NEWS -

King To Receive National Medal of Arts

Posted: September 4, 2015, 09:05
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Stephen King will receive the 2014 National Medals of Arts and President Barack Obama will present him (and others) with it on September 10, 2015, at 3:00 p.m. ET in an East Room ceremony at the White House. The event will be live streamed at WH.gov/Live

Stephen King for his contributions as an author. One of the most popular and prolific writers of our time, Mr. King combines his remarkable storytelling with his sharp analysis of human nature. For decades, his works of horror, suspense, science fiction, and fantasy have terrified and delighted audiences around the world. (Bangor, ME)

Read more here

Thanks to Lou Sytsma

More From Cary Fukunaga on IT

Posted: September 3, 2015, 08:50
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Dread Central has more info on the reason Cary Fukunaga left IT.

I was trying to make an unconventional horror film. It didn’t fit into the algorithm of what they knew they could spend and make money back on based on not offending their standard genre audience. Our budget was perfectly fine. We were always hovering at the $32 million mark, which was their budget. It was the creative that we were really battling. It was two movies. They didn’t care about that. In the first movie, what I was trying to do was an elevated horror film with actual characters. They didn’t want any characters. They wanted archetypes and scares. I wrote the script. They wanted me to make a much more inoffensive, conventional script. But I don’t think you can do proper Stephen King and make it inoffensive.

The main difference was making Pennywise more than just the clown. After 30 years of villains that could read the emotional minds of characters and scare them, trying to find really sadistic and intelligent ways he scares children, and also the children had real lives prior to being scared. And all that character work takes time. It’s a slow build, but it’s worth it, especially by the second film. But definitely even in the first film, it pays off.

Under the Dome Ends With Season 3

Posted: September 1, 2015, 01:02
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Finally CBS is doing the right thing and letting the residents of Chester's Mill end their journey.

CBS is putting the residents of Chester’s Mill out of their misery.

The network has decided to end its summer thriller Under the Dome next month— which is still two years after the show was originally expected to conclude.

CBS has officially decided to not order a fourth season of the series, which is based on the Stephen King bestseller about a Maine town suddenly trapped under a mysterious force field.

Instead, the Sept. 10 finale will serve as a series ender.

“Two years ago, Under the Dome broke new ground in the summer and became an instant hit on CBS, as well as with viewers around the world,” said Nina Tassler, chairman, CBS Entertainment. “Dome’s event storytelling and multi-platform business model paved the way for more original summer programming with the successful rollouts of Extant and Zoo. We’re excited to present the final chapter in Chester’s Mill as the story comes full circle, with the Dome coming down as dramatically as it went up.”

Previously Tassler had teased that the dome was going to come down at the end of the season. The network also revealed the closer will chronicle “two groups of residents engage in one final conflict that some won’t survive” and that the dome’s “mysterious origins will be revealed.” We’re told there are no plans to shop Dome around to other potential networks or streaming companies.

Thanks to Herbert West

Revival With Tease For Bazaar...

Posted: August 20, 2015, 10:56
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Got this in the mail yesterday. It's the UK paperback edition of Revival (out Sep. 10) and besides the book it also contains parts of the intro by King to The Bazaar of Bad Dreams, parts of the intro to Mile 81 and part of Mile 81.

Lloyd Segan Comments on Haven Ending

Posted: August 20, 2015, 08:50
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Just spoke to Lloyd Segan and when I asked about Haven being cancelled and according to him it wasn’t cancelled. This was what David Howe (president of the network) and the rest of the team envisioned it all to end over a year ago. I asked him if they did get a chance to do an ending or if the show cancelled after they were done with the season and here is what he answered.

Indeed the show was not canceled. A misfortunate headline. But yes all planned for.

Why Did Cary Fukunaga Leave IT?

Posted: August 19, 2015, 09:25
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Entertainment Weekly have talked to Cary Fukunaga who explained why he left IT:

“It’s never easy,” he says. “Chase [Palmer] and I had been working on that script for probably three years. There was a lot of our childhood and our experience in it. Ultimately, we and New Line have to agree on the kind of movie we want to make, and we just wanted to make different movies.”

“It’s like a relationship,” he continued. “You can try to make the other person who you want them to be, but it’s impossible really to change. You just have to work.”

Haven Cancelled!

Posted: August 19, 2015, 08:31
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It looks like there will only be 13 more troubled episodes of Haven but on the good side it seems they managed to get a good ending to the show...

