There's a scene in the book where Jack finds/is led to a scrapbook in a shed, containing the secret history of the hotel. It is, I think without hyperbole, literally the most important scene in the book, and it baffles me that it was cut, because: 1) Jack decides to make his book about it, 2) his obsession with it is what lures the hotel into tempting him into the darkness, 3) it's literally the explanation for the party, the corpse in the bathroom, the furry in the bedroom, the reason why the family distrusts the elevator, that final picture... I could go on. The Shining is about how the past reaches out to infect the present--it's a ghost story, that's the metaphorical purpose of ghosts--so cutting the scene where the main character uncovers the dark past... I can't fathom it. Jack's obsession with the scrapbook is... it's literally half of the plot of the story, the other half being Danny's psychic struggle with the house, which... I'd argue was also cut.
@BluKyberCrystal
14 сағат бұрын
That's the half the plot of the book story. The film is a different, imo, superior beast.
@SoHungry666
12 сағат бұрын
The scrapbook is in the movie. You can see it next to Jack's typewriter in a couple of scenes.
@andrewphilos
11 сағат бұрын
@@SoHungry666 Ah, cool! My point, though, is that the discovery of the scrapbook, and the exploration of its contents, is what drives Jack's half of the book. It's not just the existence of the scrapbook itself.
@happinesstan
10 сағат бұрын
The book is a ghost story, and the film adaptation is, on one level [marketing] a ghost story. But it is also, on the Kubrick level, a Happy ever after fairy tale.
@happinesstan
10 сағат бұрын
@@andrewphilos This is apparent in the film, but because it is a visual medium, it isn't spelled out in words.
@livstylerewind
15 сағат бұрын
R.I.P. Shelley Duvall 💔 She deserved so much better.
@1805movie
14 сағат бұрын
"I always thought that the real difference between my take on it, and Stanley Kubrick's take on it, was this: In my novel, the hotel burns; in Kubrick's movie, the hotel freezes. It's the difference between warmth and cold." *-Stephen King*
@colonelweird
18 сағат бұрын
As an old geezer, I remember when this film was released. The response was at best muted: critics initially saw that it adds up to less than the sum of its parts. That was the consensus view for years, then something changed, and I've always wondered what happened. To me it felt like The Shining was reassessed because the reputations of both Kubrick and King continued to escalate dramatically. So a bunch of people started feeling like it HAD to be a great movie, even if King didn't like it. But I didn't like it when I first saw it, and both times I've seen it since, in attempts to reassess it, my opinion hasn't changed much. I'm more aware of the good elements of the film, but I still don't think they add up to anything coherent. I also watched A Clockwork Orange again recently, and for the first time I can see why it's a truly great film - but it makes The Shining look even worse by comparison. The Shining feels like a mediocre TV movie adaptation made with Kubrick's obsession with details. It feels like Kubruck just does not respect the story he's telling, which couldn't be further from what he did with A Clockwork Orange.
@stephennootens916
17 сағат бұрын
My step dad loved the King book and was disappointed with the movie when it came out because it was almost nothing like the novel. The network mini series was alright and stuck closer to the book but given the limits of network it and King it has a few issues. In truth the book that is just difficult to adapted with all the flash backs and so forth.
@Anton-i2o
16 сағат бұрын
Many of Kubrick's films got middling reviews from the start. 2001, Barry Lyndon, Eyes Wide Shut. You can't fake generational enthusiasm. The fact is that they look better with the years.
@colonelweird
15 сағат бұрын
@Anton-i2o You're right, that happens a lot, and not only with Kubrick. But that doesn't mean the new appreciation is always right. Which is exactly why we can debate The Shining.
@BluKyberCrystal
14 сағат бұрын
@@colonelweird I've loved the Shining since I was a kid. What I find most telling about it's lasting quality, is how many people of different ages and walks of life, who love it, who don't even like King. It's influence on some of the best horror stories since it's release.
@itsaUSBline
12 сағат бұрын
I don't know. It was the first Kubrick film I had seen, and I had no idea who he was at the time, but I still loved it.
@kyrastube
17 сағат бұрын
Just a small detail. The bathtub lady isn't just old and sick, she is a corpse. In the book we get into her backstory, but I understood that she was in fact a rotten corpse before reading the book. It's not her age that we are supposed to react to.
@stephennootens916
16 сағат бұрын
If I remember right we are given her story in one of the early chapters before the whole family movies into the hotel. It is a sad sorted story told to Jack and it is powerful. Last time I read the book it made me cry.
@richardvinsen2385
16 сағат бұрын
My problem with Scatman Crother’s character is that he can sense something is wrong from across the country but he can’t sense Jack standing around the corner with an axe.
@samcyphers2902
14 сағат бұрын
Finn: "We have the Shining." Han: "That's not how the Shining works!"
@wednesdaydemchok825
9 сағат бұрын
I think he was so focused on getting to Danny that he was closed off to Jack. That’s the only way I can come to terms with it.
@PK-MegaLolCaT
9 сағат бұрын
he didnt sense something was wrong , it was danny call upon him with the shinning
@darlalathan6143
3 сағат бұрын
Also, Scatman's character Dick survived and rescued Wendy and Danny in his snowcat in the book. 🤣😂😅😆
@mrcritical6751
Сағат бұрын
@@darlalathan6143he ended up marrying Wendy and became like a father to Danny
@HalloweenYearRound
17 сағат бұрын
For me, the appeal of the movie is its overall vibe and almost hypnotic quality. It's hard to put into exact words, but it just creates this environment that is unpleasant and unsettling. It's the reason why people analyze and theorize it to death. Because they're trying to put into words something that's just a feeling.
@patrickt.6492
7 сағат бұрын
The documentary Room 237 is very entertaining, and it shows how the fan theories about the movie range from interesting to completely bonkers
@tituslafrombois1164
5 сағат бұрын
The protracted shots that are a major point of criticism in this video are definitely an intentional exercise in mood and atmosphere, like Wendy standing in shock for twenty seconds after finding the cut radiator, the music speaks for her internal monologue as we see her considering her options through expressions. It's a very Vibe based movie so I can totally see why some people would despise it if they didn't gel with its particular vibe.
@samuelbarber6177
18 сағат бұрын
As someone who does love this movie… I can respect your opinion. I also don’t actually think this movie is as deep as a lot of nerds think it is. If anything, it’s an allegory for substance and domestic abuse. I probably also prefer the novel, if just because of the fact that while the film scares me, the novel scares and depresses me. In the novel, we really get to see Jack as someone who’s trying his best and it really hurts when he falls into his own habits. For me, this film is pretty scary and I love the performances by the late great Shelley Duvall especially. Kubrick did give her and others a horrible time, and that is absolutely inexcusable but that she manages to pull off her character in spite of that is impressive. Some people consider her shrill but I actually think Wendy’s arc is very realised in the film. I also love the look and feel of this, especially the cinematography. Not just in how groundbreaking and impactful it was, but also on its own terms, my blu-ray of this film looks amazing, as do most of Kubrick’s other work. Not to mention the use of music, some composed by Wendy Carlos and Rachel Elkind. I also love the production design and the weird inconsistencies in this hotel. There are issues with it, but they’ve never really ruined my enjoyment. Though, I should note I’ve only seen the European 119 minute cut, which was apparently Kubrick’s preferred version.
@caelumis3630
14 сағат бұрын
If I remember correctly from what Kubrick himself said (in other words, authorial intent of the director), the photograph at the end was meant to represent Jack joining the countless spirits who had been the Overlook's victims, and that the earlier comment by "Grady" (Who I forget in the book whether or not is the real Grady or the Overlook using his visage like a puppet to talk to Jack) that Jack had "always" been the caretaker of the Overlook is the Overlook basically trying to manipulate Jack's feelings by making him feel like he belongs with the evil and trapped spirits of the Hotel. It's the Overlook claiming his soul. Further, Kubrick is on record saying the supernatural elements were meant to be real all along, with the opening of the pantry being designed as a "AHA! SO IT WAS REAL!" moment. This, however, does not negate your critique at all that this idea is POORLY communicated by the movie. One idea that might have made the final scene have its *intended* impact would be to introduce that group photo earlier in the movie, with Jack not present among the crowd. Per Kubrick's style, we could even cut back to Jack looking at it more than once. Maybe first time it mirrors the final scene and it's a photo of a party, the second time he looks at it however mid-way its still the party but the spirits are looking at him expectantly as if subtly saying "Don't you have a job to do?"... i.e. killing his family, then finally at the end when he dies its the same as the first photo with the celebration but now Jack is included among the crowd. Idk, just spit balling hypothetical cuts that I know will never be made.
