Category: Blog

Stephen King Movies for People Who Hate Being Scared

Posted on by Mikey

I am a horror fan. I have been since I was a child. I was raised on horror—The Twilight Zone, Jaws, all things vampires. And, of course, Stephen King.

I grew up in New England, so the Maine native was always a topic of conversation. One of the many reasons I liked his movies was that so many of them took place in the backyards of where I grew up.

If I could live my dream career, it would be as a horror filmmaker. Probably a writer and director.

I even just published a book of short horror stories. Shameless plug.

Anyway, I know that horror isn’t for everyone.

My therapist and I like to talk about movies, and he always tells me he doesn’t watch horror. I was also talking with someone today who said they don’t like horror, but they do enjoy some Stephen King.

So, I was inspired to write this article.

Let’s start with Stand By Me.

The 1986 adventure film was directed by the late, great Rob Reiner. As many people know, Stephen King did not like Kubrick’s version of The Shining. But he loved Stand By Me, which was based on his story The Body. He cried in the theater watching it and gave a ton of praise to Reiner.

The movie couldn’t be more nostalgic. If you grew up, you will love this movie.

It might be too long for a tattoo, but I would love to get this someday:

“I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was twelve. Jesus, does anyone?”

Anyway, Stand By Me is an adventure, coming-of-age story about four boys who set out to find a dead body. It’s not horror at all—this is probably the safest entry point into Stephen King.

The Long Walk is a newer movie.

The 2025 dystopian thriller follows 50 boys competing in a contest where one person wins a wish and riches… and the other 49 are shot dead where they stand.

Now, I want to point something out. I said this list is for people who don’t like horror. This movie, however, is extremely heavy. It’s not traditional horror, but the concept is intense.

The movie is based on the 1979 book of the same name, which also happens to be one of King’s earliest works.

So while it’s not scary in a jump-scare way, just know what you’re signing up for with this one.

Speaking of something a bit lighter, let’s talk about The Life of Chuck.

This 2024 movie is directed by Mike Flanagan, who has taken on quite a few Stephen King adaptations like Doctor Sleep and Gerald’s Game. He also just wrapped production on a Carrie television show.

The Life of Chuck is based on a novella by Stephen King and is more of a fantasy drama. Both the book and the movie are told in three parts.

There is one moment that might feel a little unsettling—but not in a jump-scare way. It’s the kind of thing that sticks with you.

The film stars Tom Hiddleston, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Karen Gillan, Mia Sara, Carl Lumbly, Benjamin Pajak, Jacob Tremblay, and Mark Hamill, with narration by Nick Offerman.

You’re not a fan of horror, but are you a fan of sci-fi?

I sure hope so.

Then check out The Running Man.

The original 1987 film stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, and it was recently remade with Glen Powell. The newer version is more faithful to the book and focuses on contestants who must survive 30 days while being hunted, with a massive cash prize on the line.

This one leans more action and sci-fi than horror, making it a great option if you want Stephen King without the scares.

The Shawshank Redemption is a 1994 Oscar-nominated film starring Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman. The prison drama is based on Stephen King’s Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption. Both follow an imprisoned banker who spends decades behind bars, befriends a fellow inmate, and quietly works toward something more.

The Green Mile is another Oscar-nominated prison drama. This one stars Tom Hanks and Michael Clarke Duncan and has a slight supernatural element to it.

The film follows a death row inmate who appears to have a mysterious gift and may not be what people think he is. The 1999 film was directed by Frank Darabont and is based on Stephen King’s book of the same name.

“If you’ve avoided Stephen King because of horror, start here. You might be surprised what you’ve been missing.”

Honoring Catherine O’Hara

Posted on by Mikey

I was scrolling Facebook yesterday when I saw the news that Catherine O’Hara had died. I figured it was just another spam account that I had followed by accident. That felt easier to believe. I guess it was wishful thinking. I then went to Google, where I saw countless news publications sharing the same news. And then came the tributes from those close to her.

Macaulay Culkin, Dan Levy, Pedro Pascal—so many people talked about what a joy it was to work with her.

O’Hara got her start in Canadian comedy. She worked alongside so many talents, including Eugene Levy and John Candy, on SCTV. She was also a cast member on Saturday Night Live. She went on to become everyone’s favorite mother in the Home Alone films. She dominated the mockumentary world in Christopher Guest films and worked alongside Tim Burton, including the famous dance scene in Beetlejuice.

More recently, O’Hara co-starred in Seth Rogen’s The Studio as a former executive pushed out because of her age. And, of course, we loved her as the once-affluent Moira Rose in Schitt’s Creek.

