Was lucky enough to attend a Q&A after a showing of SLC Punk in Orlando. Matthew talked about how amazing it was to work with Mike and had to share with you all 🫶🏼

Overall, I think this whole series is not about magic, but something more relatable - manipulation.

Margaret manipulates Carrie and the community, Chris manipulates Carrie, but her dad influences her behaviour as well as him hiding the truth about her behaviour to her mom. Emilien manipulates Carrie. The Tina manipulates Chris into fighting with her sister at the party, Billy probably manipulates Chris or at least distorts her values even more. The teacher manipulated the student by grooming her. That woman at the interview manipulates the witnesses.

The harm was not caused by telekinesis, it was caused by people not being genuine - i.e manipulation and deception - is more toxic than having powers.

*SPOILERS*

This was a story of the people in the town, which Flanagan fleshed out SO well throughout the season. Why, in the finale, did we shift to effectively new characters in order to set up an MCU for King's work at the expense of the characters we spent so much energy getting to know? I ADORED every episode coming up to it, and I really thought we were going to get a fully realized and brutal rampage giving each character either an opportunity to complete their arc or at least experience the horrifying event, but instead, we got an OC taking control of Carrie, making two moves that hurt or killed people instantly and then we moved on to the organization that has apparently always been there. The fire, the destruction of Carrie's house, and the hole in the middle of the town were barely given any gravity at all. Margaret was killed by a character introduced in that episode. I was interested in the culmination of the story of the town, not how other figures orchestrated the whole thing and have their own agenda. Grayle's death was embarrassingly silly and brief for his arc, we gave no time to the guidance counselor, no time for D, almost no time for Chris or Tina. Carrie and Margaret didn't even have a proper conclusion. I truly think half of the runtime was squandered, as was the significance of the event we'd been leading up to. Even independent of the book I like, this adaptation had a frustrating end to me for the story it was telling.

Does anyone else have these thoughts or even disagree?

Mike Flanagan initially wrote the script for the recent film Clayface but stepped away but if this was a full on Mike Flanagan project. The following is whom I think would be cast in the roles below or would be best suited. Although he does work with a variety of actors often for his theatrical movies. The structure of this story which has the main character transforming into other people would give a lot of his regulars some scenery to chew which is probably how he envisioned it when he wrote it.

I can’t remember any of these character’s damn names though.

Clayface - Oliver Jackson Cohen
(Although for his movies he typically gets one off move stars like Hiddleston, Ewan McGregor or Scarjo)

The Mob boss - Matthew Lillard (I think this would be fun)

The Business manager - Mark Hamill

The Detective - Zach Gilford or Rahul Kohli

Clayface’s agent - Samantha Sloyan

Mob Henchmen - Henry Thomas, Matt Biedel, Robert Longstreet, take your pick.

The scientist lady - Karen Gillan

Mob boss’s girlfriend - Victoria Pedretti

Talk show host - Hamish Linklater

Batman - Carla Gugino

So I've been watching a bunch of Stephen King movies for October just like I do every year. This morning I watched the original "Pet Semetary" and, with "Carrie" fresh on my mind it clicked that Ellie has prophetic dreams. Just another young child in a King story displaying powers that could be used in the world building. There really are a lot of characters that could fit in, even if their powers aren't the focus of the story.

I also really hope Abra (and even Danny's ghost) could be tied in from Doctor Sleep, and not just because Ewan McGregor is absolutely beautiful to look at. 😂😂😂

I want to see Zach Gilford and Rahul Kohli as a couple 🫪

I don’t even have a plot but I saw their pictures next to eachother in a Flanagan collage and it just feels right.

Mike please.

I’m curious what he thought of the movie. I know he wrote the script, briefly developed it, and handed it off to DC Studios.

Has he talked about it?