The Troubles are coming to an end. Syfy has canceled its long-running supernatural drama “Haven,” which will end its run after the upcoming 13-episode conclusion to its fifth season, TheWrap has learned.

The cable network aired the first 13 episodes of Season 5 in 2014, with the second half set to premiere in October.

Showrunner Gabrielle Stanton told TheWrap that even though the decision came after Season 5 of “Haven” had wrapped, the creative team was prepared for the end.

“I’m sure as a fellow TV fan, there’s nothing more annoying than when a show kind of feels like it might be wrapping up, but they just don’t address it, they don’t come to any kind of satisfying conclusion,” she said. “I always think that’s cheating the audience a little bit, of a nice satisfying ending. So we really looked at these 13 episodes as if… If we were indeed going to end, what would be the best ending we could possibly do for Haven?”

Ep 48: Tinkering With The Stephen King Tour

Posted: August 14, 2015, 12:04
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With your hosts - longtime Constant Readers - Hans Lilja of Lilja's Library and podcaster - Lou Sytsma.

Welcome to Episode 48 of The Stephen King Podcast!

Stuart Tinker of Derry, Maine owns & operates The Stephen King Tour. We talk to Stuart about what King territory it covers plus find out when the best time to book is!

Here is a link to the tour where you can book ahead and schedule your trip: The Stephen King Tour

At one time Stuart also owned and ran Bett's Bookstore and Hans actually went there.

Here's proof! A young Lilja outside Betts in the summer of 1998.


This plus the latest Stephen King news.

We hope you enjoy this episode and, as usual, we want to hear from you.

Good or bad, we want it all!

You can leave us comments, questions, topic suggestions at:

1) FaceBook - Lilja's Library

2) Audio Message - Speak Pipe widget on the right hand of the podcast page (send voicemail)

In this podcast:

1) 00:00 - Intro
2) 01:02 - Podcast Setup
3) 01:48 - From the Death Room - The Latest Stephen King News
3) 28:35 - King Crate - Interview with Stuart Tinker of Stephen King Tours
4) 1:02:24 - Sign Off
5) 1:04:10 - Outre


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Intro Music - Don't Fear The Reaper - Blue Oyster Cult

Outro Music - Stand By Me - Ben E. King

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Should The Dome Stay Up or Not?

Posted: August 13, 2015, 15:22
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I say let the Dome stay down and end this while someone is still watching. What do the rest of you think?

CBS Entertainment Chairman Nina Tassler told reporters at the Television Critics Association summer press tour on Monday that while no decision has been made about Season 4, they aren't ruling it out. "The dome is coming down at the end of this season, but that opens up a host of other storytelling opportunities," Tassler said.

The question came as Tassler was being asked about the overall performance of CBS's summer programming. While Tassler acknowledged it's been a tougher summer, she said she is happy with the network's summer strategy. "We went into summer to have more original programming on air," she said. "Zoo is the No. 1 scripted show, Dome is the No. 2 scripted show, and Extant is No. 4. ... The shows are still performing. ... [and] these stream well on Amazon."

Vol.1 of Haven Season 5 Out Sep. 8

Posted: August 13, 2015, 10:08
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The first part of season 5 of Haven is out on DVD and Blu-ray on September 8.

Haven Season 5: Press Release: "The Troubles are returning to Haven like never before in HAVEN: SEASON FIVE, VOLUME ONE, arriving on extras-loaded Blu-ray and DVD on September 8 from Entertainment One.

HAVEN: SEASON FIVE, VOLUME ONE, picks up with the aftermath of our heroes' victory over William. After having successfully banished him into the Void, Nathan and Duke are devastated to discover that the Audrey Parker they know and love has disappeared. In her place stands Mara, the unflinchingly malevolent "original" person responsible for creating the troubles many centuries ago. Finally freed from the confines of her do-gooder husks (Audrey, Lucy, Sarah, etc.), Mara proceeds to unleash a wave of chaos over Haven.

BONUS FEATURES

13 "Inside Haven" Featurettes
Haven: Origins: Witches Are Born
Haven: Origins: Native Breaks Free
Audio Commentary

Order here:
DVD
Blu-ray

Salem's Lot: The Deluxe Special Edition

Posted: August 11, 2015, 08:10
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Have you ordered your copy of Cemetery Dance's edition of Salem's Lot? If not you might want to do that now.

Volume Two in The Stephen King Doubleday Years Set!

'Salem's Lot: The Deluxe Special Edition (Volume Two in the "Doubleday Years" Collection)
by Stephen King

Featuring full color wrap-around artwork by David Palumbo and full color interior paintings printed on a high-quality glossy stock and tipped into the book!