Roses bloopers for the fruit wine commercial is one of my favorite performances of hers. https://youtu.be/jVojhvifruk?si=flhNOEywcGGjoteh

Her role as the struggle mother in the 2002 comedy Orange County was one of the first things I saw her in and will always be one of my favorites. Her character tries to keep it together as a trophy wife and mother to a slacker played by Jack Black and an over achiever played by Colin Hanks.

https://youtu.be/DnwnDFr9kOs?si=GGFNAfMPgkkHx-Sj

And everyone loves Best in Show. Which is fair. It’s fantastic. But A Mighty Wind is just as good, if not better. O’Hara’s relationships with longtime screen partner Eugene Levy is so good in this movie. https://youtu.be/QwLZfPPM7GQ?si=WyymHHW9Ax9o_MJf

Rest in peace to an absolute comedy legend.

I Wrote a Book of Short Horror Stories

Posted on by Mikey

Over the past two years, I wrote four children’s books. Three of them I plan to turn into series. I took a break from those to put together a book of short horror stories.

Some stories we’re written long ago. Some we’re just ideas in my head that I finally put to paper. And some of them are brand new. I would love to one day to turn them all into a television show or turn one or two of them into a movie. More realistically, I hope someone else turns them into a show or movie.

I was raised on thing like Stephen King films and The Twilight Zone. My stories are heavily inspired by those things.

There are stories about ghosts, spiders, monsters, torture.

Pick up a copy here: https://a.co/d/7EQyj0d

If You Liked Anaconda, Might I Recommend

Posted on by Mikey

If you went to the theaters this week and saw Anaconda this week, you probably laughed your ass off. We all know Jack Black and Paul Rudd do comedy well. Jack Black has proven his comedic chops in films such as Orange County, School of Rock, Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny, and the Kung Fu Panda, Jumanji, and Super Mario franchise. Paul Rudd also entered our screens in the 90s, in things like Clueless. Throughout the next few decades, he worked closely with David Wain in films like Wet Hot American Summer, Role Models, They Came Together, and Judd Apatow’s The 40-Year-Old-Virgin and Knocked Up.

Movie: Saving Silverman.
Release date: 2001
Cast: Jason Biggs, Steve Zahn, Jack Black, Amanda Peet
Synopsis: A pair of buddies conspire to save their best friend from marrying the wrong woman.
Why: Jack Black and Steve Zahn play the best friends of Jason Biggs and can’t stand his new girlfriend. They go to extreme lengths just to get rid of her. The Neil Diamond cover band in this movie is so fun.

Movie: Tropic Thunder
Release date: 2008
Cast: Ben Stiller, Jack Black, Robert Downey, Jr. Steve Coogan, Jay Baruchel, Danny McBride, Brandon T. Jackson ,Bill Hader, Nick Nolte
Why:If you liked Anaconda, then you will love Tropic Thunder. Because they follow the same formula and both star Jack Black! In the film, a bunch of actors who need a win decide to film a Vietnam war movie on location. They then wind up getting caught up in their own war and have to find their way out using the skills of their characters.

Movie: Strange Wilderness
Release date: 2008
Cast: Steve Zahn, Allen Covert, Jonah Hill, Kevin Heffernan, Ashley Scott Peter, Dante Harry Hamlin, Robert Patrick, Joe Don Baker, Justin Long, Jeff Garlin, Ernest Borgnine
Why: Like Grandma’s Boy, this was one of the movies that starred all of the people from Adam Sandler movies without Adam Sandler. I saw it in theaters in college and it is easily one of the funniest movies that I have ever seen. Like Anadona, it is so incredibly dumb, but so damn funny.

Movie: Orange County
Release date: 2001
Cast: Colin Hanks, Jack Black, Catherine O’Hara, Schuyler Fisk, John Lithgow, Lily Tomlin
Why: This movie came out when I was 13. I saw this in theaters around the same time as Out Cold and the two comedies did so much for my love for comedy. Jack Black is a force in this movie. He plays the slacker, stoner, step brother to Colin Hank’s character.

My Favorite Horror Movies By Genre

Posted on by Mikey

Today is the first of October! The leaves are falling, everything is pumpkin flavored. Everything seems alright for a moment.

A lot of people like to watch horror movies in October. Last year, I watched one that was new to me everyday.

If you are looking for movies to watch this month, check out my list of my favorite horror movies, by genre.

And yes, I know some of them could fall into two categories.

And yes, they aren’t technically zombies in 28 Days Later.

