The Film Library

Stephen King's "N" Is Here

Well, technically, N is over here, if you want to follow the link(Nishere.com).

Stephen King is an author I've had a kinda tangled relationship with over the years. I used to deny my love of his books, even though I would read every single one, because as an author he's not very subtle or insightful, and he has trouble writing an ending. Usually he just stops writing and throws in some ridiculous Deus Ex Machina. But then, Stephen King is what I grew up reading. I first read It when I was about the age of the characters in that story(the school-age versions, I'm not aging backwards, like Benjamin Button, or Mork). Nowadays I admit it. Stephen King may not be the best author in the world, but he is the author that I feel the closest connection with. Reading a King novel, even a bad one, is comforting.

So, N. If you haven't heard of it, it's an original web-series(based on a short story that will be published in his new collection next month), made up of 25 episodes. Originally released weekly in episodes that were usually a minute and a half long.

The series is animated, and I use that term loosely. It's basically a bunch of paintings and drawings that are shown in motion, and it works fantastically. The images are much more haunting when seen in slight motion, with idealized sunsets and creepy shadows. There isn't much in the way of horrific monsters, but the feel of this short would have been impossible to recreate with live action.

The story is about a psychiatrist and his obsessive compulsive patient, and the reasons behind the man's mental ill health. Some of the elements of "N" will be very familiar to fans of Lovecraft, and King himself admits as much in an interview on the official site, saying he wanted to play the effects of the Cthulhu mythos on an obsessive compulsive.

Anyway, the shorts are great, and can be streamed for free on the official site. You can also find some places to pay and buy the entire series, but I'm not going to advertise for anyone(else) here. I'd love to hear what you guys think.