I Know What You Need

Last updated
"I Know What You Need"
Short story by Stephen King
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Genre(s) Horror, fantasy
Publication
Published in Night Shift
Publisher Doubleday
Media typePrint (Paperback)
Publication date 1978

"I Know What You Need" is a fantasy/horror short story by American writer Stephen King, first published in the September 1976 issue of Cosmopolitan , and later collected in King's 1978 collection Night Shift . [1]

Contents

Plot summary

Told from the perspective of a popular, college-age girl named Elizabeth Rogan, the premise of this story concerns her sudden, unexpected attraction to a social outcast named Ed Hamner, Jr., whose paranormal ability to perceive what will make any person happy has not resulted in his own happiness. Elizabeth first meets Ed when she is cramming for a sociology final, offering to buy her a strawberry ice cream cone, which was on her mind. Ed offers her the answer key to the final, claiming he had already completed the class. She gets an A on the final, saving her scholarship, but breaks to Ed that she has a boyfriend named Tony. Trouble soon follows for her, in what she anticipated to be a great summer turns out to be worst, as tips at her job at a seaside resort are sparse due to a combination of lousy weather and high gas prices. Even worse, Tony is pressuring her to drop out of school and get married, claiming his construction job can provide for them both. Her apprehension turns into a nightmare, but one week later Tony has died. Tony was killed on the job when they had been doing road work, and it was Tony's turn to flag traffic when he was hit by a Fiat. An investigation revealed the brakes malfunctioned and no one was at fault. Ed reappears at the time when she feels she is over Tony's death, and the two being dating, with it seems that he is the perfect boyfriend.

Elizabeth's roommate, suspicious of Ed from the start, warns Elizabeth repeatedly, but Elizabeth is too enamored with Ed to listen. Her roommate finally tells Elizabeth that Ed is manipulating her, setting up circumstances to make himself seem perfect for her: "That's not love... that's rape." The roommate's father had also expressed concern to the point he hired a detective agency to do a background check on Ed Hamner, where it was revealed that he had attended the same elementary school in Connecticut she did, but moved away after first grade as his father was a compulsive gambler who moved to San Jose to flee debt collectors from the Mafia. The father saw use of Ed's gift to reverse his fortunes at gambling, soon becoming a big winner, then later using his son's ability to invest in the stock market. Ed's mother, a religious woman, had been committed due to her repeated ramblings she had given birth to the devil. The background check also shows that Ed was never enrolled in courses at their college, and thus could not have had the professor from Elizabeth's sociology course the previous term. Nor does it show any employment records at the theatre he claims to have worked, and the sports car he owned could not have been afforded even if he spent his yearly salary. The roommate reveals that Ed Hamner Sr. died in an accident along with his wife in a manner similar to Tony's death; they had been out picknicking when their car careened over a cliff. As Ed Hamner Jr. was the sole surviving member of the family, he inherited his father's stock portfolio of well over $1 million. Only gradually do the warnings take hold; Elizabeth finally locates a diary Ed has kept, documenting how he has been secretly craving Elizabeth's love since childhood, and has employed a variety of black magic rituals and charms to murder her aggressive boyfriend and manipulate her emotions. She finds how his residence is akin to a Potemkin village, where his bedroom is a mess, reflecting his unkempt personal appearance, whereas the front is well kept, likely to impress Elizabeth and other guests. She finds voodoo dolls of his parents, as well as herself. Other items she finds are an answer key with "BETH" written in grease pencil on it, and a toy model of a Fiat. She is then confronted by Ed, who calls her an "ungrateful bitch", to which Elizabeth accuses Ed of murdering Tony. Ed fully admits to using his powers to eliminate Tony, defending himself by saying he did it for her; to save her from an unhappy marriage.

Elizabeth destroys her voodoo doll and leaves the house with Ed's magical artifacts. While walking she passes on a bridge and throws Ed's voodoo dolls, throwing the toy model of a Fiat last.

References to other works

Film versions

Shawn S. Lealos directed a short Dollar Baby film based on this story under Starving Dogs Productions. [2]

Another short Dollar Baby film version of the story was filmed in July 2021 through crowdfunding and is directed and produced by Julia Marchese, who cites the story as her favorite among King's works. [3] A teaser trailer was released on August 30, 2022. [4] The film premiered at the 2023 Maine International Film Festival. [5]

See also

Related Research Articles

You Can't Take It with You is a comedic play in three acts by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart. The original production of the play premiered on Broadway in 1936, and played for 838 performances.

<i>Swingers</i> (1996 film) 1996 American film

Swingers is a 1996 American buddy comedy film about the lives of single, unemployed actors living on the 'eastside' of Hollywood, California, during the 1990s swing revival. Written by Jon Favreau and directed by Doug Liman, the film starred Favreau alongside Vince Vaughn, featuring performances by Ron Livingston and Heather Graham.