Enjoy!

  1. Zombies – 28 Days Later, Resident Evil
  2. Ghosts – The Others, Six Sense, The Ring, What Lies Beneath, Dragonfly, 13 Ghosts
  3. Monster – Cloverfield, Deep Blue Sea, The Babadook, The Descent
  4. Space – Alien, Alien: Romulus, Prometheus 
  5. Slasher – The Strangers, Terrifier, Hatchet, The Shining, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Scream, America Psycho
  6. Sci-Fi – Annihilation, Hollow Man
  7. Torture – Saw, Hostel 
  8. Psychological – Last Night in Soho, Identity, Old Boy, Get Out, Donnie Darko
  9. Vampire – Let the Right One In, 30 Days of a Night
  10. Body Horror – The Thing, The Fly, Tusk, The Substance
  11. Possession – The Exorcist, Hereditary, Drag Me to Hell
  12. Cult – Midsomar 
  13. Post Apocalyptic – The Divide
  14. Woods – Cabin in the Woods, Wrong Turn (2021)
  15. Anthology: V/H/S, V/H/S 2
  16. Found Footage: Cannibal Holocaust, The Blair Witch Project, As Above, So Below, Paranormal Activity
  17. Comedy: PG: Psycho Goreman, Mars Attacks!, Tucker and Dale vs Evil, What We Do in the Shadows, Idle Hands
  18. Foreign: Martyrs, Pan’s Labyrinth, The Orphanage, Them, Train to Busan, Rec, Parasite

A Lonely Island Feature with Kendrick Lamar at Halftime Could Unite Us All

Posted on by Mikey

I don’t really know much music by Kendrick Lamar. I know he’s considered one of the best rappers alive—hell, he even won a Pulitzer Prize for Music. There’s no real reason I haven’t listened to more of his music. There’s just a lot of music out there.

That said, I do love his song “HUMBLE.”—especially the Skrillex remix, which somehow makes it even catchier. But my actual favorite Kendrick Lamar song? “YOLO.” Except…it’s not even his song. It’s a track he’s featured on, courtesy of The Lonely Island, a group best known for creating absurd, over-the-top comedy rap.

For the uninitiated, The Lonely Island got their start making sketches on YouTube before writing for an MTV Movie Awards show. Not long after, they were hired by Saturday Night Live—Andy Samberg as a cast member, with Jorma Taccone and Akiva Schaffer joining as writers. Their SNL Digital Shorts became some of the biggest hits in the show’s history, with many still holding up today. “I’m on a Boat,” “Dick in a Box,” and “Like a Boss” are some of the classics. During their time on SNL, they had many guests on their songs including Natalie Portman, Justin Timberlake, and Michael Bolton.

After SNL, they kept the momentum going, releasing multiple comedy rap albums featuring an insane lineup of guests such as P!nk, and, of course, Kendrick Lamar, who appears on the song “YOLO.”

Now, most people hear the phrase “YOLO” (You Only Live Once) and take it as an excuse to live dangerously—skydiving, partying, making impulsive life choices. But The Lonely Island, in their infinite wisdom, flipped the concept entirely. In their version, “YOLO” actually stands for “You Oughta Look Out,” turning it into a paranoid anthem about avoiding risks, staying inside, and most importantly never trusting furniture.

The song also features, Adam Levine and the chorus and Kendrick Lamar provides a really great bridge to the song. Lamar actually provides some great financial advice. Check out the song music video below.

Anyway, our county is pretty divided right now. Republicans and Democrats. Chiefs fans and Eagles fans. People who thought Beyonce deserved Best Country Album and those that didn’t. But I think there’s one thing we can all agree on: A surprise performance by The Lonely Island at the Super Bowl would be pretty great.

Why Chance the Rapper’s “Same Drugs” Is the Greatest Song Ever Made

Posted on by Mikey

If you know me, you know that everything is my favorite. Every movie, every show, every band—I love them all. But I have actually managed to narrow them down!

My favorite movie? Everything Everywhere All At Once. My favorite show? Scrubs. My favorite band? Bon Iver.

See? I can commit. And when it comes to my favorite song of all time, there’s no hesitation. It’s Same Drugs by Chance the Rapper.

Same Drugs is the sixth track on Chance the Rapper’s third mixtape, Coloring Book, released on May 13, 2016. And this wasn’t just any mixtape. It was a game-changer.

This was the first project to ever chart on the Billboard 200 based solely on streams. It went on to win Best Rap Album at the Grammys in 2017, making history as the first streaming-only album to ever take home an award. Critics praised it for its unique blend of hip-hop, gospel, and soul, and honestly, there’s nothing else quite like it.

