Road Virus Heads North- by Sam Rhodes

I believe “Road Virus Heads North”, by Stephen King, would be perfect for an on-screen adaptation of his work. It’s a thriller of a short story and with suspense already tapped in through the visual imagery of the killer is already heart pounding with each sentence. So, in that case barring a good screenplay as long as you abide by the source material it is sure to be a hit. Otherwise, I hope the director’s name is Stanley Kubrick, because he is the only one, I know to adapt one Stephen King’s stories, completely ignore him and still making a certified classic. The only thing I would change about it personally is maybe giving the main character a reactionary type character. This in order for the main character to play off of someone else so that you don’t have do monologuing to get into the person’s head. Having a wife or friend as a companion to contradict the character helps accomplish the same goal as it did in the original story. Because, in the original story the characters discourse all resides in the main characters train of thought which doesn’t help for on screen adaptations all that well. I won’t lie to you in saying I absolutely adore hearing in ‘Shaw Shank Redemption’ anytime that Morgan Freeman’s character in the movie, whose name is Red, does voice over throughout the course of the film. But it is a overused and poorly utilized art form that does not positively impact for a thriller film. If somebody is terrified, I don’t want nor to need to be informed that through a God mike type of mechanism in the story. It should be shown not told, that’s more effective storytelling and if written and acted well it gives more people to be able to be cared about. For the movie I would use a lot of profile type of shots for reactions to the seeing of the painting and series of shots zooming in on the painting in how it depicts every creepy detail within the canvas of the homicidal murderer. But anytime when the couple is in the car, I would want more of the scenes to be filmed in the back seat of the car almost like they’re being watched or out of the passenger side windows. Never through the front of the windshield like a comedy or tv show. Angles in which it grounds the situation of the threat in the movie making it more visceral. The only scene I have fully mapped out is the final scene in which are character falls on the ground and bonks his head unable to move from the shower. Once head is bonked the camera shot on him will be with a fish eyed lens to give off that disorienting feeling. Then when switched to a fixed Dutch angle pointed at the doorway as the killer walks in. This is from the perspective of the main character who is about to be murdered. It’s fixed in that way in order to give off a sense of being stuck in that disorienting feeling, unable to move or escape from your fate. The bulk of the dialogue will be shared between the two leads and any side characters like the yard sale lady and the grandma will have couple of lines. Most from the story will be cut from the story because not all of them are needed in order to tell it. Live action would be preferred, and you definitely don’t need a huge budget. Most of the funds for production might be spent on just making a bunch of those paintings as described in the story. That is all.