▁that ▁G olds m ith ▁did ▁not ▁understand ▁the ▁horror ▁genre ▁and ▁G olds m ith ▁counter ed ▁that ▁King ▁did ▁not ▁recognize ▁that ▁film ▁is ▁a ▁visual , ▁" external " ▁experience ▁unlike ▁nov els ▁and ▁short ▁stories , ▁which ▁are ▁" internal " ▁and ▁only ▁visual ▁in ▁the ▁reader ' s ▁mind . ▁▁▁ ▁G olds m ith ▁cred ited ▁King ▁with ▁being ▁extremely ▁gra cious ▁when ▁asked ▁about ▁the ▁film ▁in ▁media ▁inter views , ▁stating ▁in ▁diplom atic ▁ways ▁he ▁felt ▁the ▁new ▁approach ▁to ▁be ▁lack ing . ▁ ▁Hal ▁Ro ach ▁eventually ▁sold ▁the ▁project ▁to ▁New ▁World ▁Pictures ▁who ▁decided ▁to ▁go ▁with ▁G olds m ith ' s ▁script , ▁although ▁they ▁tried ▁un success fully ▁to ▁remove ▁his ▁name ▁from ▁the ▁cred its ▁in ▁favor ▁of ▁King ' s . ▁After ▁release ▁of ▁the ▁highly ▁successful ▁film , ▁G olds m ith ▁revealed ▁that ▁much ▁of ▁the ▁story ▁was ▁a ▁met ap hor ▁for ▁the ▁revolution ▁in ▁Iran , ▁with ▁the ▁take over ▁of ▁the ▁town ▁by ▁quasi - rel ig ious ▁ze al ots ▁acting ▁for ▁an ▁evil ▁" G od " ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁Ay atol lah ▁K home ini ▁and ▁his ▁revolution ary ▁guard ▁taking ▁over ▁Iran . ▁ ▁B urt ▁and ▁V icky ▁became ▁anal g ous ▁to ▁the ▁American ▁host ages ▁and ▁G olds m ith ▁was ▁using ▁a ▁horror ▁film ▁to ▁expose ▁the ▁d angers ▁and ▁ev ils ▁of ▁religious ▁fundamental ism , ▁something ▁few ▁critics ▁recognized .