Starting on July 1st, TNT is airing 8 1-hour shows adapted from Stephen King's Book Nightmares and Dreamscapes, a collection of short stories.
In my opinion, most of King's work hasn't translated well to film...usually because it's really hard to capture the nuances that make his novels feel "real" in unreal situations within a 2-hour framework.
As far as mini-series go, I don't think It was scary enough because it was made for network TV (although Tim Curry as the monster was an inspiring bit of casting), and Rose Red was a total piece of crap. I did enjoy The Stand, however.
I'll be interested to see how these come out.
Why am I babbling about this?
Because Hubby was talking in his sleep again last night, and it got me to thinking about dreams and nightmares.
Although he isn't anything like an old elementary school friend of mine named Simone (she was a huge hit at slumber parties--would carry on conversations for HOURS while dead to the world, as long as someone was willing to pretend to be her mom and kiss her once in awhile), Hubby and I have had a couple of interesting conversations.
Scottish Cheese! he once bellowed.
"Cottage Cheese?" I asked stupidly, more than half-asleep.
No, you idiot! Scottish Cheese is from Scotland! Go open the gate already! Chop chop!
Last night he insisted I relinquish the blue blanket.
"Ok" I said, an old hand after 14 years. "Here you go."
Thank you. Then he turned over and farted. Pardon me!
At least he's polite. Even in his sleep.
How do I put up with it?
I put up with it because I'm actually worse than he is. I guess you could say he puts up with ME.
I'm what is called (so I've been told) a "lucid dreamer". Sometimes I sleep with my eyes open, and I think I'm awake. I guess I'm half-awake. I can see inside my room, but I'm dreaming of things that are going on outside the bedroom door (like burglars, or a fire) and I'm powerless to scream or reach out to wake Hubby up. It's terrifying.
Every so often I have a dream that is so sad I wake up crying. And I'll cry for another 20 minutes. I know consciously that it was a dream, but I have a hard time separating my emotions.
Sometimes I'll wake up absolutely furious. Many a time I've shaken Hubby awake shouting things like, "How dare you sell our children to a traveling circus!" Or "If you were boinking that cow down the street why did you have to compound my humiliation by making me go to her f*cking Tupperware party!"
I've been pissed at him for HOURS after dreams like that, even though there's no logical reason.
At first he would try to defend himself.
It wasn't me! It was just a dream!
Or he would accuse me of eating cheese before bedtime. Or put on his Yosemite Sam hat. No more hasenpfeffer for you!
Now he just apologizes. I'm sorry! I didn't know that the headless Barbie in the pencil case was our newborn child when I threw it in the trash!
Smart man.
I once had a creepy erotic dream about Louie Anderson in Spongebob shorts. Except I think I remember him looking like Ricky Martin. For a couple of days I kind of had tingly feelings for Lil' Louie. How scary is that?
The most recent big freaky dream I had was last year. Hubby belongs to a volunteer service organization and they were working non-stop for months on a project for a big anniversary. In addition to his regular job, he was spending about 20 more hours a week on this and we hardly saw him here at the homestead. His stress was affecting all of us.
In my dream the project bottomed out, so they decided to make a big splash by donating organs.
Starting with mine.
He cut my head off and put it on the counter. Of course, I was dreaming, so I could still holler at him.
"What in the hell are you doing?" I shouted.
I'm sorry, he said, as he wrapped my bits in foil (which looked like the steaks we wrap to age in our freezer). I can't ask anyone else to donate if I'm not willing to make a sacrifice myself!
I woke up ready to kill, and stumbled out of bed on my way to the bathroom.
Are you ok, honey? he asked sleepily.
"You cut my head off, you son of a bitch!" I snarled.
I'm sorry. Was I a king?
________________
Anybody else got some weird dream stories to tell?
24 comments:
I do hope we get that series over here. I love Stephen King's short stories. One of my faves is (I think) in Nightmares and Dreamscapes, it's Sneakers, about the chap in a recording studio.