@mrcritical6751
52 минут бұрын
Could maybe also throw in a scene where he looks at it from afar and his reflection in the glass places him right where he is in the final picture
@scottwhiting2039
12 сағат бұрын
I remember hearing about the BTS stuff with the way Shelly Duvall was treated. It made scenes like when she was swinging a bat while Jack was slowly walking up the stairs much more uncomfortable. During that scene her fright felt way too real for it to be acting
@HauntFreak13
11 сағат бұрын
She was also snorting coke on set lol
@Jan-cc7wb
2 сағат бұрын
34:13 My interpretation of the movie was, that jack are not supposed to go from stable to insane, and has a flat arc altogether. He has the same ability to kill his family with an axe in the beginning of the movie, as well as in the end. This would explain the creepy look in the window, lack of lead in between the scenes, moments of Jack‘s explosions so early on in the movie. The purpose of this scenes was to show just how miniscule was Overlook’s influence on the broader scale.What the hotel does is just mess up with Danny and Wendy(hurting neck,causing visions), which makes them act in non-conforming to Jack way, and then gives Jack an arbitrary reason to kill his family. All the haunting scenes, experienced by Jack, are just small push-ups towards this decision,rather than gradual poisoning of his soul. So the climax of the movie is just „mask off“ moment. In this context Wendy is the one, having arc, from forgiving Jack for hurting Danny to hitting Jack with the bat.
@Stubagful
14 сағат бұрын
My connection to the shining is more a personal vibe than the usual merits or issues people talk about, and the issues kinda contribute to why I like it so much. Wendy's clearly already on edge from the start and lying to herself, Jack is obviously going to go insane from the word go, Danny is incredibly vague as a character, there's no real emotional change for anyone throughout and this would be an issue under other circumstances but on a meta level this works for me because by having taken basically a handful of characters and ideas from the book and set them wandering about on this canvas, that lends the entire thing this sense of powerlessness. These are people constructed for the singular purpose of playing out this story in which a dad tries to kill his family in a haunted hotel. Nothing Jack, Wendy or Danny can do will stop any of this happening, and that was what scared me and was why it clicked with me. When I was a kid I always felt like my life was beyond my control whenever bad things happened and like some external force was directing me into situations I wasn't prepared to deal with, and I felt like the shining really GOT me in that sense. Had the exact same experience with Eraserhead.
@helixier6629
18 сағат бұрын
I personally felt like I was missing some context of a lot of things in the movie, like the characters felt underdelevoped and apparently the reason was that we are missing the emotional backstory of events that happened outside of the movies timeline. I did later listen to an audiobook of the book to get the whole story with the missing bits and knowing the backstory makes the movie easier to digest. I also hate how some discouse about the dad is how much of a terrible drunk he is, without exploring Jack's character in a sympathetic light. The book version is someone I can project my own problems with my own demons or my father and his own different kind of demons. Like jack's character is meant to look into an abusive person's heart, and then I hear people dismiss him as a terrible person and how stephen king was also a drunk etc, when thats the whole point.
@stephennootens916
16 сағат бұрын
King was drinking at the time but that is no reason why to dismiss his version of Jack. In fact his version feels more like a real person and same with Wendy. They have their own baggage that they struggle with while at the same time they are still relatively young married couple with a little kid.
@stephenkay4008
4 күн бұрын
I do like The Shining, but I’ve always found it impossible to see it as anything other than a series of beautifully choreographed camera shots and great performances. The sound design is important, but the whole thing is a pretty hollow exercise in unnerving the audience and pre-signalling how they should feel. As you’ve rightly pointed out, there are great characterisation pieces, but just about everything happening around those just make no sense and only seem to be there because “oh, that looks amazing!”
@stephennootens916
19 сағат бұрын
The book is much better structured and gets into cycle of alcoholism and violence.
@itsaUSBline
12 сағат бұрын
I mean, you're basically describing the very purpose of film as a medium. The film is a bit of a mood piece. If you try to think of it as more of a visual tone poem, it makes more sense. It values creating a feeling of anxiety and uneasiness in the viewer first and foremost. I don't think every film has to necessarily have a plot that's really tightly structured and makes the most sense as a story, because that's only one aspect of the medium. We should judge art based on how well it achieves what it sets out to achieve. Saying that the book is better because it goes into cycles of alcoholism and the history of the hotel is kind of ignoring the fact that those were never things the film intended or wanted to address. They're entirely different pieces of art. I'd go so far as to say that the film is really more inspired by the book than it is adapting the story. It takes inspiration from the setting and elements of the story, but then sets out to tell its own entirely different story.
@numb3r5ev3n
11 сағат бұрын
There are some classic shots, and the cinematography is gorgeous at times, but it's exactly as you said. It's like Stanley Kubrik just wanted to do cool shots at the expense of the story.
@davidgeldner2167
6 сағат бұрын
It’s a nothing burger like Skinamarink. It’s well crafted garbage.
@davidgeldner2167
6 сағат бұрын
@@itsaUSBline but point of stories is telling you a story. If you ain’t got no goddamn story, make a music video or some shit. It’s offensive how lacking this film is in any semblance of actual plot or storytelling
@SebastianSeanCrow
13 сағат бұрын
17:24 I honestly took it as he was *always* that way. But being alone, isolated, and stressed the fuck out with no one to call or talk to made his *family* finally say enough is enough
@kkimsey5866
7 сағат бұрын
Yes! Me too!
@karabearcomics
12 сағат бұрын
I will push back on the criticisms of the lengthy tricycle scenes and the Halloran journey. For the tricycle scenes, it really does seem to be more of lulling you into a false sense of security. They're long, so you begin to zone out on them, and nothing is happening. They feel more like you're just getting an idea of the fact that you need to know what the kid is doing. But then, the final one is cut short, just as you were likely zoning out, and the ghost girls are there. Really, it feels like an extended setup to a jump scare. Meanwhile, for Halloran traveling, there's a sense of hope but dread in that. You see him coming and feel that he will be what saves Wendy and Danny, but only if he gets there on time. You see Jack getting worse as we see how agonizingly long it takes for Halloran to make his way there, to make any difference. You are tense because you want him to show up on time but don't know if he can. But then the movie strikes in what could in another context be a comedy beat, but in a much darker and deadlier one--all that effort and he was killed immediately. Yes, he did leave the means for escape, but in that moment it also feels like futility, and also like any ray of hope has been snuffed out. Probably best if they would have had a thought not to kill off the only black character, though (especially since the source material didn't). This one goes into more of a theorizing aspect, but I also wanted to mention about the "You've always been the caretaker" aspect. I would say it's the ghosts saying that he was always destined to be the caretaker, an unalterable destiny. Ghosts don't necessarily live inside time as we know it, so they may see him as always there, just as all the previous and future ones are/will be. And that destiny may have been enforced by the hotel's own shine. It could have called out to Jack, a man it felt would fit the caretaker role perfectly, giving him visions of it when sleeping or the like, causing deja vu when he came there finally. He's influenced by the ghosts more than he knows, and this could also tie into why the ghosts attack Danny. They only actually physically interact with him the one time, and that seems to be to cause a scenario which would cause Wendy to blame Jack for abusing their child, causing him to regress because nothing he does matters and he may as well do everything he keeps himself from doing. Heck, that could be a reason why Wendy only starts seeing the ghosts after Jack is past the point of no return. They don't need to hide, don't need her to think it's just a big hotel with her, Danny, and Jack in it. May as well have fun when they think she's just going to die anyways. I mean, nothing the hotel does has any physical affect on her, and instead just makes her more frightened. Frightened people make more mistakes, and they want her to get herself killed. But even if they obviously can interact with the physical world, they want Jack to do it, to fulfill what they think is the caretaker's true duties. That last bit was a bit of rambling train-of-consciousness stuff going on there, but one thing I was also thinking: what if Grady is sort of the catalyst here? Maybe before him the ghosts weren't necessarily so violent or the like, but they were influenced by what they saw him do, rather than them influencing him. They thought that's what the job of a caretaker should be, and they did their best to make sure Jack continued those duties. I mean, I've strayed quite far away from the "always the caretaker" thing, but it's something I was thinking. Haven't seen the movie in over a decade, and only saw it once before (and some of that awful miniseries, but that's not relevant to the film--neither is Doctor Sleep, which I've never seen).
@ftumschk
15 сағат бұрын
49:39 None of the music in the mentioned scenes was by Wendy Carlos or Rachel Elkind. ISTR that the bar/ballroom music came from old records, and the music for the bathroom scene was an early 70s piece by Krzysztof Penderecki: The Dream of Jacob I believe Carlos/Elkind wrote the atmospheric "synthy" music over the credits and filmed footage of the mountains. The bulk of the soundtrack comprised pre-existing music by Penderecki, György Ligeti and Béla Bartók. Just for info/clarity; no criticism intended.
@AngieDeAguirre
18 сағат бұрын
I want to make a comment as an ex-substance addict... There is one way in which everything (or most of it) falls into place in the movie, specially the Jack's issues. He lied. He lied about being sober during those 5 months. He was just taking the edge off (and Wendy believed him because of her being an abuse victim). And when they went to the Hotel, maybe he thought there will be alcohol. And there isn't none. So... Jack as being all that time in heavy detox. Detox messes with your perception, with your memories, with how you see people, and the fact that you'd do ANYTHING for another fix. Throw some super stressful frustration because you can't write, the isolation, etc... You might get violent. It happens. Specially if you abandon your habit cold turkey no medicine help. And the rest, yeah, the ghost were whispering on his ear. But the ghosts were just what drove him over the edge. Well. That is my take as an ex addict. It might not make sense either.