<i>Valley of the Dolls</i> (novel) 1966 novel by Jacqueline Susann

Valley of the Dolls is the first novel by American writer Jacqueline Susann. Published in 1966, the book was the biggest selling novel of its year. As of 2016, it has sold more than 31 million copies, making it one of the all-time best-selling fictional works in publishing history.

<i>Childs Play</i> (1988 film) 1988 American slasher film by Tom Holland

Child's Play is a 1988 American supernatural slasher film directed by Tom Holland, from a screenplay he co-wrote with Don Mancini and John Lafia, and based on a story by Mancini. It is the first film in the Child's Play series and the first installment to feature the character Chucky. It stars Catherine Hicks and Chris Sarandon with Brad Dourif as Chucky. Its plot follows a widowed mother who gives a doll to her son, unaware that the doll is possessed by the soul of a serial killer.

<i>Creepshow</i> 1982 horror comedy anthology film by George A. Romero

Creepshow is a 1982 American horror comedy anthology film directed by George A. Romero and written by Stephen King, making this film his screenwriting debut. The film's ensemble cast includes Hal Holbrook, Adrienne Barbeau, Fritz Weaver, Leslie Nielsen, Carrie Nye, E. G. Marshall, and Viveca Lindfors as well as King himself. The film was primarily shot on location in Pittsburgh and its suburbs, including Monroeville, where Romero leased an old boys' academy to build extensive sets for the film.

<i>I Still Know What You Did Last Summer</i> 1998 slasher film by Danny Cannon

I Still Know What You Did Last Summer is a 1998 slasher film directed by Danny Cannon and written by Trey Callaway. Jennifer Love Hewitt, Freddie Prinze Jr. and Muse Watson reprise their roles, with Brandy, Mekhi Phifer and Matthew Settle joining the cast. It is the second installment in the I Know What You Did Last Summer franchise. The film takes place one year after the events of I Know What You Did Last Summer. It received negative reviews and grossed $40 million on a budget of $24–65 million. A direct-to-video sequel, I'll Always Know What You Did Last Summer, was released in 2006.

Chucky (<i>Childs Play</i>) Fictional character and antagonist in the Childs Play franchise

Charles Lee "Chucky" Ray is the main antagonist of the Child's Play horror franchise. Chucky is portrayed as a vicious serial killer who, as he bleeds out from a gunshot wound, transfers his soul into a "Good Guy" doll and continuously tries to transfer it to a human body. The character has become one of the most recognizable horror icons and has been referenced numerous times in popular culture. In 1999, the Chucky character was nominated for the MTV Movie Award for Best Villain for the film Bride of Chucky. He was created by writer Don Mancini and is portrayed by Brad Dourif in both live action and voice over. For the 2019 remake of the same name, Mark Hamill voiced an artificial intelligence (AI) version of Chucky as a tragic villain, having previously voiced the Charles Lee Ray version of the character in an episode of Robot Chicken.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ed and Lorraine Warren</span> American paranormal investigators

Edward Warren Miney and Lorraine Rita Warren were American paranormal investigators and authors associated with prominent cases of alleged hauntings. Edward was a self-taught and self-professed demonologist, author, and lecturer. Lorraine professed to be clairvoyant and a light trance medium who worked closely with her husband.

<i>Trilogy of Terror</i> 1975 television film by Dan Curtis

Trilogy of Terror is a 1975 American made-for-television anthology horror film directed by Dan Curtis and starring Karen Black. It features three segments, each based on unrelated short stories by Richard Matheson. The first follows a college professor who seeks excitement with her students; the second is about twin sisters who have a bizarre relationship. These two segments were adapted by William F. Nolan. The third, adapted by Matheson himself, focuses on a woman terrorized by a Zuni fetish doll in her apartment. Black stars in all three segments, and plays dual roles in the second.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jess-Belle</span> 7th episode of the 4th season of The Twilight Zone

"Jess-Belle" is an episode of the American television science fiction and fantasy anthology series The Twilight Zone. In this episode, a young woman, whose name sounds like "Jezebel", spurned by the man she loves, becomes a witch in order to make him love her.

<i>The Night Flier</i> (film) 1997 American horror film

The Night Flier is a 1997 American horror film based on the 1988 short story of the same name by Stephen King. Directed and co-written by Mark Pavia, the film stars Miguel Ferrer as Richard Dees, a tabloid reporter who, while investigating a series of murders committed in airfields, begins to suspect that the killer may be a vampire.

