My favorite King story. I wish the movie would have ended like the book, I thought the ending was horrifying. Not just for the violence, but knowing Todd had completely thrown his life away.
I first read this in high school. You said Todd threw his life away at the end, but after he blacked out, I think Todd finally came to accept his own evil. There's no conflict or hiding- he's going to die and he's at peace with it- and with how he does. He's undoubtedly a monster, but terrifying because he's humans- no supernatural stuff required.
I get a kick out of the fact that in the novel, Dussander was able to subsist on his stocks...because he'd gotten stock tips from a Maine banker named Andy Dufresne, who went to prison shortly afterwards for murdering his wife. (Dussander sneered, "It only goes to prove that all men are donkeys who can read." But anyone who knows and loves The Shawshank Redemption knows Andy was innocent...Dussander's as wrong about that as he's wrong about every other horrible poisonous belief he has.) King loved to tie his work together (there are references to Shawshank State Prison in The Body, which also points out that Chopper was the most feared dog in Castle Rock until Joe Camber's dog Cujo went rabid). He had a habit of doing this even before he started tying EVERY. SINGLE. FREAKING. THING. HE. EVER. WROTE. into the Dark Tower mythology.
Todd’s face on the cover looks vaguely like Haley Joel Osment’s, circa The Sixth Sense. Quite fitting, as this kid is trying to dig up the ghosts of Dussander’s past. Bonus points that Todd means “death” in German
Apt Pupil is one of the darkest, strongest things King's ever written. The whole thing is just pitch black. The Todd Bowden character is one of his most disturbing creations, imo. What makes him disturbing is that he's all American, good looking, highly intelligent, capable, competent, athletic, etc and headed for a great career. Outwardly he's a far above average, high functioning mainstream person in the making. The details that really make him disturbing are things like the essay he writes which is called An American's Responsibility, or something like that. He's like a total boy scout, the kind of guy who goes on to some leadership position somewhere, possibly even political leadership. And yet if you pop the hood, he's a total sociopath, a straight up monster. While the story of course goes into an almost cartoonishly dark direction, there's still something authentic about Todd Bowden. Like he's a monster that is more realistic than the kind that typically show up in King's novels. I'm pretty sure the theory that Jack was writing Apt Pupil in the Shining is BS if only because you'd think King would have mentioned it somewhere in the book. He repeatedly mentions Jack's plans to possibly write about the Overlook and his ambition to write generally, so you'd think he would have mentioned this balls out, psychotic homoerotic novel about Nazis and sociopathic young boys that he's writing. The theory kind of makes sense though because, if I remember right, he had lost his job for hitting a student. King mentions that he either wrote something about a dysfunctional relationship between a teacher and student or was thinking about writing it. I can't remember. That's a weird parallel which hadn't occurred to me before.
I had the titular line in the movie Apt Pupil. It was that scene where Ian Mckellen is teaching Brad Renfro how to zeig heile and I said "Wow this kid's a real apt Pupil"
Ok move, watching it now on DVD. I just wish Singer and the studio had been braver and apparently the 1987 unfinished Rickey Schroder one was rated by King? The book however is excellent. A real horror story because of the way it shows how ordinary people can become monsters. And even though it's fiction Dussanders character is an amalgamation of real monsters from history.
I think Todd's characterisation is a bit weak - there is no explanation why this all-American kid has this dark side, and there is nothing in his family background to explain it. (The dark side of other King characters elsewhere, like Jack Torrance in *The Shining*, is more than adequately explained.) Perhaps King's attitude is that evil comes out of nowhere and just is. There is also no real examination of where Dussander and the whole Nazi thing came from, perhaps because this would involve an examination of politics and history and King might want to avoid that.
I've heard all sorts of different answers across the years, so not sure what gets used most nowadays, but for my videos I tend to just write them up in Word.
How is to be lucky to find a publisher? Or you already have connections to help you with the publication? To my part, I was really unlucky, till some publisher get interested in the story that I have been writing the last six years in the internet, the internet it the only place were I would get some recognition for my work.
My favorite King story. I wish the movie would have ended like the book, I thought the ending was horrifying. Not just for the violence, but knowing Todd had completely thrown his life away.
Todd got off with blackmail and murder scott free in the movie.
I first read this in high school.
You said Todd threw his life away at the end, but after he blacked out, I think Todd finally came to accept his own evil. There's no conflict or hiding- he's going to die and he's at peace with it- and with how he does.
He's undoubtedly a monster, but terrifying because he's humans- no supernatural stuff required.
Ditto - my favourite of his stories. Somewhat preposterous, but yet utterly compelling.
This story is woefully under discussed. Thank you for taking the time to cover this
@H Dervish: So much so that none of the popular streaming sites have a copy. Hopefully, the full-length film will be available soon
They're corrupting each other
I get a kick out of the fact that in the novel, Dussander was able to subsist on his stocks...because he'd gotten stock tips from a Maine banker named Andy Dufresne, who went to prison shortly afterwards for murdering his wife. (Dussander sneered, "It only goes to prove that all men are donkeys who can read." But anyone who knows and loves The Shawshank Redemption knows Andy was innocent...Dussander's as wrong about that as he's wrong about every other horrible poisonous belief he has.)