@CouncilofGeeks
18 сағат бұрын
So... ok he's lying to Wendy about staying sober. Why would he lie to Lloyd? Because he says to Lloyd "here's to 5 miserable months on the wagon." Why would he lie about being sober to the man giving him a drink?
@AngieDeAguirre
18 сағат бұрын
@@CouncilofGeeksbecause taking the edge off doesn't satisfy the addiction. Taking the edge off is drinking enough to not being sick, not drinking to being drunk or numbed. There is a difference in how it feels. One leaves you always craving, but functioning. I hope I'm explaining myself properly, english is not my first language.
@Elwaves2925
17 сағат бұрын
@@AngieDeAguirre Going off your comment, as it's been years since I saw it, couldn't it also be the case that he lied to Lloyd because Jack believed it. After 5 months he could have convinced himself it was true, even though it wasn't. In the same way that many addicts convince themselves they only do it on occasion, they can stop when they want and it's not a problem.
@AngieDeAguirre
17 сағат бұрын
@@Elwaves2925yesssss!!! This too! Absolutely! That was so me! 😂 My thing was not alcohol, so I know that both experiences might differ in some aspects, but addiction is addiction and in some things it's almost the same for everyone. Great take and it's so awesome that you caught that to add to the conversation 😊
@Elwaves2925
17 сағат бұрын
@@AngieDeAguirre Thankfully i've never been addicted, unless you count cold milk (I kid you not 😁) but a friend was, so I dealt with it all through them. They'd say things like that, then you'd see them so out of it they had no idea who you were. I hope you are over your troubles, whatever form they took. As much as any addict can ever be over it. 🙂
@Deathadderdiva
7 сағат бұрын
I know you didn’t read the book but some of that stuff towards the end with the party people comes from a plot point in the novel where Jack is planning to write a book about the history of the Overlook hotel. At some point in its past, mobsters owned the hotel and several gangland killings took place there(those two guys in the room were mob flunkies). Kubrick just ignored many of the subplots and character development from the book because of his own ideas of what to do visually (a flaw in a lot of his movies, imo). Halloran does not die in the book but is injured and escapes with Danny and Wendy. He also plays mentor to Danny in Doctor Sleep where the shining powers are further expanded on. I know others have already mentioned the Doctor Sleep film but it is a damn good adaptation that makes up for some of the missteps in The Shining. You really hit the nail the head when it comes to Nicholson’s performance; King strongly objected to his casting because Nicholson came off as “crazy” right from the jump. He’s a great actor but not very nuanced in this role. I remember seeing Gothic years ago and caught your review the other day-that film is wild but in a much better way than The Shining. Ken Russell liked his visuals but also knew how to handle story there.
@1805movie
13 сағат бұрын
Honestly, a majority of your points are pretty valid. Jack's character just seems crazy from the get go, instead of a sympathetic former English teacher, turned recovering alcoholic, who genuinely WANTS to be a better father and husband (as he's described in the book). The shining ability does feel like an afterthought in the film, unlike the book. And trying to be ambiguous with the supernatural in the film makes no sense when Grady unlocks the pantry door FROM THE OUTSIDE. I love this film, but even I can acknowledge its flaws. When this movie first came out, it was almost universally panned by critics (especially from King himself). Stanley Kubrick was even nominated for "Worst Director" at the Razzies. Your analysis is very fair, and I've actually enjoyed it very much.
@itsaUSBline
12 сағат бұрын
What? The Razzies didn't exist when the movie came out. Are you thinking of Eyes Wide Shut?
@GarrettCRW
11 сағат бұрын
@@itsaUSBline The first Razzies were held in 1981.
@nordwithnovelty
11 сағат бұрын
They sent him an apology years later... but I've always felt it ironic that a movie about ghosts felt so soulless. Like, the source is a ghost story, downplaying the supernatural parts seems counterintuitive. The character arcs are almost flat, the pacing is terrible, the only good part is actually the acting with what they were given
@stephennoonan8417
18 сағат бұрын
My eyesight isn’t what it used to be. I momentarily read the title as “Stop telling me ‘The Shining’ is a great movie… and ‘Kinda’ sucks actually” I thought, ‘Blimey. This is a bold, double-edged video - dissing both a horror masterpiece and a sacred Classic Doctor Who story in one fell swoop!’ 🤣
@onbearfeet
10 сағат бұрын
I don't have strong opinions on The Shining as a film, but as an abuse survivor, I've learned to be wary of anyone who elevates it to The Greatest Film Ever Made or describes it as their personal favorite number-one movie that they watch to feel better/comforted/pleasantly stimulated. Because I know that in the next few minutes, I'm going to hear about the horrific tragedy of Jack Torrance and how the hotel drove a decent man mad. And when I point out that "decent" is not a word I'd use to describe an abusive alcoholic who dislocated a little boy's arm, I'll be told that I "just don't get it", occasionally because I'm not an addict or a "real artist" (wow), but usually because I'm a woman. As if I'm insulting them or betraying Art by not wanting to rewatch a terrible person try to murder his family. So, yeah. I'm fine with people liking or enjoying this movie, but if you put it on that kind of pedestal and expect me to do the same, I am backing away slowly.
@Jan-cc7wb
6 сағат бұрын
As a someone, who has shining as a in a top 5:aren‘t these comments applied to the book only version? The movie is more from Danny/Wendy angle, and movie Jack is specifically stripped away from any sympathetic moment.
@ronjaj.addams-ramstedt1023
5 сағат бұрын
@@Jan-cc7wb I have not read the book, and I am creeped out by the movie in a similar way as this thread's OP. The movie reminds me all too much about the isolated house where I grew up and my abusive father. The description of abuse is *real* and it seems unclear to me if the audience is supposed to feel (some) sympathy for Jack despite in what mental place and with what history he started, before the hotel entered the picture.
@ataridc
5 сағат бұрын
you guys see one comment at some point in your life and act like it's a common opinion lmao
@phrok
Сағат бұрын
@@ataridcor maybe it's just far less original opinion then you would like to think. It's not the first movie/book misinterpreted by many "fans" who don't really like to reflect or look deeper then their initial reaction, but still praise it for what they think is cool reason behind male's hero dangerous (to him and especially to everyone else) behavior. See more at: "fight club" (including author vocaly hating on everyone who says that Tyler is their favorite hero) or "breaking bad" as most well known examples.
@תומרכץ-ש2ר
Күн бұрын
But The Simpsons' parody!
@Cheesecake_666
Күн бұрын
Chefs kiss, five stars, slay
@simonesalvatore9345
18 сағат бұрын
Even as a huge Kubrick fan, The Shining has never been in my favourite of his. I’d much rather watch Clockwork Orange or Full Metal Jacket or Dr. Strangelove over this.
@AngieDeAguirre
18 сағат бұрын
Fullmetal Jacket is so good and so anti-war. Andctye fact that it was filmed in England... Damn!
@Faerie_Kim
13 сағат бұрын
Omg same. Clockwork Orange and Full Metal Jacket are so good.
@forresth.6690
14 сағат бұрын
Halloran's ax to the chest is a punchline, the trip of thousands of miles to get it the setup, like the Monty Python "It's" man running all the way from a distant horizon up to the camera. Kubs is an ironist making a black comedy for, well, himself, on horror-film sets. To King and his readership this was a serious story, even if it was a supernatural horror story, but to Kubrick it was a joke. (Story? Characters? Themes? Think of Royal Tenenbaum's reaction to Margot's play: "It's just a bunch of little kids in animal costumes.") He never told anyone this, least of all his actors; he couldn't get Jack and Shelley and Scatman into a room and say, "think Punch and Judy shows, you're all silly puppets"¹ - that would have spoiled his fun. The actors don't know they're supposed to be ridiculous; Nicholson can't help it, it's his face, he was essentially type-cast as The Joker, but the other two had to be abused to make them gurn properly. __ ¹ Much like 2001. That Gerry Anderson transformed UFO into Space: 1999 by way of 2001 was entirely appropriate: Bowman & Poole are both Supermarionation puppets.
@charleston1789
13 сағат бұрын
Interesting hypothesis, this hasn’t occurred to me. did Kubrick state as such anywhere? Genuinely curious.
@luxshine
8 сағат бұрын
Or just Kubrick being... Kubrick and not realizing how important Dick was to the story. As he actually SURVIVES the book.
