When Ace arrives at the last location he finds a hole with a shovel next to it, another empty can and a note from Sheriff Alan Pangborn saying he'd dug up Pop's fortune and kept it for himself. Unknown to Polly, the letter is a forged writing supposedly by Pangborn, mocking Ace and telling him that Pangborn got the treasure first. The murder of her beloved dog leads Nettie to take a meat cleaver and head toward Wilma's house. The map supposedly shows several dozen locations in the area around Castle Rock where Pop Merrill buried his fortune before he died. Ace's first assignment is to retrieve crates of pistols, ammunition, and blasting caps from a garage in Boston; Gaunt soon begins to sell the pistols to his customers so they can protect their property. The story starts out in first person with the narrator greeting the reader and moves to third-person, introducing each of the book's diverse cast of characters and their complicated histories. Eleven-year-old Brain Rusk is his first customer, and Brian finds just what he wants most in all the world; a '56 Sandy Koufax baseball card. Ace believes his dead uncle "Pop" buried his riches. The novel ends as it begins, in first-person direct address indicating that a new and mysterious shop called "Answered Prayers" is about to open in a small Iowa town – an ominous implication that Gaunt is ready to begin his business cycle all over again. Sean Rusk is a minor character in Stephen King's 1991 novel Needful Things. Netitia "Nettie" Cobb: Polly's best friend and housekeeper, and enemy of Wilma Jerzyck. Needful Things, the sign said. Tensions rapidly grow after Nettie Cobb, Polly's housekeeper, and her enemy Wilma Jerzyck kill each other in a confrontation sparked by pranks played on them by local boy Brian Rusk (on Wilma) and alcoholic Hugh Priest (on Nettie.) "Very good, Mr. Rusk. Leland Gaunt leaves town in the carriage, which flies, and the town is destroyed by mass riots, murder, and numerous explosions of dynamite. While Ace is distracted by the confrontation, Polly escapes his grasp. Hugh Priest's car is later vandalized by another Needful Things buyer. Taking Polly hostage, Ace demands that Alan hand over a hoard of cash he allegedly stole from one of the sites Ace dug up. Wilma presumes the note to belong to Nettie Cobb due to their rivalry. Meanwhile, the town drunk Hugh Priest buys a fox tail from Gaunt and pays for it by sneaking into Nettie's house and murdering her dog. Ace is ultimately shot dead by Ridgewick when he goes after Polly, his death not being noticed by Alan or Gaunt. Alan avoids the potentially fatal strike and produces a bouquet of paper flowers from a magician's trick he carries with him. At the same time, Henry finds his own car ruined and a note framing Hugh. And since you are my first customer, I think I can offer you a very special price on any item that catches your fancy." The beginning and end of the book are almost word for word with the only real difference being the setting and the name of the store. With the violence in Castle Rock rapidly escalating, Ace and Buster plant dynamite all over town, using the caps Ace brought back. The audiobook version of Needful Things is read by Stephen King. She cuts off all contact with Lester without explanation and later hangs herself over the guilt of his death. The words on the side of the carriage read "Caveat Emptor" ("Buyer Beware"). At this time, Gaunt is preparing to leave. United States Bookshop US. Eleven-year-old Brian Rusk was the first customer and he got just what he wanted, a very rare 1956 Sandy Koufax baseball card. The prices are surprisingly low, considering the merchandise – such as a rare Sandy Koufax baseball card, a carnival glass lampshade, and a fragment of wood believed to be from Noah's Ark – but he expects each customer to also play a little prank on someone else in town. In the beginning of the book, the reader was welcomed to Castle Rock, noting the new sign for Needful Things. A new shop named "Needful Things" opens in the small town of Castle Rock, Maine, sparking the curiosity of its citizens. Buyers develop severe paranoia and anxiety if they are not physically holding the purchased items. After seeing the violation slips papering his house, he confronts Ridgewick. John "Ace" Merrill: the town's resident "bad boy" and petty criminal. Those who have survived the entire harrowing ordeal find themselves facing an uncertain future in what is left of Castle Rock. Finally, Gaunt begins to sell his poison-bullet automatic pistols (which will be used by Hugh, Cora, and Myra, among others). Meanwhile, Brian Rusk, tortured by his guilt in playing a role in Wilma and Nettie's murders and maddened by his obsession over the card Gaunt sold him, commits suicide via shotgun after making his younger brother Sean promise to never buy anything from Needful Things. Run by a stranger. They then become so paranoid about keeping their items safe that they eagerly buy up the weapons that he inevitably offers and trade away their souls. Polly, who