Dan,

as a HUGE King fan, I was familiar with The Raft, but thought this one was different enough. I had no idea it had been filmed however. Thanks for pointing that out. I went ahead and got the film on Amazon and checked it out right away. It was quite bad, to be honest. The blob, btw, looked like a rubber sheet floating in the water. Not saying Dena and I would do a better job, but...

Anyway, the fact that everyone seem to be mentioning The Raft and now the fact that story has already been filmed, I need to ask you all a question. Especially those of you familiar with film festivals and such. Is TSS too close to The Raft? Would people call us out and say we basically just re-produced that film? This is important to us before we get really going on production.

Thanks!  

Hi Pia,
     That's a really tough question.  Knowing you are a fan of King really helps this conversation since you are familiar with the story.  Incidentally, that was one of my all-time fav stories from Skeleton Crew.  I really loved quite a few of those.

Tell me, you must have read the Mist, right?  What did you think of the movie and especially the end?  I must say, I hate when endings are changed, but, I loved that one.  I read that even King said that the ending in the film was superior to the one he wrote.  I can understand why people might hate it, but, really, King could have written that end and people would have loved it.

Now, back to TSS.  I think any story that has a raft, kids and a blob-like creature will (sadly) get compared to that story.  Now, the creepshow version was awful.  BUT, it was still made and (back in the day) was a pretty big released movie, so, lots of people saw it.

Whether or not anyone will remember it, I can't say.  

My advice to you, know the Raft inside and out.  Keep your story as different as you can.  All movies have similar modes about them.  I mean, there are only so many things you can do with a zombie (for ex).  Keep TSS as different as you can.  You can create a different back story for it.  Perhaps have the creature having been seen, the legend of TSS or something like that.  

You do have a problem in that there are a very limited list of things that you can do when you have: people, raft, creature, water.  So, if you want to make TSS the best it can be, know the Raft, do the opposite.

OR pay homage to King.  Do the TSS as he would have done the Raft and do it the right way.  Perhaps even acknowledge the Raft in part of your story.  That way, people already know that you know about the movie and won't compare you to it.  Honestly, that might be your best option.  You could have her say something like I hope the creature from the Raft gets your asses.  Then have her explain that King's inspiration for the story was based on this lake/river etc.

I'd love to help with the script if you want.

Dan

Toughie.

The end is very similar - a youth in the ocean surrounded my a menacing blob/slick/goo (take your pick).

The path towards that end is quite different. So my gut tells me you are okay. I mean Rocky, The Champ, and a dozen other films deal with a down and out fighter that makes good.

Dan, yes I liked all of them. Grandma and the monkey one too. I also preferred the film ending of The Mist.

TSS is Bert's story, not mine. Dena and I just want to try to film it. He's currently rewriting it and I'm sure it will be great.  

I've thought about this quite a bit and I think we will be okay. They are out on the water and something in the water will get them. In The Raft, the four teenagers are friends. In this one, the two guys have abducted her and raped her, so their relationships are completely different. The film that was made was really bad, but also from the -80s. I think we should be okay.  

Quoted from DanC You're Robert Newcomer??

Yep.

Quoted from DanC My advice to you, know the Raft inside and out.

I disagree.  I am intentionally avoiding the story at this point.

I am aware of it -- as a big King fan myself -- but I read it many, many years ago and do not recall much apart from the basic set-up.  I've no idea how it ends.

I knew I was writing something similar at the time, but it is entirely false to say that story inspired this one.

Quoted from DanC You do have a problem in that there are a very limited list of things that you can do

I would also disagree with you there.

Quoted from Grandma Bear He's currently rewriting it and I'm sure it will be great.

Indeed.  It's pretty darn good, at any rate.  Much improved.  Still working on some dialogue, however, which is where I always seem to struggle the most.

I appreciate your thoughts, Dan, but we are on a completely separate page from "Raft".  Always have been.  Tone, characters, their relationships, the setting, and where the story ultimately leads all serve to render the comparison pedantic.