but ya so is stephen king re: the shining
― we're up all night to get (s1ocki), Tuesday, 2 July 2013 13:48 (ten years ago) link
Yeah, we saw Dead Zone again in 35mm a few months back. Walken actually acts in it. I remember finally reading the book a coupla years ago and realizing how perfect it was to get him and Cronenberg to adapt it.
― Hockey Drunk (kingfish), Tuesday, 2 July 2013 14:08 (ten years ago) link
I don't mind King hating The Shining film at all - it's an amazing film but any author is probably going to view these things through a really distorted lens. I would rather hear him saying "It's great - totally different from what I did, but a film is its own thing and he hit it out of the park" but I can't really expect him to.
re: Duvall's character - I was totally impressed with all her heroism and getting-it-together in the last act - I think I was just sort of soured on her earlier drippiness, which was just an exaggerated case of the usual horror movie audience response - "no no no GET OUT OF THERE you DOPE what are you DOING, RUN!!!!" It makes total sense, story- and character-wise, that she doesn't run and it really allows it to catch the intense dread and horror of the abusive-husband story as opposed to the creepy haunted mansion story. But it still can be hard to take.
― Doctor Casino, Tuesday, 2 July 2013 15:10 (ten years ago) link
the shining's one of king's big books, only the stand definitely looms larger (maybe it), and it has totally been supplanted in the popular imagination from now until the end of time by kubrick's film. having one of yr major works be reduced to little more than a footnote by a larger talent has to suck, some real 'you made it a hot lyrics, i made it a hot song' type thing. throw in usual writer unhappy w/ hollywood adaptation stuff plus artists being horrible judges of their work plus king's often questionable taste in general plus many ppl just not liking the shining period or not finding it scary/effective and it's not weird at all.
― balls, Tuesday, 2 July 2013 17:59 (ten years ago) link
i think every living author who got kubrickized wound up getting somewhat pissed off with what he did to their work -- the only ones who seemed fairly contented were clarke and, oddly, nabokov (who actually said there were scenes in kubrick's film he wished he had thought of).
― (The Other) J.D. (J.D.), Tuesday, 2 July 2013 18:12 (ten years ago) link
having one of your major works be reduced to little more than a footnote by a larger talent's lesser works...
Clarke and SK collaborated p closely... "The Sentinel" only has the germ of the plot, then ACC wrote the novel after the script (at least a draft) had been written, right?
― playwright Greg Marlowe, secretly in love with Mary (Dr Morbius), Tuesday, 2 July 2013 18:34 (ten years ago) link
yeah clarke's more a collaborator, i think the '2001' novel was written more or less simultaneously with the script. '2001' is prob closer to being a non-adaptation than any other kubrick film (except 'fear and desire' and 'killer's kiss').
― (The Other) J.D. (J.D.), Tuesday, 2 July 2013 18:37 (ten years ago) link
I remember King talking at length about his problems in an old Playboy interview. Here's a link to the full interview on a PDF file, and some scans of the relevant section:
http://algonquinsidetable.com/1983-playboy-interview-with-stephen-king/
http://i1059.photobucket.com/albums/t427/sayhey1/kubrick1_zps145992ae.pnghttp://i1059.photobucket.com/albums/t427/sayhey1/kubrick2_zps14496066.pnghttp://i1059.photobucket.com/albums/t427/sayhey1/kubrick3_zpsd1e909fb.png
I'm just the messenger here. The only King novel I ever read was Carrie (after seeing the movie), and I didn't like it nearly as much as the film. I'm sure I'd feel the same way if I were to ever read The Shining, which I won't.
― clemenza, Tuesday, 2 July 2013 18:42 (ten years ago) link
As I've said before -- on this thread -- King doesn't understand his own work at time. Jack Torrance in the novel is a man barely holding it together on p.1. His descent into madness is a very short one.
― This amigurumi Jamaican octopus is ready to chill with you (Phil D.), Tuesday, 2 July 2013 18:44 (ten years ago) link
Torrance is a dude with demons in the book, but in The Shining its amazing they even got to the hotel. I enjoy Kubrick's but I can see why King would feel the meat of the story from his pov had been altered if not eradicated. It's like if Johnny Cash did "Hurt" but lived for another decade and told everyone it was about Jesus.
