Adapting STEPHEN KING: Killer Frogs Are Coming Your Way Soon!

Because life gets in the way sometimes, I don't have as much time to spend with my blog as I used to.   In the past I have done entire month-long posts to celebrate Women In Horror Month, but I can't devote that much time anymore.  However, when I was asked to spotlight a new project helmed by women, I was on board pretty quick.  Even better is the fact that the source material is from a Stephen King short story.  

Vanessa Ionta Wright and Samantha Kolesnik are friends who met and bonded over their mutual love of all things horror.  Now they come together with another friend, Stephanie Wyatt, to bring us a new short film bound to send shivers down our spine and yearn for more from this talented team. 

Many thanks to Vanessa for taking the time to answer some questions about their highly anticipated project!

Let's dig in!

FWF:  Tell us a little more about your project.  Obviously when I hear those two little words:  Stephen King....I, and others I'm sure, listen a little closer.  How did you and Samantha meet and can you tell us about your backgrounds in the horror  industry?

Vanessa Ionta Wright:  Samantha and I met at the 2015 Shriekfest Film Festival in Los Angeles, her script 'The Price of Bones' and my script 'The Time Changer - Close at Hand' were both finalists in short screenplay competition.  I was actually sitting at a table outside of the theater enjoying some street style tacos when Samantha approached me.  I invited her and her husband to sit down and then proceeded to ask her if I had anything in my teeth.  I did, lots of cilantro.  She kindly helped me remove all the green from my teeth, I knew she needed to be in my life personally and professionally.

FWF:  Can you give us a little synopsis of the storyline, for those who haven't read the SK short story?

VIW:  Rainy Season is a story about a young couple who travel to the town of Willow, ME.  After repeated warnings from town locals to leave, they stay and learn the horrific price the town must pay for prosperity.  Every seven years, the rainy season descends upon Willow in a downpour of vicious, man eating toads:  The newest inhabitants of town are then sacrificed and suffer the deadly consequences of their choice to not head the warnings.

FWF:  Where are you filming and what made you choose that location?

VIW:  We are filming in the old town of Sharpsburg, GA for the Willow scenes and we are also shooting in a house in Senoia, GA that was built for the film 'Lawless' starring Tom Hardy, Shia LaBeouf and Gary Oldman.  We chose these locations for aesthetic purposes.  The home was built for a film so it is set up for equipment and hanging lights and still leaving enough room for the actors to perform.  Both locations will help to bring the town of Willow to life.

FWF:  Who else is involved in the film, and what do they bring to the table?

VIW:  The film is being directed by Grant McGowen, the Artistic Director of Pinch 'n Ouch Theatre in Atlanta.  Our DP is Mark Simon, who got his start working on Sixteen Candles, Ferris Beuller's Day Off and The Breakfast Club, to name a few.  I am the Executive Producer and Writer of the film and I have two phenomenal producers, Stephanie Wyatt and Samantha Kolesnik making it all happen.  The film is starring Tyner Rushing (Salem - tv series), Brian Ashton Smith (Nashville - tv series, Joyful Noise - film) Amber Germain and Alpha Trivette (Drop Dead Diva - tv series.)  This a great group of artists and I am thrilled to be working with them.

FWF:  Have you always been a horror fan?  What makes you want to write and produce horror?

VIW:  Yes, I have always been a fan of horror, since about the age of 7.  I was sitting on the stairs in my house while my parents watched The Amityville Horror on tv.  I gingerly peeked around the corner catching glimpses of the film, kickstarting a lifetime of nightmares and fears.  The adrenaline rush that comes along with being scared was addicting and I found myself chasing that high.  Thank god it was scary movies, could you imagine if I would have witnessed my parents doing heroin and jumped on that band wagon!   I, of course, had to sneak around to get my 'horror fix', as I was not old enough to watch these films.  I watched Poltergeist at a friend's house when I was 8, her parents had a 'hands off' approach to parenting.  

When we moved to Ohio and got cable television, I used to sit down in front of the TV and watch Commander USA's Groovie Movies.  I started with Friday the 13th part III, My Bloody Valentine, The Curse of the Cat People, C.H.U.D., An American Werewolf in London, etc. My mother was a huge Stephen King fan and had read all of his books.  I was always curious and wanted to read them but she always told me they would be too scary and give me nightmares...too late.  When I was 14, I picked up a copy of Four Past Midnight and was hooked.  I went back and read from the beginning.
I have always wanted to create these fictional worlds and bring them to life with the intent of scaring the viewer/reader or making them laugh.  I like to have that balance between humor and the macabre.  I have always been interested in writing and filmmaking, beginning with penning my first book, The Witch's Castle when I was 7. 

