#King'verse

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Some Firestarter 2022 thoughts, now that I've had a chance to sleep on it. These will be largely positive points, I've not had many things crop up yet about the movie that bother me.

⚠️ ❗❗ SPOILERS BELOW ❗❗⚠️

Compared to the book and the original '84 movie adaptation, this movie is like a modernized version but on speedrun

The '84 movie is closer to the book in terms of following the plot structure and points, this film deviates quite a bit from that, mashing a few things together where convenient, removing some points entirely and condensing Charlie's power development down to a "training montage", but the heart of the story is still present in this adaptation

That being said I think this movie handled the portrayal of the various powers far better

I have issues with the modernization and that's probably my biggest complaint since the original book and the MKULTRA experiments are contextually crucial to the original time period

Might have worked if Vicky and Andy were portrayed older but they were like in their mid-30s so it doesn't really work

Kind of wish we'd gotten more of an explanation there or something because even saying that it was an attempt at reviving the MKULTRA projects would have been SOMETHING

The decision to make Cap Hollister a woman was an interesting one and I think, given how crunched for time the story got in its allotted hour and a half, it did make it smoother or more believable for the character's beliefs, motivations and attempts to connect with Charlie

Zefron did well as Andy McGee, I really enjoyed seeing him in the role

Was a little bothered and heartbroken to see Andy use the push on Charlie, but I figured that was going to be inevitable after the second time the character stated he'd never choose to use the push on his kid

Would have liked to see more of the echo and ricochet effects of the push, especially since Andy mentioned that he has no idea how much his powers might fuck up someone else's brain, but meh

While I feel like we missed out on seeing the uniqueness of Andy and Vicky's relationship, I do enjoy seeing Vicky actually get impactful and significant screentime, as well as seeing her actually use her TK in self-defense

A cat dies, and you can tell from the build-up that it's going to happen but it still wasn't great to see

On that note, there's a fair amount of grisly wounds we see in this movie, including the kid from the Lot Six experiments who gored out his own eyes

Not sure what was going on with the characters who were supposed to be versions of the Manders and idk how I feel about that

This version of Charlie is somewhat older, far darker and angrier compared to the book and OG film, but it fits with the rest of the movie and leans more into Dr. Wanless's suppositions of how Charlie is becoming a young woman and thusly, her powers are growing into something even more fearsome

There's implications that both Vicky and Andy had some psychic experiences prior to being tested on with Lot Six, suggesting Andy has always had some low-level precognition and clairvoyance

This movie showcases not just Charlie's pyrokinesis but also her TK, low-level TP, clairvoyance, and warning precognition

It also has her inherit the push from Andy, which seems a bit odd, but I can dig it

A good chunk of the rising action showcases Charlie on her own, setting out to infiltrate the Shop(?) and save her dad, and while there's an argument that this breaks suspension of disbelief, I feel like it's not a bad way of showcasing just how drastically everyone continues to underestimate Charlie

John and Cody Carpenter were both involved in the music for the movie, which was super cool (especially when you consider John was originally tapped to direct the '84 movie but ultimately didn't due to circumstances,) and a lot of the scoring feels close to that for Halloween 2018 without being too interchangeable

And now this brings me to the biggest, most vital change this movie did to the story

... *inhales*

JOHN RAINBIRD

I've always been highly uncomfortable with the way this character was handled in the '84 movie and especially in the book

The way Rainbird is handled in this movie is drastically different to both and I actually prefer this version of the character, hands-down, no contest

Michael Greyeyes was perfect for the role

Rainbird is a very sympathetic character in this film and it's made clear the Shop used and abused him in the past and this time is no different

The most fascinating change I wish we could have seen more of is the fact he mentions to Vicky that there were "lab rats" that the Lot Six compound was tested on prior to the college co-eds, like they had both control and variable groups to test

