Too often making a book into a movie will actually end up ruining the book. However, I think that there is one author, who has never had a movie made after his books, that’s books would make for truly amazing movies. I believe that this author is truly so talented, that even the worst movie created after his works would still be a great due to this author’s creativity and true writing genius. The man I am speaking of is horror fiction writer, Richard Laymon. In Laymon’s life, he wrote over fifty novels and short story collections that were each works of sheer horror creativity. From the first time that I picked up a Richard Laymon book, I knew that I would never read anything by another horror author. Although, I believe that any book written by Laymon would make for an unbelievable movie, there are three in particular that I feel would be truly magnificent.
“One Rainy Night” was the first Richard Laymon book that I ever read and from the moment that I opened page one; I couldn’t put the book down until the bitter end. Each and every page is packed with action from start to finish. “One Rainy Night” begins with the hate-induced murder of a local high school student that shocks the small town of Bixby. Little do the people of the town know that this is only the beginning of the terror that is about to haunt their community. Soon after, a black rain falls on the town and causes the townspeople to start acting very different. The only challenge that a script writer would face when turning this novel into a film would be that there are so many main characters in the book, that it might be hard to cast them all correctly.
I read “Night in Lonesome October” shortly after “One Rainy Night”. Like previous Laymon book’s that I had read, once I started this novel, I couldn’t put it down until the end. This story follows a man named Ed who has recently been dumped by his long-time girlfriend. Grieve stricken, Ed decides to go for a walk through his town late one night. After that the novel follows all of the unusual things that happen to Ed and his friend Eileen during these nightly walks. This book would make a great movie, because Laymon really took the time to develop each character in this novel and the way its written keeps the reader wondering, “What’s next?” I think the perfect person to play Ed, would be Shia Labeouf. He is the perfect cast for this role, because in the book, Ed has to seem very likable and comical at times. Labeouf would also be the right age and look for this character.
“Endless Night” follows a young girl named Jody’s life after she witness the murder of her best friend and the girl’s family while staying the night at her house one gruesome evening. This is probably the book by Laymon that I think would make for the best movie, due to the fact that it has everything: nonstop action, well-developed characters, and a story that keeps you on the egde of your seat. After the murders, Simon (one of the killers) and his gang try to find Jody and finish the job. The three most important people to cast in this movie would be Jody, a tough sixteen year old, Simon, a cold-blooded killer and leader, and Jody’s father, a brave man willing to do anything for his daughter. Although, any one of Laymon’s books could be made into a great movie, I believe that “Endless Night” has the potential to be a real box office hit.