About the Book:
'Salem's Lot is a small New England town with white clapboard houses, tree-lined streets, and solid church steeples. That summer in 'Salem's Lot was a summer of homecoming and return; spring burned out and the land lying dry, crackling underfoot. Late that summer, Ben Mears returned to 'Salem's Lot hoping to cast out his own devils and found instead a new, unspeakable horror.

A stranger had also come to the Lot, a stranger with a secret as old as evil, a secret that would wreak irreparable harm on those he touched and in turn on those they loved.

All would be changed forever—Susan, whose love for Ben could not protect her; Father Callahan, the bad priest who put his eroded faith to one last test; and Mark, a young boy who sees his fantasy world become reality and ironically proves the best equipped to handle the relentless nightmare of 'Salem's Lot.

This is a rare novel, almost hypnotic in its unyielding suspense, which builds to a climax of classic terror. You will not forget the town of 'Salem's Lot nor any of the people who used to live there.

Special Features For This Deluxe Special Edition:
• an introduction by Stephen King
• an afterword by Clive Barker
• many deleted scenes that were cut from the original manuscript
• the short stories "Jerusalem's Lot" and "One for the Road"
• deluxe oversized design (7 inches X 10 inches) featuring two color interior printing as part of the page design
• printed on a heavy interior specialty paper stock that is much thicker than the paper in a normal trade edition
• custom-made slipcase for the Gift Edition, custom-made traycase for the Numbered Artist Edition, and custom-made three piece traycase for the Deluxe Lettered Artist Edition
• epic wrap-around full color dust jacket artwork by David Palumbo
• a different full color dust jacket for the Numbered Artist Edition painted by David Palumbo
• full color interior paintings by David Palumbo
• interior artwork will be printed on a heavy glossy stock and tipped into the book
• an original map of the town drawn by Glenn Chadbourne exclusively for this special edition
• signature sheet artwork for all three editions by Glenn Chadbourne
• high-quality endpapers and fine bindings
• an exclusive reproduction of the first reader's letter to point out the Father "Cody" error and several internal memos from Doubleday about changing the pricing after the first edition of the book was already printed
• extremely collectible print run that is a tiny fraction of the TENS OF MILLIONS of copies of this novel you've seen in bookstores over the years!

Order here

The Winners Have Been Selected

Posted: August 10, 2015, 15:33
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The Stephen King Companion is over and before I tell you who won, here are the correct answers:

Question : What was the name of the Stephen King fanzine George ran between 1995 and 2001?
Answer : Phantasmagoria

Question : Name one other book about Stephen King George has published.
Answer :
Demon-Driven: Stephen King & the Art of Writing
The Stephen King Story
Stephen King: America's Best-Loved Boogeyman
Stephen King Country
Stephen King: A to Z
Stephen King Collectables: An Illustrated Price Guide

Question : When is the third edition of The Stephen King Companion published?
Answer : October 2015

And here are the winners: David MacKay, Christopher Ryan and Mark McClure. Congratulations to you all. And those of you that didn’t win, do yourself a favor and get this book when it’s released.

87 Days Until Bazaar of Bad Dreams

Posted: August 8, 2015, 01:30
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Only 87 days until The Bazaar of Bad Dreams. Here is the full list of stories:

1. Mile 81
2. Premium Harmony
3. Batman and Robin Have an Altercation
4. The Dune
5. Bad Little Kid
6. A Death
7. The Bone Church – poem
8. Morality
9. Afterlife
10. Ur
11. Herman Wouk is Still Alive
12. Under the Weather
13. Blockade Billy
14. Mister Yummy
15. Tommy – poem
16. The Little Green God of Agony
17. That Bus is Another World
18. Obits
19. Drunken Fireworks
20. Summer Thunder

Haven Returns in October

Posted: August 6, 2015, 03:12
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A new season of Haven will return in October. Here is a trailer.



Thanks to Lou Sytsma

Under the Dome Back For a 4th Season?

Posted: August 6, 2015, 01:09
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Looks like there will be a 4th season of Under the Dome but it won't be shot in Wilmington.

Citing sources and social media posts from crew members, Brothers says the CBS show will move to a new location, possibly Utah, for its fourth season. The summer series is wrapping its third season this week.

According to The Wilmywood Daily, word is there will be a sale of set pieces some time soon. Sets for “Under the Dome,” which is based on a Stephen King book, are currently the main feature for tours at EUE/Screen Gems on N. 23rd Street in Wilmington.

