As someone who read the books and saw the films, I had exactly the same feeling as you of reconciliation between the author's original intent and the most known film adaptation's visual meaning. Thank you for putting that interpretation to a video essay.
8:49 we can see a door behind the shelf. That’s how he got out. Kubrick was adamant that his adaptation was just a story of a family collectively going insane and the supernatural elements were in their head. If you can’t see the door, following the rules of thirds it’s in column one, row two
I've looked everywhere for anything of Kubrick talking about his work, and the only thing he's consistently adamant about is leaving room for interpretation, but he has occasionally provided answers, including for The Shining, which he describes as an evil reincarnation cycle. He specifically uses the word ghost when describing the scene in the men's room with Grady. So I think it's clear where he stands on the supernatural elements of the film.
@@daniel_netzel I think it's also fair to look at Kubrick's other films for context, which is where the claim that The Shining doesn't deal with supernatural really "shines". Because Kubrick's films very much dealt with reality, but in the context of dreams and illusions. He was not a believer in the supernatural. Great analysis in the video!
While I find this video a great appraisal and is superbly crafted, I’m left unconvinced. Flanagan has ostensibly created a sequel to King’s novel, but has mined the aesthetic of Kubrick’s film for purposes of cinematic nostalgia. I get that there’s a conversation that can be had about Hauntology in his creative decisions, but Flanagan has completely ignored Kubrick’s various subtexts. And Kubrick’s Shining is ALL about subtext. Summing up, and whether we agree with him or not, Kubrick is being both cryptic and lucid about his feelings about the very existence of America: it only exists because of evil; history is where horror really exists, not in the campfire-side story telling of King. Inserting his own struggles with alcohol as a driver for telling a story is really as deep King gets, although he is quite a deft writer and raconteur. King had a destructive relationship with alcohol, which is the corner stone to his Overlook Hotel. Kubrick, on the other hand, has specifically chosen bourbon as Jack’s poison for its American nature: THE American Spirit, perhaps. Both Bourbon and Jack’s addiction to it are intended as metaphors in Kubrick’s film, while King’s struggles as an alcoholic are given no regard. King’s novel is quite a simple story with an obviously dichotomous structure of light and dark, good and evil etc. Kubrick’s Shining shows its hand, but tells us that we should look under the table to see what’s really going on. Flanagan’s film veers towards the safer horror of King than the subversion of Kubrick while shamelessly pilfering the aesthetics of The Shining.
I think it was just a necessary thing to do, it's a direct sequel to that story, and with The Shining being so popular there was no way to make a legacy sequel to that without referencing it visually at least. But yeah, I mean, they're just two different stories, that's the point. King always writes from a very personal place, it's why half of his main characters are writers. He battles his personal demons on the page and shares that with his readers, and that is precisely why so many people love him, that's a great avenue of horror that has always existed and he has been undeniably successful in doing. But Kubrick was different, he was like a savant, an absolute master of his craft in every single way that was often described by crew as the only director who could do their jobs better than they could. Everything he touched transcended into the all-time masterpiece status because he was just that good. The Shining was even after he started to experiment more, notably with 2001: A Space Odyssey, in terms of what people thought that a film or cinematic experience could be. He was all about pushing boundaries and breaking rules, and exploring a million different concepts within one film, letting the audience take away whichever meaning they choose. Within those two disciplines I think it's clear that Flanagan leans more towards the King method. He uses horror has his own way to explore the darkest things in himself, and bring that out in a way that resonates with a lot of people. It's not a type of horror for everyone, but to just call it "safer" I think is unfair. In many ways it's far more challenging, to bare your soul like that for the world to see, to try and help people battle with their own darkness, I think there's tremendous value in that. And using the aesthetics of The Shining is just a natural thing I think because it is a sequel. So much of the film is Flanagan's flair and vision, like the absolute vast majority of the film. But considering how much the story evolves from The Shining it wouldn't make sense to just throw that away.
Filmed beautifully I just didn't like the depiction of superpowers element...sucking life force, teleporting and magic. Naw that was some Marvel shit. It took me out of the horror and into scifi. They could have filmed those less cgi
@@m2kaay Not unfair but that was much closer to the book. Especially so when making the hotel the pervasive evil which was King’s intent. This was clearly changed by Kubrick to show Nicholson descending into madness. I like them both for different reasons but I think the ending of Dr. Sleep tied things up nicely.