FWF:    Did you originally want to be a writer, or a film maker?  How did you accomplish your goals?

VIW:  Up until I was about 16 writing and making little "movies" had been a hobby.  Then I went to see a film.  This film was not a Hollywood blockbuster.  We saw it at the local art house theatre and it was independent movie.  I didn't know there was such a thing.  I thought all movies had big stars and huge budgets.  I had no idea that you could make movies like this.  The film was Reservoir Dogs and I realized at that moment that I wanted to do this for a living.

I went to Ohio University and studied video production and film.  After graduation, I moved to LA with a rag tag bunch of friends to pursue a career in music videos.  I was drawn to the experimental, short format film.  Music has always been a huge inspiration. When I sit down and start a new script I generally formulate a song playlist and keep it going until I 'fade to black'.

I wrote my first feature in college, a thriller called 'Melting Point'.  I was just learning the craft and the process and was completely hooked.  I decided to focus on writing and directing. 

As I gained more wisdom and life experiences, my writing improved and I went on to do pretty well in some competitions.  Okay, bargain moment:  'Bayou Gold' 2003 Semi-Finalist in the American Zoetrope Screenwriting competition and 2015 Official Selection in the Oaxaca Global Scrip Challenge, 'The Time Changer - Into the past' 2014 Finalist in the Shriekfest Horror Film Festival and 2015 Official Selection in Chicago's Indie Horror Fest, 'The Time Changer - Close at Hand' 2015 Finalist in the Shriekfest Horror Film Festival.  'Rainy Season' - 2015 Official Selection in the Northeast Horror Fest Film Festival and 2016 Official Selection in the Milledgeville Film Festival.

FWF: What made you want to adapt this particular story?

VIW:  A Facebook friend had posted a link about Stephen King's dollar babies in a group that I help form called Above The Line Artistry.  I went to Stephen King's website and read all about it.  Basically, King will release his short stories that have not been previously produced commercially and allow students and aspiring filmmakers take a stab at adapting his work.  The catch is that these films are for promotional/festival use only, no distribution or profits at all.  I think most people might ask, 'why in the world I would put so much time and energy into a film that can't make any money and that cannot be distributed.  Well...I'm not doing it for the money.  I looked at this as an opportunity to have my name attached, in some capacity, to Mr. King and to showcase myself and a talented team of up and coming artists and actors. 

I read through the list of available stories and many of them I knew, so I wanted to find one I wasn't familiar with.  I read Rainy Season from his collection Nightmares & Dreamscapes.  It reminded me a bit of Shirley Jackson's 'The Lottery', and sure enough, King makes a reference to that tale a few pages in.  Personally, the thing I found scariest about this story wasn't what was on the page, but all the subtext and things that weren't being said.  I thought, "this could be a really dark tale and translate really well to the big screen."  Stephen King will be seeing our completed film and that is extremely nerve racking and extremely exciting.

The expectations are high on this and we are not going to cut corners.  For a short film with a modest budget of $30,000 we have some really talented people lending their skills and expertise.
I also really focused on the subtext of Rainy Season in the film adaptation, we wanted more of 'What are the actors not saying', let's focus on that.  We decided to focus on the tension and suspense of the story.  Alfred Hitchcock said "There is no terror in the bang, only in the anticipation of it." This was my mantra while writing the script.

FWF:  Who are some of your biggest influences in the genre?

VIW:  Alfred Hitchcock and John Carpenter for sure!  Stephen King goes without saying...I like to think WWSKD?

FWF:  Do you consider being a woman more challenging in this particular genre and if so, what will you do to not just be another face in the crowd?

VIW:  I think it can be quite challenging for a woman in this genre.  Filmmaking tends to still be a boys club, but there are some amazing and talented female groundbreakers.  Jennifer Kent (The Babadook 2014), Mary Lambert (Pet Sematary 1989) Ida Lupino (The Hitch-Hiker 1953)
I live my life in such a way so as not be just another face in the crowd, and my career is the same way.  I can't even put into words what I do, but I make sure to leave a lasting impression.  I don't believe in gimmicks so I think I will set myself apart simply by making great films.  I only want to work with creative, talented people who are smarter than me.  And while we are working I want to laugh a lot and sometimes get scared.

FWF:  Please tell us about your crowdfunding to get this film made.