The mentions of people being tested against their will is hefty enough but there is a subtextual suggestion in the way he talks about it to imply that missing indigenous people were used as those "lab rats" and that hit like a fucking gut punch

It really doubles down on the fact of the Shop using and abusing Rainbird, as well as the organization's corruption and Dr. Wanless's regret and self-loathing over everything to do with the Lot Six experiments

Rainbird appears to be telepathic, and perhaps an incredibly powerful one at that? I really like this concept and the way it plays into his character's complexity in regards to his feelings towards the Shop, the McGees and especially his interactions with Charlie

The climatic moment of the film where he offers himself in quiet surrender to a rampaging Charlie and she chooses to spare him was easily one of my favorite moments

And the silent sort of understanding and communication that passes between them in that moment and the final scene as he picks up an exhausted Charlie and carries her away from the devastation she's wrought honestly works so much better for the fact that it IS silent. Nothing else is needed. I love that~

All in all, I was excited for this movie but somehow kept my expectations low enough that I wound up enjoying it immensely. Again, it's wildly different in many ways to the book and to the '84 adaptation, but I think it really does keep a lot of the core of the story there and for the most part I either enjoyed or didn't mind the changes. Wish I could have seen it in theaters for the opening weekend but this was a long work weekend, so I watched it with the spouse last night after work via Peacock. I do highly recommend giving it a chance.

#Firestarter (2022) #movie spoilers #King'verse #Charlie McGee #Andy McGee #Vicky McGee #John Rainbird #Cap Hollister #brain vomit #movie thoughts #Cyanide speaks

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Gonna be honest, cool as it will be to see a Stephen King collab with Dead By Daylight, the mention of Carrie and Firestarter being floated as possible IPs to come to the game have me hella nervous.

Firestarter, idk what to say other than making Charlie a Killer defeats the purpose of the entire story because she's not a weapon and making her a Survivor would be tricky. And for Carrie, considering how much that story means to so many people, making her a Killer would be met with outrage, because she's not a monster. (Margaret White on the other hand, would be a very interesting Killer.)

The other IPs mentioned were IT and The Shining, and I could see IT probably working well. I'd be very surprised if it turned out to be The Shining, but I certainly wouldn't complain at the possibility to run around the Overlook Hotel as Jack Torrance.

#if it does turn out to be The Shining tho then the Overlook Hotel as a map better be tryna kill me too #Stephen King #King'verse #DBD #Dead By Daylight #rumored collab #just some thoughts #Cyanide speaks

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I know I'm not that funny but I like to pretend I can be

#i know this is stupid #just let me have this #I'm sleep deprived #and i made this on my phone in like 3 minutes #King'verse #Stephen King #Christine (1983) #Christine #John Carpenter #memes #shitpost

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Ziggy Berman and Jesse Walsh!!!

19. Ziggy Berman - Favourite Stephen King book or adaptation?

So far of the books I've read of his, I'm pretty confident in saying The Shining is my favorite, though Doctor Sleep and Christine are both very close seconds! I've not yet seen an adaptation of his work that I truly love without complaint, but I'm excited for a lot of the new adaptations slated to release in the future! (The new Firestarter movie and Christine miniseries especially, and I'm also personally really hoping the miniseries The Overlook won't be dropped entirely.)

21. Jesse Walsh - Favourite final boy?

Well, I figure this might be a no-brainer for you and anyone else who's become a mutual or followed me for a hot second, but...

Quentin. He's my son, Your Honor, my baby boy who can do no wrong.

#thanks for the ask! #answered asks #lucifers-trash-stash #Final Girl ask game #Stephen King #King'verse #Quentin Smith #Cyanide speaks

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Matt Reeves: so yeah, Christine is the mother of the Batmobile, just kinda fits yanno

#my friend just showed me the article where Matt Reeves talked about this and I'm H O W L I N G #Matt Reeves #The Batman movie #The Batman (2022) #the Batmobile #meta things #King'verse #Stephen King #Christine (1983) #horror #Batman #DC comics #DC comics universe #nods in-universe #incorrect quotes #kind of

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Personally one of my biggest issues with the inclusion of the Grady daughters in Kubrick’s film is the fact that they have the role that they do. Forget the fact the film made them twins (they’re not, in the original novel,) or that they’re ghosts in the Overlook, but the sheer implication they’re malignantly-aligned like the rest of the revenants.