― da croupier, Tuesday, 2 July 2013 18:49 (ten years ago) link
haha ok that's a horrible comparison but still. While the shining mini-series was weak and tv mini-seriesish, I can see why King would prefer the relative modulation of Steven Weber's performance.
― da croupier, Tuesday, 2 July 2013 18:50 (ten years ago) link
still Jack being nutz (as in, pulling faces) from the start has always bored/irritated me.
― playwright Greg Marlowe, secretly in love with Mary (Dr Morbius), Tuesday, 2 July 2013 18:57 (ten years ago) link
King's probably just pissed because they didn't include the evil hedge animals
― Number None, Tuesday, 2 July 2013 18:59 (ten years ago) link
i've never quite understood the 'jack is crazy from the start' criticism, the character is obv an abusive asshole but nicholson plays him as more a guy struggling to hold on to his temper than a guy who's out-and-out nuts.
― (The Other) J.D. (J.D.), Tuesday, 2 July 2013 19:02 (ten years ago) link
i mean, until he actually does go nuts.
― (The Other) J.D. (J.D.), Tuesday, 2 July 2013 19:03 (ten years ago) link
Which is exactly how he is in the book! The first words in the book are "Officious little prick," describing Jack's thoughts as he sits through his hotel interview with Ullman, who he would like nothing more than to punch in the face.
― This amigurumi Jamaican octopus is ready to chill with you (Phil D.), Tuesday, 2 July 2013 19:07 (ten years ago) link
Moron.
― Not Simone Choule (Eric H.), Tuesday, 2 July 2013 19:32 (ten years ago) link
Pretty sure I linked this upthread, but if you can read this article and still regard The Shining as one of Kubrick's lesser works, then film criticism truly is without point: http://parallax-view.org/2009/10/28/kubricks-shining/
― Not Simone Choule (Eric H.), Tuesday, 2 July 2013 19:34 (ten years ago) link
including Kael's 1980 pan, I spose
― playwright Greg Marlowe, secretly in love with Mary (Dr Morbius), Tuesday, 2 July 2013 19:56 (ten years ago) link
No.
― Not Simone Choule (Eric H.), Tuesday, 2 July 2013 20:01 (ten years ago) link
It's been clear that film criticism truly is without point since the VV poll named Todd Haynes' worst film the best of the '90s.
― playwright Greg Marlowe, secretly in love with Mary (Dr Morbius), Tuesday, 2 July 2013 20:06 (ten years ago) link
Someone should've alerted the media.
― Not Simone Choule (Eric H.), Tuesday, 2 July 2013 20:09 (ten years ago) link
who can forget that day
― we're up all night to get (s1ocki), Tuesday, 2 July 2013 20:34 (ten years ago) link
Somehow the miniseries doesn't rank at the very bottom of this: http://www.vulture.com/2013/07/all-of-stephen-kings-tv-work-ranked.html
― Not Simone Choule (Eric H.), Wednesday, 3 July 2013 15:09 (ten years ago) link
Enh, I haven't seen a lot of those, but mid-pack is about where I'd put TV Shining. I believe I've opined elsewhere, I thought it did an okay job.
― New Authentic Everybootsy Collins (Dan Peterson), Wednesday, 3 July 2013 15:32 (ten years ago) link
http://25.media.tumblr.com/24869854b7e5bc873d6ac7dff4471f2f/tumblr_mqfrpnSI2W1rce5tlo1_500.jpg
― 乒乓, Wednesday, 24 July 2013 14:15 (ten years ago) link
Never noticed it before, but love the very UK "Games Room" on the door.
― it itches like a porky pine sitting on your dick (Phil D.), Wednesday, 24 July 2013 14:20 (ten years ago) link
is that UK? i remember hotels having those as a kid. particularly ones with the addams family pinball game.
― we're up all night to get (s1ocki), Wednesday, 24 July 2013 15:44 (ten years ago) link
In my humble country, it was called a "Game Room".
Funny how it's like that and yet, we play sports and UK enjoys sport.
― pplains, Wednesday, 24 July 2013 15:46 (ten years ago) link
xp, yeah, in Colorado it would certainly have been called a "Game Room."
