That time I asked Tim Curry if he was a Stephen King fan and he said he liked The Shining

By Steve Newton I was lucky enough to have been the only journalist who interviewed Tim Curry on the Vancouver set of the two-part TV miniseries It, when I was covering the filming for Fangoria magazine back in 1990. One of the first questions I had for the British actor was whether or not he … Continue reading That time I asked Tim Curry if he was a Stephen King fan and he said he liked The Shining

Koontz on King: Dean Koontz on his fave Stephen King film and the Maine-man’s contribution to horror

By Steve Newton Way back in 1988 I did a phone interview with Dean Koontz for a story I was writing on the film adaptation of his novel Watchers for Fangoria magazine. Watchers was an awesome book--especially if you like golden retrievers--but the movie, starring Corey Haim, turned out to be a piece of doggie … Continue reading Koontz on King: Dean Koontz on his fave Stephen King film and the Maine-man’s contribution to horror

Stephen King compares Donald Trump to his demagogue villain from The Dead Zone

By Steve Newton Stephen King is not only one of my fave alltime writers--right up there with Richard Matheson, Robert Bloch, and Joe R. Lansdale--he's also a fun guy to follow on Twitter. And lately he's been cleverly putting the boots to Republican frontrunner Donald  Trump--who King currently refers to as He Who Must Not Be … Continue reading Stephen King compares Donald Trump to his demagogue villain from The Dead Zone

Searching for The Surgeon’s gore at Riverview Hospital in Vancouver

During my 13-year sojourn as a Fangoria correspondent I would often cover films that the producers didn't want classified as "horror".

Stephen King’s Pet Sematary recalled by “dead” cat’s return from the grave

sadly, this is not the work of Tom Savini By Steve Newton The film version of Stephen King's terrifying 1983 novel, Pet Sematary, sucked the biggie. I reviewed it way back in the spring of 1989, describing it as "a dead dog that deserves no last rites." But according to abc7.com, some cat named Bart from out Florida way just loved … Continue reading Stephen King’s Pet Sematary recalled by “dead” cat’s return from the grave

If you thought Stephen King’s Pennywise was creepy, get a loada this Clown!

Some people are really creeped out by clowns. The one that Tim Curry portrayed in the Stephen King mini-series IT freaked a few folks out, no doubt. Now here to give Pennywise a run for his kid-menacing money is the bozo in Clown, a new horror flick produced by Eli Roth, the frightmeister behind such gruesome efforts as Hostel and Cabin Fever. Here's … Continue reading If you thought Stephen King’s Pennywise was creepy, get a loada this Clown!

Blue Öyster Cult’s Donald “Buck Dharma” Roeser on the origins of “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper”

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JAN. 23, 1997 By Steve Newton It’s hard for me to pick one all-time favourite rock band or rock album, but when it comes to my all-time fave song, that’s easy: Blue Öyster Cult’s “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper”. I suppose it helps that, when that propulsive ode to the afterlife was released … Continue reading Blue Öyster Cult’s Donald “Buck Dharma” Roeser on the origins of “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper”

Oculus director to adapt Stephen King’s kinky psych-horror Gerald’s Game

Word out of the Cannes Film Festival is that Oculus director Mike Flanagan will helm an adaptation of Stephen King's 1992 novel, Gerald's Game, about a woman who fights to survive after a bondage game with her husband goes horribly wrong. Gerald's Game was the followup to King's 1991 behemoth, Needful Things, which--at 690 pages--was nearly … Continue reading Oculus director to adapt Stephen King’s kinky psych-horror Gerald’s Game

Ottawa’s Fun for Malakaï doesn’t abide by any songwriting rules

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JUNE 10, 1993 Although it was based on a riveting short story, Stephen King’s Children of the Corn was quite possibly the worst film of 1984, one that could have buried the careers of stars Peter Horton and Linda Hamilton. The only memorable thing about the film was the … Continue reading Ottawa’s Fun for Malakaï doesn’t abide by any songwriting rules

Horrific hijinx on the Vancouver set of Stephen King’s Needful Things

By Steve Newton One of the most enjoyable set visits I did during my 13-year tenure with Fangoria was for Needful Things, the adaptation of Stephen King's 1991 novel. In December of '92 I journeyed out to North Vancouver and got the scoop on the movie, with much help from the delightful duo of Canadian comedian-actress … Continue reading Horrific hijinx on the Vancouver set of Stephen King’s Needful Things

Muddy Waters didn’t want George Thorogood’s “Bad to the Bone”, but Bo Diddley did

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON APRIL 30, 2014 By Steve Newton When you interview rockers on the road you always try to find out where they’re located, so you can write “When so-and-so calls from wherever” and establish a setting for the conversation. But when I contact blues-rocker George Thorogood--who plays the Hard Rock Casino Vancouver this … Continue reading Muddy Waters didn’t want George Thorogood’s “Bad to the Bone”, but Bo Diddley did

Max von Sydow’s “odd upbringing” led to roles as Jesus and the devil

By Steve Newton Back in 1993 I covered the Vancouver-area filming of the Stephen King-based horror flick Needful Things for Fangoria. The movie ended up being crap, but I did get to interview everybody's favourite exorcist, Max von Sydow, so that was cool.  Not many actors have the wide-ranging talent it takes to play both … Continue reading Max von Sydow’s “odd upbringing” led to roles as Jesus and the devil

Horror review: Pet Sematary

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON MAY 5, 1989 By Steve Newton The long list of movies based on Stephen King's writings range from excellent (The Dead Zone, Carrie), to mediocre (Christine, Firestarter), to downright terrible (Maximum Overdrive). Unfortunately for fans of the horror genre, the latest King story to hit the screen, Pet Sematary, is a dead … Continue reading Horror review: Pet Sematary