. Adam Nelson played Mackie Shelton. Bob Harris, father of Ed, played Judge Elias Callison.