Absolutely agree with your analysis. This is exactly why I liked the movie so much. As for his “turning”, I saw it as more plot necessary as he had to vomit out all the Overlook ghosts to kill Rose and he had to distract the Hotel long enough for it to not notice the boiler. So while Jack was possessed for real, Danny allowed himself to be possessed to destroy the Overlook.
Like I said it was a small complaint overall, but I just had this feeling every time that scene came up and through writing this essay it helped me process some of why I think I felt that way, but I like your interpretation! That's a cool way to view the scene.
@@daniel_netzel I like Cruz Flores idea that Dan let the Overlook possess him to keep it distracted, but I don't think he would have risked Abra's safety like that. I think part of what pushed Dan into becoming an addict like his father was him using alcohol and other substances to numb his shine so the monsters from the Overlook couldn't get to him anymore. I imagine how much fear and pain it took to trap them in the boxes and I can understand why he didn't want to use his shine anymore; all it did was cause him trouble. Then he had to let them out to deal with Rose the Hat, and I imagine he wasn't planning on being in the Overlook when they were done with her, but she hurt him enough he didn't have time to get Abra and get out. I believe it was there, surrounded by the things he had feared for so long, and knowing those monsters were stronger after eating Rose the Hat, he faltered in his second test and the Overlook got him... mostly. That little bit of the boy Danny that he used to call Tony was still there because it was the part of Danny that tapped into his shine the strongest, and it was the part of himself that Dan called on for help already. That's why Abra was able to bring him back, even though they didn't have the family bond, and that's why he was able to resist the Overlook long enough for the boiler to explode and burn the place down. I liked the bit in the book where Jack was able to help Dan defeat Rose the Hat and live, but I think I like the movie ending better. Dan can still mentor Abra like Halloran did for him, but he was able to end the evil of the Overlook by cleansing it with fire, and hopefully that set everyone free.
Great video. WB backed _Doctor Sleep_ with a lackluster campaign & the film was indistinguishable from any throwaway King adaptation. I caught it with muted interest, expected nothing, and it completely blew me away. More than a great Action/Horror flick, _Doctor Sleep_ is a surprisingly thoughtful & intimate examination of trauma, abuse, depression, grief, & death. The _"Aliens"_ to _The Shining's_ _"Alien"_ - it's a special film, a (near) masterpiece, & was the Best Picture of 2019 (imo). _Gerald's Game_ is excellent too - a Flanagan produced _Dark Tower_ series would be aces.
When I first saw the trailers my thought was "Really? Who the fuck thought making a Shining sequel was a good idea?" It just looked like a lazy sequel at best, or a total shitshow at worst, I never expected it to become one of my favorite horror films, certainly one of the best films of that year. And oh yeah, I absolutely loved Gerald's Game as well, Carla should have won an Oscar for her performance.
Rebecca Ferguson shoulda gotten a Supporting Actress nom for her role. She plays a truly scary villain bent on evil, yet SO seductive. Her performance reminded me of Hannibal Lecter and his towering presence, even when off-screen. The movie itself, arguably, shoulda been a Best Picture contender. It is a deep-thinking movie, despite the horror element.
One thing I actually really like is how much of it reminds me of the low-budget but charming made for tv King movies, so much of it takes place in perfectly ordinary campgrounds in the woods, or other places where (in those movies) you can tell that the location is chosen for a cheap shooting budget, but the True Knot has a reason to be in these isolated places, and it seems to be their traditional stomping ground, given the caravan of RV's they travel in.
I've always felt the fact Mike Flanagan seems to hold reverence for both King and Kubrick is what made him the perfect director to make a film that follow both of those artist's works, creating something that I've always felt is a perfect middle ground between the two This video really helps fleshing out those feelings I had when coming out of the theater after seeing this film
When I walked out the theater after Doctor Sleep my biggest takeaway was how amazed I was that it had somehow managed to be both a faithful adaptation and also a sequel to the Kubrik Shining. It blew my mind in the best way. True skill.
This is an amazing video. I’ve been a huge fan of Mike Flanagan for years, and while I always really liked the Doctor Sleep movie, your video made me realize just how good it actually is. The only thing I’m surprised you didn’t bring up was Flanagan’s own struggle with addiction that I’m sure made Doctor Sleep feel so real to the Shining novel
Thank you Reed! I definitely thought about going more into that, because I agree, his past struggles with alcohol really made him a good fit for this story, and these themes show up really beautifully in Midnight Mass as well.