Your retelling of your dreams made me laugh so much. The one about your husband selling your children reminded me of one I had recently. In it, I came home from somewhere, and Mr Blogs had sold our dogs because he wanted to buy a tiger. We had been talking about getting another cat, and I can only think my subconcious brain had interpretted it in this way.
In another Dave Grohl (from the Foo Fighters) and I were walking past the Moat House hotel in Stratford when he suddenly said 'quickly, to the river, we have to rescue a tiny submarine'. When we got there it really was tiny, about 3 feet long, but full sized people climbed out.
Our family is famous for vivid dreams, and some became legendary. One of my older sisters had a doll back in the 70's that was the size of a toddler. Another sibling had cut off all its hair down to the rows of tiny nubs, and someone else had drawn all over the doll with magic marker. This sinister looking doll was discarded and would turn up creepily grinning at us at the least expected times.
My brother Vince had a dream once that he was walking through the house and the doll was treading behind him, following him from a measured distance. He began walking faster and the doll did likewise. Then he ran through the kitchen and up the old back staircase, bumping his shins on the old tin strips wrapped over the edge of each step. As he reached the top of the stairs in his dream, he turned to see the doll on the stair landing, beginning to climb.
He rounded the corner into the bathroom, where my parents have an old claw-foot tub raised to about 4" off the floor. Vince threw himself down on his stomach and flattened out to scoot under the tub, his face pressed sideways to the floor, facing the bathroom doorway. The last thing he remembers in the dream was the doll reaching the head of the stairs and turning to round the corner into the bathroom where he lay trapped under the tub. Just before he woke up, the doll stared at him under the tub and smiled.
I'm anxious to see how they slaughter or "do right by" the upcoming SK series too. I totally agree with your opinions about the others - particularly Rose Red. As I sat through that, I kept waiting and muttering to myself, "they're kidding, right?"
Your dream bit was hilarious. I have had those horrible cheating husband nightmares as well and can recall waking up in a snit and remaining in one all morning long. Sometimes, it's just so silly - but always, it's out of my control!
I maintain dream emotions way too often. I can't think of anything outstanding to report on right now, but one comment I will make is this ... I've always had little patience of those who become "bothered" by the fact that my dreams are vivid. Because some don't have any recall doesn't mean they don't exist.
It was nice of you to relinquish that blanket, by the way. Good girl for playing along. :)
I thought I was the only freak like this!
I often wake up crying and can't shake off the feeling or feel the need to use a sledgehammer and HAVE to visit the punching bag. Sometimes it's so bad I can't get back to sleep. Although, I can't say Louie ever buttered my toast.
I can't think of something specific....mostly it's feelings or single images and impressions that stick with me. I know I see a lot of dead people or the death of people. I try to forget them.
When I get pissed at Hubby for his dreamscape shenanigans, he apologizes too. It's better than me kicking him.
Stepehen King is somewhat overrated. He's good in that he has a good imagination and can make a story, but it seems that everyone wants to cash in on his name rather than make use of a good story. Dreamcatchers (the book) had a good point and I liked it (not loved, but liked). The movie was a steaming pile of rotten whale poop. Since the movie The Shining (which was a great movie because of the director), producers/directors have felt it was okay to change his books to fit their perceived target demographic and maximize profits.
I just realized i was rambling on and on. I'll stop now.
Meow! :}
Last night I had a series of interconnected dreams about being chosen to be one of the new 5 housemates in Big Brother.
Involving the show's producer doing my hair and makeup and brushing my hair (argh! My hair should never be brushed, it's too frizzy) and picking out clothes from the costume department for me to wear. Which of course doesn't happen.
And I hadn't bothered to pack properly and had just taken clothes, forgetting soap, deodorant, razor, shampoo, hair gel/serum and medication. I'd even forgotten alcohol.
I woke up just as we were about to go into the secret section of the house.
It was a pleasant change from my usual disturbing dreams as it was quite interesting and sort of nice, because the people were lovely.