has realized her "favor" to Gaunt has set up Alan's murder, removes the charm she bought and kills the creature inside that was feeding on her arthritic pain before heading to Needful Things. Signed. Brian Rusk (Needful Things) Heywood Floyd (Shawshank Redemption) Eduard Delacroix (The Green Mile) Low Men In Yellow Coats (Hearts In Atlantis) Pennywise (It) Abraham Kurtz (Dreamcatcher) Nettie is implied to develop a crush on Gaunt, and is ultimately killed when she attacks Wilma for killing her dog (a deed actually committed by Hugh Priest). "Brian. Needful Things, the sign said. The oddest name. Leland Gaunt is a stranger -- and he calls his shop Needful Things. Needful Things. When they meet at The Mellow Tiger, Hugh is killed instantly by a shotgun blast to the chest, while Henry has a lung punctured by an automatic pistol Hugh purchased from Gaunt and dies slowly. Eventually, Cora discovers Myra in this "other world" and goes to her house to kill her. For the film based on this story, see, "Stephen King, The Art of Fiction No. Brian sneaks to Wilma's house while she is away and ruins her laundry sheets by flinging heaps of mud at them. Needful Things, the sign said. Directed by Fraser C. Heston. The tape shows Ace Merrill running their car off the road into the tree that kills them. A name that caused some gossip and speculation among the good folks of Castle Rock, Maine, while they waited for opening day. By the end of the week, Mr. Gaunt's business is fairly booming, and why not? Alan sets out to kill Ace, wrongly believing him to be responsible for a car accident that killed his wife and son. They only need to pay a minimal sum...and they have to agree to play a little prank on someone. [4] The 2016 Netflix series Stranger Things's title and font was inspired by the novel and the film. A protagonist of the book is Alan Pangborn, previously seen in Stephen King's novel The Dark Half. https://stephenking.fandom.com/wiki/Needful_Things?oldid=82014. Hugh heads to the tavern - The Mellow Tiger - to murder Henry. Polly Chalmers, lover of Alan Pangborn, buys a "magic" charm from Needful Things in a desperate attempt to cure her severely painful arthritis. King also gets some good digs in at organized religious, nationalism, racism, celebrity worship and, in his first novel since getting sober, the perils and horrors of addiction. It was also the setting for Stand by Me The story is set in the small, fictional town of Castle Rock, Maine, where a new shop named "Needful Things" opens, to the curiosity of the townspeople. At the same time, Wilma has seen the damage to her house and left with a large knife of her own. Frank breaks into George's house and kills his pet parakeet, destroys his various possessions and furniture, then defecates on a framed photo of George's mother. A name that caused some gossip and speculation among the good folks of Castle Rock, Maine, while they waited for opening day. Signed. Norris Ridgewick, who had been prepared to commit suicide before realizing he still had his duty as a police officer, arrives a distance away and prepares to shoot Ace, until he sees Polly blocking his shot. An 1991 Stephen King novel in which a new store with the strange name of "Needful Things" opens in a small town called Castle Rock. Leland Gaunt is a stranger -- and he calls his shop Needful Things. Sheriff Pangborn immediately heads back to Castle Rock and enters Needful Things to find it empty, but he finds a videotape on the counter with a note from Gaunt telling him it will reveal how his wife and son died years earlier. It is the first novel King wrote after his rehabilitation from drug and alcohol addiction. With Max von Sydow, Ed Harris, Bonnie Bedelia, Amanda Plummer. This is … The distribution company Castle Rock was named after it when it released Stand by Me (1986). The person doing a prank usually knows the target, but has no real quarrel or relationship with him/her. Shane began his film career when he was 12, as Clint Eastwood's son in Unforgiven (1992). Ace Merrill and Danforth "Buster" Keeton begin, on Gaunt's orders, to plant dynamite around the town. Myrtle buys a porcelain doll from Mr. Gaunt. It is run by a seemingly kindly old man named Leland Gaunt and happens to have something that each of the main characters wants. Her friend Myra Evans, also a Presley fan, buys a photo of the man. He is the younger brother of Brian Rusk and the son of Cora Rusk. An exciting collections of different books from all over the places. The guns, automatic pistols with poison-tipped bullets, are eventually sold to all of Gaunt's customers after his business brings various grudges to the boiling point. Gaunt often asks customers to perform a prank or mysterious deed in exchange for the item they are drawn to. Her payment comes in the form of wallpapering traffic violation warnings over every surface of Danforth Keeton's house while he's away. Cyndi Rose Martin was next. Eleven-year-old Brian Rusk was the first customer and he got just what he wanted, a very rare 