It's perhaps poetic that Doctor Sleep is currently being overlooked in much the same way The Shining was initially panned, in time the films' value will shine through
Mike Flanagan is the man. I can't wait to see everything he puts out after Hill House, Bly Manor and Midnight Mass. Doctor sleep is a movie I will never regret missing out in cinema.
When I had read online months before it came to theatres that Doctor Sleep was a sequel to The Shining, I immediately went out to buy the book and luckily finished it by the time I saw the movie
The best "wrong" ending ever brought to the screen. It fills in the emotional gaps of Kubrik's adaptation and reconciles two versions of the story that until then had always been irreconcilably opposed. I was in ecstasy when I came out of the cinema. This film is a stroke of genius on more than one level.
I thought the ending was really dumb. The hotel wins in the end; the ghosts killed Jack, they killed Danny, and then they escape to be seen in Abra's house. The torture of children demands an emotional payoff. This movie tortures 3 children to death then tries to make up for it by having an alcoholic talk about himself and his own problems. Narcissistic addicts think nothing is more dramatic than their own addiction, having Dany renounce his father's and his own alcoholism is where the movie should've started because it's the weakest point of the storytelling.
Greatly underrated. Watching "Shining" and "Sleep" back to back is almost as rewarding as the Godfather, and it's sequel. In "Sleep", Rebecca Ferguson as Rose the Hat was particularly effective and just flat out scary. She had such a strong presence, I thought she was probably around 5'10" to 6 feet tall. She's actually 5' 6".
I agree that the Overlook possessing adult Danny seems wrong, but I'm curious if that was a concession to get the scene from the original book where Danny brings Jack back temporarily making him "drop the mask" and allow his son to go free and take out the hotel. When I saw the scene with Danny and Abra in Doctor Sleep I knew immediately it was straight from The Shining novel with the roles shifted.
I don't think it was wrong. The hotel could never gain full possession over Danny like it could his father. I think that's why only one of his eyes goes cloudy.
Some reason I actually like it. The overlook fckn with him with Jack first, then waiting for Danny to do kill Rose, and finish what it started. And Danny kills it with one last insult, he still won. He went through the bs his dad went through and won. He breaks the cycle of violence with the true knot, the hotel, and the Torrence lineage. 3 familial generations of bs and 3 cycles of endless violence ended with and because of him. And despite everything that happened he dies peacefully, content, and with closure. more alive in death than he felt in life. But I do like that he lives in the book, another insult. “I won, I survived, and I beat you”
I didn't like the idea that Danny could still be possessed, but I think the way it ended redeemed that choice. It implied that the simple choice of denying his addiction, even at that pivotal moment, didn't erase his inner darkness which is frankly realistic, but at the same time, the fact he did deny his addiction is what empowered him to overcome his inner demons to save Abra. The possession and taking back control in a way felt like a mirror image of the struggle of Danny's life.
That's why I actually liked the partial possession. It was partial because he refused the drink unlike his father, and it allowed them to somehow include that dropped moment from Kubrick's adaptation.
Thanks for the high quality analysis as always. I liked when you brought up stuff from Dark Tower. Doctor Sleep is honestly such a unique and great movie, and I love Flanagan's work in general, so it's always good to see a review of it.
Thank you for your kind words! Flanagan just keeps blowing me away with everything he does, and Doctor Sleep was such a welcome delight for me as a fan of King and Kubrick, and horror in general. Also highly recommend Gerald's Game if you haven't seen it!
And yeah totally agree with your take on Flanagan. It's about time that the horror genre doesn't always just use jump scares and gore to scare people. I've been waiting for films that scare you with a story instead. So much better!
@@daniel_netzel Just discovered your channel and it's fantastic! I really appreciate someone who puts work into their projects as I do the same every day.
Everything you've said in this essay. But also! There's no denial that seeing King likes this adaptation after his expectations weren't met with Kubrick's film, really warms my heart. I'm happy to see him happy. :)
I was so surprised by how good this movie was. The Shining is one of my favorite movies of all time and I went in expecting an inferior follow up to Kubrick but as someone with trauma who’s worked very hard at overcoming it despite resorting to my own bad coping mechanisms, it really hit home for me and even made me cry.
