Honestly I don't hate the premise you could do worse for sure, but does feel derivative of a genuinely kickass film that came out eight years before he published.

[–] JoeByeThen@hexbear.net 11 points 3 days ago (1 children)

I've not watched Punishment Park yet (it's on my jellyfin), but The Long Walk iirc isn't disciplinary, they volunteer. Again, it's been many years since ive read it, but i seem to recall it being some weird jingoistic patriotic event with a big payoff for the winner... and maybe payoffs for the families of the losers? I think it was one of those overpopulation-lottery themes that was big at the time. King also wrote Running Man around that time under the Bachman name which dealt with similar energy. Running Man probably reads like The Lathe nowadays; I remember a bit about inner city kids teaching the MC how to make nose filters to battle pollution and whatnot while the media constantly misrepresnted him as a radical terrorist. hahaha

[–] BeanisBrain@hexbear.net 8 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

I think that there's a very strong case to be made that a major underlying theme of The Long Walk is toxic masculinity and how patriarchy pushes young men to destructive behavior. The Walk is explicitly stated to be boys only, and a recurring question in the narrative is "why are they doing this if they don't have to and it will almost certainly get them killed."

[–] JoeByeThen@hexbear.net 4 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Ah yea, there was a lot of time spent on backstories, but I'm afraid I can't remember any of them. I kinda remember a strong father figure vibe projected towards the general though, right? With a mix of how the contestants responded to that. Some of it love/eager to please, others rebellious.

spoiler

Shit, I think one of them was his kid, weren't they? The MC, or one the last few?🤔

[–] BeanisBrain@hexbear.net 3 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

I kinda remember a strong father figure vibe projected towards the general though, right?

Oh, 100%.

spoiler

The general's kid isn't the protagonist, but he is (IIRC) the last to fall (leaving the protagonist the winner).

[–] BeanisBrain@hexbear.net 6 points 3 days ago (1 children)

There's nothing new under the sun.

Had a very similar conversation with a friend the other day who who said that the twist ending of H.G. Wells' original The War of the Worlds was a boring overdone trope because "Genghis Khan already did biological warfare."

[–] JoeByeThen@hexbear.net 4 points 3 days ago

Tbh, I kinda had the vibe that some of Bachman was about King experimenting with other people's stories. Like I always saw Rage as his take on The Catcher in the Rye.