1956 Sandy Koufax baseball card. However, Alan's lover, Polly Chalmers, proprietor of the local sewing shop, dismisses his suspicions and buys an ancient charm that relieves the terrible arthritic pain in her hands. What's the Difference between Needful Things the Book and Needful Things the Movie? Ace's first job is to bring a large shipment of guns and ammunition from Boston back to Needful Things. The first to enter the shop, Brian Rusk, buys a Sandy Koufax '56 TOPPS card for 85 cents and a prank to be played on Wilma Jerzyck, a bitter woman with a severe dislike of a woman named Nettie Cobb. For Brian Rusk,… Skip to content ... IMO, for catching new fans. Gaunt demands payment both in cash and in small "favors", usually pranks played by his customers o… Needful Things, the sign said. Her payment is to plant a letter at one of the X's on the map Ace Merill bought. She purchases a pair of sunglasses said to have belonged to her celebrity crush Elvis Presley. It goes downhill from there, as … The oddest name. Gaunt eventually hires petty criminal John "Ace" Merrill as his assistant, providing him with high-quality cocaine and hinting at buried treasure that could relieve the debt he owes to a pair of drug dealers. As the bombs explode, Buster is wounded by Norris and is put out of his misery by Ace. Eleven-year-old Brian Rusk was the first customer and he got just what he wanted, a very rare 1956 Sandy Koufax baseball card. The book was published by Viking in October of 1991. Gaunt knows about the long-standing private grudges, arguments, and feuds between the various townspeople, and the pranks are his means of forcing them to escalate until the whole town is eventually caught up in madness and violence. Signed. "Brian. Castle Rock's citizens then begin to come into Needful Things, each of them drawn by an item they want more than anything else. Norris Ridgewick: one of the town's deputies and Sheriff Pangborn's closest ally. According to the cover, this novel is "The Last Castle Rock Story." Danforth eventually murders his wife. In 1993, a film adaptation of King's book directed by Fraser C. Heston and starring Max von Sydow, Ed Harris, Bonnie Bedelia and J. T. Walsh was released in theaters. Stephen King Wiki is a FANDOM Books Community. Gaunt becomes annoyed, agitated, then furious, and attacks Alan. Myrtle Keeton: Lonely wife of Buster Keeton. Buy Needful Things. By the end of the week, Mr. Gaunt's business is fairly booming, and why not? Storyline Castle Rock, New England, is a nice place to live and grow and Sheriff Alan Pangborn moves from the big city to the town expecting a quiet life. A Lalique vase. Brian Rusk." He is sent to Wilma's house where he destroys her windows, TV, and microwave with large rocks. Wilma and Nettie both attack and kill each other. "I am equally pleased to make your acquaintance," the tall man said, and that was how Brian Rusk met the proprietor of Needful Things before anyone else in Castle Rock. adventurous slow-paced. Needful Things is, occasionally pointedly, about the dangers of greed and materialism. Little by little, the pranks worsen existing grudges between the townspeople until they start turning against each other or themselves, nearly bringing about the violent destruction of the entire town. The two meet on the steps of the town hall and prepare to kill each other. Brian Rusk throws mud on Wilma Jerzyck’s sheets. At Needful Things, there's something for everyone. Eleven-year-old Brian Rusk was the first customer and he got just what he wanted, a very rare 1956 Sandy Koufax baseball card. Many other rivalries begin to fester, spurred by the personal motives and secrets of the people involved. Sean is an ordinary young boy with an upbeat personality and a great respect for his older brother, Brian. His car, parked nearby, transforms into a carriage pulled by a single deathly-white horse with glowing red eyes. All he finds are rusting coffee and paint cans containing either steel pennies (which an old inmate friend of his says are worth up to $2 apiece in mint condition) or useless trading stamps. Castle Rock was also the setting for The Dead Zone (1983), Cujo (1983), and The Dark Half (1993). They are all greeted by the seemingly-kind, old man claiming to be from Akron, Ohio[1] (a possible reference to Acheron), Leland Gaunt, and they all ignore the sign hanging in his shop, "Caveat emptor" ("Let the buyer beware"). A name that caused some gossip and speculation among the good folks of Castle Rock, Maine, while they waited for opening day. He is rescued later to die in the emergency room. Needful Things, the sign said. Later, Brian is told that he must perform one more prank to finish paying for the card. As satire it is far from "comedic" but is very effective. They are caught by Norris Ridgewick who shoots Danforth - and is shot himself - and escapes. Ridgewick attempts suicide, but sees how worthless his fishing rod is and decides to help, playing a key role in Gaunt's defeat. She later hangs herself out of guilt after