I've just written an entry about recent dreams I've been having. I used to cry in my sleep, I've sung and I've even threatened people! It's odd because everyone else in my family sleeps like the dead.
LOL - Attila, you crack me up.
The most vivid dream I have ever had was when I was about 8 or so. I had a dream that my dad chopped up my mom with an ax.
I had another one where my daughter and I had gone hiking when she was about 4 or 5 and we came across some caves and decided to go explore them. We got seperated and I couldn't find her and there was some strange man after her.
My hubby also talks in his sleep. Just the other night he asked me for a beer at 3am. I am notorious for having full conversations with you while I'm sleeping. My eyes are open and everything, but I'm asleep and I won't remember a thing.
Once, while I was in college, I had come home to visit my mom and fell asleep on the couch curled up at one end and mom sitting at the other. She said my eyes just popped open and I turned and looked at her and I told her in a growling voice "Get up. Get up now." She told me about it when I woke up and I was horrified. "Mom! I'm so sorry. I was asleep"
She said "I know honey, it's okay. You wouldn't talk to me like that unless you were asleep. I didn't raise a fool." LOL
I can't believe they are butchering SK books again. You just can't make good movies out of his books because what makes the books so good are what is going on inside the characters heads. I'm not watching it. IT was so terrible. BLECK
It was actually the night before last I dreamt that Pink Floyd lived inside my legs. And they were practising all the time, which made my legs hurt (I have chronic pain in my legs).
I was conflicted because Pink Floyd are a great and famous band, so if I somehow got them out of my legs, they would perish and it would be a great loss to the world. Only I was in a lot of pain and I am not all that keen on Pink Floyd.
The strangest dream I have had was when I was a squirrel who was addicted to coccaine and had to orchestrate complicated art theft in order to pay for my habit. It was a dream full of guilt, because everyone thought I was really cute and yet in truth, I was dastardly villain.
Kate---Nightmares and Dreamscapes aren't my ultimate favorite. I wish they'd do one on an earlier story The Mist. I could get into that!
Mary---eek eeek! Scary doll dreams!
WH---I am SO with you on vivid dream deniers. LOL And thanks for the kudos on the blue blanket. We don't HAVE a blue blanket. ;-)
Happykat---Amen on Dreamcatchers. The only good thing to come out of that book was the term shit-weasel!
Anna--don't you hate waking up when you get to the good part?
Samantha--too funny! Have they come up with silly explanations like "you were dropped on your head as an infant"?
Nikki---I'm feeling a bit skeptical myself. If the first 15 minutes bite, I'm outta there!
Goldfish--You saved Pink Floyd for the world! Yikes, what a creepy dream!
LOL, my poor hubby ..........
I either have a dream where he ticks me off and in the morning I am so angry and I am well pretty darn angry with him all day ( no fault of his) but I tell him all about what he did and how could he?? etc...
Those he always says it was a dream and not real so it should have nothing to do with him.....
however, then there are those awesome dreams , you ladies know the ones * wink * * wink* oh yeah...those ones...the ones I enjoy oh so much....
Well, if I have those dreams he gets so upset with me and says .man why didn't I wake him up and share????
oh well , you know...it was afterall just a dream and should have nothing to do with him LOL LOL >...
my 2 favorite stephen king adaptations that worked...
The Shining and The Green Mile.
--RC of strangeculture.blogspot.com
Quinn---I think I'm going to have to send you to the Naughty Corner!
RC---I agree with you--if you're talking about the first Shining. ;-) That scared the hell out of me!
Very funny post. I too talk in my sleep, usually when I am sick or really stressed.
Some times I wake myself up just by the action of talking out loud.
One night I had been tossing and turning all night So tired. When I did finally go to sleep, I found myself transported to work and asked what time it was. The clock on the wall was too hard to see. So each person at work asked another person until it got all the way back to me and I was asked what time it was. Out loud I said,"I asked first!" and that woke me up. I had only been asleep a few minutes and was so angry at everyone at work for waking me up. I didn't get over being mad until I went to work and told one of them about the dream. When they started laughing at me, so did I.
