Ron Howard Offers Role

According to the SKMB Ron Howard has offered the role of Roland to Javier Bardem.  No word as to whether he has excepted the role though. 















Aug 08 Time interview with Javier Bardem.

Black and Whiteout Here In MD

The last couple of days we experienced extreme winter weather which resulted in a complete power failure for more than 24 hours here in the MD. There was no way for me make a post to this blog. I am aware that there have been some announcements about "The Dark Tower".

Typos!!!! Arrggghhh!

Sorry about the typos, I type so fast to try to get the information out as quickly as possible that when I go back and read it I find all kinds of mistakes.

I yllaer etah ti nehw I od taht!

Purchase Through Cemetery Dance or Gauntlet Press: Comic Anthology

J.N. Williamson's Illustrated Masques Cemetery Dance Cemetery Dance

Full Color Trade Hardcover $50.00
Signed Limited Edition Hardcover $125.00 not signed by King

See Gauntlet Press for some photos from the book and other ordering methods.

Slipcase for signed numbered edition $35.00
52 copy Traycased Lettered Edition $1500.00 not signed by King

See order page for details

Interview with Marsha DeFilippo on King Cast Episode 9

King Cast   She discusses how she began working for Stephen King.  She convinced Stephen to start the SKMB to get accurate information out.  Go Quick Listen!

Another Dollar Baby Film "Fall River"

A filmmaker by the name of Ricardo Rebelo a teacher at Bristol Community College is about to film an adaptation of the King story One for the Road after purchasing the rights for a dollar through the Dollar Baby program.  The name of the film will be Fall River.   The full story is at Wicked Local.com

Failure To Launch

I've been slaving at the computer all day working on a  new website for All Things Stephen King.  This site will be in addition to my blog page.  This has been in the works since March of 2010 but I haven't had any time to devote to the site. It is still hard to tell how long it might take but the followers of this blog will be the first to know. There aren't that many days that I devote the entire day setting up a website.  I hope there will be many more opportunities soon. 

Question of the Day #61: Has Stephen King inspired you to do anything in your life?

The simple answer to that question is yes.  King has inspired me in these ways and so many more:

• To read his books despite all of the challenges I faced with reading in my youth . 

• To write daily in a blog which I dedicated to him. I had never written anything publicly before and believe me I was terrified to do so. I still am petrified to write at times. He makes a point to write daily so I have tried to make a similar goal for myself.

• To exercise and read every day. He walks 3-4 miles a day while reading, if the most prolific author of our time can find  the time to do the things he needs to do for his health and fulfillment, then so can I.

Stephen King inspires me because he has overcome so many obstacles in his life such as addiction, financial troubles, illness, injury, and rejection. There are so many things I could write but I don't want to appear to be gushing about him. My admiration is for his ability to achieve in the face of adversity where many others have failed. No matter what, his work ethic has created who he is, a master at what he does. I feel that his level of accomplishments are an example of what we can and should all strive for on a daily basis.  Thank you Mr. King for your hard work and dedication for all these years and setting an example for us all to live by.

Question of the Day #60: Is there a Stephen King related item(s) that you didn't purchase that you wish you had?



The purchase that I wish I had made was  Under The Dome UK Signed Limited Edition.  (limited to 500)  I had this book in the cart ready to purchase......one thing I've learned, you snooze you lose. 

Please see previous blog post for more information. 

(The above photo is not the UK Signed, Limited Edition Cover)

Also The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon (Pop-Up Book), (Do you remember the quote by Dana Carvey as Pistachio Disguisey "It's a pop-up" in The Master of Disguise? He cracks me up, now every time I think of or hear the word pop-up I think of him.) I wish I would have grabbed it when I saw it.  I marveled at pop-up books as a child and it would be the only one I have in my collection.  If I'm not mistaken this was a limited edition book.

Question of the Day #59: If you saw Stephen King out in public minding his own business would you approach him?