Thanks to Lou Sytsma

Lee Child & Stephen King Talks Jack Reacher

Posted: August 1, 2015, 00:27
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Lee Child & Stephen King at the Harvard Book Store

TICKETS ON SALE 8/11/15

Harvard Book Store is thrilled to welcome internationally bestselling author of the Jack Reacher novels LEE CHILD and world-renowned author STEPHEN KING for a discussion of Lee Child's latest book in the Jack Reacher series, Make Me. A book signing with Lee Child will follow the discussion.

Tickets:
Tickets go on sale Tuesday, August 11 at 12 noon through the Harvard Box Office only:
• in person at the Smith Campus Center (1350 Mass Ave, Cambridge MA 02138)

• over the phone at (617) 496-2222

• online at https://www.boxoffice.harvard.edu/

Tickets are $32. Each ticket includes a copy of Make Me by Lee Child. These copies of the book may only be picked up at the venue the night of the event, and cannot be picked up in-store beforehand.

Read more over at King's site

Get The Stephen King Companion 2 Month Early!

Posted: July 30, 2015, 23:03
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It’s been a while but it’s finally time for a new contest again here at Lilja’s Library. This time there are five (5) galleys of George Beahm’s new book The Stephen King Companion. This is the third edition of this book and it’s been updated a lot, and I mean A LOT, since the last edition and you really need to check it out. The book is published in October but you can have a copy in your hands in August. And it will be personally signed by George Beahm.

There will also be a surprise bonus that will be sent with the book, available nowhere else: an exclusive collectible that will not be for sale, or otherwise available, from Beahm’s personal archives of King memorabilia.

Head over to the questions

King & Franco

Posted: July 29, 2015, 12:55
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James Franco posted this photo of him and King. Could that mean a cameo? I have no idea. King might just have been visiting the set.


Thanks to Herbert West

Josh Duhamel in 11/22/63

Posted: July 29, 2015, 01:31
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The Hollywood Reporter reports that Josh Duhamel joins the cast of 11/22/63.


Battle Creek alum Josh Duhamel has joined the cast of the Hulu miniseries from J.J. Abrams and Stephen King, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.

Duhamel will play Frank Dunning, the father of Jake's student Harry Dunning (played by youngster Jack Fulton and Leon Rippy), in 1960s Kentucky. Frank is the rakish town butcher, a ladies' man with an effortless smile that everyone welcomes — except Jake, the only man who knows the full violence of which Frank is capable.

Read more here.

Thanks to Lou Sytsma

First Haven Photo From Season 6

Posted: July 24, 2015, 22:34
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No date has been set yet but here is the first photo from season 6.


When Season 5 resumes this fall, with the episode “New World Order,” “The tsunami of Troubles brought by Duke has Haven-ites locked down for their own safety,” showrunner Matt McGuinness tells TVLine. “Fortunately, Audrey and Nathan (Lucas Bryant) are locked down together, which is nice for them.”

Source: TV Line

Pet Sematary Reboot

Posted: July 23, 2015, 00:05
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Jeff Buhler talks Pet Sematary reboot with Dread Central

A remake of the original 1989 horror classic, which was directed by Mary Lambert and based on the novel of the same name by horror legend Stephen King, Buhler said of the status of his scripted re-imagining of Pet Sematary, “Since last we spoke [see our previous coverage here], director Juan Carlos and I literally spent another three months going over the script and fine-tuning the horror to the place where it needed to be.”

Buhler expounded of the reboot, which is being produced for Paramount by Lorenzo DiBonaventura and Mark Varhadian, “The characters in this script make some tragic decisions, and the horror is about the ramifications of those decisions. There are still the supernatural aspects of the book, with the pet cemetery and the burial ground from which things come back from the dead, but the real horror is, ‘What do these things do to the family? What does it do to a person to see their child killed, but then to know that they can bring them back? How do you tussle with that idea? And if and when you make that choice, what does that do to you? Will that child be the same? How can life ever return to normal?’”

He continued of their take, “This is pretty far from the 1980’s film, which I adore for certain things that are very intrinsic to that time period in terms of the genre, like a truck driver smoking a joint to a Ramones song. But when a little kid comes back with a scalpel and is like, ‘I want to play with you,’ it kind of becomes Chucky. With this one, we really wanted to get into the emotional aspects of it. There’s still plenty of visceral horror that’s explored, but I’ve always felt that if you lean more into the characters and into their emotional lives, when the visceral shit hits the fan, it’s ten times more scary.”

