Stephen King’s novel “The Cell” and “Hostel” director Eli Roth. Two masters of the horror genre coming together to produce what could possibly be the next great “zombie” film since 28 Days Later.
If you’re a horror movie fan like me, then chances are you were also at one point, if not still, a Stephen King fan as well. Unfortunately, the recent crop of movies based on Stephen King’s works have tended to focus more on drama with a pinch of thriller thrown in, rather than straightforward horror. And I think we can all agree that the made for tv movies have been somewhat lacking.
But there is a dark and scary rainbow looming over the horizon, and on the other side awaits what could very well be a return to horror fame for the author, and another successful notch in the belt for movie director Eli Roth. Roth first burst into the horror movie scene with the noteworthy gore film Cabin Fever, followed up by the disturbing Hostel. Eli Roth fended off a lot of controversy for Hostel, ranging from attacks against his use of graphic torture scenes, to the main character’s usage of derogatory comments against homosexuals.
Despite the criticisms, Hostel was a large success, and a sequel is slated to be released in late 2007. Take the suspense and horrific elements from Cabin Fever and Hostel, along with a healthy dose of gore, and I can’t think of a better director for the film version of Stephen King’s recent horror novel “The Cell”.
The Cell is a return to classic, no-holds barred horror for Stephen King. It’s gritty, it’s frightening, it’s pages drip with blood. Eli Roth is the perfect director to bring this novel to the big screen, and we can be fairly confident that he won’t hold back on the blood or violence.
Without ruining too much of the plot, I can tell you that The Cell begins with a simple cell phone call. Nothing too frightening yet. But think about this. Cell phones have been used by terrorists to detonate explosives, yes? Well, what if the terrorists (or somebody, somewhere; it’s never actually specified) were able to encode an auditory virus into the cell phone signal, capable of causing widespread damage, far more than a simple packing of crude explosives could ever hope to achieve?
That’s exactly what happens in The Cell, after only about 5-10 pages, and from that point on, the tension never lets up. Anyone unlucky enough to have been on the cell phone at the time the virus was unleashed have their brains effectively scrambled, reducing them to the equivalent of murderously violent, mindless zombies. Though they aren’t truly dead like the living dead zombies of George Romero’s films, or diseased like the infected ‘zombies’ of 28 Days Later, they still hold enough zombie-like appeal that fans of either of those movies should find The Cell an enjoyable read. Stephen King has found a way to introduce a new take on zombie stories, even without the use of actual zombies, and the result is fantastic.
But before you are led to believe that this is simply another world gone amuck with zombies tale, you’ll find that after several chapters of unending violence and suspense, the “zombies” begin to undergo subtle changes. The book progresses into something far more horrifying and disturbing than mere zombie mayhem.
As I myself was fanatically reading The Cell, not only did I think to myself that it was the best Stephen King book in years, but also that it would make a fantastic movie. When I heard the news that Eli Roth was slated to direct, it only heightened my excitement. Production of the adaptation of The Cell is supposed to begin after Eli Roth completes Hostel 2.