VIW:  We are crowd funding through indiegogo.  our campaign can be found at:
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/rainy-season-based-on-the-story-by-stephen-king#/

We have set up a Facebook page at www.facebook.com/rainyseasonmovie
Twitter @rainyseasonmovie
Instagram @rainyseasonfilm
Website at www.kreepygrrl2000.wix.com/rainyseason
YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCG8UEk7O5FLoCU-ZnClLe2g
(I have been posting daily videos "Fun With King" to keep people entertained.  I have also put out a challenge to people to play Fund My Film Truth or Dare.  starting at $50 people can dare me to do something and I have 24 hours to do it.)

FWF:  And finally, because everyone always gets a kick out of this:  what three horror movies would you want with you on that proverbial desert island?

VIW:  Just 3!!! ok...Halloween (1978), Psycho (1960), The Exorcist (1973)  I know those might seem cliché, but those are the 3...I think...JUST 3!!!!  too hard ;)

Joyland (2013): The Return Of The King

Every once in a great while, a book comes along that you are truly sad to see end. Everyone always says that, but how many people mean it?  It's been a long time for me. In fact, I'm trying to recall the last time I really hated to finish a book. One that I drug out reading for well longer than I intended. Maybe last summer when I read James Newman's The Wicked. I loved that book. I was also very enamored with John Harwood's The Seance from a few years back.

When I was a kid, I couldn't wait to get my paws on the newest Stephen King novel.  I gorged myself on his works, couldn't get enough.  And while I still love my favorite author, I haven't been nearly as excited about new releases, probably because I just tend to prefer his earlier (spookier) works. I still purchase every single one though, for completeness' sake. Which brought me to Joyland.

Joyland is brought to us courtesy of Hard Case Crime, for which King has penned another novel (The Colorado Kid). The Hard Case series emulates the crime novels of the 40's and although they are supposed to be more of a "pulp fiction",  honestly Joyland just doesn't fall in that category for me. Though it does have crime elements - in fact the story centers around a gruesome murder - it is much more a coming-of-age tale.  And with stories like The Body (adapted into the film Stand By Me), Carrie, Heart in Atlantis, Christine, and It (among others)  - we know King knows how to relate to the angst of growing up and making your way in the world.

The basic premise: Devin Jones is a naive college student who gets a summer gig at a North Carolina amusement park called Joyland.

Now, Joyland is no Disney World. It's not even a King's Dominion. It's more of a Kennywood Park (those of you from the Pittsburgh area know what I'm talking about) - an old-school independent park that thrives on tradition and yearly repeat customers.

From the moment Devin steps on the grounds, strange things begin to occur. Nursing a broken heart, he balks when the gypsy fortune teller tells him that relationship is well in the past and that he will meet a little girl with a red hat and a little boy with a dog and that both will have an important impact on his life.

He settles in to the summer job, taking unexpected pleasure in his duties as Howie the Hound - Joyland's honorary canine mascot. He dons "the fur" several times a day, dressing up in costume as a large dog and dancing for kids while parents take photos and enjoy the smiles on their children's faces.

As predicted, Devin meets the little girl in the red hat one day when she chokes on a hot dog. He saves her life, becoming an instant hero and the apple of the park owner's eye.  As the summer passes, Devin and his new-found friends, Tom and Erin (fellow employees that happen to fall in love) try to uncover the pieces of a puzzle involving of the death of a young woman at the park who died in the parks' Horror House several years ago at the hands of a mysterious stranger. All three friends become rather obsessed with the violent crime, and heed the rumors of a ghost haunting the park.

As the trio hopes to see the ghost of the deceased girl on the tracks at the Horror House, Devin finally meets the aforementioned boy with a dog. 
Mike is a charismatic youngster destined for a horrible death by way of an especially nasty type of Muscular Dystrophy. His mother Annie is a beautiful yet aloof caretaker for her sickly son, taking him from their seaside rented house to the shoreline every day to the edge of the water so he can watch the vacationers enjoy their time at the beach.

 As Devin begins a friendly relationship with the small family, the mystery of the murdered girl starts to unravel. Also integral to the plot is the fact that young Michael has a bit of the "shine" to him. He's touched with psychic intuition, and it makes a huge and very significant difference as the book continues toward the dare-I-say bittersweet finale. King has always had terrific character development, and things here are no different.  The main characters are very genuine and likeable, and the supporting cast of personalities make for entertaining interactions and plenty of eccentric "carny" action.  You just can't help but enjoy this story.