@detroitmetrodolphinskull
6 сағат бұрын
Where is your proof? It's certainly not in the text
@MWB_FoolsParadisePictures
3 сағат бұрын
These are interesting criticizms, and I agree with some. But I'd argue that a lot of what's criticized for not necessarily impacting or moving forward the story are things that still greatly enhance one's psychological experience of the film. The kid's shining, for example, has us experiencing a world where a child sees something is obviously wrong and scary but doesn't know better than to simply live in silent, fearful acceptance because of how adults tend to be more oblivious, self-deluded, and dismissive of that which should not be acceptable. Would it have been better if there had been a subplot of him trying and failing to talk to his parents about it? Perhaps. That could increase the suspense when viewing the story from the adult perspective. But I'd argue that having the kid keep silent while struggling to try and live with things in interpersonal isolation is its own type of equally relatable tragedy. The fact that he's already at the point of keeping silent implies he's been taught his whole life to accept things that are scary and bad so that the family unit can "keep calm and carry on," so to speak. This idea is part of the theme of the family broken by alcoholism and abuse; the degree to which the kid's situation breaks my heart is a huge part of the dread and melancholy of the film for me. Plus, in general, I like this older style of flimmaking where scens take more time to breathe. I realize that traditional modern commercialized western storytelling theory says that any iota of material should directly drive the plot and/or story, but I feel like a greater number of nuanced things relate to human story than even storytellers tend to realize consciously; and many things that enhance tone, viewer experience, etc, are often taken for granted. And I think we, as audience members (especially Gen X and later), are so used to that commerical-world style of storytelling that we are constantly waiting for the next beat rather than allowing how invested we are in characters and the vibe of their situations to be the main experience in an of itself. On the other end of the scale, nothing bores me more than a really tight, progressively paced story, plot, and editing style without a drop of atmosphere or nuance, that doesn't let things breathe and immerse me. I don't watch most fictional films to be fed information, I watch them to feel the experience of the characters. As my editing teacher would have described it, The Shining is a "tone poem."
@kragary
16 минут бұрын
I'm not a huge movie connoisseur or anything but I've seen some movies from different eras in my lifetime and I have to disagree about your take on old vs new movies. If anything it seems to me that overly long takes and slow scenes where the point is to just create vibes is more of a modern fad. Older movies tend to be very tightly paced and make every scene count (albeit sprinkled with occasional musical numbers). When they have long scenes they tend to be plot relevant scenes where a lot happens. Modern movies and shows on the other hand tend to have long takes of scenery, actors staring into distance, actors speaking very few lines very slowly with long pauses inbetween, prolonged shots of actors emoting. The impression I'm always left with is that the storyteller was trying to put off the end to the story they're currently telling as long as possible because they were terrified they'd have no new story ideas after that. I get that feeling from the Shining at times, unfortunately.
@belagrolaub8746
15 сағат бұрын
I think I remember taking Jack being in the picture at the end that his ghost is now part of the hotel's cast of ruined, murdered people. I found it quite chilling because it didn't offer any explanation.
@robertmcghintheorca49
20 сағат бұрын
Well, to each their own.
@2tuxcat
3 сағат бұрын
34:33 My theory why we don’t see Jack’s tipping over into madness (alas seeing him with signs of madness from the beginning): the hotel works like a mirror, psychoanalytic (in a broad sense) one. And mirrors are overtly present in the movie. Also things are obviously visible for us like his “mad face” mentioned here are obvious because we saw them thousand times (as you said even if we didn’t watch the movie) and some behaviors we nowadays see as obvious red flags of violent personality then was by mainstream seen as “he’s just a troubled man” or even by some as typical male/father behavior. Either way I agree with your general opinion. It’s not a good movie and would be much better with more consistent editing/pacing and paranormal elements left as innuendo
@samcyphers2902
7 сағат бұрын
1:33 Me and A24. I'm with Betelguese on the Exorcist. It's great as a comedy, but not as a horror story, unless you're religious. I've found the scariest movies are underrated gems that never make Top 10 lists and have little name brand recognition. Here's my faves, for what that's worth: Carnival of Souls (1962), The Haunting (1963), Night of the Hunter (1955), Jacob's Ladder (1990), Event Horizon (1997), Absentia (2011), The Others (2001), Don't be Afraid of the Dark (2011), Shadow of a Doubt (1943), and Perfect Blue (1999).
@mitzzzu_tigerjones444
5 сағат бұрын
The best part about the movie is the print on the carpet which gets boring after about 30 seconds of staring at it😂❤ People literally are obsessed with some thing that’s different… Even if it’s boring, rushed/Delayed in all the wrong places, incomplete in terms of storytelling and full of Common movie tropes in lieu of actual storytelling…(Takes breath) Different. Did I mention the under/over directed acting… Yeah… Kubrick was more concerned with mind games than the guy was with making a coherent film. All that being said… …I’m ready to watch/listen to, this essay. LFG
@LadyJenevia
17 сағат бұрын
WOW, that wall of copyright time-stamps! I'm assuming that was a manual claim(s)? Unless the automatic system has changed? I've never had an automatic claim pop up for clips that are only 2-3 seconds long which some of the ones you showed were?? WHAT IS HAPPENING? 😭
@garyfoss4394
3 сағат бұрын
Chiming in just to note the bits I actually disagree with. Things I wouldn't take issue with in this video: take on the shining itself, the font of the credits, the nickname "Doc" or the sometimes batshit fan theories that have been inspired by this film. I'd agree that the "job interview" scene is a bit flat, but that's at least in part because it's being view in contrast with the better Duvall scene. If one sees them as part of a whole, they make better sense. Maybe it's me doing a fanwank on the story, but Jack going from bouncing the ball to typing makes sense given that we later find out he's not been working at all, but typing the same phrase manically over and over again. Jack's "over-reaction" to Wendy also tracks in my mind not just because she "broke his concentration" (which was really something more like him beginning to commune with the hotel) but because he's not only interrupted, but worried that she's going to see what's on those pages. His over-reaction is a shift of gears, but it's meant to be one. Also, I don't think Danny's visions are meant to be of a future event, but revelatory about the hotel's nature itself. No actual river of blood. That's the hotel itself being shown as a murderous, malevolent creature. So, the audience should be acclimated to the idea of an influence on Jack and his reaction to being Wendy tracks. Also, I'd argue that the evil "Jack look" scene belongs before the bar scene because the bar scene is a full on mental delusion brought on by the hotel. Jack's brain/soul/character/animus-whatever is still being taken over and that look is him in a kind of fugue state. While that shot has subsequently become a kind of meme, I don't think it would necessarily have seemed that way when the film was released, and it didn't strike me as the look of ultimate evil on a first or later viewing of the film. (Others may disagree.) As others have noted, the bathtub scene isn't just a sickly old lady (certainly not one in her 50s at least...) but a rotting corpse. If viewing 40 seconds of a corpse is "stretched out" then I can only put this down to individual take/preference. If it doesn't work for you, it doesn't work for you, but in this case saying and emphasizing that the horror of the scene is her sudden aging rather than obvious putrefaction means the problems are more with the viewer than the scene. Also, the whole take on Jack supposedly "trying to do better" doesn't jibe. What indicates that he's trying to do better? He says so? The guy who's going to slaughter his family says he's trying to do better, so we should accept that as a theme of the film? People who aren't trying to do better will also say they're trying to do better so they can continue on as they are. Furthermore, being irate being accused of something one didn't do isn't a trait exclusive to those who are trying to do better. Everybody hates that. The most indignant stories I've ever have the misfortune of hearing are those of lifelong criminals who are falsely accused or even convicted for things they didn't actually do--if you can believe them when they say they didn't do whatever got them caught, which I remain doubtful. As for the death of Hallorann... well, if that doesn't work for you, it doesn't work for you. My take on it was that the film needs two things: a body count and some actual irony. If Jack doesn't kill SOMEBODY then the movie isn't going to work (how has he done anything to "join" with the hotel after turning into a Popsicle? Why would the hotel put him in the front row of a photo?) But also the long build up, and shots of Hallorann traveling go with the opening credit shots, and illustrate just how isolated the hotel is, hence the need for a caretaker to begin with. Him dying so suddenly? Well, that's just funny, man. If it pisses you off, then all I can say is that at least it subverted your expectations.... Is the film about a guy slipping into his murderous psychosis or about a hotel with supernatural powers taking control of a weak man? Is he meant to have "always' been the caretaker or is that the hotel messing with him? Does the picture indicate that he's been there all along or that he's been taken over/absorbed by the hotel? The second for all those question. In the scene where Jack is trapped in the pantry, there is a fan theory based on the layout of the room that there's a second door. There's a video here somewhere on KZitem, but I'll not bother finding it because I don't think it bears much weight. The ghost lets him out. We hear it happening. Also, the ghosts are real in the context of the film, so the idea that ghosts can do things shouldn't be all that surprising, and the insistence that everything is in Jack's head ignores not just that one event, but a whole bunch of other shots of ghosts that Jack is not involved with, as is correctly noted in this video. Is The Shining the best film ever? No, of course not. It's over-rated, but it'd kind of have to be given the obsessions certain people have about the film. Still, I think a lot of the objections raised in this review are subjective, and some are outright misreadings of the actual content. Regarding long shots and the extended scenes... again, I think that's subjective. Personally, I find them more tension building than boring, but my take might be based on being a generation or so older. It's hard to really take seriously criticism of the length of shots in The Shining given that the guy who made it also made 2001: A Space Odyssey. That's the brand. I prefer tacos to McDonald's but I won't complain about the secret sauce in my Big Mac. All THAT said, I used to think of Kubrick as the world's greatest film maker, but I've reassessed in recent years. His treatment of actors all was accepted as the behavior of a auteur director, but in retrospect I have to recognize it as the behavior of someone who doesn't actually know how to cast, rehearse, or even communicate with actors, which makes "Director" an odd career choice. "Cast professionals and treat them professionally" shouldn't be antagonistic to one's work product as a film maker. If you don't trust your actors to show emotions that you want when you explain those emotions and the story to them, then you've screwed up well before principal photography. Also, Kubrick famously spent years planning his films, but the reliance on so many takes indicates a lack of forethought and actual planning rather than perfectionism. It doesn't speak very well of his process if after years of planning he consistently still needed dozens of takes to get what he wanted. What was all that planning for if not to cut down on that? Lastly, for his strengths as a film maker (and his weaknesses) I think we have to conclude that Kubrick was not a great adapter of books into film. At least, not in the sense that his films are good versions of their source material. He famously hadn't read both editions of A Clockwork Orange and said he would have changed the ending of his film entire if he had. (Seems like that's the kind of thing that would have been discovered during prep...) His version of Lolita is about as much like Nabokov as Disney adaptations of Snow White. (Adrian Lynne's version also fundamentally misses the point, but that's another topic entirely. And with THAT said, I do have fundamental problems with the theme of The Shining (both the book and the film) but I think that'll have to go into some other form rather than a wildly over-long KZitem comment.