One of my favorites from one of my favorites. Thinking about doing a video on Midnight Mass too, because that's definitely the top spot of Flanagan's work for me.
I remember hearing the story that Kubrick had seen Eraserhead before he made the shining and the he was so enamored with it, he had a screening for the cast and crew before they started shooting. I don’t know how true that story is, but it does make me wonder how it influenced his approach to king’s story.
I've read that Eraserhead became Kubrick's favorite film after watching it, and I know for certain that it influenced him when directing The Shining. I've also seen mention that The Exorcist and Rosemary's Baby were huge influences for him too.
Doctor Sleep was an amazing film and a perfect sequel. Flanagan really knows his stuff. The one thing that could have made it better in my opinion would've been a Jack Nicholson cameo. Flanagan approached Nicholson about the film but he was turned down as Jack was adamant about his retirement.
@@tonoornottono Good point. That actor is Henry Thomas. Elliot from E.T. all grown up. Never would've imagined him one day playing Jack Torrance. LOL. Also I loved how Flanagan kept the continuity from the original with Shelley Duvall's character. Alex Essoe did an amazing job and looked very much like her. I remember two times when I felt actual chills of nostalgia run through my body. One was the first time I saw The Force Awakens trailer with Harrison Ford and the other one was when I saw the Doctor Sleep trailer for the first time. The shot of the Overlook with the Symphony Fantastique score in the background gave me serious chills. Such nostalgia.
I watched doctor sleep on a flight a few months after it came out and I was very pleasantly surprised. I think Mike Flanagan is definitely a force to be reckoned with in the horror Chandra because his work isn't just about the scary parts but also the humanity Inside all of us. To me every single one of his pieces have been a home run
I just love that Stephen King can also have some closure on Stanley Kubrick’s movie too. He genuinely looked happy with the legacy the movies will have and how they represented his novels.
The factual truth of reality with "Doctor Sleep" is it may be seen as a sequel to King's book "The Shining" but in NO WAY can "Doctor Sleep" be viewed as a sequel to KUBRICK'S adaptation in film of "The Shining" .... Kubrick's adaptation and genius of "The Shining" relies on two VERY IMPORTANT aspects of his production and directing....one: the unreliable narrative....and two: The are NO GHOSTS or anything supernatural or paranormal in Kubrick's film. To have "Doctor Sleep" alluding to any of this as in reference to "The Shining"... Kubrick's version....is a TRAVESTY Kubrick's adaptation to "The Shining" was a psychological thriller.... NOT a ghost story
How do you explain Jack getting out of the freezer? I even used that clip in this video, because I firmly believe that for whatever other ambiguity there is in the film, that one scene confirms that it's not all in Jack's head.
The shining is a certified hood classic in my eyes. It is genuinely that amazing and God help me, Doctor Sleep is criminally overlooked. It's both an amazing adaptation and a beautiful tribute to Kubrick's version of the film. Great movie.
Such a wonderfully thought out and well put video essay. Seriously couldn't have worded it better; I saw Doctor Sleep opening weekend and immediately gave it my praise and hold it in such high regard
I'm surprised Dr. Sleep didn't do better, it disturbed and moved me in a way most horror films don't. And then it stuck with me for a long time. I agree with your points here! I thought it was a truly great sequel by enriching the first instead of betraying it. Thanks for articulating this!
The Dark Half (1993). Not only is it an insanely underrated King adaptation, but also an insanely underrated George A. Romero horror film. Check it out, people.
Like King I was disappointed with how much character development Kubric took out of the Shining, but Doctor Sleep somehow managed to reconcile both versions of the story perfectly. And you can't deny that the hotel still standing makes for a more climactic ending to the sequel.