Joyland is a terrific summer read, full of boatloads of angst and peppered with just enough mystery to make you wonder how things are going to turn out. Fans of King's more horror-centric novels might be surprised when looking for the gruesome read they may be used to, as the novel is nearly bloodless. It does have its fair share of violence to keep the crime element alive.

One of the best things about Joyland is definitely the ending. (Not that I wanted it to end, mind you.) But sometimes I like a book to be tied up with a nice, neat bow. I like knowing what happened to the characters and how the events of the story affected and changed their lives.  An ambiguous ending works in many cases, but for this detective novel, its flawless finale was so perfect that I honestly started to tear up. I cannot even think of the last time a story made me feel that way.  It's just a great read, and King has got me psyched again. I can't wait for the end of September release of his upcoming Doctor Sleep, the long-awaited sequel to one of his most famous novels (and my personal favorite): The Shining.

The King has returned.

Random Rambling: Stephen King Novels

My pal William Malmborg just put a post up on his blog about Stephen King and "the most frightening book he has ever written", and he asked others to weigh in on their favorites. So I was thinking this is the perfect opportunity to ramble on for a few moments about ol' Stevie and his works.  This won't be an all-inclusive look at everything he's ever written of course, as I don't have a whole week to sit here....but to mention my favorites won't take too much of my time - or yours.

A little backstory:  I've been reading Stephen King since I was ten or eleven.  I can't recall how on earth I actually got my hands on a SK book at age ten, it's hard to tell.  I've always been someone who is easily swayed by pop culture.  Meaning, if someone is reading a popular book, talking incessantly about a certain movie, watching a tv show I haven't yet seen, or listening to trendy new music, I have to read it/watch it/listen to it.  It's just in my nature.  And though I can't remember, I'm going to assume that way back when, someone was chattering on and on about The Shining and I had to have it.  I was also well above my reading level from the time I was small, so I have to say I had already been reading things such as Jaws and Valley of the Dolls (yeah? well my mom shouldn't have left that one under the bed for me to discover!). 

Like I said, The Shining was the first SK novel for me.  I stayed up late every night for a week, hiding with a flashlight under the covers because I was supposed to be sleeping.  Thankfully, my bedroom was upstairs and the folks' down, so I got lucky and read late into the night....a lot.  Probably how I ended up the night owl that I am today.  The Shining is my favorite SK book, and probably because it was my first.  The story always fascinated me - I love a good haunted house story, and this was an entire hotel!  When the movie came out I was a bit surprised at the way Jack Torrance shifted over into complete lunatic-mode.  Not that I didn't like it, but I will agree with the author when I say the story is not conceived as such.  Torrance was more of an alcoholic influenced by the spirits (see what I did there?) of the hotel than simply a straight-forward madman.  Jack Torrance's behavior isn't the only thing different in the novel in comparison to the film.  The ending is entirely different, with the hotel burning down instead of the frozen conclusion we're used to.  Add to that the fact that there were malicious (live) topiary animals outside the hotel instead of the hedge maze...and well, you see what I mean about it being different.  But many key frights remain intact, such as the menacing hotel itself.  And the entire Room 217 scenario (though in the movie they changed the room number to 237).  Every time it was mentioned I knew something awful was going to happen.  I was also entirely spooked by Delbert Grady.
The Shining remains one of the best of King's stories, in my humble opinion.

Pet Sematary is probably my second favorite.  The completely disturbing content of this book just rattled me to the core.  I remember when my little brother was born, I implored my mother not to read that book.  I also begged her not to see the later film.  Little Gage was just a little too close to home, if you know what I mean.
This book is really frightening, perhaps even more than The Shining.  In fact, I'm sure of it.  So much is going on, from perilous highway that takes the lives of all the local pets... to the death of Victor Pascow... to the family cat getting smooshed on the road... to the Micmac burial ground behind the pet cemetery.. to the truck-creaming demise of young Gage... to zombie Timmy Baterman... to (and this is the real kicker) ZELDA!! 
Okay, so maybe I'm just forever scarred by the movie version of Zelda, but hey - she's fucking scary!
Pet Sematary has it all going on.  So many elements of horror to scare the shit out of you.  To me, it's the most shock-loaded book he's written.  And I love it.