Nah, I wouldn't approach him but if he looked in my general direction I would wave and smile.  Then I might possibly say "Hi, Mr. King" in a very quiet voice (almost a whisper). That way he wouldn't get mobbed by other people that might not have noticed him yet.  I know that Stephen King enjoys his privacy so I would try to respect that by being discreet.  I wouldn't want to offend my favorite author in any way. 


On second thought, I might say "Mr. King, you rock." lol  JK

Keep Your Ears To The Ground This Week

Screen Rant article:  Brian Grazer expects to announce who will play Roland Deschain sometime this week  I've been chomping at the bit to get this announcement, who will it be?  I will be checking the news wires for this one......  

Sarasota Herald Tribune mentions a visit to Stephen King by Ron Howard and Stephen Spielberg in Sarasota, Florida this past week.  See Page 2 of article

A Parody for Stephen King: "Vampires Suck"

I've been wondering if King has watched Vampires Suck.  I imagine he would get a kick out of all of the Twilight bashing.  I'm also wondering if the actors in this film were the rejects from the original casting from Twilight.  The movie rates a solid C with some parts that are beyond words.  We watched the movie this evening after recieving it from Netflix. Did you see it, what did you think? 

Question of the Day #58: Which is better "Carrie" the book or the original movie?

The original movie Carrie is a cult classic but experiencing the book that started it all for King was even more unforgettable than the movie.  The movie touched on what a holy roller Carrie's mother was while the book elevated her to a crazy bible thumper.  King nailed down the wretched teenage girls without fail and the backstory of Carrie helped make her more of a sympathetic, unlucky (for the lack of a better word) character.  The final scenes written in the book were absolutely wicked.  All in all I prefer King's written brainchild over the movie anyday but I am going to watch it again this week. :) 

On a final note, when reading the book Carrie, my mind kept going back to SK as a starving artist.  I marvel at his conviction in the beginning with all of the obstacles he and his family overcame.   

No News Updates

With a long weekend, the Steelers playing (what a win guys), Carrie to read, and 1 hour a day working out....my time is totally consumed!  My goal is to complete Carrie by tomorrow.  Hoping to start on The Shining in the evening sometime.  The SKMB will be closed to regular message traffic so there shouldn't be any new news from stephenking.com but I always check anyway.  Goodnight!         

Ron Howard Addresses Dark Tower Casting Rumors, Explains His Plans

Ron Howard Addresses Dark Tower Casting Rumors, Explains His Plans

'Carrie'

Currently I'm on page 102, right before the proverbial *bleep* goes down.  Must get back to my book.....             

Cemetery Dance 'Screamplays'

King's script The General is only one of half a dozen other screenplays written by other authors included in this collection. 

Clothbound Trade Hardcover:  $40.00
Traycased Lettered Edition:  $300.00 52 copies signed by artist and editor

See Cemetery Dance for details 

UPDATES NEW RELEASE DATES: January Releases: 'The Crate' and Marvel Comics

NOTE:  Some revisions have been made to the release dates for Marvel comics.  Please see old blog post for more current dates.

 I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.
http://stephenkingrocks-hallrla3.blogspot.com/2011/01/january-releases-crate-and-marvel.html

Hail to the King, a Stephen King Tribute Art Show

Press Release:  Hail to the King, a Stephen King Tribute Art Show
January 22, 2011 runs until the end of February

Finder's Creepers
515 18th Street
Des Moines IA

515-288-9815

Yeah, I've got some room on my walls for some original Stephen King inspired art!

Question of the Day #57: Has anyone read "Lilja's Library: The World of Stephen King" yet?

Sadly no, I haven't read this one yet.  I was hoping to find one at a bookstore that I could browse through and decide if I wanted to purchase it.  If you have read it, what do you think about this book?

