Films/DVD Asylum

"that lousy made-for TV version of The Shining". . .

77.111.245.10

Chris from Lafayette

In Reply to: RE: If you are a fan of Kubrick but didn't like The Shining posted by RGA on May 12, 2021 at 21:35:56

. . . which King claimed he liked better than he did Kubrick's version. ;-)

Follow Ups:

RE: "that lousy made-for TV version of The Shining". . . - RGA 15:51:10 05/13/21 (0)
That's true because it followed his novel more closely so of course he liked it better - King also wrote the teleplay to the miniseries.
I don't think it matters at all what King likes better. Kubrick's film is entirely Kubrick's film and is basically an entirely different take on the book.
And critics and audiences preferred the Kubrick film. Sometimes the movie is better than the book.
My main gripe with the Kubrick movie was that Jack went nuts too early and it was a little overacted - BUT if the Wendy Theory version holds then that changes things because she is essentially imagining Jack's behavior and would have been doing this well before they ever went to the hotel so he didn't go nuts early - she simply views him like that all along. That actually strengthens his performance because he is "off" during that drive up to the hotel with her and Danny.
To me, it makes this movie a helluva lot better and the performances a helluva lot better subscribing to the Wendy Theory including Duvall's performance.
Of course, Ebert's view that there is no reliable protagonist also is valid since if Wendy is nuts then she is not reliable and Jack certainly isn't as he is seeing ghosts - and Danny has an imaginary friend and strange powers (or not - could be imaginary too).
I like that it's fairly open-ended. But Wendy watching a blank TV imagining there is a program and what she tells the shrink early in the movie is almost or is word for word what Jack tells the ghostly bartender would come from the same person's mind. He didn't comment on this in the video but if you go back you can hear her telling the shrink the same thing Jack tells the bartender.

Edits: 05/13/21

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