I remember reading that book ages ago but I eventually got tired of there being someone psychic in each of his books. Gerald's Game and Rose Madder were two of his strangest books. I met Stephen King once. He's a strange man to say the least. I will probably watch that series on TV. You're right about most of his stories not translating well but they're still entertaining enough.
BTW, my ex had night terrors. You think your husband's dreams/nightmares are frightening?!
I get really vivid and "real" dreams, ones I can remember. Ones I can even affect asleep.
But occassionally the worst ones come along and there's nothing I can do but play it out. And I wake up either scared or very worn out like I've been doing stuff.....and those usually fade away once I wake, so I never know exactly what happened.
The only way I got through Rose Red was looking at the Seattle scenery when they'd occassionally pan outside. Worse, there's a new version out - and it's even worse.
I belly-laughed reading your dreams. My dreams are pretty lucid, but have never been beheaded!
Just came 2 u via admiral pooper, thought your blog name sounded soooo cool that I just had to "cock a snoop". Dreams huh? Why are most of them frigthening or just plain weird or is this just me? Actually my mum has v funny ones... but that would be 4 her to tell. Any hoo please feel free to stop on by my blog, i appreciate all comments. Will come back here.
Your derams are hilarious! My husband is one of those lucid dreamers--he is prone to yell, cry, or argue in his sleep. I remember several times that I have been woken up from a deep sleep (which doesn't make me the nicest person, by the way) to debate him about shower steam onthe bathroom mirror!
Your dreams are hilarious! It's a good thing you and your husband both have weird dreams or it might be a problem.....at least this way you both understand what it's like!
I'm a big Stephen King fan. Loved The Stand mini-series and I'll watch Nightmares and Dreamscapes!
I love Stephen King but Im not entirely a fan of his books - that doesnt make sense I know but everything I have read about him points to what an intriguing and multi-faceted talent he is. I also agree with alot of his choices for his top twenty songs (I cant really remember the specifics but just trust me - he has taste). Anyway, you are so funny with how you talk about your dreams and on the level of their emotional impact I can relate. I have been either pissed off, upset or wildly infactuated with someone because of a dream (some of the infactuation stuff makes me puke eventually).
Have you ever astral travelled? I have done it only twice but I must say that the experience will stay with me forever. My body lifts up into the air (I dont mean physically - this is while Im dreaming)and I fly like a rocket over land and sea. My heart beats so fast I have a feeling of elation and fear at the same time. I wake up feeling like anything can happen - completely euphoric.
ok--I'm with you on SK to movies. The only reason The Shining worked was because Kubrick made it his own. I did like The Stand.
Now, the dream stuff is cracking me up. I've had a lot of interesting dreams. I remember when I was a lass of 17 or 18, I dreamed I had triplets (fathered by a manager at work) and they were mice. My brother was coming over to see them, but they had turned into bagels. Tragically, I could only find half of each child. I was worried that my brother would find me irresponsible.
I've had a number of recurring dreams: 1) I'm a little kid lost at a parade. The only family member I can find is my brother and he's an upside down tooth. 2) I'm being chased by a psychotic albino (long before daVinci Code).
Recently I dreamed I did something to irritate a good friend of mine. I think I was tickling her. To get back at me, she decided she was going to give me a wedgie. While she was struggling to get a hold of my undies, I was able to give her a wedgie... in the front. I was laughing hysterically saying, "wedgie in the front, I gave you a wedgie in the front." I woke up laughing really hard. Even now, it's hard not to crack up thinking about it. Wedgie in the front.
that's one polite husband you have there!
I can never remember my dreams. Darn.
Lisa
You are a very ill woman, Mom. Anyone who dreams of Louie Anderson in ANY context needs some serious meds.
oh man, no...I don't think I have any dream stories to top that.
Just the usual dreaming I am peeing and turning up naked to work/school.
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