Deron Generally
Deron Generally
In the new TV spot for the upcoming film version of horror master Stephen King’s The Dark Tower, there are references to the other works of the master as the voice over talks about “other worlds” than these.
For those taking the time to really look at the background of many of the scenes in this latest TV spot, you can see references to other works by Stephen King. For anyone who has read The Dark Tower series of books, you know why and what they mean. Without spoiling either the story or the movie, I will talk about some of the Easter Eggs present in the spot.
Pennywise
You can see a broken down amusement park sign that says Pennywise. This is a reference to the villain in King’s novel It. Pennywise the clown is the terror that kills the children of Derry, Maine in the novel and upcoming film.
The Overlook
The picture rattling in another scene in the trailer shows the haunted Overlook Hotel from Stephen King’s novel The Shining.
Rita Hayworth
Roland the Gunslinger (Idris Elba) runs up to and grabs a poster of Rita Hayworth. It is the same poster and plot point showcased in King’s novella Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption which would later be turned into the movie version The Shawshank Redemption.
19
The number 19 is featured in several of King’s works from The Dark Tower to Under the Dome. They are usually obscure like hotel room numbers and ambulance numbers, but they are also significant in the sum of license plate numbers for characters in King’s novels as well as letters in many characters full names.
Saint Bernard
A woman is seen walking a slightly dirty Saint Bernard through the streets. A Saint Bernard that looks a lot like the title characters of King’s novel Cujo.
Red Car
A red toy car is rolled along the floor. A car that looks exactly like 1958 Red Plymouth Fury Arnie Cunningham purchases in the novel Christine.
Twins
There are two young girls sitting outside looking a little creepy. Twins are a motif in multiple King works including The Shining and The Dark Half. The girls themselves look like “Breakers”, psychics that the Man in Black is using to break down the beams holding the tower in place.
Misery’s Child
The Man in Black (Matthew McConaughey) begins to type on a typewriter. Next to it is a book titled Misery’s Child. This was the final book in the saga of Misery Chastain written by Paul Sheldon. It is also the book that almost got him killed in the book Misery by Annie Wilkes.
The portal
There are numbers written above the portal that the characters are about to go through. Those numbers are “14 – 08”. This is in reference to the Stephen King short story 1408 about a haunted hotel room.
All Hail The Crimson King
When the Man in Black walks down the hall and touches the graffiti stating “All Hail the Crimson King”, Dark Tower fans know exactly what that means. The Crimson King is the ultimate evil in The Dark Tower series and the Man in Black is his servant. The Crimson King seeks to bring down the Dark Tower because it is the only thing holding the universe together. He has been referenced in several Stephen King novels directly. He is the main antagonist in the novels Insomnia and Black House. He is referenced in It and Hearts in Atlantis.
All of these messages and easter eggs are cute to the casual fan, but to those who know the story of the Dark Tower, they signify something much more important. A plot point that it will be interesting to see if the filmmakers decide to actually use in the movie. One that shows the connections to all of Stephen King’s works.
There are other worlds than these. Stephen King’s The Dark Tower, the ambitious and expansive story from one of the world’s most celebrated authors, makes its launch to the big screen. The last Gunslinger, Roland Deschain (Idris Elba), has been locked in an eternal battle with Walter O’Dim, also known as the Man in Black (Matthew McConaughey), determined to prevent him from toppling the Dark Tower, which holds the universe together. With the fate of the worlds at stake, good and evil will collide in the ultimate battle as only Roland can defend the Tower from the Man in Black.
The Dark Tower opens in theaters August 4, 2017.
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