Under The Dome Exclusive Limited Edition Cover

Cover located here:
http://www.librarything.com/work/7765390/covers/

A while back I got an email from a reader asking about a paperback cover for UTD with a 12 year old boy shown.  He told me that he was scouring the internet for any information on this particular cover.  Tonight while surfing for any new King information I came across the exact cover the guy mentioned along with 60+ covers.  I believe it is the 5th cover for the UK Paperback Edition. 

Question of the Day #56: Who would you like to see play Eddie Dean?

ATSK's choice for Eddie Dean is Shia LeBouf.

He is about the right age to play Eddie.

His build is about what I imagined for Eddie.

Playing a "bad boy" wouldn't be too much of stretch for him.

Shia is a talented actor that could evolve his character from a drug addict into Roland' friend and sidekick.

Let me know what you think of him or anyone else you think could play the role of Eddie Dean.

Fan Choices for Eddie Dean:

Crispin Glover

Question of the Day #55: What was your most recent Stephen King related purchase?

Carrie ebook edition and I am loving it on my nookcolor! :D

"You Can't Kill Stephen King" A NEW FILM????

 (2011 Release Date Unknown)

The name of the film is You Can't Kill Stephen King IMDb, it is about some vacationers that stay at the same lake Lake Kezar in Maine where King and his wife stay during the summer.   I noticed a couple of the characters have the last name Bachman, hmmm  interesting...  I'm not sure if it will be a good film but if you get views of Lake Kezar (I hear it has stunning views) that would make it worthwhile.   I've wanted to see views of that lake for a while now.  The genre of this film is listed as a Comedy and a Horror. 

***It does not appear that King is involved with this project.

Who is being considered for the role of Susannah?

Naomi Harris
Pirates of the Caribbean
Role:  Tia Dalma

NY Post article We hear....we hear (very short blurb)

Naomi Harris IMDb

Naomi would be great for Susannah or even Sara Tidwell/Bag of Bones if that film ever gets made.

UPDATES NEW RELEASE DATES: January Releases: 'The Crate' and Marvel Comics

Shivers VI with Cemetery Dance is Signed Limited is Shipping Now  The Crate which has not been published before is finally here. Posted in error.

Thanks Tim, for pointing out this error.  When I read never published in one of King's collections, I made an error when I assumed it hadn't been published at all.  We all know what happens when we assume.

The Crate Wiki





Dark Tower: The Gunslinger The Little Sisters of Eluria #2
Release Date:  January 12, 2011

















The Stand:  No Man's Land
March 23, 2011

Marvel Site

The Dark Tower:  Sheemies Tale #1
Release Date:  January 26, 2011

Marvel Site
















Pre-order these Premiere HCs 

The Stand: Hardcases Premiere HC
(No Image Available)
Release Date:  March 2, 2011












Dark Tower: The Gunslinger- The Little Sisters of Eluria Premiere HC
Release Date:  July 27, 2011

New Pages Added: Check For New Tabs

Magazine Covers Tab under Header:  All Things Stephen King
King in Pop Culture Tab under Header:  All Things Stephen King

Book Chick City's Book 1

Book # 1 BCC's SKC:  The Colorado Kid is one of King's novels that you won't want to skip. 

Don't judge this book by its cover, this book is not at all what it appears.  I thoroughly enjoyed The Colorado Kid, this novel seemed to flow perfectly.  Although this novel is short, the mystery and the true-to-life characters make up for its length.  I most enjoyed the banter between the the two old guys Dave Bowie and Vince Teague.  Dave is the founder of the local newspaper The Weekly Islander while Vince is the editor.  The basis of the story is a discussion they have with their intern, Stephanie McCann, about an investigation they conducted years earlier.  The mystery involves a John Doe found on Hammock Beach in Maine.  They attempt to answer a series of questions about said John Doe. This was a great book for the Stephen King Challenge, it was short and engaging.