taking part in the town-wide pranks and discovering that her fiancé has supposedly cheated on her with another woman. Sheriff Alan Pangborn becomes wary of Gaunt as soon as the shop opens. Leland Gaunt is a stranger -- and he calls his shop Needful Things. Castle Rock's citizens then begin to come into Needful Things, each of them drawn by an item t… Add/Edit a Character ... Brian rusk Brian rusk Needful Things Book vs Movie Add A Difference . Eleven-year-old Brian Rusk was the first customer and he got just what he wanted, a very rare 1956 Sandy Koufax baseball card. The story focuses on a shop that sells collectibles and antiques, managed by Leland Gaunt, a new arrival to the town of Castle Rock, Maine, the setting of many King stories. Henry Beaumont: Owner of the local bar; incurs Hugh's wrath after refusing to serve him any more alcohol one night and then taking his car keys because he was too drunk to drive home. Castle Rock is a fictional town in Maine frequantly used by Stephen King. Written across the front in white letters were the words NEEDFUL THINGS. [3], The Rick and Morty episode "Something Ricked This Way Comes" features the Devil as the proprietor of a store named "Needful Things", which sells cursed items. He and Hugh kill each other in a shootout at the bar. By threatening to either take away the item, destroy it, or remove its power, Gaunt is able to blackmail, coerce, and intimidate his customers into doing whatever he wants. The StoryGraph is an affiliate of the featured links. Norris, now having a clear shot, kills Ace with a bullet straight to the head. When Leland Gaunt opens the store Needful Things, he seems to have the object of desire for each dweller. At the scene, he leaves a note warning Wilma that it is her last warning. Norris kills Ace, leaving Alan to face off against Gaunt. He joins Ace Merrill as an assistant of Gaunt. After Sean tells him about his promise to Brian, Alan's suspicions about the source of the chaos prove true and he orders Gaunt arrested. He appeared in The Dark Half, another novel by King. Norris attempts suicide, realizing that his prank on Priest led to the fatal shootout, but decides against it and goes to the police station to help. The Baptists and Catholics of the town - already in a religious rivalry - are turned against each other by "favors" performed for Gaunt and a massive, murderous battle breaks out in the middle of town. Sean Rusk is taken, in a state of shock, to the hospital in another town. Needful Things has a great concept, a great character in the town, one of the best of King’s villains and as always engaging characters, however the relatively large scope and mad chaos leaves some of the characters lost in the shuffle and barring one truly horrific death, a lot of other seem to lose impact because of it. In the end, the narrator welcomes the reader to Junction City, Iowa, noting the new sign for the store "Answered Prayers" - suggesting that Leland Gaunt has set up shop someplace else to begin his business cycle all over again. Priest is killed in a firefight with Henry Beaumont. The novel ends as it began, in the first-person welcome to the reader as a new person in town. Stephen King. He got a chance to play his … Ace, seeing Danforth suffering from the fatal gunshot, shoots him three times in the head as a mercy killing. Cyndi Rose Martin was next. The oddest name. 4 "My name is Leland Gaunt," the tall man said, "and you are--?" 4 "My name is Leland Gaunt," the tall man said, "and you are-?" A mysterious new shop opens in a small town which always seems to stock the deepest desires of each shopper, with a price far heavier than expected. Gaunt prices low, low rates, but requests that every person perform a “prank” for him. Danforth, being a paranoid and mentally unstable man, begins to believe a shadowy cabal authority - "Them" - is persecuting him at every turn. Danforth "Buster" Keeton, gambling addict and Town Selectman, buys a game that allegedly predicts horse race winners. Wilma Jerzyck: The town bully and first victim of one of Mr. Gaunt's pranks, performed by Brian Rusk, which starts the cycle. Eleven-year-old Brian Rusk was the first customer and he got just what he wanted, a very rare 1956 Sandy Koufax baseball card. • Alan Pangborn: the Sheriff of Castle Rock and the main protagonist. "Very good, Mr. Rusk. It has been used in other … It is explained that Gaunt has, for centuries, been wandering through different countries and selling people useless junk. [2] It received generally negative reviews from critics, with an overall rating of 31% on Rotten Tomatoes. A name that caused some gossip and speculation among the good folks of Castle Rock, Maine, while they waited for opening day. But as Brian and the rest of Castle Rock learn, the full price for an item purchased at Needful Things is one no one can live with. A note is left framing Henry Beaufort, the owner of Castle Rock's only tavern. Wilma warns Nettie over the phone that she will get revenge. Myra, however, is prepared for