One of my favorite works of his is Nightmares & Dreamscapes, a collection of phenomenal and not so phenomenal short stories that are the logical progression from Night Shift and Skeleton Crew. There’s some true gems in here, some of which are being aired in the upcoming television event on TNT around the corner.
Folks in Atlanta who want to see two of these installments (I don’t know which two, though The Road Virus Heads North is a fave) before they air on television are invited to join us for a theatrical screening of them in the coming month. All you have to do is send a SASE (Self Addressed, Stamped Envelope) to CHUD.com, 4915 Camberbridge Dr. Alpharetta GA 30022 with the name of your favorite Stephen King novel written on the cover and I’ll send a pass your way. Sound easy? It is! Here’s the eight stories to be featured on the show, a really nice mix of famous and lesser known works by the man some know as Jordy Verrill:
Umney’s Last Case
Starring William H. Macy, Jacqueline McKenzie
Teleplay by April Smith, based on the short story by Stephen King; directed by Rob Bowman
After the death of his son, writer Sam Landry (Macy) is so desperate to
lead another life, he writes himself into his own book, forcing his
long-time character (also played by Macy) to change places with him and
live in the modern day. But things get deadly when Landry realizes
Umney is trapped and cannot write himself out of his new reality.
The End of the Whole Mess
Starring Ron Livingston, Henry Thomas
Teleplay by Lawrence D. Cohen, based on the short story by Stephen King, directed by Mikael Salomon
The world had changed. Violence, war and hatred have been replaced with
kindness, peace and love. But at what price? Renowned filmmaker Howie
Fornoy (Livingston), with just one hour to live, recounts the details
of his brother’s (Thomas) worldwide experiment gone terribly wrong.
Crouch End
Starring Eion Bailey, Claire Forlani
Teleplay by Kim LeMasters, based on the Short Story by Stephen King, directed by Mark Haber
A newlywed American couple (Bailey and Forlani) honeymooning in London
goes to Crouch End to have dinner with a friend. They soon learn the
town is not what it appears to be, and the more they get lost, the more
they become trapped in another dimension.
The Fifth Quarter
Starring Jeremy Sisto, Samantha Mathis
Teleplay by Alan Sharp, based on the short story by Stephen King, directed by Rob Bowman
Willie (Sisto), a just-released convict, learns from his dying friend
of a map in four parts that reveals the location of several million
dollars from a robbery. Seeking revenge for the death of his friend and
the money, as well, Willie hunts down the others who hold the remaining
three parts to the map, risking his family and his freedom.
Autopsy Room Four
Starring Richard Thomas, Greta Scacchi
Teleplay by April Smith, based on the short story by Stephen King, directed by Mikael Salomon
Businessman Howard Cottrell (Thomas) is on vacation playing one of his
many games of golf. Chasing the ball into the undergrowth, he is bitten
by a snake and completely paralyzed, showing no signs of life. At the
hospital, unable to communicate, he is the key witness to his own
autopsy.
You Know They Got a Hell of a Band
Starring Kim Delaney, Steven Weber
Teleplay by Mike Robe, based on the short story by Stephen King, directed by Mike Robe
A wrong turn on a lonely road turns frightening for Clark and Mary
Willingham (Weber and Delaney) as they stumble upon a town not on any
map – Rock and Roll Heaven, Oregon. There is a free concert every
night, but the price of admission is high – once the audience enters,
it can never leave.
Battleground
Starring William Hurt
Teleplay by Richard Christian Matheson, based on the short story by Stephen King, directed by Brian Henson
Jason Renshaw (Hurt), a professional hit man, successfully murders the
CEO of a prestigious toy company, only to face the biggest fight of his
life when a package from the toy company is delivered to his house with
surprising, deadly contents.
The Road Virus Heads North
Starring Tom Berenger, Marsha Mason
Teleplay by Peter Filardi, based on the short story by Stephen King, directed by Sergio Mimica-Gezzan
Richard Kinnell (Berenger) is a famous writer who, at a doctor’s visit,
learns he may soon have to deal with his own mortality. On the drive
back to his home, he buys a mysterious painting. Each time he looks at
it, it changes to become more menacing and sinister. He pieces together
that the painting is trying to kill him…but not if he can destroy it
first.