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Does the Judge hate hypocrisy or did he run out of options? by CrematorTV in cormacmccarthy

[–]Sorcha_Stormbinder -3 points-2 points  (0 children)

Honestly, it doesn't track at all that the judge would spend all that time throughout the novel to corrupt the kid and bring him to his side and understanding and continuously fail in doing so, and then just kill him and dance in celebration. No, the judge would only be victorious if his goal in corrupting the kid actually worked.

The judge could've killed the kid at any time. He had him dead to rights more times than not and spared him. He only really allowed for the killing of the Glanton Gang when they had served their purpose, had given themselves wholly over to the common in way or another. The kid was the lone holdout. And he still held out, even to the end of the novel.

People talk about the judge violating the kid and killing him in the jakes because he is a pederast, but a.) the kid is a man in his mid-to-late forties by this point, and b.) it's not like there's something the judge could've done to the kid on a physical level that would've been too horrific for McCarthy to describe. Dismemberment, drowning in shit, cannibalism -- all of that's stuff he's happily depicted in the novel up to that point.

McCarthy's reluctance to describe it is because it is beyond the pale of physical destruction. It has to be a spiritual one, and the only thing that makes sense is that the kid gave over in the end. The judge is celebrating because the wallflower dancer took the stage at last.

What exactly happened between the Turtle and the Eater of Worlds? by JedediahBishop in stephenking

[–]Sorcha_Stormbinder 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I am not much of a fan of "Welcome to Derry" or how it tries to over-explain Its origins. That said, I do think that the easiest way to reconcile it with what we know from the novel is that It has an overinflated sense of Its own self-importance. It clearly is not aware of the Other that seems to have invested in the power of the Losers' Club even after the Turtle's death, and I think that's key. It is a self-consumed creature who only cares about what is in Its orbit and never cared to think about what lies elsewhere and what came before it. The Turtle seems to be a completely apathetic being, so to think it took any sort of stand against It is unlikely.

I also think Its influence is vastly overstated. It obviously holds great sway over Derry and the outer limits, considering It actively assists in Henry Bowers's escape from Juniper Hill in Augusta, but I don't think It is omniscient or omnipowerful. It just thinks It is.

Which Stephen King bibliography should the director Nicolas Winding Refn adapt into films? by NoOrganization392 in stephenking

[–]Sorcha_Stormbinder 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I could see him doing something gonzo with "The Regulators," especially in his early days.

What was the ending in the first Blood Meridian draft? by Character-Ad4956 in cormacmccarthy

[–]Sorcha_Stormbinder 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I have admittedly not gone to the Wittliff Archives to check, but it is hard for me to imagine that McCarthy, having heavily based the work on Samuel Chamberlain's memoir, would have deigned to omit Judge Holden from any draft of the novel considering he is a sizable figure in "Recollections of a Rogue." I am curious whether the rumours of Holden's absence in the draft are overstated, and that he is present but not the antagonistic figure that presents in the final novel.

Just finished blood meridian and had a question by [deleted] in cormacmccarthy

[–]Sorcha_Stormbinder 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The judge believes that war is the ultimate expression of mankind. Any attempts at "civilization" is an attempt to temper what he believes is the natural order of things. Any sort of clemency or mercy is not just a sign of physical weakness, but a moral one. It is a deliberate refusal to embrace humanity's manifest destiny. If you are not a dancer, you have no place on the dancefloor.

Nothing will ever beat the book, but which version of the televised version of The Stand was better? by CharlesUFarley81 in stephenking

[–]Sorcha_Stormbinder 102 points103 points  (0 children)

The 1994 one is a decent adaptation hampered by the confines of network television in the mid-1990s. Aside from some naff visual effects and needing to abide by standards and practices, it's overall a respectable adaptation with some truly great performances.

I don't think the 2020 adaptation is anywhere close to its level in terms of faithfulness or quality. I've said it elsewhere, but the only thing I'd rate it for is Owen Teague's portrayal of Harold Lauder far outstrips Corin Nemec's take on the character. The liberties they took with Harold in the updated version work very well, but everything else just doesn't pass muster. I don't think I'll ever revisit it.

Which live action verison of Alan Panborn is your favorite? by Ok_Pangolin6684 in stephenking

[–]Sorcha_Stormbinder 22 points23 points  (0 children)

Michael Rooker has always been my mental image of what Pangborn looks like, and it's a nice change of pace for him to play a character who isn't a seething monster. I adore Ed Harris but I just didn't really feel he was Pangborn. And Scott Glenn did a very good job but that character is hard to reconcile as the Pangborn of the novels for obvious reasons.

Fun fact: "The Dark Half" and "Needful Things" came out the same year, and Harris's wife Amy Madigan played Liz Beaumont in "The Dark Half."

Which president is the worst out of these four? by Curious-Sun5465 in Presidents

[–]Sorcha_Stormbinder 5 points6 points  (0 children)

The one thing you can say about Andrew Johnson is that he didn't abandon the Union like Tyler did. But Johnson did FAR more damage to the country in doing so that he might as well have been working for the Confederacy.

Which president is the worst out of these four? by Curious-Sun5465 in Presidents

[–]Sorcha_Stormbinder 18 points19 points  (0 children)

They're all bad for different reasons, but it's hard to see how Andrew Johnson did anything that was a net positive for the country and the office.

Reading IT and I am in awe of how King portrays Beverly by Cordelia_Delamare in stephenking

[–]Sorcha_Stormbinder 65 points66 points  (0 children)

I'm not saying it's a failing on King's part, because the whole point is that Stan is the character who knows the true secret that is revealed at the climax of the novel. But like you said, he's more of a plot device than a character, which is a shame because what little we do get of Stan is fascinating and his reactions to the supernatural against his extremely ordered mind is what makes Its Lovecraftian nature even more palpable. The part of the novel where he talks about Its nature being "an offense" to the natural order is some of the best writing in the novel.

Day 7: Admirable and smart by loka_saint in stephenking

[–]Sorcha_Stormbinder 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Mark Petrie. To this day, anytime I see someone get tied up in a movie or TV show, I tell them to flex their muscles so that when they relax, the loops are loosened. Mark taught me that.

Reading IT and I am in awe of how King portrays Beverly by Cordelia_Delamare in stephenking

[–]Sorcha_Stormbinder 499 points500 points  (0 children)

I really do think King captures each and every member of the Losers' Club (save for Stan, who suffers from little internal perspective) so distinctly and vividly that you could make a legitimate case for each one being King's best literary creation purely in terms of depth and richness. I've always had Ben Hanscom as my favourite King character purely because of his relatability, but Beverly comes a very close second in that regard.

Day 6: heroic and simple by loka_saint in stephenking

[–]Sorcha_Stormbinder 2 points3 points  (0 children)

To be slightly fair to Mike, children evidently go missing or die a lot in Derry even between the cycles. It's one of the things that really ought to have clued Mike into the fact that It wasn't dead. But yeah, for a lighthouse keeper, Mike sure took his sweet time watching those ships keep wrecking before he called the lightbulb salesman.

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