Book Review: Dark Score Stories – Author Joachim Ladefoged

It’s not everyday you get a book sent to you exclusive from A&E, and exclusive to the Stephen King film “Bag of Bones” (TV 2 part mini series). Though it is worth mentioning when the product is beautifully written and photographed. The book itself is simpl;y titled “Dark Score Stories”. It contains 64 pages which mainly include the photography of Joachim Ladefoged. The foreword is written by the film’s director Mick Garris and contains a variety of smaller essays by Ladefoged introducing each chapter of photo collectives.

In simple form, it awakens you to the “Bag of Bones” setup by providing details about the area of “Dark Score Lake”. Each photograph is rich in black and white composition, and each provides a subtle sense of the haunting details of the film (though more in line with the area and its surroundings itself). We meet Mike Noonan, Jo Noonan, Edgar Owen, Brenda Meserve, Buddy Jellison, Audrey Michaels and a few more of the locals who make up this small tucked away center of the universe local. The pictures, as they often say, express “much” without saying alot. The images reflect the mirror of friendly faces, intermingled with a few that aren’t.

Captured for the book are the images projecting the daily lives of those who have spent way too much time in this area and its haunted past. You might just say, they tell their own stories within the gaze they project.

A commentary introduction details as such:

A&E has launched an online narrative prequel to Bag of Bones, a two-night television event. Dark Score Stories explores the setting and characters of Bag of Bones through a series of eerie, animated images and striking black-and-white stills. Characters from the miniseries (including those played by Pierce Brosnan, Annabeth Gish and Melissa George) come to life in seven photojournalism essays with exclusive audio commentary.

Characters from the miniseries (including those played by Pierce Brosnan, Annabeth Gish and Melissa George) come to life in seven photojournalism essays with exclusive audio commentary.

As of this review, I’m not entirely sure if the book will be made available to purchase. At this point, it’s already on its way to becoming a collector’s item. Those who flourish within the King universe will want this as a table book and keepsake.

Dark Score Stories – Author Joachim Ladefoged