Using examples from the work of writer Stephen King and some of the films that have been made of his books, film expert Ellen Cheshire showed that when a book is made into a film there are inevitable changes to the original work. It is down to the director how he sees the main thrust of the story.
Generally, King has been happy with the film adaptations of his work with the exception of ‘The Shining’ starring Jack Nicholson. He felt that director Stanley Kubrick had concentrated on the horror in the story and set out to shock, whereas in the book, King was trying to show the development of the character and how he was affected by the strange goings-on at the Overlook Hotel.
Using examples from this and other films, Ellen showed how the opening scenes had changed from the writer’s original work to set the scene in a more visual way.
For those who love both books and films it was an interesting and thought-provoking evening, perhaps giving us a better understanding of why sometimes we are disapppointed with the film of a book we have enjoyed – or vice versa.