As for an intended start date of principal photography, Buhler said, “Right now the film’s budget is up for approval at the studio. We have the new script [completed] and will be ready to go when Juan Carlos returns from New York in August. He’s currently there shooting a pilot called ‘Falling Water’ for Gale Anne Hurd’s company, so hopefully things will be up and running in terms of production by the end of the year.”

Thirteen Years: New Book

Posted: July 20, 2015, 23:35
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Check out Kevin's new book.

Now, for the first time ever, Stephen King expert Kevin Quigley’s articles, reviews, and essays from the first thirteen years of the new century are collected in one place. From the beginnings of King’s involvement with the Internet with the publication of the first eBook bestseller, “Riding the Bullet,” to in-depth critiques of King’s most recent novels and stories, Thirteen Years is one of the most incisive and entertaining looks at King’s recent career yet compiled.

Order here.

IT Has New Director

Posted: July 16, 2015, 22:52
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looks like IT has a new director.

Andy Muschietti, the director behind the surprise horror hit Mama, is in negotiations to direct It, New Line’s adaptation of the Stephen King classic.

It was to have started shooting in late June and a new start date remains unclear. Upon closing of Muschietti’s deal, New Line will begin a search for a new writer to tailor a script to Muschietti’s vision. The plan is for the adaptation to still take place over two parts.

Muschietti's sister and writing partner Barbara Muschietti will likely come aboard the project as a producer.

Read more here.
Thanks to Troy Tradup

Ep 47: Fun Rage About Under The Dome

Posted: July 13, 2015, 00:56
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With your hosts - longtime Constant Readers - Hans Lilja of Lilja's Library and podcaster - Lou Sytsma.

Welcome to Episode 47 of The Stephen King Podcast!

Under The Dome - Season 3 Episodes 1- 3 have aired. We try to make sense of all the nonsense.

We continue our discussions of Richard Chizmar's - owner of Cemetery Dance Magazine and Publications - thoughts on reading all the Stephen King novels over at - Stephen King Revisited.

This time Stephen King Revisited looks at - Rage.

Stephen King Revisited article links:

1) Getting It On by Bev Vincent
2) A Teacher’s Perspective on Rage by Norman Prentiss
3) Revisiting Rage by Richard Chizmar

We hope you enjoy this episode and, as usual, we want to hear from you.
Good or bad, we want it all!

You can leave us comments, questions, topic suggestions at:

1) FaceBook - Lilja's Library
2) Audio Message - Speak Pipe widget on the right hand of the podcast page (send voicemail)

In this podcast:
1) 00:00 - Intro
2) 00:57 - Podcast Setup
3) 01:33 - Reviews From The NightShift - Under The Dome
4) 29:32 - Stephen King Revisited - Rage
5) 34:42 - Sign Off
6) 1:27:38 - Outre


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Intro Music - Don't Fear The Reaper - Blue Oyster Cult

Outro Music - Stand By Me - Ben E. King

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King in Locke & Key

Posted: July 8, 2015, 23:21
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King and Joe Hill will be doing voices for the all-star cast audio adaptation of Locke & Key.

But fans of the dark fantasy won’t have to wait much longer to see their favorite book come to life. Or rather, hear it, as Audible Studios will be publishing the first graphic novel, adapted as an audio book with an all-star cast of nerd-friendly heroes.

MTV News can exclusively reveal that not only will the cast feature 50 voice actors, and an original score… It will also be narrated by Haley Joel Osment (“The Sixth Sense”) and Tatiana Maslany (“Orphan Black”), with special appearances by Hill, Rodriguez, Kate Mulgrew (“Orange is the New Black”) and Hill’s own horror star father, Stephen King.

Read more here.

Thanks to Herbert West

Cujo to be C.U.J.O.

Posted: July 7, 2015, 20:48
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Oh my God, WHY?

Sunn Classic Pictures, veteran producer/director Mr. Lang Elliott, is gearing up to produce, distribute and reboot films from its library. One of the most popular properties in the library is the film based on the Stephen King book entitled “Cujo” that starred Dee Wallace Stone in Sunn’s 1983 motion picture version. The reboot is currently titled C.U.J.O., and stands for “Canine Unit Joint Operations,” a press release tells Bloody Disgusting.

The screenplay has been completed and development is underway with Lang Elliott set to direct.

Read more here.

Thanks to Anders Jakobson and Troy Tradup