Lilja's Library (9 page)

(FYI: that is
not
the same as “selling the movie rights.” Nothing was “sold” to me for one dollar. I did not, and do not, own any rights or option to the story. The dollar simply
allowed
me, a college student, to make the film.) So, I got King’s office address and sent him a check for one dollar. A month later the cashed check appeared in my bank statement…with King’s signature endorsing the check on the back! So, I knew I was “cleared” to make
The Last Rung on the Ladder
, and I did. The last part of this unwritten agreement was to send King a videotape of the completed film, and I did that too.  

Lilja:
By making a movie for just one dollar, you are one of the “Dollar Babies,” as King himself has put it. Do you know who the other “Dollar Babies” are and what stories they have shot?  

James Cole:
I only know two other “Dollar Babies.” One is well known: Frank Darabont. He shot
The Woman in the Room
in 1983 for a larger, more professional budget than myself. We all know he went on to make
The Shawshank Redemption
and
The Green Mile
. The other “Dollar Baby” is Jim Gonis, who filmed a
faithful
version of
The Lawnmower Man
(unlike the feature film). Jim made his film the same year I made
The
Last Rung on the Ladder
(in 1987), at New York University film school. We met the following summer (I don’t remember how) and we’ve been friends ever since. Jim lives in Los Angeles as well. I don’t know the identities of any of the other “Dollar Babies,” but I sure would
love
to see their films! (I’ve only seen
The Woman in the Room, The Boogeyman
and
The Lawnmower Man.)
 

Lilja:
Do you think there is any possibility that your
The Last Rung on the Ladder
will be available for anyone to see in the future? Doesn’t it bother you that people can’t see your work?  

James Cole:
I can always hope. Of course it bothers me that people can’t see a film that has been written about so extensively in King publications. However, it
is
a film with limitations. It was shot on Super-8 with very little budget, so it certainly isn’t as professional looking in some respects as I’d like it to be. I believe that’s one reason King did not allow me to make a deal with an interested video company years ago. 

Once I get established in Hollywood (as a credited, paid screenwriter), I not only hope to make my
feature
version of
The Last Rung on the Ladder
, but to also see if I can get my short film, and maybe some of the
other
worthy “Dollar Babies,” released on video. Time will tell…  

Lilja:
In your essay, you also write that the only proof you’ve got that King has seen your movie is because he’s mentioning it in
The Shawshank Redemption: The Shooting Script
—have you had any contact with him at all during the years?  

James Cole:
None from
him
directly. I have received correspondence from his office (assistants) and even from his lawyer regarding my quest to get an option on “The Last Rung on the Ladder,” but the answer was always “no,” or “not at the present time.” The responses were always decent, but I admit I have been a bit disappointed that after ten years of trying, I have never received any word from The Man From Maine himself. I still hope to someday.  

Lilja:
Do you have any plans for making more movies based on Stephen King’s stories? If you could pick one story to shoot, which one would it be and why?  

James Cole:
I have no immediate plans, simply because I am not yet established in the industry. I believe that once I sell a script and get a movie made I’ll have a “name” and may be able to get somewhere with King at that point (I’ll have “proven” myself, I guess). But I would
never
adapt another King story without the rights or an option. It’s just not worth the work. 

As for a story I would pick (as a feature), I would love to do
The Long Walk
or
Desperation
. There are other short works I’d love to adapt, like “The Monkey.” I also love “One for the Road” from
Night Shift
, but I’ve never been able to figure out how that could be done, considering most of it takes place during a Maine blizzard! (As I don’t have a
Storm of the Century
budget!)  

Lilja:
We’ve heard that you are a close friend of Frank Darabont, the man famous for his stunning version of
The Shawshank Redemption
and the upcoming
The Green Mile
. How did you get to know him?  

James Cole:
I met Frank in 1993, just after he’d finished shooting
The Shawshank Redemption
in Ohio. Once again, I don’t remember
how
I got ahold of him, who my contact was. I think I simply wrote to his office and identified myself as a fellow “Dollar Baby” (that’s before the term was even coined by King). I told him I had also adapted a King short story, that I was a fan of
The Woman in the Room
and that I was thrilled that he was doing
The Shawshank Redemption
. Amazingly, he responded, and we spoke on the phone a couple times. But this introduction happened in mid-1992. I had to wait almost fifteen months before I met Frank in person, in December 1993. We’ve been in and out of touch in the years since. I’m back in close touch with him since last Autumn, when I visited the set of
The Green Mile
several times.  

Lilja:
Have you seen anything from
The Green Mile
?  

James Cole:
Except for what I witnessed on set (which was amazing), no. However, I expect to see an almost-complete cut of the film in the next few weeks. I’m very excited.  