― it itches like a porky pine sitting on your dick (Phil D.), Wednesday, 24 July 2013 15:48 (ten years ago) link
Saw room 237 last night, wow
― esperantzen (darraghmac), Wednesday, 24 July 2013 15:50 (ten years ago) link
do you have maths rooms in the US
― we're up all night to get (s1ocki), Wednesday, 24 July 2013 16:00 (ten years ago) link
Dude, we don't even have math.
― pplains, Wednesday, 24 July 2013 16:01 (ten years ago) link
bro do you even have lifts?
― Jersey Al (Albert R. Broccoli), Wednesday, 24 July 2013 16:29 (ten years ago) link
citizenkaneapplause.gif
― it itches like a porky pine sitting on your dick (Phil D.), Wednesday, 24 July 2013 16:32 (ten years ago) link
http://maudit.tumblr.com/post/22308427007/the-making-of-the-shining-by-vivian-kubrick-x
― 乒乓, Tuesday, 27 August 2013 21:11 (ten years ago) link
wau @ jack gettin into character!
― what's up ugly girls? (Shakey Mo Collier), Tuesday, 27 August 2013 21:12 (ten years ago) link
http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m3flxetmgE1qiz3j8o5_r1_250.gif
me irl
― 乒乓, Tuesday, 27 August 2013 21:14 (ten years ago) link
i love that making-of
― set the controls for the heart of the sun (VegemiteGrrl), Tuesday, 27 August 2013 21:15 (ten years ago) link
Me, too. It was included in a silver anniversary VHS tape I had years ago so I haven't seen it in a long time.
― Lawyer... SUAVE... (carl agatha), Tuesday, 27 August 2013 21:21 (ten years ago) link
http://jezebel.com/stephen-king-hates-the-shining-because-it-s-misogynisti-1361182451@laurabeck
Another valiant attempt to reclaim his book's reputation away from the movie's fans.
― midnight outdoor nude frolic up north goes south (Eric H.), Monday, 23 September 2013 02:46 (ten years ago) link
dude, I like your books. LET IT GO ffs.
Breaking: Stephen King Digs Up Kubrick's Corpse & Skull-Fucks It One More Time
― set the controls for the heart of the sun (VegemiteGrrl), Monday, 23 September 2013 03:01 (ten years ago) link
that article makes a cogent point though
― obi wankin' obi (Autumn Almanac), Monday, 23 September 2013 13:10 (ten years ago) link
The wrong one.
You might not be a fan of Stephen King, but if any of his books actually deserves praise for straddling that line between literary and popular fiction, The Shining is definitely it.
Would rank at least four or five of his other books well above The Shining: The Book, but it has been awhile since I've read it.
Conversely, I wouldn't rank a single SK adaptation above Kubrick's film, with the sole possible exception of Carrie.
― midnight outdoor nude frolic up north goes south (Eric H.), Monday, 23 September 2013 14:15 (ten years ago) link
which one? The one about the movie being terrifying is lol wrong.
xp
― Miss Arlington twirls for the Coal Heavers (Dr Morbius), Monday, 23 September 2013 14:17 (ten years ago) link
i find wendy sympathetic in the movie (and, again, really don't buy the 'jack is crazy from the start' criticism).
king's got every right to voice his opinion -- it was his book, after all -- but it is kind of peculiar that he never seems to bother bashing any of the other 90,000 shitty movies that have been made from his work.
― (The Other) J.D. (J.D.), Monday, 23 September 2013 19:06 (ten years ago) link
most of which have "stephen king's..." in huge letters before the title.
One glance at the list of his top 10 favorite adaptations from his own work confirms: he loves the shitty movies based on his work.
― midnight outdoor nude frolic up north goes south (Eric H.), Monday, 23 September 2013 19:09 (ten years ago) link
Worst of Stephen King's 10 favorite adaptations of his own fiction
― midnight outdoor nude frolic up north goes south (Eric H.), Monday, 23 September 2013 19:10 (ten years ago) link
i know this thread is mostly about the movie but this is a thoughtful review of DOCTOR SLEEP, the sequel to the shining--
http://www.vulture.com/2013/09/book-review-stephen-kings-doctor-sleep.html?mid=twitter_vulture
― ian, Monday, 23 September 2013 19:12 (ten years ago) link