Stephen King adaptations range from brilliant to unwatchable. Some stand out head and shoulders above the rest, and others fundamentally misunderstand the source material. There is, however, one adaptation that does both. A screen rendering that stands out from the pack as one of the best of the bunch while also demonstrating a clear lack of concern with the literary reference point. Naturally, I’m talking about The Shining.
Late director Stanley Kubrick delivered a visually striking, atmospheric picture with The Shining, but his version fundamentally changes the Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) character, turning him from a flawed figure in the novel into a truly evil presence onscreen. Not to mention, Wendy (Shelley Duvall) is much more demure and timid in the screen adaptation compared to her more assertive literary counterpart. Kubrick takes many other creative liberties that make for an effective film, but an ineffective adaptation of the book.
Kubrick’s interpretation sees aspiring writer Jack signing on as the caretaker at the Overlook Hotel with his wife, Wendy, and son, Danny (Danny Lloyd), in tow. As he tries to cure his writer’s block, Jack becomes increasingly more erratic, eventually turning homicidal.
Most fans are willing to forgive the creative liberties Kubrick takes because it’s such a compelling presentation, dripping with atmosphere, featuring career-defining performances, and terrifying on a visceral level. Rob Zombie is among those of us who see endless merit in the picture. During an interview with Vice, the “Dragula” singer admitted as much.
“I love The Shining,” Zombie began. “I mean, I love Stanley Kubrick, so any time he tackles a genre like science fiction with 2001 or Clockwork, it’s brilliant. And so is The Shining. It’s considered an actual classic, and I don’t think anyone would argue with that, but when it came out, everyone trashed it! [Laughs] All of his movies are like that, though; they all had terrible reviews. It’s weird.”
If Zombie’s enthusiastic appreciation for the film has inspired you to pay the picture a repeat visit, you can presently catch The Shining streaming on HBO Max. If you’re curious to take a deep dive into the film, check out the documentary Room 237 on Tubi next. The doc tends to overthink the film’s core themes, but it’s nonetheless a fascinating presentation that will give you food for thought.
That’s all we’ve got for now. Stay tuned to Dread Central in the near future for more streaming recommendations from your favorite creators in the genre space.
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