I just finished reading cell by stephen king, and was startled by the abrupt ending, which i couldnt make any sense of. Stephen king announced in 2009 that he had written a screenplay for the movie, and had created a new ending, based on reader complaints about the books ending. I should have been aware that stephen king movies like to keep a low profile on the movie synopsis and it was a treat to see how well this movie started off. Ending interpretation spoilers for this and cell the. The good endings played out in his head while he joined the zombie march around the giant cell tower. Of all the books by king i have read, this one is up there as one of the most genuinely frightening.
The 1990 tv miniseries scared the jorts off every early millennial with a. Ive read his full catalog, and i love him as an author, but he isnt infallible. Cell is a 2016 american science fiction horror film based on the 2006 novel of the same name by stephen king. Jun 10, 2016 the importance of stephen kings cell movie. Note that aside from creepshow 2, it chapter two, and doctor sleep, the sequels are only tangentially related to stephen king s work. Stanley kubricks adaptation of stephen kings novel about a haunted hotel and. I generally only pull these words out, dust them off and put them back into use when theyre really, really needed. The newest adaptation of stephen kings it has introduced yet another generation of kids to their worst nightmares.
Cell is a 2006 apocalyptic horror novel by american author stephen king. This movie, like many of stephen kings stories, would have worked way better as a miniseries. At the end of the movie cell we see that clay has turned into a phone zombie and has. The pulse is depicted as an electrical signal that transmitted globally through cellular telephones in roughly 2006. Yes the ending was left open as in there may be a possible continuation with another novel. John cusack and samuel l jackson are phoning it in as survivors of a crisis that turns mobile users into. The stephen king analogy is more than apt as one can easily have imagined the bespectacled one dreaming up the happening it in fact shares some ideas with kings recent cell novel. There are several shockinghorrifying, cringeworthy moments as people turn into zombies, then lots more zombie violence. This ending is confusing, so join me as i try to figure out what its all supposed to mean. He stated that he had complaints with the ending of the book and it was redone for the screenplay. Then the last thing written is two dates and a town.
Check out this video breaking down the movie scenes leading up to the movie ending. Maybe stephen king wanted his readers to think about what would happen next on their own. It stands to reason, i guess, that the movie version of cell isnt one of my favorite stephen king movies. King has published seven novels, under the pen name richard bachman. His books have sold more than 350 million copies, many of which have been adapted into feature films, miniseries, television shows, and comic books.
Cusack and jackson are the only good in this movie but there not good enough to save this crap. Stephen king s cell is an engaging pageturner from start to finish. Stephen king actually wrote the script for this one and said that he changed the ending of the movie because people didn. As a movie based on a stephen king novel of the same name, it is a horrible mess that makes little sense. Stephen kings bestselling novel is brought to terrifying life in this mindblowing thriller starring john cusack and samuel l.
Now, clay is able to see that the cell phone he was given has 3 bars. Stephen kings cell 2016 ending explained 2016 see more. The 1990 tv miniseries scared the jorts off every early millennial with a vcr and. Borchers the 1984 theatrical feature version of stephen kings short story about a group of murderous feral children who rule a rural town lord of. Stephen king himself has apparently said that anyone who reveals it should be strung up, but i choose to assume that a he was talking against springing the ending. I remember when i read this book thinking it could be an exceptional movie. Stephen edwin king was born the second son of donald and nellie ruth pillsbury king. On this ending explained, i tackle the stephen king apocalyptic zombie thriller cell 2016, starring john cusack and samuel l. Features the importance of stephen king s cell movie.
The story follows a new england artist struggling to reunite with his young son after a mysterious signal broadcast over the global cell phone network turns the majority of his fellow humans into mindless vicious animals. Im not going to spoil the movie but the ending is so damn terrible that it made me laugh how terrible it was. When i read stephen kings cell ten years ago 2006, like many of. The carnivalfairground workers had installed an illegal cell phone transmitter at the top of the parachute jump ride, so that they would be able to communicate with each other while setting up the fair and rides. Can someone explain to me the ending to stephen kings cell. Easiest explanation is that the two good endings john. The movie, clocking in at 97 minutes, just felt too rushed. Jan 29, 2019 for nearly 40 years now, the shining has reigned as one of the most acclaimed and terrifying horror films ever made. The book was published by doubleday in january 28, 1977.