Having just watched the Shining (in the theater!) for probably the 50th time in my life, this makes me want to revisit Doctor Sleep. I have to keep reminding myself of the whole pretense you are basing this on: that Doctor Sleep is indeed a reconciliation between between King and Kubrick because in Kubrick's version, there is very little (if any) hint that there is a "light side" to Jack. He's essentially pure, unadulterated "evil" in The Shining. It's not that the hotel or the alcohol make him do anything. He has "always been there". He has physically and emotionally abused his family and he's sexually abused Danny long before The Overlook comes into play. Even when he's sober, it's very clear that he's frankly a total monster who consistently demeans his family and keeps them in a constant state of fear and walking on eggshells. I can't remember if Doctor Sleep acknowledges the sexual abuse perpetrated on Dan, although it defiantly parallels the actions of The True Knot and child sexual abuse. I also can't remember but I'm pretty sure that although Danny takes a dive into alcohol abuse and violence, he doesn't veer anywhere near towards becoming a child molester. I think Flanagan and Kubrick tackle some of the same themes but they are very different in their approaches. Kubrick also doesn't touch on Jack's childhood (I don't think it really needs to) whereas Flanagan humanizes Jack. That's just how he rolls. All of Flanagan's films are about trauma and reconciliation and hence lies the perfection of him being chosen to create Doctor Sleep: not only for the reconciliation in the film, but for the reconciliation between King and Kubrick. I think it's very true that to create effective horror, you have create a story that deeply explores characters and depicts love to get the audience invested in the first place. Somehow Kubrick created possibly the best horror film ever made without doing much of this at all. Of course there is the love between Wendy and Danny that we are given glimpses of (and that ultimately wins in the end) but for the majority of The Shining, Wendy fails to keep Danny safe and she certainly can't keep herself safe ( as is true in most domestic abuse scenarios). In any case, great analysis! I'm going to watch Doctor Sleep tonight!
This movie is really layered with a lot of occult meanings, and parallels. Well worth a watch. Great expose, lots of insights in your video, bravo, subscribed.
Kubrick does not need to be apologetic about changing King's scenario in "The Shining." Frankly speaking, there is a great difference between the "universe" of the book and the "universe" of the film. Kubrick knew this and used King's book as a "springboard." What he created is a scenario where the viewer puts himself into "the life of the scenario." I feel a part of the scenario of "The Shining" and after 40 viewings, I still return to see it every year. King's book is great, but maybe in a few years, I might return to reread it!
Big props to the editing on this video I know it took forever it looks great though 🙌 and I love doctor sleep I feel like it flew under the radar for no reason
This video was incredibly well done and I learned a ton of new things about Mike Flanagan. Also a great perspective on Doctor Sleep. Thank you for this!
Kubrick took kings word and turned it into pure genius nightmarish excellence. Nearly everything he touched in cinema would turn to gold, with that Said Mike did a good job.
I LOVED Dr. Sleep so so much. It brought me to tears. And I think your analysis knocked it out of the park. I’m eager to visit your back catalogue of videos. You earned my subscription!!
Dude great video and analysis, very well-chosen words! And I should know, I've spent WAY too long consuming video essays on RU-vid, glad the algorithm worked this time
I've been following Flanagan's directorial journey since before Hill House so when I found out he was the director I went from "curious" to "actually excited"
I predict that this film will take it's place next to 'The Shining' as one of the all-time great horror films of all time. Horror is not a setting, horror is not an event, horror is not a jump scare. Horrror is about the shitty parts of us we're trying to deal with. To quote Ron D. Moore, 'It's the characters, stupid!'
This movie felt so much into the Kingverse... and that's really something to appreciate. There's a lot of waste in films which are not related to this. Great video!
I like how Kubrick puts the evil in man and King blames it on ghosts. Like a real addict, blaming something or someone else. I think that's why he doesn't like the movie.
This movie is very average and king is a hack.. he was jealous that Kubrick screenwriter actually could end the story and add more depth to a flat book..
@@daniel_netzel ya if you want to check it out the audio books are really well done, I have read it once and listened to it twice on my commute. Totally worth the time.
I'm a trans guy who grew up in an abusive household, and this is one of my favorite movies of all time, as it really helped me come to terms with the legacy of trauma in my family and how I face masculinity and my newfound sense of self as a result of it. The setting of The Shining also holds a particular weight for me, as I grew up in Colorado in an area very similar to where the Overlook would have been, and escaping Colorado was very much like leaving my own horrific experience behind. I really relate to Danny, both in his mannerisms and background, and I really aspire to be able to grow and heal in the way he did throughout the course of the film. This film also helped me figure out my autism, as in a lot of ways "the shining" feels analogous to how it feels to have autism vs how the world perceives autistic people and often tries to harm us because of our differences. Flanagan is a fantastic director, and this movie feels so safe and close to home in its portrayal of the horrors that come with the legacy of abuse, addiction, and trauma, and how despite the darkness within us all, there is so so much light.