@douglaswolfen7820
12 сағат бұрын
25:46 "I could have worded that better". No, no you couldn't. That was perfect. Cracked me up
@darlalathan6143
Сағат бұрын
One thing that bugged me about The Shining's "Indian Burial Ground" cliche is the lack of Apache war parties charging down the halls on Appaloosas and Pintos, lol! Buffy the Vampire Slayer had a Thanksgiving episode with Native American ghosts attacking the Scoobies during their holiday dinner party at Buffy's house. I liked the movie, except for killing off Crothers when King's book didn't, and Kubrick abusing his cast behind the scenes.
@subtlegong2817
10 сағат бұрын
I like Stephen King and I like Stephen King movies. The Shining doesn’t feel like either of those things. It’s an art film made by a good, but not as great as he’s portrayed, art director. It’s okay, like a lot of Kubrick’s work
@jamalwest7658
8 сағат бұрын
Im not saying Kubrick could be abusive with his actors, but there is a famous story about how the next film Scatman Crother would go on to do was Clint Eastwood's Bronco Billy , and supposedly when Clint only had Scatman do 1 take for each scene, Scatman broke out into tears. Soo take that how you will for Kubrick's treatment of actors
@Anton-i2o
6 сағат бұрын
Scatman loved working with Kubrick. Accodring to Lee Unkrich, Scatman couldn't remember his lines. He had a lot of stuff to say in that scene.
@Veiled_Lepidoptera
10 сағат бұрын
Omg I'm so excited for this video! I'm only 15 minutes into it and this has probably already been stated but I would like to point out that the interview scene is a perfect example of why King's work can be so hard to adapt. The reason that doesn't work as exposition is because, in the book, that scene is way more descriptive as it shares Jack's inner monologue. He's constantly sneering at the guy giving the interviewer and thinking all sorts of awful things, mostly born of envy of the man's position, shame that he's come to the point he has to beg this guy for a job, and just... absolute anger and hatred for the situation he is. You really start seeing how poorly The Overlook effects Jack in this interview through that inner monologue. But you get nothing of that in the film. Instead you get Nicholson looking as unhinged as he does throughout the majority of the film and playing nice-y nice with the interviewer. It's bland, it tells us nothing, and so much is lost because of how poorly it was done. Ok, finished the video. VERY well done! And you highlighted a ton of other times where Kubrik left out things explained by the book that wouldn't have been that hard to integrate into the film such as: The night Danny looked freaky and Dick woke up in a sweat, Danny was reaching out to Dick via the Shining to ask him for help. The Overlook flashes were just Danny trying to show Dick what was going on because he didn't understand a better way to communicate it. Danny's Shining was incredibly strong compared to Dick's (it fades as you age) but Dick was in Florida while Danny was in Colorado so he did the only thing he, a child, could think to do. He showed the man images of what he'd seen. The Overlook integrated Jack into the portrait at the end as a way of showing he's been absorbed into the family of ghosts that haunt the Hotel. The reason it's the 4th of July in 1921 is because that party ended in tragedy that caused one of the many closures of The Overlook in its history due to the scandal and horror the event. Since then it's been collecting the images of people that've fallen prey to The Overlook as a visual representation of the multitude and each involved. Jack is effected by the hotel because he also has The Shining but to a much lesser degree (it's been minimal since he was a child as well) and The Overlook essentially 'eats' people who Shine (See: Doctor Sleep). It absorbes their power into itself in order to strengthen the void within it. It draws Jack there then, through Jack, senses Danny (who is, again, Shines incredibly strong even for a child). Once the family is there it does what it always does and twists the father into madness until he murders his family so that the house can absorb them. The twins are Grady's daughters, for example. It's not said whether they had The Shining as well but it's possible. The Overlook doesn't solely prey on people who Shine so it's not a requirement they did. I hope this clears up some of that stuff. Idk why Kubrik left out so many things he could've easily used to pad the run time AND beef up the story instead of relying on such lengthy shots of drawn out nothingness. Talk about a waste of good talent.
@jamiexavier1546
12 сағат бұрын
The big problem i have with the shining, after listening to the Audiobook, it completed ruined the movie for me, because the book is such a big contrast from the film, the Film is cruel, just flat out cruel.
@samuelbarber6177
18 сағат бұрын
Personally I like how basic the credits are. I don’t know, it just adds to it for me. In fact, I kind of take that in most of your critiques. The kinds of things you seem to hate are pretty much what I love about it. I love how disjointed it feels. I love how drawn out several of the shots are. You say that it makes no sense, and I agree. That’s what I enjoy about it.
@itsaUSBline
12 сағат бұрын
Oh hey, someone here who actually gets it.
@alim.9801
7 сағат бұрын
That's fair too I think!! I have plenty of movies that I love despite them having issues in writing/execution/etc. It's nice that you like the movie and don't have the same issues with it :)
@that_morrigan6184
19 сағат бұрын
The meticulous work and deep meaning behind the choices on display in the shelf behind vera speak to something something Kubrick and Dostoyevsky smooching in the garden at the beer party... Tldr loved this vid
@lcoyle1998
Күн бұрын
Them's is fighting words. (It's one of my favourite movies)
@allyssaswain2394
13 сағат бұрын
I don't agree with your over all consensus, but I can't really disagree with any one point you made either. I think it's just that the atmosphere manages to sell the dread of seeping into violent madness more than the bad pacing manages to take it away. I can understand your points logistically but not emotionally.
@B-MC
8 сағат бұрын
This is actually how I feel about 2001 A Space Odyssey; a lot of pretty shots, some ambiguous imagery, an collage of things that imply evolution beyond our imagination ... but my god it felt like the movie was 5 hours, it's practical machinery shots remind me of Thunderbirds without the stakes and pace, it feels entirely like a tech demo, it took so long to start I thought the DVD just wasn't working, it was BORING. Take away it's technical production and it's hours of nothing, the mechanics and composition are doing all the work, Hal trying to tell Dave to stop what he's doing is so repetitive, etc. It feels like a well choreographed well shot movie where every scene is dragged out the way the typewriter is. When it was all said and done and my brain edited/condensed it I was like "oh, monkeys, weird space object, monkeys gain tools and technology, weird space object again, giant space Baby, so ... the alien thing is escalating technology somehow. How? Who knows, who cares. Why? Who knows, who cares. Clearly the Obelisk is meant to be ambiguous in power and nature and intent, but the rest of the movie is ... monkeys sitting around, astronauts sitting around, then suddenly a visual explosion I can't look at because of Light sensitivity, and then a bunch of wacky time travel nonsense. And then giant space Baby, ooh what does it all mean? I dunno, on a basic level it's the different stages of evolution and there's nothing more to it without making wild guesses. And it was so slow and boring I don't care to watch it again to see what I missed.
@Anton-i2o
6 сағат бұрын
I find it completely engrossing. It creates its own sense of time and space. Ever see Barry Lyndon?
@kevinthegeek23
16 сағат бұрын
Firstly, can I just say thank you for all your content over the years. It was very helpful for me through some difficult times and inspired me to create my own channel, particularly doing my own Doctor Who reviews. Secondly, I watched this movie last year when I did a reaction to it and I enjoyed it, I thought it was very suspenseful and had some lovely cinematography and I thought Jack Nicholson's portrayal was brilliant, but I was left very confused which I am not sure whether that was the original source materials fault or the movies fault. My comment section was a bit divisive on this movie too. Well done on this deep dive and thank you once again for all the inspiration and support you have given me over the years.