Soon after reading The Shining, I knew I had to pick up and read absolutely everything King had ever put to paper.  In fact, if I could have purchased his shopping list, I would have done so.  (Something that is probably possible these days with the advent of eBay!) So being the young OCD that I was, I started from the beginning.  Which meant Carrie.  Being at the tender age of pre-puberty myself, Carrie affected me wholeheartedly.  While I couldn't totally identify with her (my mom was kind enough to explain the facts of life to me prior to my own happy hormonal experience), I could understand her.  I felt bad for her. Everyone knew someone like her.  Well, not the telekinetic thing, but the unpopular thing.  It gave me great pleasure to see those bratty teenagers get what was coming to them at that prom.

I made my way through novel after novel, eventually catching up to King writing them.  I've always loved all his early stuff, and though I enjoyed the likes of The Dead Zone and Salem's Lot, I'd have to say my next favorite of his works would have to be Christine. Not because of the name, mind you - but because it was so different.  A car that has a mind of its own?  Say what? I also remember loving how he used song lyrics from so many of those old 'car tunes' of the 50's and 60's to open each chapter.  That translated fairly well to film, also.  I was fifteen when the book was published, and was impressed to the hilt if a guy drove a nice car, especially a classic, because that was what was popular back then - unlike today's teens who get an SUV on their 16th birthday whether they deserve it or not.  Back in the 80's, most guys worked after school and on weekends to raise up enough money to buy a car to fix up and impress the ladies.  Times have changed.  Thanks, but I'll take the past. 
Anyway, Christine was a damn fun novel....but scary - not exceptionally. 

Misery, however?  That was scary.  Let's face it, at this point everyone probably associates the movie with the characters from the book.  And I'm okay with that now.  But I read the novel before the film came out.  There were changes from book to film, but I have to say it was still quite effective.  And the casting was simply brilliant.  But let's talk about the book.  Misery has this terribly effective way of getting under your skin as you read it.  You feel a claustrophobic tension that lasts through every chapter, and if there were such a thing as reading on the edge of your seat, this book would be a prime example.  Annie Wilkes is such a terrifying character.  You can imagine the headlines in your local paper - this shit could happen.  I had trouble imagining that King didn't think of himself as the Paul Sheldon character, because I sure did.  The "number one fan" thing was utterly unnerving and you really could feel Paul's fear, no more so than when Annie cuts off his foot with an ax.  That's right folks - none of this breaking feet with a sledgehammer stuff....in the book she cuts off his foot with an ax and cauterizes it with a blowtorch.  Um, yessiree! And that whole "shooting the sheriff dead in the basement doorway"....didn't happen.  She stabbed him then ran him over with a lawnmower.  Suppose that would be hard to translate to film. But besides all the obvious gore (did I fail to mention she cuts off Paul's finger with an electric knife?), I really think the effectiveness of the novel comes in the quiet moments of dread, such as when Paul realizes that Annie knows he's been out of his room....

While I profess my love of the likes of Cujo, Danse Macabre, On Writing, Needful Things, etc...I  have to say I haven't been quite as keen on King's later novels (i.e. ones written beyond 2000) - they haven't grabbed me like his earlier works. Some are just outrageously long, like Insomnia! Gah!  To be honest I've never finished that one.  IT is quite extensive as well, but that's one I couldn't stop reading.  Having purchased the just-released 850 page historical opus that is 11/22/63, I can see I'll have my work cut out for me.  From what I hear, it's a departure from the horror that we are so used to from him.  I haven't even started it yet, and it certainly seems like a helluva task.  I much prefer a novel around 450-550 pages.  That way I don't lose interest and I don't wonder when I'm going to finally finish. 
There's a lot more I could ramble on and on about regarding Stephen King's novels but I'll save it for another day. 

I've heard a lot of people cut Stephen King up, calling him a hack, a sell-out, untalented, etc. In fact, I'm weary of pretentious assholes that seem to think they are too good for his books. Yes, I like Dickens and Austen too. But I for one, have to defend King adamantly.  Anyone who can give me countless hours of entertainment and enjoyment is okay in my book.

The Master's Abode

My cousin Jackie recently moved to Maine and on a day trip up to Bangor she took this photo for me because she knows how much I adore and admire Stephen King.

This is one of his two homes in Maine (I believe his winter home is in Florida) - he's had it a long time because I remember seeing a black & white photo of it back in say perhaps... 'The Shining' days. I think it is his primary residence. He used to pass out candy to trick-or-treaters years ago but then it got too... overcrowded... as you can well imagine.

Front gate - how cool is that?
I do believe he commissioned an iron-worker to craft the entire fence around his home.

Just thought I'd share...