Like, these little girls were scared shitless but they were still ready to burn down the Overlook Hotel to rescue their family.  Whether you headcanon them as having had the Shining themselves, or just having enough of a childlike Twinkle that made them hypersensitive to the paranormal evil of the Overlook, those girls knew shit was sus.

If you want me to accept that they’re still trapped in the Overlook and the Roof o’ the World, they aren’t malignant revenants. They’d be helpful, friendly ghosts if anything, and it pisses the collective force of the Overlook right off.

Nobody deserves to be little lights in the darkness more than the Grady sisters.

#The Shining #The Shining (1980) #Kubrick Shining film #Doctor Sleep #Doctor Sleep (2019) #King'verse #Stephen King #The Shining duology #brain vomit #literary analysis #The Grady Twins #The Grady Sisters #The Overlook Hotel #Cyanide speaks

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I'm only maybe halfway through Needful Things but I feel the need to write a crackfic where Gaunt and Barlow have a chance meeting because they happened to set up shop in the same spot and immediately sniffed each other out as rivals and end up in a stalemate because neither of them want to leave town but they also don't want annoying competition on a supernatural level.

#don't like H*milton the musical but I'm thinking Your Obedient Servant has the perfect vibes for what I'm envisioning #King'verse #Needful Things #Salem's Lot #crossover concept #Leland Gaunt #Kurt Barlow #crackfic idea #brain vomit #Cyanide speaks

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Quentin and/or Carrie for the character hc meme, mayhaps?

Ohoho! Now how could I say no to answering for two of my babies? :D

Carrie White

Headcanon A: TMI, i’m sure, but during her cycle, Carrie’s powers tend to escape her control a little more often. Whether or not this is intentional to reflect her mood is uncertain.

Headcanon B: She has encountered Christine before while on a personal exodus. It was an incredibly awkward situation that could only be described as akin to two shifty, grouchy cats glaring and hissing as they pass each other on the sidewalk. Neither Carrie or the car are particularly keen to cross paths again.

Headcanon C: You probably already have an idea of it since I’ve mentioned my musing to you through Discord and I definitely just hinted at it above, but I prefer to think that post-death, Carrie’s soul and personality are strong enough that she becomes a wandering poltergeist, seeking closure and peace.

Headcanon D: I know her middle initial is “N”, but I've always thought of her middle name being “Helene”. idk why I just like it.

—

Quentin Smith

Headcanon A: We know he carries a lighter in the reboot film, and despite the fact I’m sure the instant supposition is he smokes (especially when coupled with his prescription drug abuse tendencies,) I personally feel that the lighter is a stim toy. Alan likely gave him the lighter in order to potentially arm him in the future, with the association in his own mind of Freddy’s initial defeat, but given Quentin’s ADHD, he began using it for stimming instead.

Headcanon B: If he has a crush on someone and the opportunity to impress them by doing absolutely brainless shit comes up, there’s a good chance he’ll do it before he can stop himself. I feel like he probably attempted to impress Jesse once by snorting Pixie Stix. It was not a good time, and even Jesse questioned what the fuck Quen thought he was doing, after the fact.

Headcanon C: To step into DBD lore a bit, Quentin's resigned himself to a life of unhappiness. So long as Freddy lives and can pose a threat to Quentin and his loved ones, the boy won't rest. He's made it his personal goal to destroy Freddy or at least permanently eliminate the threat the Nightmare poses, even at the cost of his own happiness.