@kylejones8289
11 сағат бұрын
Yeah, it seems like this film to you is what Dead Poet's Society is to me: a movie that seems near universally beloved that I thought was bad, and that slowly turned to hate after having it constantly shoved down my throat. And I was forced to watch it in high school by a teacher. Twice. Note: not a great film to be forced to watch if you're a teenager struggling with thoughts of suicide.
@ncwBeulah
10 сағат бұрын
I'm so glad I'm not the only one who feels this way about this film. Its beautifully photographed and has a handful of legitimate compelling scenes, but I really just don't like it.
@GarrettCRW
12 сағат бұрын
You’re doing the Lord’s work, Vera. Also, don’t let anyone get on your case for not digging Stephen King’s books. They have a style that isn’t for everyone, and even by his own admission can be overlong. (And I say this as someone who’s loved reading King for 35 years now.)
@Tillyard86
5 сағат бұрын
I always assumed the credits were made bland so they wouldn't distract from the footage. I forgot they had the credits during that part. FYI King hated casting Jack Nicholson as Jack as he was mainly known for One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest at the the time. So he felt that made it way too obvious he was going to go crazy. TBH I don't just think it's the casting, the whole performance gives an “on edge” vibe right from the start.
@tituslafrombois1164
5 сағат бұрын
I agree with almost everything you said in this video, but I still think The Shining is great. The best, or scariest horror film ever? Maybe not, but it's an exquisite exercise in mood, atmosphere, and unnerving the audience. Most of your critiques could simply be phrased differently to turn them into praise. The extended shots let you sink into the atmosphere and tension, the music is at points the central focus in an almost operatic way, expressing the emotions and thoughts of the characters. The bewildering shifts in characterization and performance ensure the audience never quite finds sure footing in the film's world, turning into a bewildering night terror of haunted imagery bleeding into each other until youre not sure where the story began or ended, what happened, if any of it did, etc. I may be speaking from a place of - theres no way to not make this sound self-important and "cinephile"-esque - an acquired taste for shlock horror and particularly Italian giallo and adjacent Italian horror. The Shining works in the same way a movie like Suspiria works, more of an impressionistic tapestry painted with splashes of blood than a coherent story with coherent themes. Not everything has to have a concise and clear script to work. But movies lile that are pretty much just Vibes-based, so it makes sense someone who didn't gel with that exact Vibe wouldn't enjoy it. Everyone has different preferences for their media. Though the rephrasing trick could work in reverse here and you could just say I have really low standards for the media I choose to watch... I did recently watch and quite enjoy the Troma direct to video Evil Dead 2 ripoff "Frostbiter" so that's probably the more likely explanation.😅
@j4yb0b
15 сағат бұрын
I do think this is an incredible movie but also detest the nonsense “deep” theory rubbish that’s cropped up over the years. It’s meticulously made, eerie then terrifying. That’s all it needs. It’s power is all from tone and atmosphere. To be honest, I find some of the nitpicks here as puzzling as the whackjob conspiracy stuff.
@dante6985
8 сағат бұрын
There was a compelling documentary (something like Room 31?) that made the case that a bunch of imagery Kubrick used was to allude to a 'faked' moon landing. It's popularity in analyzing the film stems from what I call the March of the Penguins effect. (The year it came out 90% of my zoology class did a report about penguins).
@j4yb0b
4 сағат бұрын
@@dante6985 Room 237. The point of that documentary wasn’t “Kubrick faked the moon landing”. The point was “people have crazy theories about The Shining because the human brain makes connections when there aren’t any”.
@fisheyenomiko
3 сағат бұрын
@@dante6985 In fairness, the Moon landing nonsense was only a small part of the documentary. I know cuz I fast forwarded through it. d-:
@maximilianoramirezromero9771
15 сағат бұрын
The book is a loooong allegory of how King snapped out of his multiple addictions, but yeah, I always thought the granny scene felt out of place
@itsaUSBline
12 сағат бұрын
She's a corpse, not old.
@TravisBierwagen
10 сағат бұрын
A number of years ago, I did a fairly negative video on THE SHINING. I'm not 100% sure what happened, I think a bunch of angry Kubrick fans got it flagged, because it was removed from KZitem for "misleading information".
@dianarendon4037
15 сағат бұрын
Don't apologize for using still images over clips we understand, thank you for your thoughts on the movie ❤
@krose6451
13 сағат бұрын
JUst reading the title for this made me smile as someone who finds the movie just fine. I saw it knowing it was considered a classic horror, watched it, want 'okay', then found out how high up on a pedestal it was held and was confused as hell. I get plenty of people having it as a favorite film cause we have our own taste, but so many people thinking it deserves praise even when its not their favorite is... weird. P.S. 1:23 the confused spite rant sent my brain straight to Twilight lol
@gooderambles
14 сағат бұрын
Vera's throwing hands with that title. Love to see it.
@sinimeg
20 сағат бұрын
Omg, thank you for finally saying it 😭 I don’t know why people insist that this is such a masterpiece, I just don’t see the appeal of it :’)
@AlmightyBruce
18 сағат бұрын
The Shining is incredible and one of my favourite films of all time (right up there with Paths of Glory, 2001, and Dr. Strangelove) My favourite aspect of the movie is how certain narrative threads deliberately contradict one another in a way that makes the events of the story ambiguous. The show passage of time is what seals the deal for me. Filmmaking 101 If you haven’t already, please watch Paths of Glory and Dr. Strangelove. They are also amazing.
@Vonn_Loren
9 сағат бұрын
One of the things to that amuses me is the cottage industry of theory-crafting that has sprung up around The Shining. I took a deep dive into it back around 2020, and the lengths to which people would go to prove that Kubrick is some kind of once-in-a-lifetime genius are bananas. No, not even bananas, but banana shoes!! I am curious to see an edited down version of the movie where scenes don't drag nearly as long, perhaps with events reshuffled (as you tried to do with the Monday, Wednesday, etc scenes). I'm sure it would make people howl sacrilege, but it would be an interesting experiment.
@darlalathan6143
2 сағат бұрын
She could remake The Shining her way with AI!
@legzfalloffgirl5148
10 сағат бұрын
I like the scene where Wendy stabs Jack's hand through the door. A realistic enough depiction of strength and fighting back ❤
@ThisIsMyName-2
Күн бұрын
Them’s some fighting words. I’m getting my pitchfork and torch ready!
@Elwaves2925
20 сағат бұрын
Get ready to insert "you just don't understand it" style comments. That's the modern way of doing things, right? 😁
@ThisIsMyName-2
16 сағат бұрын
@@Elwaves2925 I don't know, but I'm rewatching 'The Shining' and 'Doctor Sleep' out of spite for this review. xD
@Elwaves2925
15 сағат бұрын
@@ThisIsMyName-2 I've seen one comment like that in here but yeah, this video is also pushing me to rewatch the original.
@ThisIsMyName-2
15 сағат бұрын
@@Elwaves2925 I completely respect her opinion, and even enjoyed this video, despite that ‘The Shining’ is one of my all-time favorites. I’m a huge Kubrick fan as well as a huge Stephen King fan! That said, even Stephen King has stated his complaints over Kubrick’s adaptation.
@Elwaves2925
14 сағат бұрын
@@ThisIsMyName-2 Same here regarding Vera and their opinion. I don't agree with it but of course, that's how opinion works. I also think the film is classic but it's not one of my all-time faves, although it's up there. I definitely like a good selection of Kubrick's work, 2001 and Full Metal Jacket being at the top but I am a King fan, especially his earlier works. Yeah, King has aired his views but it's also why I treat movies and books as completely separate entities.
@sephirothii13
16 сағат бұрын
I remember enjoying it when I was younger, but as I got older, I felt it was, I don't know trying too hard. part of it was the fact that since seeing it the first time I did read the book but still I agree that at what point did we see Jack be a good husband or father and his struggles with his drinking. I think seeing that would have made the movie 1000 times better (I know they tried with mini series which wasn't bad but it was Network tv so didn't have the same power to scare)
@mitzzzu_tigerjones444
4 сағат бұрын
37:05 I believe this chart is called an editing plan😂❤ A good editor makes the audience do less work… So what we have here is obviously a creator that’s like let’s just make the audience do like allllll the work
@childeroland2569
12 сағат бұрын
Most of these issues stem from the film changing book Jack's gradual decline and book Overlook essentially being alive and gradually seducing Jack.
@mitzzzu_tigerjones444
4 сағат бұрын
Block letters… Good for radiohead albums… bad for sublet horror genre visual openers.
@markthomas3851
12 сағат бұрын
Movies don't start and end at your convenience. There is no need for conspiracy when the obvious is weird enough.
@knitcrochettiger361
18 сағат бұрын
the way Jack Nicholson talks in this movie makes me cringe at the thought of an "EVIL" Mr. Rodgeers
@mel2d2
13 сағат бұрын
I teach my girls that Kubrick is a red flag. In my life, three different Kubrick movies a guy just had to show me. Three different SAs.
