Bag of Bones (2011)

I love a chance to watch something different, especially when there is nothing on television. After finishing my first article for Steelers101.com last night, I decided to finish watching the A&E mini-series Bag of Bones based on the work of famed horror maestro Stephen King.

Plot/ Best-selling novelist Mike Noonan cannot stop grieving after his wife Jo's and their unborn child's sudden death. Writer's block and nightmares force him to return to the couple's former summer home beside a lake in western Maine. Once there, his ability to write quickly returns, in addition to more nightmares. At the house, he continually gets visits from the spirit of a blues singer, Sarah Tidwell. Through her visits, his nightmarish dreams, and clues hidden in his previously unpublished work, he learns truths about himself and the town.

When I saw the preview for this, I did not know what to expect. It is no secret that for whatever reason Stephen King novels rarely translate onto film. That is not saying that they are not entertaining, because most are, they just lose something in the translation. I had never read Bag of Bones, so in watching it, I had no comparison and I actually liked what I saw. Yes, there were some flaws, the acting was uneven, the cinematography/direction so-so, and it is chalked full of cliché moments, but overall it was entertaining. For me, the plot kept me interested and there was some violence and gore.  In the end, I felt this was a decent mini-series, I would not run out and buy it when it finally hits DVD, but I would watch it for free if it was on.