Peace sign in Christmas lights adorns (Stephen) King´s castle

[MaineDem]

BANGOR, Maine — A large, 1960s-style peace sign in colored Christmas lights adorns the front porch of Stephen King´s mansion, but the author´s personal assistant cautions against reading too much into it.

It´s "just a decoration," said Julie Eugley. "He decided that he wanted to decorate for Christmas."

King and his wife Tabitha are usually away for most of the holiday season, spending time at their Florida home. This year, however, the couple have been in Bangor since November.

-snip-

An outspoken Democrat, King has made no secret of his opposition to the war in Iraq and the Bush administration, but Eugley said the peace symbol is not specifically representative of his political beliefs.

http://news.mainetoday.com/apwire/D8EHDRM0C-349.shtml

[slor]

1. Sad that the personal assistant feels the need to "caution"...

people about a PEACE sign.

[incapsulated]

2. What, no pic?

;)

I'm sure it's "just a decoration".

I've been thinking about him because I recently watched a bio of King on Ovation (cable). I've been reading him since I was a kid.

[MaineDem]

15. Here's a picture

[incapsulated]

16. Groovy

Pretty house. Bangor has so many pretty Victorians. Love the bat!

Thanks. :hi:

[MuseRider]

3. I love this guy.

He has entertained and scared the crap out of me for years and he is a humanitarian and an outspoken Democrat.

I believe he has spun a few tales that are pretty close to this maladministration. Still, nothing that has ever come out of that bright mind of his has ever come close to this evil.

Thanks, I always like to hear news about King and his family.

[bammertheblue]

4. He had a character in

"The Dead Zone", a politician that was very similar to Bush- acting all "Common man" and then bringing about the apocalypse. (Except he got assassinated first)
It's creepy because he wrote that way before Bush came to power.
I LOVE Stephen King!

[MuseRider]

6. I read that when it came out

I had a habit of ordering his books before they were released because, well, I liked him that much. Anyway, I do believe I read that early in the Reagan administration and it haunted me then. Who would have ever thought it could get worse?

I just looked at my tattered and yellowed copy. Copyright was 1979 and the bad guy politician was Greg Stilson IIRC. So it was just before the Reagan admin.

[Lisa]

9. in the (first) film version, Martin Sheen played Stilson ...

I have to confess that when I re-watched it again recently, I involuntarily burst out laughing when Sheen's character claimed he'd had a vision that he would become President! (Because he now plays Bartlet on "The West Wing".) But King was eerily prescient about the dangers of faith-fuelled political ideology.

Another favorite actor of mine, Nicholas Campbell, plays a villain in the film. He now portrays a crusading progressive Mayor of Vancouver in the CBC series "DaVinci's City Hall".

[bammertheblue]

11. I didn't know

they made a movie (or several) out of it. I know it's now a TV show, which makes me kind of sad.

[Lisa]

12. the original film was by a celebrated horror director ...

David Cronenberg.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0085407/

It was made in and around Niagara-on-the-Lake, about half an hour from where I grew up. I now live on the West Coast, and watch the movie when I feel homesick because the landmarks are so familiar. He did a great job of capturing the feel of wintertime around there.

The gazebo built for the picture ended up being adopted by the town, and kept there after the company finished filming!

[bammertheblue]

13. oooo neat!

was it any good? King's books have never made very good films in my opinion (other than The Green Mile) because they're so dense...the films would have to be 6 hours long!

[Lisa]

14. better than most attempts at filming King's work ...

Cronenberg is a pretty meticulous director. (He also did "Naked Lunch", years later.) I really liked Christopher Walken's performance in the original "Dead Zone" -- I confess that I haven't watched the remake.

[bammertheblue]

10. That's the name! Stilson!

I couldn't remember. I haven't read that one in a long time. Of course, when it first came out I was -4 years old, but I read it later when I was about 15 and I thought it was scary as well, especially the idea that only the main character knew that this guy was basically evil and woudl bring about the end of the world and he had to decide whether or not to kill him...heavy stuff for a 15 year old!

[Windy]

5. I've seen his house

Its a beautiful old victorian mansion. He as this great black iron fence around it. The gate looks like a spider web and it has a large black spider on it with a big K on the spiders rear end... Its right on a main street in Bangor and doesn't sit far off of the road at all.

[Greybnk48]

17. I stopped there too in the early 90"s

and was out front taking pictures and he came out and talked to me. We took a picture together and I mailed it back to him and he autographed it. Very nice, humble man.

[jonnyblitz]

18. so have I. I was born and raised about an hour away from

Bangor. It was always a big thing to drive by his house. :thumbsup:

[shenmue]

7. Good for him

Noble, understated yet clear.

:thumbsup:

Good call. Appropriate for every season. :)

[Hell Hath No Fury]

8. That's what I did this year...

I used a 40" floral ring to make a peace sign, lit it with red/green xmas lights, and hung it on my garage. I've gotten a couple of compliments on it from neighbors. It's a nice additiona to my "God save us from George W. Bush" sign in my window. :)