@taraross8942
13 сағат бұрын
This movie went into the category of I would enjoy this better if it were edited down. And Im usually fine with slower paced movies
@luxshine
8 сағат бұрын
Thank you so much for this video. As a fan of the book, I was always told that "Oh, if you don't know the book, the movie is amazing" and you prove that nope, it is not! The room mention at the beginning, btw, is a thing the book explains and yes, it's what you thought. Halloran thought of it, and Danny picked it up.
@simonmittelstadt6680
16 сағат бұрын
I think these supernatural events in the film don't really work for me if you know that in the original book it was really a cursed hotel, and these things occur of course, but the joke is the film, unfortunately it goes in the direction of a chamber game. Above all, because I think it's interesting and clear, I'm talking to someone who knows the book, but the thing with Jack in the book is that he has his dark sides but tries to suppress them until at some point he no longer has them works and completely crazy. In the story he tried to be the real good father but he's just not good until the shadows finally swallow him up. And something like that is just more shocking when two sides of a person really exist and not just one is fake.
@Ironorchids
12 сағат бұрын
The Shining is one of my favorite films, and your complaints about it have a lot of merit. The fanboys and theory crafters take things to bit of an irritating place sometimes. And they miss that the whole film is really about a deeply male coded kind of aggression, because I think talking about that alienates conspiracy bros lol. Great video! And great plaid! You always look so stunning 🤩
@blkloislane
8 сағат бұрын
I watched The Shining one time a number of years ago and didn’t feel one way or another about it, but I’ve always appreciated its iconography.
@SoHungry666
12 сағат бұрын
The blood elevator is danny's trauma from his father's abuse, buth physically and sexually. Same with the bear/fellatio scene. When Wendy sees these things she is broken of her denial and (finally) sees the things she's blocked out.
@SoHungry666
12 сағат бұрын
*both
@Anton-i2o
18 сағат бұрын
I can see how this film would not be everyone's cup of tea but the fact that there are so many things you not just like but love about it should suggest that it's not a "bad" film per se. Truly bad films have nothing good about them much less great. What I love about it is how it's not what a story like this would typically be. Stories about a good man with demons who changes had been done a million times. This one is told from the POV of the hotel. Not a film about people encountering the supernatural but a film about the supernatural encountering people. That's why Jack and Wendy never seem like an actual couple. These two would not even be friends much less marry and have a kid. The whole thing is so brightly lit; it's the way the hotel sees itself and the people in it. Regarding the music, Wendy Carlos and Rachel Elkind's contribution is almost entirely in the opening credits. The music you pointed to throughout the video was actually Bela Bartok's 1936 piece "Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta" which is deployed brilliantly. Scenes that take longer than one would expect is a Kubrick trademark. You've seen "2001" right? Barry Lyndon, Eyes Wide Shut etc. And finally, since you brought it up, I have to state that the whole "Kubrick abused Shelley Duvall" story has been debunked. Lee Unkrich wrote a massive book on The Shining and spent an entire day with Shelley. She vehemently denied any mistreatment by Kubrick. She spoke warmly of him and his kindness towards her. It was the part itself that was stressful. She was completely consistent on this for the rest of her life and should be the last word on it. I've read a lot about this, he did a lot of takes because he didn't rehearse the actors - or rather he rehearsed on camera. If you're going to insult someone so blatantly (I don't think I recall you ever calling an artist you are reviewing an asshole before) then at least entertain the entire story.
@sebastianoleary2743
15 сағат бұрын
I disagree with your take about how a film has to have no good parts at all in order to be considered bad. Sometimes the great moments can only make a film more frustrating, because you can see that it had the potential to be great, but it didn't quite reach it.
@Anton-i2o
13 сағат бұрын
@@sebastianoleary2743 Yeah but how many of those parts? And not just good but unforgettable parts. Constantly referenced, memed etc.
@sebastianoleary2743
10 сағат бұрын
@Anton-i2o well, not all iconic moments are good. There are a lot of scenes from movies that are memed on and referenced because they're so bad, and although that isn't really they case for this movie in a larger pop culture sense, Vera did point out the problems she had with some of those iconic moments (the blood elevator was overused, Jack breaking the door took too long, etc.) As for the moments she did find particular effective, they seem to follow my trend. The scene with Jack and the bartender excellently portrays Jack's slow descent into madness, but it also highlights how other parts of the movie rush through this transformation or forget to show his humanity.
@Anton-i2o
7 сағат бұрын
@@sebastianoleary2743 As I said in my original comment, it's not a film about people per se. It's from the point of view of the supernatural. Hence the view of the nuclear family as something defamiliarized.
@anjar6483
17 сағат бұрын
I love The Shining movie. In fact, it's the movie I credit with sparking my newfound love of horror movies! But at the time I first watched it, I hadn't read the book yet. I never thought the movie was perfect, but now that I'm reading the book, I'm noticing more and more flaws with it and I kinda get why Stephen King hated the movie so much. 😂 I really feel like the novel expands on every aspect of the story in more detail, and I can't help but think if Stanley Kubrick hadn't put so many long, drawn out shots in the movie, he would've had more time to flesh out the details. But all that being said, I still think the movie will have a special place in my heart for being one of the first horror movies I fell in love with, but I can agree that it's a bit overrated. Also, Doctor Sleep is way better in my opinion! I highly recommend giving that one a try!
@Unexpected.Ancient.Bear.
11 сағат бұрын
The Shining is the Fleetwood Mac of movies.
@kay123kay
4 сағат бұрын
Watching this movie is like death by a thousand cuts... the problems I have with it aren't huge but boy do they *add up* ... And maybe this is just nit-picking, but as good as his portrayal is, I think I would have preferred an actor who didn't have Jack Nicholson's effortlessly sinister looking face. I feel like watching someone with an 'unassuming' face, who was able to pull strange or disturbing faces as the film progresses would have been more interesting...
@LethalBubbles
4 сағат бұрын
personally I think "Boo! Haunted House!" would've made a better title
@mitzzzu_tigerjones444
3 сағат бұрын
💀 🤙🏽
@jayviescas7703
10 сағат бұрын
I also hate Kubricks "take" on The Shining and not just because of the plot differences between Kings novel and the film. Like you pointed out with boring exposition dumps and gross down playing of the action of the title "experience" The Shining, it drew out really nonsensical scenarios making them appear as "horrifyingly" evil and significant i.e. the person in the dog/bear costume on their knees in front of a man in formal attire sitting on a bed being interrupted while possibly being given fellatio by the ridiculously costumed person. It just looked comically stupid to me OR Jack Nicholson doing his wacko mugging to the camera to make him look really "terrifyingly" psychotic and then cutting to innocuous and boring conversations with ghost bartender or bathroom attendant setting up murderous suggestions in "Here's Johnny!'s" crazed little noggin. Yeah, I read the book a couple times before seeing the movie and I do like most of Kubricks other movies like A Clockwork Orange, Barry Lyndon, Dr. Strangelove, 2001: A Space Odyssey etc. but this treatment just veered off into boring psychological "horror" tangents that left me NOT wanting more.
@auntiewewe972
9 сағат бұрын
I don't think the Shining sucks. But it's definitely overrated....at least over the past 25 yrs or so. Its got some decent moments. But I think the reason this movie is so popular is all the goddamn theories attached to it. And the deifying of Kubrick as a perfect director who not only never made a mistake, but somehow made a movie with dozens of brilliant plot points. This is a movie made in 1980. Over a yr long shooting, multiple sets destroyed by a fire, incessant, daily rewrites. No wonder this movie is so mysterious. Continuity issues, egregious errors. Also this movie was made at a time that home video wasn't easily available. Technology to pause, rewind, go frame by frame was basically non existent . Yet people believe Kubrick set these clues in the movie. That no one could even see . Lol sometimes a cigar is just a cigar
@rangeraero
5 сағат бұрын
Despite the differences between the book and the movie, i'm of the opinion that without reading the book, one would be viewing the movie without a lot of context. For example, in the book, Jack gets the caretaker job by calling in a favor from a friend and it's his last chance to get his shit together. Without the internal monologue from Jack during the interview, it's just an exposition dump, and a pretty clunky one, at that. But, I'm more of a fan of the book, so that's my bias.
@jasminneitzel9067
15 сағат бұрын
My explanation for the font of the credits is that Kubrick fell in love with placeholders in editing. One of the reasons why he did not use all that much of Wendy Carlos' music is he got really used to the placeholder music he used to cut to. So that might have happened with the font as well.
@samuelbarber6177
14 сағат бұрын
One thing on the music, this was Kubrick would do often. His previous film, Barry Lyndon, was entirely scored to classical pieces, as was 2001: A Space Odyssey.
@justinnutter9008
16 сағат бұрын
If I had to guess, I think we're meant to interpret "you were always the caretaker"as meaning, because the hotel can shine, that it seeks out weak willed and violent people. They are more susceptible to the hotels influence and thus fated to, at least if the hotel sinks it's hooks into them, indulge their impulses of hate and violence.
