True!

Kubrick figured a horror story works best by you not knowing what’s going to happen. He deliberately made the changes he did to keep those who already read the novel on their toes. Much like Salem’s Lot adaptation. Who’ve thought they would change Barlow into Count Orlock? That jailhouse reveal was iconic.

Sure but you can watch kings on screen adaption. Yeah…

Jack being the villain in the film still spoke to The Overlook’s evil. He was a man on the verge of a breaking point, and The Hotel’s influence was the final nail in the coffin. Jack is manipulated into believing he’s always been the care taker, that’s what pissed him to his his family. If anything that’s showing how evil the Overlook actually is. The point of the Overlook in the film is that the Hotel is trying to tire the Torrance’s on one another instead of blogging out of its way to kill the family on-itself. That’s significantly more impactful since is deals with the fear and the concept of loved ones becoming your enemy. The film has WAY more nuance than the book. That’s just a fact.

The movie is mainly different because it is all from the point of view of the Overlook Hotel entity itself, not the characters, the Overlook is the main character in the film.

He's such a vastly different character in the movie that isn't really a change to look for. Kubrick's Jack is already an ass to his family on the way up. The hotel seems more like an excuse for him to finally get rid of them like he's been wanting to. Kubrick wasn't interested in having the characters or their internal conflicts be part of the story.

King has every right to dislike the film. Jack has no arc in the film and the film is very nihilistic which is polar opposite to the book.

And King was pissed that Kubrick turned Wendy from his hot blonde fantasy woman to a homely mousey meek brunette.

@@PungiFungiBecause that type of character doesn’t fit the overall theme of the film. The film themes are about toxicity in a family. Wendy soften and sucks up towards Jack because she knows she can’t do anything, & if she did she’d have too endure Jacks’ wrath, which obviously isn’t worth it. These are VERY common in abusive households.

​@@PungiFungithat's untrue. He changed her to a weak minded screamer that was the epitome of the useless housewife. He was angry about that.

⁠@@cincin4515Which was the point. And is why she’s a much better character than her shallow character in the book and how she develops her character when she’s had enough of Jack’s bs and decides that the health of Danny is more cause for concern than Jack’s obsession with The Overlook. The subtext of the film is the cycle of violence and tragedy, and the Hotel uses this as a source of energy. Wendy essentially breaks free of the lapse of misery and leaves Jack.

I can't read his books. they're so predictable.

Thank you!

Jack decent into insanity can’t be considered quick because it’s constantly implied there’s something up with him from the jump. His burst towards Wendy and Wendy telling the doctor that visited Danny about breaking Danny’s arm.

I’ll do my best!

I would read more books before Jumping into the Dark tower since a lot of those mix together Your comment is a year old so now im curious what did you decided to do 😂

@@Themaninblack19 I jumped straight into The Dark Tower, I read the whole series back to back and I loved it

Great points! I get what you’re saying about Danny, but he’s just so stoic in the film (can’t be too harsh on child actors though) and there were several moments in the book where he seemed like a little kid (getting scared/crying and spelling ‘suite’ as ‘sweet’). I know a lot of people criticize Nicholson’s performance as over the top and ridiculous, which I totally get, he is pretty silly at times. But - for whatever reason I still love him in this movie. I do think his performance is part of the reason I don’t find this movie particularly scary though. And yes! The back and forth at the end of the book between Halloran and the events at the hotel was great!! Thanks for watching and commenting!

I'm one of those people who think the book is just okay, but the movie is AMAZING. I have few reasons for that. - I love the ending of the film where the portrait is shown and I don't like the over the top ending where the hotel explodes. - The book is explicit about the supernatural stuff that happens. The ghosts are actually there and Jack is possessed rather than just going insane. I like how in the movie all the weird shit the Torrence family sees in the Overlook can be explained in other ways than supernatural stuff. - All the greatest moments of the film can't be found in the book: "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy", the twins, the blood elevator - I like that they changed the characters. Jack's decent to madness is more believable if he's already a more abusive dad that feels resentful towards his family and Wendy being less brave makes it more believable that she'd stay with Jack. - The film really captures the wide open spaces in the hotel with great camerawork. That together with the soundtrack makes for a great athmosphere I think the story works better with more simplistic characters (that are also acted excellently) and the story is just about a cabin fever leading to horrific murder attempts. I also like the room for theories the film leaves for the viewer. The Shining might be my favorite film.

Tell me you didn't read the book without telling me you didn't read the book.

I thought the movie was better.

I know, right!

Nope!

This is one time where I prefer the film. King disowned a classic because the film wasn't a dead on replica of the book. And how could he criticize Jack Nicholson? He's a fantastic actor. The series (which King endorsed) ruined the book for me.

He did add a bunch of supernatural elements in his movie version, though. And you don't need to believe in ghosts in order to be able to write supernatural stories; that is kind of the whole point of fiction.

You can't deny that he's a creative genius