"Snap, crackle, 'stop… is it sticking out?'” by Julianne Bell 5. BROKEN BONES: Snap, crackle, “stop… is it sticking out?” Misery Break out the cigarettes and Dom Perignon! For today’s “broken bones” prompt, we’re watching a movie with one of the most memorable bone-breaking scenes in pop culture history: the 1990 film adaptation of Stephen King’s psychological horror thriller Misery. James Caan stars as Paul Sheldon, a wry romance novelist who resents his bestselling Misery series. After he breaks both his legs in a car crash, he gets taken in by his self-proclaimed “number one fan” Annie Wilkes. Unfortunately for him, Annie’s apparent generosity is quickly revealed to be a terrifying, all-consuming obsession, as she holds him captive in her home and forces him to write a new Misery novel just for her.  This movie has everything: A pet pig, a cameo by Lauren Bacall as Paul’s agent, a sickening ankle crunch, and one of the most harrowing manuscript-burning scenes this side of Little Women. But the unmistakable standout is Kathy Bates’ breakthrough Oscar-winning performance as the fanatical Annie. She’s an unexpected villain, peppering her speech with folksy fake swear words like “cockadoodie,” “oogy,” and “dirty birdy” and morphing from saccharine to livid at the drop of a hat. It would be easy to make Annie into a caricaturish monster, but Bates deftly plays her with a touch of pathos, such that you can’t help but feel just a little bit sympathetic for her. It’s not hard to see why Stephen King himself has said this is one of his top five favorite film adaptations of his books and why he considers Wilkes his favorite of all his literary creations. Even though it was made 33 years ago, the movie’s exploration of crazed, entitled fandom feels just as relevant to the zeitgeist today, with celebrities like Chappell Roan receiving backlash for speaking out against stalkerish behavior. As I watch Annie demand Paul’s affection and scold him for being unappreciative of her cooking and caretaking, I think of the lyrics of Boygenius’ song “Bite the Hand,” written about the pressure of fans’ expectations: “Here's the best part distilled for you / But you want what I can't give to you / Your hands are gravity while my hands are tied / I can't love you how you want me to… What do you think will change? / Maybe I’m afraid of you… I'll bite the hand that feeds me.” The Stranger is participating in Scarecrow Video’s Psychotronic Challenge all month long! Every October, Scarecrow puts together a list of cinematic themes and invites folks to follow along and watch a horror, sci-fi, or fantasy flick that meets the criteria. This year, Stranger staffers are joining the fun and we’re going to share our daily recommendations here on Slog! Read more about Scarecrow’s 2024 challenge—and get the watch list—here. And you can track our daily recommendations here! 💀