ta, ordered slaughter house 5 and sputnik sweetheart, lets see how they go.

I can honestly say that anyone who claims The Shawshank Redemption is an over-rated film either has very, VERY high expectations from a film, doesn't like mainstream cinema or is simply trying to play the 'clevererer than thou' card.

You know – the sort that buys The Guardian every day but doesn't understand too much of what is said and still reads The Sun when no-one is looking…

Totally agree, and that's from someone who loved the Three Colours trilogy, Mullholland Drive and Donnie Darko 🙂

I shall give the book a go, might even wander over to Waterstones and grab a copy of it at lunchtime, if nothing else "Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption" is a great title.

can honestly say that anyone who claims The Shawshank Redemption is an over-rated film either has very, VERY high expectations from a film, doesn't like mainstream cinema or is simply trying to play the 'clevererer than thou' card.

It is over-rated. There is, like with so many Hollywood big budget films, little more than just plot. the Green Mile is worse: there is only plot.

I don't want to watch a film that only goes from A to B to C. I want to see into the minds and souls of the characters, and to suspend disbelief entirely.

But, then, I guess I'm spoiled in that I work just round the corner from one of the country's best cinemas: The Cornerhouse, Manchester.

It is over-rated. There is, like with so many Hollywood big budget films, little more than just plot. the Green Mile is worse: there is only plot.

Shawshank is accessible and popular because it has a character driven story line, not a plot that drags everything behind it (have you actually watched it?)

Shawshank is a great film, I enjoyed green mile too, very much so but it is very sentimental and mushy (which I have a weakness for) but will accept that for most others its not a patch on shawshank.

I second M_Fs views on shawshank bashers*

*new euphamism? 😉

Shawshank bashers

That could equally be appropriate for those that hate it and those that really, REALLY enjoy watching it…. :-0

or shawshanker

sorry

I agree that Stephen King does seem to suffer from the mainstream, "hes popular, everyones heard of him, so I cant look arty reading one of his books on the tube" thing

I thought IT was wonderfull, ditto four seasons, read most of his others too.

In his best books his characters are involving and real, his reocurring Maine backdrops a nice touch, he tells a good story.

shawshanker

LOVL! Classic!

And as for SK as a writer… his early stuff was very good and he has a great sense of humour in his style. Thinner (written under the pseudonym Richard Bachman) had one classic line about a cat on a fridge (you'll know it if you've read it 🙂 and as above, 'It' was a wonderful book – a great tapestry of a story.

Another great book by him was 'The Talisman' which he wrote with Peter Straub.

Of course he is no Steinbeck or Miller, but he knows he isn't and doesn't expect his readers to think he is either. But he can write a good novel. I tend not to agree with use of recurring references in his novels though (set in Maine, main character a writer) – I think he has done that one too many time.

samuri

there is a film of Apt Pupil

It was directed by Bryan Singer of Usual Suspects and X men fame – and stars Gandalf as the Nazi

can't really remember if it was much good or not

I liked both, but prefer Shawshank.