Before we get into Same Drugs, it’s worth appreciating just how stacked this album was. The opening track, All We Got, features the Chicago Children’s Choir alongside Kanye West—Chance’s mentor and one of his biggest influences. Then you have No Problem featuring Lil Wayne and 2 Chainz, an anthem that feels like pure joy. Chance has called Lil Wayne his dream collaboration, and you can tell he’s having the time of his life on that track. And then there’s All Night with Knox Fortune, a song that makes you want to roll the windows down and just drive.

But as great as all of those are, Same Drugs is the one that hits the hardest.

The song runs for 4 minutes and 17 seconds and was written by Chance the Rapper, Nate Fox, Peder Losnegård (Lido), Nico Segal (formerly Donnie Trumpet), Francis Starlite (Francis and the Lights), and Peter Wilkins. Production was handled by Chance, Peter Cottontale, Francis and the Lights, Lido, and Nico Segal.

Knowing that Francis and the Lights had a hand in this song suddenly makes sense. I am a huge fan of his, and their song, May I Have This Dance, and didn’t know he was a part of this song!

Let’s clear this up right away—the song isn’t about drugs. Chance has literally said that. The drugs in the title are just a metaphor for growing up and growing apart.

We all have that one person—whether it’s a friend, a partner, or even a sibling—who we used to share everything with. But then, life happens. Interests change, priorities shift, people move on. Suddenly, you realize you’re not on the same page anymore, and there’s no way to get back to where you were. That’s what this song is about.

Maybe it’s a friendship that faded. Maybe it’s a relationship that didn’t survive adulthood. Maybe it’s just life pulling two people in different directions.

It’s relatable because everyone has gone through it in some way. Maybe you and your best friend used to play video games all night, but now they have a family and no time. Maybe you and your ex used to go to concerts together, but now they don’t even listen to the same music anymore. Maybe you and someone grew up together, but now they don’t even believe in the same things you do.

Chance captures that feeling perfectly—the quiet, heartbreaking moment when you realize you can’t go back.

Beyond its metaphors about growing up, Same Drugs is packed with references to Peter Pan—a story about never growing up and holding onto childhood.

“When did you change? Wendy, you’ve aged.”

“I thought you’d never grow up.”

“Window closed, Wendy got old.”

“You must have lost your marbles.”

“Don’t you miss the days, stranger?”

“You were always perfect, and I was only practice.”

“Wide-eyed kids being kids.”

“What did you do to your hair?”

“When did you start to forget how to fly?”

“I was too late, I was too late.”

“A shadow of what I once was.”

The song isn’t just about growing apart—it’s about one person growing up while the other stays behind. It’s about someone losing their childlike wonder while the other still wants to believe.

That theme carries through the bridge, which is one of the best bridges:

“Don’t forget the happy thoughts

All you need is happy thoughts

The past tense, past bed time

Way back then when everything we read was real

And everything we said rhymed

Wide-eyed kids being kids

Why did you stop?

What did you do to your hair?

Where did you go to end up right back here?

When did you start to forget how to fly?”

Same Drugs starts off as a straight-up piano ballad—no drums, no extra production, just Chance’s voice and the piano. Then the layers start creeping in. By the chorus, those gospel harmonies come in, adding warmth and nostalgia. As the song moves along, soft claps and light percussion slide in, barely noticeable at first, but they give the song just enough movement.

The bridge slows things down, letting everything breathe before it builds up into an outro with reflective guitar licks that feel like the song is drifting off into a dream. Structurally, it doesn’t follow the typical verse-chorus-verse-chorus format—it’s got distinct sections that give it an almost floating, cinematic feel.

A song like this doesn’t need a great music video to be iconic. But in this case, the video only makes it better.

Released on February 6, 2017, and directed by Jake Schreier, the video shows Chance playing piano, singing alongside a puppet. I won’t say anymore. You need to watch it!

The Greatest Moment in Television History

Posted on by Mikey

Since the dawn of television, countless major televised moments have shaped and influenced our world.

On July 20, 1969, the world watched as man first walked on the moon during the Apollo 11 landing, solidifying the United States’ victory in the Space Race.

On August 8, 1974, President Richard Nixon announced his resignation live on air following the Watergate scandal.

On June 10, 2007, The Sopranos finale aired, dividing millions on what actually happened to Tony Soprano.

But today, let’s talk about one of the greatest moments in television history: On July 13, 2010, MTV aired the series finale of The Hills.

Let’s rewind.

