Playing Gerald's Game

So I watched Gerald's Game on Netflix, and I liked it a great deal. The filmmakers take one of Stephen King's hardest novels to adapt, and they do so with aplomb. Carla Gugino is superb as Jessie, the wife who decides to try out her husband Gerald's idea to "spice up" their sex life with a little handcuff action.

Of course, Gerald (well-played by Bruce Greenwood) dies of a heart attack, leaving Jessie bound to the head of the bed with no way to free herself. The novel takes place mostly within the head of the main character. The film covers this by having Jessie speak to imaginary versions of Gerald and herself. And it works very well.

Be warned that--although it was made for Netflix--this movie is a hard 'R', thanks to a gory scene later on that almost made me faint while watching it. Despite being a non-supernatural psychological thriller, this is definitely a Stephen King story, and it gets very intense at times.

You can see a clip of Gugino in some scenes in the link below, but since she's cuffed for pretty much the entire film's running time (she's barefoot and clad in a sexy nightgown--no gag, although she is briefly handgagged), you might as well watch the whole film. It's well worth your time, especially if you're a Stephen King fan.

You can watch/download it You can see it right here. Edit: finally fixed the stubborn link problem.

Gerald's Game and Ryta

I remember when Gerald's Game first came out (and I still have my first edition hardcover copy), and at the time I thought if they would ever make this into a movie, that Michelle Pfeiffer would star. But back then I had pretty much imagined every famous female star cuffed to the bed in King's story.

But Carla Gugino got cast, and I'm glad she did. The book was written before the advent of cell phones and voice-activated home "servants" like Alexa. I'm wondering how the film will deal with this--if at all; it could be a period piece where they don't have this tech. It premieres on Netflix on September 29, so we'll see.

In other news, the writing on the new Ryta book is going well. It depends on the overall length, but I'm a third of the way through it and still plugging along, no matter what. For the latest news on the newest Ryta book, you can keep it right here.