Headcanon D: I know the prompt for this one also has the caveat of "unrealistic" but I scoff at that in favor of insisting that I will run with the dream warrior thing from the older NoES films and no one can stop me. If anyone deserves to be a dream warrior or even called one, it's my baby boy. You can't change my mind on this.

— 

As always, tysm for this, my dear~.

#enmitypark #answered ask #4 headcanons ask prompt #personal headcanons #Stephen King #King'verse #Carrie (1976) #Carrie White #NoES franchise #NoES 2010 #DBD #Dead By Daylight #Quentin Smith #;~~; MY BAAAAABBBIIIIIEEEESSSS #Cyanide speaks

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This took way too long to write and edit on my phone, and it certainly isn't what I expected I might post on Halloween, but have a crossover oneshot.

#my writing and fics #Stranger Things franchise #King'verse #Firestarter #fanfic link #crossover fanfiction #parallel universes #Eleven #Jane Hopper #El Hopper #Charlie McGee #Cyanide speaks

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Humor me a moment, okay? If you've been following my blog for a while (or if you decided to go through some of my tags on a whim) it's probably become obvious at some point that I love and adore the Shining duology by Stephen King. Don't get me started on the Kubrick film, I'm not making this post to open that salt mine. But whether you enjoy the books or not, whether you've read them or not, just humor me a moment.

It’s not something I often bring up but in the concept of a greater sort of horror’verse or terror’verse where various franchises, stories and canons intersect and merge, I adore the idea of trying to figure out what non-King characters would technically have abilities that fall under the umbrella of the Shining. And before you roll your eyes and keep scrolling, please just hear me out on why I tend towards these headcanons.

I grew up on superhero shit and various science-fantasy novels, and I need to state that for years growing up, powers on the psi spectrum in anything media I consumed were never really regarded in a positive light. At best, there’s an attempt to keep the concept neutral with the unsavory edge that characters with psionic powers often struggle with having them and unintentionally intrude on other’s privacy or cannot control their powers or try to shut themselves down in order to get their powers under control, at risk to themselves. At worst, the concept paints them villainous and terrifying, with the capability (and often the drive) to enslave humanity. They’re villains, pariahs, antagonists, or they’re anti-heroes struggling with morality, or they hate themselves for having these powers that they try to keep from inconveniencing others around them with.

King (at least from what of his works I’ve read) doesn’t do that to his characters with psionic abilities. And before you point a finger at Carrie White, Jack Torrance or Andy McGee, remember that Carrie (both the book and the character herself) is more the victim in her own story than anything a la Frankensteinian tragedy; and Andy McGee greatly dislikes causing harm to anybody but is ultimately driven to shelve his own sense of morality for the sake of his daughter. As for Jack, I’ve got an entirely separate shpiel about how I think he Shines, and I’ll go into that some other time if anybody is interested.

Those who Shine, even when their varying powers cause them dread or issues, are often portrayed as protagonists or helpful secondary or tertiary characters without whom the story wouldn’t be the same. Many of them are outright driven to use their abilities to help others. And they tend to draw others to them; certainly they seem to be beacons for danger, because many King antagonists view them as a threat or something to devour, but they’re also beacons of light for the people around them. It’s arguably one of the more meta reasons why the umbrella term for a huge spectrum of powers is called “Shining”.

And that’s not even getting into the fact that many characters who Shine are disabled and/or neurodivergent, and/or abuse survivors who are all the kinder and stronger for the fact that they Shine and that helps them to endure in the face of adversity.

Horror is—let’s be real here—flawed in many ways, same as any other genre of media. But the very idea that a spectrum of abilities often demonized or painted with overtones or undertones of negativity in other, more popular mainstream storytelling could literally be portrayed as such a bright thing in such a dark genre that taps into one of the most primal aspects of the human psyche? That something typically shown as anything from an inconvenience to everyone to a world-ending threat, could be such a powerful vehicle of hope and assistance, empathy and compassion? That shit fucks, guys.