Book # 2 Carrie 

Future Shorts book trailers for the UK version of Full Dark, No Stars

 Posted these just in case you missed these awesome Future Shorts on You Tube for FDNS UK publication.

1922 Warning this video is not for the faint at heart, visually it is exactly as I had imagined it to look in the book.



In this book trailer for A Good Marriage, I found myself imagining how I felt when I read this story in November, scared and creeped out.  Also the song adds an eerie feeling to the video. 



Fair Extention



Big Driver

2010 Black Quill Nominations

November 2010 News:  Dark Scribe Magazine posts the 2010 Black Quill Nominations with two nominations for Under The Dome.  Click DSM to view the contenders.  Voting ends January 21, 2011 with the winning results on February 1, 2011.

Don't forget to cast your votes for Under The Dome!  CAST VOTES HERE

Stephen King wraps up seven years with Entertainment Weekly

After seven years King wraps up his "Pop of King" EW column as mentioned in this short blurb circulated by the Associated Press posted by WRCB-TV read here.  One admirable thing about King IMO is that if he likes a movie, tv show, band, (Microwave Dave & the Nukes)  or an author he takes the time mention it. 

Microwave Dave & the Nukes




Why, why, why, whhhhhhy!  The one thing I looked forward to each month were his funny, insightful articles.  It's a good thing I didn't cave and get that 5 year subscription after all!  The mag is out Jan. 7, 2011.  I'll miss reading your monthly columns Stephen.   

 

This just in..... another possible Roland? Enter Javier Bardem

In this short article in The New York Post today.

Javier Bardem

5' 11.5"

ATSK is wishing everyone a Frightfully Good New Year!

HAPPY 2011 EVERYONE!   Wishing everyone health, wealth, happiness, and plenty of free time to read in 2011! 


This morning when my eyes were still blurry from sleep, a myriad of thoughts flooded my mind, I just knew I had to blog today.  Hold on, this is going to be a long post.

When looking back on this past year, I reminiced about all the good fortune and times I have personally had. (The first in many years.)  I'm kind of sad to see 2010 pass for many reasons.  I can only hope that 2011 can bring more of the same happiness, luck, and good fortune.

I'm starting this 1st of January thoroughly enjoying the movie Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant.  My family and I are watching it right now while writing this blog post.  My son has been reading this thrilling series for school this year.  Rent this movie, it is a must see film. 

A wise friend once told me that whatever you do on the first day of the new year is what you will be stuck doing the rest of the entire year so choose your actions wisely.  So I have adopted to avoiding at all costs cleaning toilets, washing dishes, cleaning my house, doing laundry, eating heavy meals, and anything I don't wish to spend the rest of the year doing.  I want to be spending more time blogging, reading, spending time with my family, watching frightingly good movies, and working out.  What would be better than that?  I've got a good anwer for that one, maybe getting to see Stephen King in person today. :)

One of the best things about the new year is awaiting a new book (or two lately) from Stephen King.  I am just about out of my mind trying to figure out what book(s) he may have in store for us this year.  Is it going to be Wind Through The Keyhole or Doctor Sleep?  Is he going to surprise us again with two new books this year?  Will the 3 CD's for The Ghost Brothers Of Darkland County be released or will it be pushed back to 2012?  Will the musical The Ghost Brothers of Darkland County finally be on stage in 2011?  Will there be more information on the Spielberg project Under The Dome TV series? 

There are so many questions to ascertain in a new year about Stephen King such as releases, book signings, and public appearances.  These are some of the questions that come to mind:

• Will Stephen King recieve any awards this year for his Blockade Billy or Full Dark, No Stars?
• Will he do another UStream chat for his fall upcoming TBA release? 
• I would love to know if SK will be consulted about casting choices for Roland?
• (These are just a few of the questions, as more questions come to mind I will post them here.)

No way all that happened in 2010 and this is what I've got planned for 2011. 

I try not to make too many goals that seem unattainable but I have found that one day at a time is the only way to succeed at anything.