In September 2004, MTV introduced us to Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County, a show that offered a peek into the lives of California’s elite 1%. Over three seasons, viewers became obsessed with the drama, fashion, and relationships of the cast, including Lauren “LC” Conrad, Kristin Cavallari, Stephen Colletti, Lo Bosworth, Trey Phillips, Christina Schuller, Morgan Olsen, Talan Torriero, and Jason Wahler.

The success of Laguna Beach led to its spinoff, The Hills, which followed LC’s journey as she moved to Los Angeles to pursue her dreams in fashion. Through love, heartbreak, and always somehow ending up at the same nightclub as her frenemies, LC became a cultural icon. Joining her were co-stars Heidi Montag, Audrina Patridge, Whitney Port, Spencer Pratt, Brody Jenner, Kristin Cavallari, and Lo Bosworth.

The Hills aired for six seasons, running from May 31, 2006, to July 13, 2010, with a total of 102 episodes. On that fateful Tuesday in July, 3 million viewers tuned in for what became one of the most shocking television moments ever: the big reveal that much of it was staged.

For years, fans debated whether the show was real or scripted.

How did they always end up at the same club as their rivals? Didn’t Los Angeles have, like, a lot of clubs?

Were the lives of these uber-rich, uber-pretty people really that dramatic?

And, let’s face it: were they all really just hooking up with each other?

All these questions were somewhat answered during the series finale, titled “All Good Things…” In the final scene, Brody Jenner hugs Kristin Cavallari, the Hollywood Hills backdrop dramatically slides away, and the audience sees the truth: the scene was filmed on a backlot, not on location.

This iconic moment blurred the lines between reality and fiction, leaving fans in awe and cementing The Hills as a legendary piece of pop culture history.

The Most Important Lesson I Learned from Cinema

Posted on by Mikey

It was December 15th, 2000. Hollywood was on a roll with raunchy comedies. American Pie had come out the year before, shocking audiences with its vulgarity and ushering prepubescent boys into manhood. The year 2000 brought us Road Trip and Scary Movie, and then, right before the end of the year, we got Dude, Where’s My Car.

The comedy/sci-fi was written by Philip Stark and directed by Danny Leiner, who later went on to direct Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle.

The film starred Ashton Kutcher and Seann William Scott, with a supporting cast that included Jennifer Garner, Marla Sokoloff, Kristy Swanson, Hal Sparks, and Mary Lynn Rajskub. The movie felt like an early version of The Hangover—a film that would eventually become the highest-grossing R-rated comedy of its time.

The movie sparked a wave of pop culture moments in the years that followed: everyone wanted those Adidas jumpsuits, people got the tattoos, and then there were the ostriches. Or llamas. That summer, I went on vacation to Maine and discovered an ostrich farm right outside the supermarket. Naturally, we started calling them llamas and got a good laugh out of it. For anyone who hadn’t seen the movie, we just looked like people who didn’t know basic animals.

This post includes major spoilers, but let’s be honest—it’s been over two decades. The movie follows two stoners who wake up one morning and realize they can’t find their car, dude. Using clues, they retrace their steps from the night before, which somehow leads them to saving the world.

Early in the movie, Chester is watching Animal Planet and learns a fun fact about monkeys.

Their day is packed with ridiculous encounters: European bodybuilders, supermodel-like women in tight leather outfits, and everyone keeps asking them for the continuum transfunctioner. Jesse and Chester have no idea who to trust. Turns out, it’s the Nordic dudes who were sent to Earth to save it from the “super hot alien chicks.”

The climax of the movie takes place at an entertainment center, where the aliens square off against one another. As it turns out, Chester had the continuum transfunctioner the whole time—in the form of a Rubik’s Cube. Once solved, the device becomes a bomb that could destroy Earth—unless Chester can diffuse it. In a moment of panic, Chester remembers the Animal Planet documentary from that morning. It talked about how “chimpanzees often use crude sticks as tools.” So, he grabs a straw and defuses the bomb!

I can’t tell you how much this advice has helped me in real life. If I need to retrieve something stuck under the couch or press one of those impossible-to-reach buttons on an electronic device, this technique always comes through.

I’ve passed this lesson on to my son and others over the years.

It wasn’t “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. It wasn’t “Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.” from Forrest Gump. It was “Chimpanzees often use sticks as crude tools” from Dude, Where’s My Car that taught me life’s greatest lesson.

Who knew that 20 years later, I’d still be using a piece of advice that a stoner learned from a monkey—and used to save the world?

Chimpanzees often use sticks as crude tools