her, and shoots her fatally. Priest kills Nettie's dog Raider for a prank, and spirals into madness. Needful Things (1993) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Meanwhile, Ace runs all over the surrounding area using the map to find the spots where Pop's fortune is buried. Needful Things is a 1991 horror novel by American author Stephen King. A photo had earlier been planted in Pratt's car by the stuttering "Slopey" Dodd, leading Lester to think his girlfriend Sally Ratcliffe was having an affair with LaPointe. The setting of Needful Things is a fictional town called Castle Rock, Maine - as in Stephen King's novel. Take your favorite fandoms with you and never miss a beat. Soon, several cases of violence happen simultaneously: gym coach Lester Pratt attacks Deputy John LaPointe (his fiancée's ex-boyfriend) and is killed in self-defense; Priest and bar owner Henry Beaufort kill each other in a shootout; Brian commits suicide out of guilt for his role in Wilma and Nettie's deaths; and town selectman Danforth “Buster” Keeton (who has been secretly embezzling thousands of dollars from public funds to fuel his gambling addiction) attacks Deputy Norris Ridgewick, before escaping to his home and killing his wife Myrtle with a hammer. And wonderfully, none of the thematic concerns turn into lectures or get in the way of a riproaring yarn. Polly is turned against Alan by one of the pranks, making her believe that he investigated the death of her child. Ace begins to suspect the supernatural background of his new employer, but Gaunt keeps him in line through intimidation and promises of revenge against Alan and the town. Norris buys a Bazun fishing rod from Gaunt in exchange for a prank on Hugh Priest, leading to the deaths of both Priest and Henry Beaumont. The film was directed by Fraser C. Heston, son of Charlton Heston, and starred Ed Harris, Max von Sydow, Bonnie Bedelia (Salem's Lot 1979) and J.T. Polly thinks it over and realizes Alan is innocent, throws away her charm, and convinces him not to kill Ace. Nettie Cobb, before her murder, buys a piece of carnival glass. A name that caused some gossip and speculation among the good folks of Castle Rock, Maine, while they waited for opening day. [1] It was made into a film of the same name in 1993 which was directed by Fraser C. Heston. Before this, a letter and photos were planted to lead Sally to think Lester was cheating on her. Alan Pangborn, head sheriff of town, has grown increasingly suspicious of the chaos in town and visits Sean in the hospital. Eleven-year-old Brain Rusk is his first customer, and Brian finds just what he wants most in all the world; a '56 Sandy Koufax baseball card. Needful Things has Stephen King at his best in some places and at his worst in others. Shane Meier, Actor: The Matthew Shepard Story. Myrtle is ultimately beaten to death by a deranged Keeton with a hammer. Wilma is a cruel woman, often starting fights and begins tormenting Nettie after the prank. fiction fantasy horror mystery thriller. Gaunt hires Ace into his service, and manipulates him into deciding to kill Alan. Signed. In the end "he always sells weapons", which everyone eagerly buys so they can defend their property. Horror Needful Things: 87% : Released: 1991: Author: Stephen King: Needful Things: 13%: Released: 1993: Director: Fraser C. Heston: Characters Add A Character . The violation slips are stamped with the name of town deputy Norris Ridgewick. The oddest name. [5], This article is about the Stephen King novel. 933 pages | first published 1991. Nettie is mentally unstable, having killed her abusive husband. Cyndi Rose Martin was next. Not my top … Another note is left at this crime. The novel was adapted into a horror movie in 1993. Frank Jewett, Brian's school principal, a cocaine addict, and a closet pedophile, finds pedophilia magazines strewn all over his office - Sally Ratcliffe's payment to Gaunt - with a note from his "friend" George Nelson, also a coke addict and pedophile. Ace Merrill (whose uncle "Pop" Merrill appears in the short story 'The Sun Dog' from Four Past Midnight) buys a treasure map from Gaunt, paying by becoming Gaunt's shop assistant. Yesterday, Monday, Brian had ridden through downtown right after school with two or three friends. The oddest name. At Needful Things, there's something for everyone. A mysterious proprietor named Leland Gaunt (Max von Sydow), claiming to be from Akron, Ohio, arrives in the small town of Castle Rock, Maine in a sinister-looking black car and opens a new antique store called "Needful Things". "Well, thank you," Brian … By the end of the week, Mr. Gaunt's business is fairly booming, and why not? "I am equally pleased to make your acquaintance," the tall man said, and that was how Brian Rusk met the proprietor of Needful Things before anyone else in Castle Rock. Cyndi Rose Martin was next. Sally Radcliffe: A speech teacher and a deeply religious woman, who buys a wooden splinter from Gaunt that is supposedly a remnant of Noah's Ark. There was a new shop in town.