King a good sport about film adaptations

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NEW YORK, Nov. 21 (UPI) -- U.S. author Stephen King says he is always curious to see film versions of his stories, and he doesn't get upset if they don't turn out great.

King has praised Frank Darabont's new adaptation of his terror tale, "The Mist." Darabont's films of King's "The Shawshank Redemption" and "The Green Mile," were nominated for the best picture Oscar.

Dozens of King's stories have been turned into movies with mixed results.

"Either they're good or they're bad, and, if they're bad, I just kind of laugh," King told reporters in New York.

"There's a story about the college newspaper reporter who came to see James M. Cain ("The Postman Always Rings Twice," "Double Indemnity") toward the end of his life and the young reporter was bemoaning what Hollywood had done to his books and Cain ... pointed at (the bookcase) and said, 'They haven't done a damn thing, son, they're all right up there.'"

"I'm always interested to see what's going to happen when you beat the pinata," said King. "And it's always a little bit different. It's good, sometimes, and you know, sometimes it's … 'Children of the Corn.'"

That 1984 adaptation of King's short story received bad reviews and no Oscar nominations -- but it did spawn six sequels.