Lilja:
Have you read a first draft to his (always) upcoming adaptation of
The Mist
?  

James Cole:
No. I know it’s a story Frank wants to do, but even I don’t know if he’s written a script yet.  

Lilja:
What are you working on currently?  

James Cole:
I just completed my first
horror
script, called
Bedbugs
, about a boy’s battle with his “monster in the closet.” It may surprise you and your readers, but this is my
first
horror script. As much as I love King, my favorite genre to write is straight
drama
. My other scripts include a story of a kid sent back in time to the Depression and a relationship-piece about a man searching for his lost love.  

Lilja:
Thanks for taking the time to answer this little interview! Anything you want to say to our readers, who definitely haven’t seen your film?!  

James Cole:
Be patient. I truly believe you
will
have the opportunity to see it within the next few years, once I get established in the film industry. And I still hope to make the feature version of
The Last Rung on the Ladder
as well. 

Thanks for your interest too. I’ve never given an interview to people outside the United States before! If any of you are fellow writers,
keep writing
. The more you do it, the better you get!  

After seeing the movie (you can read a review of it elsewhere in this book), I wanted to see how James felt about the movie today. Therefore, I contacted him and asked some follow-up questions about
The Last Rung on the Ladder
.  

Lilja:
Hi Jim! First, let me thank you for giving me the opportunity to see the movie. It was great of you!  

James Cole:
No problem. I’m always happy to get my film seen, even if it’s on a one-to-one basis…  

Lilja:
How do you feel about your movie today? Is there anything you wish you had done different?  

James Cole:
Where do I start? Seriously, the biggest thing I wish Dan and I had done differently back in 1986 was to have had a decent
budget
. All the movie’s shortcomings have less to do with performances or story and more with technical limitations. I am still very proud of the movie today, after thirteen years, but parts of it always make me cringe. Some of the insert shots of the letters the adult Kitty had written to Larry are almost impossible to read, because we couldn’t easily focus up close. On top of that, the tripods we used were very flimsy, and many of the shots in the film are just too jumpy for my taste. Originally I didn’t notice this, but recently I watched the film on a 27” TV and I was quite discouraged at how much unintentional movement there is, even within some quick shots. 

In summary, we did the best we could do with what we had to work with, and how old we were at the time (I was twenty and Dan was fifteen). In a way, it was
good
that we were inexperienced. It made us just say, “What the heck, let’s try!” Had we been older, we would have been more aware of the difficulties and probably decided “it can’t be done.” I will never regret making it.  

Lilja:
How do you feel about the fact that Lucas Knight is doing a longer version of the movie? In reality, this must mean your chances to do a longer version are pretty small, right?  

James Cole:
I don’t think it will have a long-term effect on my feature version, but who knows? My feature has been on a back burner for a few years now, and I’m not as interested in it as I once was. Of course, I still believe in it, but I am concentrating on selling my original scripts first. I actually wish Lucas the best, because I know he’s spent over three years trying to pull together the funding and equipment. Certainly, part of me is nervous to see a “remake” (even though it isn’t that exactly—just a different interpretation of the same story). Clearly he will have more of a budget and professional equipment, but as to if his final film is “better,” we’ll have to wait and see. I’ll always be proud of mine, most especially the performances I coaxed out of my young actors. Even after all these years, it still gets praise from people both inside and outside the King community.  

Lilja:
Is there anything else by King you are thinking of adapting?  

James Cole:
Not until I sell a script and make a name for myself in the industry, because I would never want to try to do the dollar deal again, knowing there’s no guarantee I could get it distributed or seen. And, of course, I could not adapt any novels without the rights, which is something King has not granted, and probably won’t until I have a bit more “clout” as a writer. 

But if I had any dream projects, most are short works. I’d love to do a long-short film version of “The Monkey” from
Skeleton Crew
, or “One for the Road” or “Gray Matter” from
Night Shift
. As for features, most of King’s books have already been adapted or are in the planning stages. Still, something like
Desperation
, which Mick Garris wants to direct but has had trouble getting off the ground, is a dream project. King’s own script was so tight and riveting, I’d love to direct it myself. But odds are it will be made by Mick or someone else. Still, I can dream. 

This may come as a surprise, but I’d really love to be the first director to do a King
remake
. My choice?
Firestarter
. It’s one of my favorite books, and not his usual genre (despite the horror elements, it really is a
suspense
novel with many twists and turns). The 1984 film version was abysmal, and it’s the first time I understood that a book can be adapted faithfully in terms of structure and plot, and yet have
none
of the King “flavor.” To me, the film felt like a flat television movie, with no tension or suspense whatsoever. I think it deserves a more faithful remake someday.