King loved to tie his work together (there are references to Shawshank State Prison in The Body, which also points out that Chopper was the most feared dog in Castle Rock until Joe Camber's dog Cujo went rabid). He had a habit of doing this even before he started tying EVERY. SINGLE. FREAKING. THING. HE. EVER. WROTE. into the Dark Tower mythology.
Well remembered - I'd forgotten those tie-ins.
Well done. No cuts. You done good amigo,
Todd’s face on the cover looks vaguely like Haley Joel Osment’s, circa The Sixth Sense. Quite fitting, as this kid is trying to dig up the ghosts of Dussander’s past. Bonus points that Todd means “death” in German
In the book jack was not writing “all work and no play....”
Twas joke! 😬
Drunk on Writing ahhh
@@DrunkonWriting really? Extremely obtuse
Apt Pupil is one of the darkest, strongest things King's ever written. The whole thing is just pitch black. The Todd Bowden character is one of his most disturbing creations, imo. What makes him disturbing is that he's all American, good looking, highly intelligent, capable, competent, athletic, etc and headed for a great career. Outwardly he's a far above average, high functioning mainstream person in the making. The details that really make him disturbing are things like the essay he writes which is called An American's Responsibility, or something like that. He's like a total boy scout, the kind of guy who goes on to some leadership position somewhere, possibly even political leadership. And yet if you pop the hood, he's a total sociopath, a straight up monster. While the story of course goes into an almost cartoonishly dark direction, there's still something authentic about Todd Bowden. Like he's a monster that is more realistic than the kind that typically show up in King's novels.
I'm pretty sure the theory that Jack was writing Apt Pupil in the Shining is BS if only because you'd think King would have mentioned it somewhere in the book. He repeatedly mentions Jack's plans to possibly write about the Overlook and his ambition to write generally, so you'd think he would have mentioned this balls out, psychotic homoerotic novel about Nazis and sociopathic young boys that he's writing. The theory kind of makes sense though because, if I remember right, he had lost his job for hitting a student. King mentions that he either wrote something about a dysfunctional relationship between a teacher and student or was thinking about writing it. I can't remember. That's a weird parallel which hadn't occurred to me before.
I don't think either one Corrupted the other, they were both corrupted, irretrievably so.
Love Different Seasons, Apt Pupil is very creepy. Wonderful discussion.
I had the titular line in the movie Apt Pupil. It was that scene where Ian Mckellen is teaching Brad Renfro how to zeig heile and I said "Wow this kid's a real apt Pupil"
My dear boy, don't you see? We are corrupting each other!
Thanks for sharing! 🩸 I hated the cat scene! Omgggg
Love the content dude, one of my favorites.
'I am the king of the world'
Reminded me of death note
Lying was never good
In "stephen king on writing " he clarified his books are in one universe" most of them
Yeah but the singular King universe, as we learn from the later Dark Tower books, comprises alternate universes.
Ok move, watching it now on DVD. I just wish Singer and the studio had been braver and apparently the 1987 unfinished Rickey Schroder one was rated by King? The book however is excellent. A real horror story because of the way it shows how ordinary people can become monsters. And even though it's fiction Dussanders character is an amalgamation of real monsters from history.
Todd sounds like Todd from breaking bad.
I think Todd's characterisation is a bit weak - there is no explanation why this all-American kid has this dark side, and there is nothing in his family background to explain it. (The dark side of other King characters elsewhere, like Jack Torrance in *The Shining*, is more than adequately explained.) Perhaps King's attitude is that evil comes out of nowhere and just is. There is also no real examination of where Dussander and the whole Nazi thing came from, perhaps because this would involve an examination of politics and history and King might want to avoid that.
I haven’t read the book but I watched the movie and I definitely want to read the book as well
Book is much better
@@luke125 I have also read the book recently. I loved. But I do also like the film adaptation. Brad Renfro did a great job on playing Todd.
11 months ago and replied 11 days ago, cool coincidence !
I finished Apt Pupil today :)
@@crimson911 wow yes what a coincidence! I’m also thinking of re watching some of the films. Yesterday I watched the shawshank redemption again☺️
@@cold_thoughts and yesterday I finished The Shawshank Redemption book !
Off subject - when writing, do you use a special program? Do you know if there's a comp program for scriptwriting? Thanks, mate.
I've heard all sorts of different answers across the years, so not sure what gets used most nowadays, but for my videos I tend to just write them up in Word.
Hail Hydra!!
How is to be lucky to find a publisher? Or you already have connections to help you with the publication? To my part, I was really unlucky, till some publisher get interested in the story that I have been writing the last six years in the internet, the internet it the only place were I would get some recognition for my work.
He woke the devil in that old man.
He certainly did
so was Ilse Koch stacked or not?
She was dumpy with bad skin
she was dumpy and had bad skin, bruh
First time to the channel. Good points, though a bit rambly, maybe this is your style? Anyway good job.
very dark book that has a was of sticking in your mind and becoming future point-of-reference.
Cool vid
👏👏👏
Denker..Der Henker=Coincidence? Reinhardt Heydrich's- nickname ( the Hangman).
_Denker_ means "thinker" in German. I don't know whether King knows any German.
Drunk on writing? King drank while writing.
You understand there are big differences between the movie and the novel the shinning ?
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Dussander did nothing wrong.
I mean, he was a Nazi.