@gozerthegozarian9500
Күн бұрын
* goes to make popcorn * Ooooh, this gon' be gooooood!
@Elwaves2925
20 сағат бұрын
I got a fridge full of cold beverages, wanna split it all as we watch? Somehow I suspect it's not going to be as inflammatory as the thumb/title implies but it'll be an interesting watch.
@harrietamidala1691
16 сағат бұрын
I want some popcorn too *grabs a handful* it’s always fascinating when someone has a contrary opinion about a movie that is usually hailed as a classic. I’ve got my share of movies I dislike that everyone else likes.
@jahliafinney707
16 сағат бұрын
LOL I didn't realize that disliking the Shining was controversial. I enjoy the film but I can easily see why someone else wouldn't.
@kevin10001
18 сағат бұрын
Even though I like the shining it didn’t need to be 2 hours and 23 minutes long cause jacks descent into madness does feel like it drags on way to long in the movie trying to account for the runtime of the movie a lot of longer scenes feel like that and the movie has been referenced to death at this point with the Simpsons family guy and bob’s burgers having referenced at least one scene from it also it’s been said Stephen king didn’t even like it when it was released
@samuelbarber6177
18 сағат бұрын
Incidentally, the European (and apparently Kubrick’s preferred) cut of this movie is actually much shorter at only about two hours. I haven’t managed to see the longer version as I live the UK, but I would like to because I have the opposite problem, I always felt this movie should be slower.
@EmpireGamingWynter
54 минут бұрын
As a former film student i actually have never seen this. Im aware of the story thanks to The Simpsons 😂 My school used Citizen Kane as our main film case study and thats another film i think is highly overrated
@tomsenior7405
8 сағат бұрын
I am right with you on this. I found the film to be utterly pointless. I dislike it. I went with my brother to the cinema, only a week or two after I had finished the book. And yes, the book is excellent. I read it for a second time recently). The film is naff. I have seen it once. It was boring AF. No wonder it became fogotten. Why I did not enjoy the film: Casting; All wrong (Jack Nicholson played insane from the get go). Scatman Crothers was underused. Shelley Duvall played a pathetic wife and negligent mother). Pacing; Slow, slow, slow. Boring AF. Direction; Overrated. Changes; The axe and Scatman brought huge guffaws of laughter, (followed by booing and jeering when we realised Dick was dead). Cinematography; Superb, but unnecessary. The ending; Made no sense to me, or anyone else for that matter. Multiple hypotheses were put forward, new ones crop up even now. They do not tally. Horror; Really? This is a Horror Movie? Seriously? Are you sure? I did not notice any horror. I grew up exposed to our British Government's Public Information Adverts that were truly frightening. Check out Apaches, or Lonely Water, or Children & Disabled Fridges to name only a few of the hundreds made. I too feel irked when the film is given high praise. I just do not understand how the film went from "Forgotten Mediocrity " to "The Best Horror Film of All Time". How a UK box office flop, loathed as being dull, became a masterpiece of cinema.
@Anton-i2o
6 сағат бұрын
Many of Kubrick's films got middling reviews only to grow in reputation over the years. 2001, Barry Lyndon, Eyes Wide Shut...
@tomsenior7405
4 сағат бұрын
@@Anton-i2o Yes indeed. You are correct. However the Argumentum ad Populum is a flawed means of demonstrating quality or truth. Just because Kubrick's films have found a new, appreciative audience, this is no reason for anyone to bow down with the masses and call these films great. For example, I much prefer Fail Safe over Dr Strangelove. Just because one buried the other does not make anyone wrong, or right. It's the old; "If all your friends jumped off a cliff, would you?" as was often a mother's clumsy plea to their children for reason. Otherwise, everyone would drink Coca-Cola, listen to Justin Bieber, play Soccer and go fishing, since these are extremely popular pastimes around the world. How many of these have influenced your preferences now that you know Soccer fans run into the Billions and American Football fans are in the Millions? Love what you love, man. Sod everyone else's claims of superiority.
@rjgd4626
3 сағат бұрын
Doctor Sleep is a better The Shining film than The Shining
@AMoniqueOcampo
18 сағат бұрын
I'm kinda glad that I'm in my 30s and I can kinda get The Shining as a concept, but my favorite horror movie is the first Scream film, probably because I vibe more with teenage horror stuff. (I also like "I Know What You Did Last Summer.") I can see The Shining as a good thing to study for film, but it's not one everyone is obliges to like. Also like watching Vera rolling up her sleeves!
@daimonatkins3046
12 сағат бұрын
I do respect someone who’s willing to have opinions like these even if it’s a movie is universally loved especially if they make a solid argument for why they feel that way
@TeresaBaileypolymath
5 сағат бұрын
I've never jibbed with this movie either. I enjoyed hearing your points, thanks! I also always thought the shining should have been shown more and should have added to the plot, but it didn't. I also hated it when Halloran was killed. Not my favorite movie.
@dagmarland
12 сағат бұрын
37:27 ... a riding crop as a pointer. 😅
@Starbush69
18 сағат бұрын
As someone who likes this cluster f*ck of a movie, I respect your opinions and can see why others have issues with it. It’s a movie I don’t think anyone should take seriously considering how uneven the pacing is, and that bear guy cracks me the hell up for how stupid and nonsensical it is. Like what is the meaning of that, Film Bros? 😂 Well, at least this video inspired me to check out Gothic, which I haven’t seen.
@samuelbarber6177
18 сағат бұрын
As someone who loves this movie, meaning of the bear guy? It’s just supposed to be weird and scary. The guy in the novel actually has a whole backstory and characterisation and Kubrick just got right of it.
@kyrastube
17 сағат бұрын
In the book, he is desperately in love with a man who allows him to give him blowjobs but other than that mainly seems to want him around to humiliate him. They snuck off during a masquerade party, that's why he is dressed like that. And he is supposed to be a dog, not a bear.
@magical571
13 сағат бұрын
@@samuelbarber6177 "It’s just supposed to be weird and scary" that describes the whole movie. how is that a masterpiece and not just "yeah, entertaining!"
@samuelbarber6177
13 сағат бұрын
@@magical571 well, for me, a movie can be a masterpiece while just being entertaining if it’s really well made like this one is.
@Starbush69
10 сағат бұрын
I mean, I love the movie too, even though it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense at times. I also love The Country Bears despite how flawed that one is as well. 😅
@c.3715
16 сағат бұрын
This is me but for Silence of the Lambs. I could be convinced the start of the movie has positives like the camera work but the metamorphosis theme does nothing and Anthony Hopkins plays second fiddle to an awful villain. Plus the acting of the killers is less scary and more camp but it doesn’t seem intentional.
@Mirrorgirl492
15 сағат бұрын
I feel the same way about E.T.
@red_velvet_0w0
16 сағат бұрын
i do like the shining but GOD YEAH I HAAAAAAATED THE BLOOD ELEVATOR. like the entire movies it seemed like they were building to something to do with the blood elevator or that it would be important or that it would be meaningful, but no its just a random spooky thing that happens to be there that has no significance to the story
@numb3r5ev3n
11 сағат бұрын
Story time! I was a 17 year old in 1994, and watched this movie one afternoon with my sister and my (soon to be ex) best friend. People had built up the hype about this movie my whole life. My mom was terrified by just the trailers, and had told me of an urban legend of someone in our neighborhood trying to unalive his family in a copycat of this movie after it came out. Then I watched it, and was so underwhelmed. Maybe watching it on a sunny, hot May afternoon dispelled some of the atmosphere. Maybe it was the Weight Of Unspoken Issues between myself and Soon To Be Ex Bestie, But I was like, "this has got to be the slowest, most badly paced, overhyped film ever." Not that it wasn't scary, but it was scary because the idea that a parent can just snap and become a "family annihilator" is scary. But it was like it was trying to blame a haunted hotel, when the whole problem was that Jack Torrence was an abusive POS from the beginning who clearly hated his family. And then the Stephen King novel was different in ways that made it clear that Stanley Kubrick completely changed the story and its meaning.
@Brunoxsa
13 сағат бұрын
Thank you for the video, Vera! Considering all the "universal' praise over "The Shining" movie, I do appreciate somebody explaining why they sincerely do not like it (while also highlighting parts of it they actually like). Personally, I am very ambivalent about the movie. I do also praise how unsettling is the atmosphere of it. Something which I really hate about theory crafting is how it tries to give creator's intent where there is none or it does not matter. Usually, the simplest explanation is the most probable reason for most things. Patterns on a rug are just patterns on a rug. And, seriously, inverting the colors of a movie scene in order to try explain the title font for the opening credits (8:28-8:33) is just nonsense! My interpretation of the final scene of the movie: Jack dies and becomes one of the ball party ghosts stuck in the hotel. 37:13-40:10 I do really appreciate Vera's white board rant joke, especially the final shot behind of the board! LOL
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