Stephen King’s most overlooked work: “That movie didn’t get the attention it deserved”
Out of every living author, Stephen King is easily one of the most well-known. His tales have helped to completely transform the horror and thriller landscape, creating characters and stories that have had a lasting impact on popular culture. While his novels have sold millions in their own right, the popularity of King’s stories as cinematic source material has boasted his success and fame even further.
His first novel, Carrie, also happens to be one of the 1970s’ most influential horror movies. It starred Sissy Spacek as the young Carrie White, a quiet and bullied teenage girl who learns to utilise her supernatural powers after starting her period. The movie was directed by Brian De Palma and became an instant success, garnering several Oscar nominations.
It wasn’t long until another King adaptation was in the works, this time with legendary director Stanley Kubrick at the helm. The Shining was released in 1980, and while it received mixed reviews, it is now considered one of the greatest horror movies of all time. King wasn’t particularly impressed with the adaptation, however, criticising the characterisation of Wendy in particular.
While King is best known for his horror novels, with IT also proving to be incredibly successful as both a book and on screen, he has penned many other tales that have fallen outside the genre. He was once asked what his favourite adaptations were, and he cited the coming-of-age drama Stand By Me, psychological thriller Misery, prison drama The Shawshank Redemption and the drama The Green Mile.
In fact, the majority of King’s most successful movies aren’t even horror-related. Still, there is one horror story that he believes doesn’t get the credit it deserves, perhaps considering it better than more revered titles like The Shining. Talking to Netflix Tudum, he revealed, “The one that people don’t talk about a lot is Cujo. And I always thought that movie didn’t get the attention it deserved. Certainly not for Dee Wallace, who should’ve got an Oscar nomination.”
Released in 1983, just a few years after The Shining, the movie follows a mother, played by Wallace, and her son, portrayed by Danny Pintauro. The pair are trapped inside a Ford Pinto on a hot day after Cujo, a previously loveable dog, tries to attack them. The dog’s wild and murderous behaviour (he manages to maul various people to death), is the result of a rabid bat bite which transforms him into a terrifying beast.
King had written the book just two years before, although he was struggling with severe alcoholism at the time, so he cannot remember even penning the words that formed the novel. Still, he managed to write a book that would become a worldwide bestseller.
As for the film, directed by Lewis Teague, it grossed $21.2million against a budget of $6m. While it was moderately successful, and critics were complimentary for the most part, Cujo has now found more of a cult following rather than retaining widespread acclaim. King believes that the movie is much better than a lot of people give it credit for, and indeed, Wallace’s performance certainly deserves more praise.
