I’m sure it comes as no surprise that, as a horror fan and a native New-Englander, I have a soft spot for Stephen King. During my ill-fated Freshman year at college, I chose to read through his entire library, rather than go to class, study, or interact with any other human beings. While this may not have been the best thing for my already loose grip on sanity, it proved to be inspiring and, in the long run, more fulfilling than my fleeting love affair with physics (don’t worry though, my later academic career proved to be relatively successful). So, I was very, very excited for the The Dark Tower… I’ve been waiting for this movie for literally a decade, as it languished in development hell. Needless to say, it was not worth the wait. To be fair, I haven’t actually seen the movie yet… but, based on everything I’ve seen and read, I’m having trouble working up the nerve to watch my favorite series be butchered on a giant screen. But, hey, at least I still have IT to be excited for. Now, I know that the track record for Stephen King adaptations hasn’t been great, especially when you look at his horror novels (conversely, his non-horror work has led to two of my all-time favorite movies, Stand By Me and The Shawshank Redemption), but the preview (included above), fills me with hope. First, the film is a period piece, taking place in the 80s (yes, I know the original novel takes place in the 50s, but the time frame jump is the same (30 years)). Second, it looks beautifully and eerily shot. Finally, I like the plan to make the film into a duology, with the first part focusing entirely on the kids and the second on the grown-ups. It’s unclear whether this is still the plan, but I sure hope so. Anyway, take a look and let me know what you think.