Note that king mentioned in the video that he would change the original ending of the novel for the film. Besides, theres mild amusement to be had watching people shuffle around like violent zombies as a result of cell phone usage. Im a huge fan of stephen king, but cell is not one of my favorite novels hes written. Its a book i thoroughly enjoy and ive been cautiously optimistic about the movie. The zombies are laughable bad and not scary but they are funny. The movie ending, it seemed as if rays plan worked and he is finally reunited with his son, only to turn out to be just an imagination as he is now a zombie at kashwak. Jan 31, 2019 this like many of stephen king s novels is both a terrible look at mankind and a wondrous look at what could be. Stephen king is one of the most prolific authors alive, known for writing horror, fantasy, and psychological thrillers. I found this youtube video which clarified that clay did not turn into a phone zombie earlier in the movie. Near the end of his life, and long after his greatest novels were written, james m. The movies been around for a while at film festivals and vod, and will soon be released in theaters.
He probably got pulsed immediately after he arrived at phoner central. Stephen kings novel cell was published in 2006 and its taken 10 years to get it out on film. On november 11, 2009, stephen king announced at a book. Aug 25, 2016 it took a far too long and boring route to get to a rather unsatisfying ending in my opinion. Stephen kings cell 2016 ending explained video hell horror. For nearly 40 years now, the shining has reigned as one of the most acclaimed and terrifying horror films ever made. Though it may have cooled in 2018, expect the stephen king. Moreover, the fact that cell is directed by tod williams, who also directed. Who has read stephen kings cell, and what does the ending mean. Review stephen kings cell is another forgettable adaptation. Why cant they ever do justice to a stephen king book. Both of them scared the heck out of me and i cannot say this book is one i enjoyed. Stephen king movie adaptations are mostly hit or miss for most horror fans.
I got caught by the sequence where louis is breaking into the cemetery, and ended up reading several pages. Foundflix stephen kings cell 2016 ending explained tv. His joy at finally hitting it big is shattered by an event called the pulse which causes all those who were using their cell phones at the time of the pulse to become zombies attacking and killing anyone in their way. Foundflix stephen kings cell 2016 ending explained. Can someone explain to me the ending to stephen king s cell. Cell vs cell stephen kings book vs stephen kings film. Owen gleiberman of variety referred to the outbreak scene in the airport as the only unsettling scene in the film. There seems to be three endings, walking down a trail, blown up good, andor joining the flock. Jun, 2016 10 years ago, stephen king wrote cell a novel about mass consumption and portable horde culture in the digital age. Cell novel cell is an apocalyptic horror novel by american author stephen king, published in 2006. The ending of kings novel is notoriously ambiguous, hated by some. Cell was written by stephen king and published in 2006.
For those of you out there in constant reader land who are feeling miffed because the tv version of under the dome varies considerably from the book version, heres a little story. Cain agreed to be interviewed by a student reporter who covered culture and the arts for his college. When it comes to the end of the movie, i think it shows that life in itself is very valuable, and that john coffey gave all the years that he and the other death row inmates that paul edgecomb tom hanks had left and gave it to paul as both a gif. On the endings of stephen kings novels science fiction. The cell movie ending, however, made many viewers question what happened. Cell is the second film adaptation of a king story to costar cusack and jackson, after the 2007 film 1408. Shortly after it was published, the book was optioned by dimension films. Stephen kings cell 2016 was a film i was thrilled to watch and enjoyed it because i watched the film fresh. Its not one of his better works, but is considered pretty decent by. A brief synopsis and the ending will be revealed for the book cell.
Dont know if its just his movies but king just cant get a quality ending to his stories. After his father left them when stephen was two, he and his older brother, david, were raised by his mother. List of adaptations of works by stephen king wikipedia. The cell, my 3rd time reading it, does not fail to deliver horror and gore, yet also brings the beauty of one mans search for his family after an apocalyptic phone call. Jun 10, 2016 stephen king announced in 2009 that he had written a screenplay for the movie, and had created a new ending, based on reader complaints about the books ending. The film is directed by tod williams, produced by john cusack, with a screenplay by king and adam alleca. Stephen kings cell 2016 was a film i was thrilled to watch and enjoyed it because i. Can someone explain to me the ending to stephen kings.