<i>Wild Child</i> (film) 2008 film by Nick Moore

Wild Child is a 2008 teen comedy film directed by Nick Moore and starring Emma Roberts, Natasha Richardson, Shirley Henderson, Alex Pettyfer and Aidan Quinn, with Georgia King, Kimberley Nixon, Juno Temple, Linzey Cocker and Sophie Wu. Roberts portrays Poppy Moore, a wealthy and spoiled American girl who is sent to a boarding school in England by her widowed father, where she soon learns the true meaning of life and friendship. This was Richardson's final film role before her death the following year. Since its initial release, the film has gained a substantial cult following, being particularly popular in the UK where the film is set.

<i>What We Talk About When We Talk About Love</i> 1981 short story collection by Raymond Carver

What We Talk About When We Talk About Love is a 1981 collection of short stories by American writer Raymond Carver, as well as the title of one of the stories in the collection. Considered by many one of American literature's most ambitious short-story collections, it was this collection that turned Raymond Carver into a household name in the publishing industry.

<i>Pollyanna</i> (1960 film) 1960 film by David Swift

Pollyanna is a 1960 American comedy-drama film starring child actress Hayley Mills, Jane Wyman, Karl Malden, and Richard Egan in a story about a cheerful orphan changing the outlook of a small town. The film was written and directed by David Swift, based on the 1913 novel Pollyanna by Eleanor H. Porter. The film won Hayley Mills an Academy Juvenile Award. It was the last film of actor Adolphe Menjou.

<i>Waiting for Forever</i> 2010 American film

Waiting for Forever is a 2010 American romance film directed by James Keach and starring Rachel Bilson and Tom Sturridge. The film had a limited theatrical release beginning February 4, 2011.

<i>Movie 43</i> 2013 American anthology comedy film

Movie 43 is a 2013 American anthology comedy film conceived by producer Charles B. Wessler. The film features fourteen different storylines, each one by a different director, including Elizabeth Banks, Steven Brill, Steve Carr, Rusty Cundieff, James Duffy, Griffin Dunne, Patrik Forsberg, James Gunn, Bob Odenkirk, Brett Ratner, Will Graham, and Jonathan van Tulleken. It stars an ensemble cast that is led by Banks, Kristen Bell, Halle Berry, Gerard Butler, Seth MacFarlane, Leslie Bibb, Kate Bosworth, Josh Duhamel, Anna Faris, Richard Gere, Terrence Howard, Hugh Jackman, Johnny Knoxville, Justin Long, Jeremy Allen White, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Chloë Grace Moretz, Chris Pratt, Liev Schreiber, Seann William Scott, Emma Stone, Jason Sudeikis, Uma Thurman, Naomi Watts and Kate Winslet.

<i>It</i> (miniseries) 1990 psychological horror/drama miniseries

It is a 1990 ABC two-part psychological horror drama miniseries directed by Tommy Lee Wallace and adapted by Lawrence D. Cohen from Stephen King's 1986 novel of the same name. The story revolves around a predatory monster that can transform itself into its prey's worst fears to devour them, allowing it to exploit the phobias of its victims. It mostly takes the humanoid form of Pennywise, a demonic clown. The protagonists are The Lucky Seven, or The Losers Club, a group of outcast kids who discover Pennywise and vow to kill him by any means necessary. The series takes place over two different time periods, the first when the Losers first confront Pennywise as children in 1960, and the second when they return as adults in 1990 to defeat him a second time after he resurfaces.

<i>Cult of Chucky</i> 2017 American supernatural horror film

Cult of Chucky is a 2017 American supernatural slasher film written and directed by Don Mancini. The seventh installment of the Child's Play franchise, following the 2013 film Curse of Chucky, it stars Fiona Dourif, Michael Therriault, Adam Hurtig, Alex Vincent, Elisabeth Rosen, Grace Lynn Kung, Marina Stephenson Kerr, Zak Santiago, Ali Tataryn, Jennifer Tilly, Christine Elise and Brad Dourif. Cult of Chucky began production in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada in January 2017 and premiered at the London FrightFest Film Festival on August 24 the same year. As with the previous film, it was released direct-to-video by Universal Pictures Home Entertainment via Blu-ray, DVD and VOD on October 3.

References

  1. ↑ "StephenKing.com"
  2. ↑ Poole, Tiffany. "Norman filmmaker plans movie on Stephen King filmmakers". NewsOK.com. Daily Oklahoman. Retrieved October 10, 2013.
  3. ↑ " "Julia Marchese". Twitter. Retrieved August 30, 2022.
  4. ↑ " "I Know What You Need Trailer". YouTube. Retrieved August 30, 2022.
  5. ↑ Stephens, Kay (July 11, 2023). "Four spooky horror short films to catch at Maine International Film Fest this week". Penobscot Bay Pilot. Retrieved August 12, 2023.


Horrornovel.png

This article about a horror short story (or stories) published in the 1970s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

Nuvola apps kwrite.png

This article about a fantasy short story (or stories) published in the 1970s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.