Classic Stephen King film adaptations

Sissy Spacek's performance in "Carrie" is still frightful - even more than 40 years after the movie was first released. Carrie uses her telekinetic powers to get even with her classmates who have been mocking her for years. The image of the blood-drenched high school student has long been a staple of popular culture.

Jack Nicholson was at his career peak when he took on his role in "The Shining" and delivered an impressive performance. Stephen King, however, later said that he wasn't too impressed with Stanley Kubrick's adaptation of his book. The story deals with a number of personal aspects of King's life, including his problems with alcoholism, which King found the movie didn't address critically.

Another classic Stephen King adaptation, "Misery" starred Kathy Bates – who won an Academy Award for her outstanding performance – as the obsessed fan of an author (played by James Caan) whom she ends up imprisoning in her house and torturing. The writer's crime was to have killed the protagonist in the latest chapter of his book series. For that, she even breaks his ankles.

The two movies deal, unsurprisingly, with a pet cemetery, which turns out to have supernatural powers to raise animals – and people – from the dead. You can imagine where things will go from there. The second movie was particularly popular as it served as a vehicle for Edward Furlong's career, who was then at the height of his popularity following his role in "Terminator 2."

"The Shawshank Redemption" proves that Stephen King isn't only about horror and gore. The movie tells the story of a friendship between a black and a white convict at a US prison, highlighting the rife corruption within the prison system. It is now regarded as one of the greatest films in cinema history.

Not all Stephen King adaptations are massive box office successes. "Thinner," for example, attracted bad reviews, even if, in hindsight, it had a rather entertaining premise: Lawyer Billy Halleck fatally runs over an elderly woman with his car and uses his friends in office to walk out of court scot-free. But the victim's vengeful father curses Halleck, causing him to continually lose weight.

The Adaptation of "The Green Mile" in 1999 wowed critics and audiences alike, garnering four Oscar nominations. The movie takes a critical look at the death penalty - in 1930s' Louisiana as a number of prison guards get to know a gifted black inmate on death row and their lives begin to interweave. From the acting to cinematography, many consider "The Green Mile" a work of art.

The success of "It" at box offices around the world proves that King's horror tales are timeless. The film made $370 million (€300 million) in the first two weeks, and is set to become one of the most successful horror flicks of all time. The story's as simple as it is terrifying: a sleepy town is haunted by a frightening clown called Pennywise who knows how to terrify children - and to kill.

What is Stephen King's secret to success? He says that he reads and writes at least six hours each day. "If you don't have time to read, you don't have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that," he once said about his craft. At 70, King continues to produce new works and please fans worldwide. "Books are a uniquely portable magic," is his motto.