Last year, on January 11, 2010 I began a lifestyle change to work out each day for at least 30 minutes.  I have worked out for 30 minutes or more everyday since then, despite getting pneumonia in October.  I made up the days I missed to contiue on course to my goal.  My 2011 goal, beginning the 11th of January is to increase from a half hour daily to 1 hour.  I'm hoping to reach that goal too.

Another choice I have made it to try to make a blog post everyday.  That is going to be difficult so there may be some days with  only one-sentence posts. 

Book Chick City's Stephen King Challenge is on my list and the my first tiny book is going to be The Colorado Kid since I will be spending a lot more time on the treadmill this year I will have time for this challenge.  I'm going to knock out all the small books that he has written first that should get me the six then I will go for the 12.

I got to see Stephen King in person 2 times this year.  Hoping he will come to the DC area so I don't have to travel so far next year.

Last year was a lucky year for me, really lucky and I'll tell you why.  I didn't mention that I found out about winning another caption contest the same week I found out about winning Stephen's Empire, two days later actually.  Do you remember when I went to The New Yorker Festival to see SK back in October?  On the back of the ticket it mentioned that Acura was hosting a cartoon caption contest for the festival.  My husband got up and grabbed a form for me to come up with a caption for the cartoon, I sat there a couple of minutes looking at the cartoon.  The cartoon was of a valet with a helmet on his head and the Acura car owner fearfully handing over his keys.  My caption was, "I've been looking forward to 'parking' one of these."   The funny thing about winning these two contests was that I had never entered a caption contest in my life before these two contests.  Funny, huh?  Oh, what did I win, you ask?  My winnings were an 64 GB wifi iPad, $100 iTunes gift card, and a one of a kind framed cartoon with my caption.  I was one of 3 winners.  But that's not all, I am a collector of Hallmark Ornaments (mainly pop culture e.g. Harry Potter, Wizard of Oz, and Disney) and this year they were having a drawing for a limited free ornament at each store.  My name was picked from the Rockville, MD location.    I won this repaint of  Ten Terrific Years Colorway, I also bought the regular issue for this year of Ten Terrific Years.  Note that the colors of the hats and the scarves are different on each ornament.  Another contest that I won this past year was again with Hallmark. They have a wonderful collection of Willow Tree nativities.  When they called I about fell over because this was about the 4th time I won this year.  I thought it would be a single figure and very small.  These figures were about 18 inches tall!  They fit perfectly on my bookshelves.  The edition was The Christmas Story Figurines on the left with a bonus which was signed by the artist Susan Lordi!!!!!!  Lastly, I had never won any money in the past when I picked numbers for the lottery.  My mother kept urging me to play the lottery because of my lucky streak so I bought a Powerball ticket and guess what I won?  A whopping three dollars ha ha ha!  Happy New Year wishing you a lucky streak that lasts forever!  :0)



Tell me what's happened to you!

Fan Choices for Roland

Josh Holloway

6' 1''

Roger Howarth

Approx. 6' 0"
 Photo from TV Guide.ca

Viggo Mortenson

5' 11"

Thanks to Kim for the suggestions of Josh Holloway (like) and Roger Howarth.  Other fan site/blogs like Viggo for Roland.  Viggo has got the chiseled face that I envisioned for Roland plus he is a brilliant actor.

Thanks Kim again for doing some research on Roger Howarth.  She discovered that there are varying opinions on his height.  His height has been posted as 5'10", 6'0", and 6'1".  In response, I have changed his height to an approximate 6 foot. 

There was a comment added to Question of the Day #56:  Who would you like to see play Eddie Dean? http://stephenkingrocks-hallrla3.blogspot.com/2011/01/question-of-day-56-who-would-you-like.html The comment suggested who should play Roland so I added Scott Glenn here.  He definitely has the build for Roland and is a great actor. Thanks for commenting.    

Scott Glenn

6'