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While 1977's Stephen King novel The Shining preempts (and obviously inspired) the film that would come three years later in 1980, it's the movie and not the book that's most well-regarded. That's primarily due to auteur Stanley Kubrick, who delivered a film adaptation of King's horror story for the ages, one readily celebrated and obsessed over to this day. Drawing from a unique, one-of-a-kind aesthetic, rich use of color, sound, and symbolism, and exacting expectations from cast and crew, Stanley Kubrick's The Shining is a tentpole in the long history of cinema, the realization of something both profound and unsettling, not only on-screen, but entering real life, too. That's what makes art art, though, and what makes it so easy to celebrate The Shining as the true expression of brilliance it is, even if it's uncomfortable and, at times, outright frightening.


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Jacob

you guys are right, they do a great job making the hotel a character. halls that would lead nowhere and windows that shouldn’t exist really set you on edge when you notice those details. the creepiest one to me is the TV sitting in the middle of the living room, clearly not plugged into an outlet but still playing

Richard

Anyone interested in diving deeper into the symbolism of the Shining and Kubrick in general should check out Rob Ager - Collative Learning on YouTube. Easily the best analysis out there. His essay on Danny and his association with Bears and stuffed animals will change how you watch this movie.

macdaddyx4

Since Dagan loves The Shining, is interested in ghosts, and hasn't been to Colorado, I think it's time for him to visit The Stanley Hotel. It was King's inspiration for the book, is most certainly haunted, and is located in beautiful Estes Park. And parts of Dumb and Dumber were also filmed there. All movie genres are welcome.

GameSimp

YOOOO

Jose Cantu

Thanks for this! King is my favorite author. King's main issue was that Jack Torrance was portrayed as someone who couldn't stand his family from the initial drive to the hotel, and who OBVIOUSLY was going to end up doing awful things. Jack in the novel is a deeply flawed man with anger and alcohol issues who did some terrible things, but he wasn't outright hostile to his family. In the book Jack tries to fight his worst inner demons but eventually succumbs to them via the hotel. There is an attempt at redemption that the movie essentially scoffs at. In that sense the movie misses the point of the book. King said “That's what's wrong with [Stanley Kubrick's] The Shining, basically…the movie has no heart; there's no centre to the picture. I wrote the book as a tragedy, and if it was a tragedy, it was because all the people loved each other." The 1997 miniseries is not as good because Mick Garris is no Kubrick and Steven Webber is no Nicholson, and while Nicholson has immortalized the portrayal of Jack Torrance the monster, Weber does a better job of showing us Jack Torrance the man.

Sindri

I think what I find most interesting is about what yall were saying regarding Kubrick and King's falling out and the strange view that King had that the film was mean spirited and evil. Jump forward 25 years or so and you've got Frank Darabont's film adaptation of the Mist with a highly controversial, extremely grimdark ending that differs from King's ending. Yet Stephen said he likes Darabont's ending. I guess it came down more to just King and Kubrick disliking each other and maybe King making beef where it didn't have to exist.

Paul Sabo

If you guys are looking for more in this universe I HIGHLY recommend Doctor Sleep. I put it off when I heard about it, but it is truly incredible! Watch the Directors Cut. There was a decent bit cut from the theatrical version

Anonymous

Should for sure check out the sleep doctor, a surprising good sequel

TL

I haven't listened to this yet, but it was refreshing to hear King talk about how the movie Doctor Sleep gave him closure on some of the changes Kubrick made, since it is a sequel to Kubrick's movie, not a direct book adaptation.

Josh Gamez

I actually liked the adaptation of the Shining much more before I read the book a few years ago. What I loved about the book was it's a pretty cool exploration of trauma from the point of view from three very different victims (and as a massive King fan some of his best work is explorations of themes) and honestly I think it would work much better now as a miniseries than just a one shot movie for that reason, especially if they wanted to implement some of the elements from Misery that directly reference Sidewinder and the Overlook. There you get to see Jack's full descent into madness from extremely flawed but overall well meaning man to being fully possessed wheras in the movie, he feels halfway gone from the jump lol. Just a case of different strokes I guess.

Josh Gamez

Also it's important to note that Misery also is a part of the same world (in the book, they literally mention the man who went crazy and burned down the Overlook lol)