At the boston airport, clay cusack witnesses a scene of. King even changed the ending of cell based on specific complaints readers. Thats what happens on page six of kings latest, a glib, technophobic but compelling look at the end of. Having read the book twice now once a few years ago and again last week, i have mixed feelings about the film. Like many stephen king novels though, the happening is great with buildup, but the movies ending is too arbitrary and predictable to be truly satisfying. The book was followed in 20 by the sequel doctor sleep. Everyone using a cellphone at the time of the pulse. A list of stephen king s movies, organized alphabetically. We find out that he was unable to destroy the tower and was not happily reunited with his son. Stephen king just can plain write a very poor ending. Parts of his childhood were spent in fort wayne, indiana, where his fathers family was at the time, and in stratford, connecticut. Stephen king s bestselling novel is brought to terrifying life in this mindblowing thriller starring john cusack and samuel l. I havent read the book before i watched the movie and still there was something very off about it.
Heres some background on the mainebased writer and a bibliography, featuring details about some of his most notable works. The film was released on june 10, 2016 to video on demand, prior to a limited release scheduled for july 8, 2016. Stephen edwin king is an american author of contemporary horror, supernatural fiction, suspense, science fiction, and fantasy. If you like it, im glad for you, but dont be scornful and say that stephen king writes books that are mostly too long and boring until you think about this. The pulse was an international cellular signal that began armageddon. Who has read stephen kings cell, and what does the. This is a list of media based on work by stephen king including the richard bachman titles. Cell a stephen king adaptation that starts promising and devolves into nonsense. Parts of his childhood were spent in fort wayne, indiana, where his fathers. So, i knew his son was dead before reading the book.
Parents need to know that cell is a horrorzombie movie based on a stephen king novel. I see alot of love for this book on gr and i can see why. King stated that because fans did not like the ending of the book, he had changed it for the film. So lets take a look at the ending from stephen kings book, the ending from the leaked cary fukunaga script, what we will probably see as the ending to andres muschiettis movie, and how they all make sense. More a leisurely paced, characterdriven drama with horror elements than an outright thriller, cell wants to warn viewers that they have become too attached to their mobile devices. I hated the ending of cell, while i enjoyed the ending of the colorado kid. At the end of the movie cell we see that clay has turned into a phone zombie and has become part of the zombie flock around the cell tower. Its been a long road to get stephen king s 2006 novel cell to the screen. The shining is the third book published by stephen king. Still am, but, like you say, the signs arent so good. This like many of stephen kings novels is both a terrible look at mankind and a wondrous look at what could be. Both open ended, but one worked with the story that he had written while the other left the work feeling incomplete. Sep 09, 2017 the newest adaptation of stephen king s it has introduced yet another generation of kids to their worst nightmares.
The explanation of the cell movie ending can be found at about 8. The only real ending is him getting pulsed and joining the flock. With all of this talk about stephen king movies in 2017, theres one movie thats been a. Fortunately for clay, he does not own a cell phone. Expect shootings, stabbings, dead bodies, explosions, and tons of blood. Stephen king, the mist i read the mist quite awhile ago and also saw the film.
There is no explanation as to why or how the outbreak. Top 6 reasons cell is a much better movie than it gets credit for. The settings werent over the top, the characters were good, the plot was solid, and it kept me entertained. Jun 24, 2016 on this ending explained, i tackle the stephen king apocalyptic zombie thriller cell 2016, starring john cusack and samuel l. With all of this talk about stephen king movies in 2017, theres one movie thats been. Apr 14, 2017 and it certainly will not rehash the incredibly lackluster ending shown in the miniseries.
I added that so you wouldnt say im being closedminded. The story of why it took 10 years to make stephen king s cell into a movie and why its an. For my avid readers all 2 of you, youll probably remember one of my occasional catchphrases. I found the story to be intriguing and the characters were drawn so well i could really relate to them.
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