The Shining (1980)

[Palimelon]

In honor of the recent passing of Shelly Duvall, here is a thread for the movie containing her (arguably) most famous film role. And whether you love it or hate it or are somewhere in-between, it's also an iconic film in it's own right.

Also, here is an article detailing some of the many differences between the movie and the book that it was based on.

Edited July 11 by Palimelon

[BetterButter]

 

[Spartan Girl]

Look, the book was okay. I did like that Jack, unlike the movie version, was a flawed person that struggled with addiction  and hated what it did to his family and genuinely loved them. I get why Stephen King hated how the movie cut all that.

But the movie itself is a freaking classic. Jack Nicholson’s most iconic performance. And yes, Shelley Duvall’s Wendy deserves some vindication after years of viewers just crapping all over her. One of the many things I loved about the movie version of Doctor Sleep is that Wendy finally got her dues as a mother who loved her son and got them out of that hotel and someone that did not deserve Jack’s abuse.

[AgathaC]

I read the book version before I saw the movie and just couldn’t get into the movie at all. Maybe I’m weird, but some supposedly scary things had me giggling instead. To me, Jack Torrance as a man who loves his family and is trying hard to do right by them gradually slipping into insanity was far more tragic and terrifying than the movie character, who seemed unhinged from the start. Also, even though an axe is deadlier, something about the mallet was terrifying (maybe because it’s slower and seems more cruel?).

I appreciated Shelley Duvall’s performance, but definitely preferred the character in the book.

[hypnotoad]

Quote

Jack Torrance as a man who loves his family and is trying hard to do right by them gradually slipping into insanity was far more tragic and terrifying than the movie character, who seemed unhinged from the start.

Could not agree more. I finally watched this movie a couple of years ago at a flashback cinema showing and honestly I was bored and not scared at all. In the movie, Jack walks into the hotel for his interview and he was already acting unhinged! I just hated that. Duval was ok but the character was a mess compared to the book.

[Palimelon]

I do think both formats have their merits. As others have pointed out, the book is definitely more of a supernatural horror story, while the movie is more of a psychological horror story.

I will say Shelly Duvall's performance is the saving grace of Wendy the movie character version.

[Morrigan2575]

On 7/14/2024 at 2:38 PM, AgathaC said:

read the book version before I saw the movie and just couldn’t get into the movie at all. Maybe I’m weird, but some supposedly scary things had me giggling instead. To me, Jack Torrance as a man who loves his family and is trying hard to do right by them gradually slipping into insanity was far more tragic and terrifying than the movie character, who seemed unhinged from the start

Did you watch the mini-series with Stephen Webber? I remember it being closer to the book.

I'm the opposite, I watched the movie but, didn't read any Stephen King novels until college. I liked the movie but, after reading the book I can be a bit picky about the differences.

[AgathaC]

13 hours ago, Morrigan2575 said:

Did you watch the mini-series with Stephen Webber? I remember it being closer to the book.

I'm the opposite, I watched the movie but, didn't read any Stephen King novels until college. I liked the movie but, after reading the book I can be a bit picky about the differences.

I did. It wasn’t perfect, but it was definitely closer to the book. When it came out, I think I remember a TV Guide article about how much happier King was with this version than the movie.

In addition to the details, I felt like the cast was way closer to what I had had in my mind.

[JAYJAY1979]

I think Duvall's Wendy had to be adjusted based on how Jack was adjusted.

To me, I viewed Wendy as a classic enabler and denying reality in order to maintain her fragile illusion of a intact family.  In the opening scene when she's talking to a therapist, or whoever the person was, as she's smoking.  You could tell she was holding it together barely and hoping that things would be different.

And being isolated for weeks/months at a hotel would make someone gradually lose whatever strength they have.  I thought she was effective and her reactions/actions in the movie are what most people would probably do if confronted with a similar situation.

For me, I came to this movie after being raised on Fairy Tale Theatre/Mother Goose Rock N Rhyme.. so I was floored that she had such a range of talent in this movie.   In some ways, I don't think SK's novel could translate well on screen (as we saw with the 1990s remake) and Stanley improved things (the maze alone was a great touch).

Edited July 18 by JAYJAY1979

[BetterButter]

 

[Palimelon]

 

[Annber03]

Ahaahahahaha, the Peter Gabriel song in that clip was perfect XD. It's kind of disturbing how perfect that "romantic comedy" video is. 

On 7/11/2024 at 1:40 PM, BetterButter said:

 

I love this so much. The "This is a ghost resort" at the end cracked me the hell up :p. 

I do like how the "Honest Trailers" addresses people's criticisms of the movie while also acknwoledging how different it is from how so many horror movies nowadays, and how that's also part of the reason people like it so much. I think that's what works about it for me. Mind, I've not read the book, so I can't say how better or worse the film is in comparison. I do want to read it sometime. 

But yeah, it's not a traditional horror movie in a lot of ways, but there are many moments in it that are very unsettling and disturbing - the bit with the twins, of course, and the woman coming out of the bath. And ghosts or not, sorry, but I would get creeped out just wandering through those long, empty hallways. Long, empty hallways have always unnerved me - I think I blame "Are You Afraid of the Dark?" for that :p. Just the idea of wandering around that giant hotel alone, feeling like you're being watched even if nobody's actually there at the moment...eesh. 

[Palimelon]

Quote

the Peter Gabriel song in that clip was perfect

That's how you know it's a romcom about two people destined to meet and complete each other's lives, right?

[QQQQ]

I read the book in the 80s, and then again about 20 years ago while staying at the Stanley Hotel - scared myself silly 😅

[chitowngirl]

On 8/9/2024 at 11:14 PM, QQQQ said:

I read the book in the 80s, and then again about 20 years ago while staying at the Stanley Hotel - scared myself silly 😅

But did you put the book in the freezer? 😆

[AgathaC]

On 8/11/2024 at 9:47 AM, chitowngirl said:

But did you put the book in the freezer? 😆

Part of what I found kind of funny after I read the book was realizing some of the things Joey talks about were in the movie — but not the book. (“All blank and no blank makes blank a blank blank” and the girls in the hall.) I assumed whoever wrote the episode made the classic middle school mistake of skipping the book and writing the book report from the movie.