Glad you enjoyed it Westy
Ok, big question, why was the film not half as good as the book
The actors were brilliant, it created a goods atmos, and yet the "Shawshank redemption" effect was not in the least bit repeated
I think its two reasons really, one that in the book we quite clearly went on a journey with the author, the book clearly had a life of its own, whilst the book was clearly rigid, the opening scene hinted at the end. The secondary story of Paul in the OAP home, was not realised at all, whilst it became a bigger part of the book as each instalment happened. Which meant you didn't get the fear of old Paul, which seemed similar to the fear of the inmates on the Green Mile.
Which brings me to the main reason it didn't have the same effect, I feel.
Stephen Kings made rather a good living out of being the foremost horror writer of his time, hes immense at creating primal fear. I said to HC, to get her to read it, it wasn't the normal horror-type-stuff, which it isn't. Yet what makes your hairs stand on end is the terror of the executions, It binds the story, it makes it whole!
It was interesting when Westy said the red indian chiefs death put him off his meal, because in the film, it passed without much emotion or terror, and as for the death of Del, in the book
Maybe Sam Raimi should of directed the film
King also didn't bottle Coffeys death, it wasn't the warm ending that you may have expected.
Gosh, must give up sobriety, my posts are getting really long and tedious, rather then short and ted.....