#long post #headcanons #horrorverse #terrorverse #King'verse #horror #crossover concept #The Shining #Stephen King #anyway i'll stop rambling now #Cyanide speaks

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Dumb but consider: a meme of the Phantom of the Opera making his imploring cry of "Christine! Christine!" but the second half of the meme is a 1958 red Plymouth Fury.

#i know I'm being silly #shut up #PotO #Phantom of the Opera #Christine (1983) #Christine #King'verse #brain vomit #Cyanide speaks

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Me, reading Needful Things: huh. I know everyone says that Gaunt is like some kind of demon or something but so far all his "favors" and trades read more like he's one of the Fae.

Gaunt: *sees Sheriff Pangborn about to come visit his shop and instantly pulls a "nobody's home" while watching Pangborn out the window and quietly hissing at him to go away the entire time*

Me: Oh so he IS a demon.

#King'verse #Needful Things #Leland Gaunt #spoilers #if you think about what i said it makes sense #Cyanide speaks

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Chapters: 1/? Fandom: The Shining - Stephen King, Doctor Sleep - Stephen King, Carrie - Stephen King, Firestarter - Stephen King, Christine - Stephen King Rating: Mature Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Characters: Carrie White, Jack Torrance, Dan "Danny" Torrance, Grady sisters, The Overlook Hotel, Abra Stone, Charlie McGee, Arnie Cunningham Additional Tags: Not Beta Read, King'verse, i'm writing this for me but y'all can read if you want, those who Shine, headcanon heavy, idk if this fits any typical fanfic genres but it's meant to be at least somewhat emotional, Carrie is a poltergeist in this, shipping isn't going to be a part of this, though i may hint at a Carrie and Arnie dynamic later, and you can take that as platonic or romantic as you so please, Past Character Death, Some themes of life after death and mortality, Past Child Abuse, Dark Past, kind of, if you've read any of the books you know, Self-Indulgent, Mini-Fic Summary: Just as like calls to like, Shine is drawn to Shine.

#King'verse #The Shining duology #Carrie #Christine by Stephen King #Firestarter #crossover concept #my writing and fics #finally started posting this #Desolate Beacons #just take this damn thing already #i'm writing this for me but y'all can read it if you want

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Arnie Cunningham didn't find himself a car, he found himself a cougar.

#between the descriptions of Christine as a more experienced woman and a jungle cat on-the-prowl you can't tell me that car isn't a cougar #don't boo me i'm right #fan analysis #Stephen King #King'verse #Christine by Stephen King #Christine (1983) #Cyanide speaks

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Finally finished part 2 of my King’verse mini-fic, Desolate Beacons. It’s been a long time coming and it wasn’t the easiest thing to write for a number of reasons but at last it’s posted and I can rest a little easy and go back to updating other stuff for a while.

#fic update #my writing and fics #King'verse #Desolate Beacons #Cyanide speaks

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You said at some point on Discord that you wanted to write a scene between Carrie and Dan Torrance; did you ever figure out how you wanted that to go down?

The idea for the scene morphed into something that’s the middle of a story.  So in a way, yes and no? Yes, in the sense this will be a King’verse minific, just a threeshot thing crossing over Carrie and the Shining duology, and the scene between Carrie and Dan will be the second installment. I originally only meant for the idea to be a short, emotionally driven discussion piece between the characters, but it had other ideas.  you know, par for the course for any multichapter fics I end up making

And no, in the sense that most of the finer details for that scene haven’t been hammered out yet; I’ve only really got the major points of their discussion in mind so far. ^^;

But thank you for asking, as always~!! And I am (slower than I like, but I’m doing it) working on the threeshot, which is going to be called Desolate Beacons. Cross your fingers I don’t overthink this one too much and just write it!

#answered asks #Stephen King #King'verse #fanfic things #fic idea #The Shining #Carrie (1976) #Cyanide speaks #enmitypark