I was very sceptical of this film being a sequel and adaptation of a book that collided with each other. As you said in the video, Mike somehow pulled it off very well. I honestly believe although the film was not a huge hit or received that well with critics, just like Kubrick's, this film will stand the test of time and be looked back on fondly and appreciated for many years to come.
An amazing video, and finally someone who approaches it with some empathy and value. I love, hell I adore Doctor Sleep also the Shinning and both are indeed so incredible well done. Glad to see someone also sees it this way and understands the concepts made in both movies and the books.
If those ghosts roamed around that place the whole time then why didn’t they kill Dick while he was working there? He had a strong shine. Plot hole in the book and movie I found. I read Dr. Sleep while in jail for driving on a suspended license and after watching the movie it was great and pretty much exactly how I was picturing it while reading it. And I know the hotel did eventually kill Dick in Kubrick’s movie but I never understood that.
Fantastic analysis! I love the book and film adaptations of The Shining and Doctor Sleep, and Flanagan did an incredible job bridging the gap between the source material of both novels and Kubrick's The Shining.
Thanks dude! I've never been much of a comic reader, I could never afford to keep up with that hobby lol, so I'm not familiar with Tom King's Batman tbh
"corrupted by this place" as if he wasn't already physically violent before they ever got to the Overlook. "Fundamentally good" isn't a useful label when you're talking about people, I feel.
I think the point was that the violence came out when he drank, as it was that moment of rage where he underestimated his own strength. He wasn't trying to hurt Danny, just to pull him away from his desk where he'd caused some disarray, a far cry from chasing him down with an axe.
I know Flanagan's dream King adaptation is The Dark Tower series... I honestly think if he and Frank Darabont worked together they could do a bang up job of adapting that series for a cinematic streaming series... as they are two of the best directors to have adapted Kings work.
And let's be real, Frank Darabont already knows how to do a series, he was the reason The Walking Dead was ever worth watching, I still can't fathom why they pushed him out of the show. But the two of them together working on The Dark Tower would be solid fucking gold.
Thank you for your great analysis,it made me feel a little better about Kubrick and his version of The Shining. Just not a fan but I absolutely love Doctor Sleep, not really sure why but it stays with me. Have seen it multiple times. I'm also a fan of Flannigan's and agree that he is adding something new to the horror film/show. Very well done!
15:21 Thomas Lerooy's sculpture "You Were on My Mind" is such a chilling artwork and perfectly encapsulates the alcoholic's struggle. Thank you for including it.
I think the fundamental problem with the sequel... is that rifles are shown to be just too damned effective against soul vampires. They take so many of them out in just one scene. And yeah, the one guy dies in the process, but that shouldn't be an issue going forward since the hypno-chick also dies in the process. And since the rifles are shown to be _so_ effective, to the point where there's really only one threat left, there should've been a near infinite number of options that Danny definitely should've preferred to returning to the Overlook. Don't get me wrong, I much prefer the ending that takes place at the Overlook to one where he just lures the Hat into some little bottleneck off the side of the road and shoots her while she's still 50 yards away. But the movie needed to be set up so that that wasn't a viable option. As it stands, that boring ending wasn't only viable, it was sensible and quite preferable from the characters' point of view. Like I said, the answer to this problem was clearly: Make guns less effective on soul vampires. Make them harder to kill. And make it so more of them are left alive and pursuing them at the end, so that Danny has just no other option than a possibly suicidal return to the place that is the root of all his nightmares.
Doctor Sleep really did not follow the plot of the book. And they made a major race swap that makes no sense, especially since Abra Stone is supposed to be the niece of Danny Torrance.
I'm guessing because It had about 15 x the marketing budget and strategy. "It" marketing was everywhere you couldn't escape it. I don't think I even heard about Dr Sleep until it had been and gone from theaters
You did an amazing work. It was a recommendation from youtube's algorithm that brought me here, and I'll make sure to discover the rest of your body of work. Love your vision.
Here's my thesis on Stephen King and Kubrick's Shining : King is maybe a bit of a hackfraud, and he's assmad that Kubrick made his long, tedious haunted house novel that explains too much in to arguably the greatest horror movie ever made by cutting both the part where Jack is another Stephen King "muh struggling writer, muh alcoholism" self insert to instead have one of the greatest crazy man actors of all time really cut loose as a villain, and by getting rid of the unnecessary backstories for the ghosts that only made the book less scary by overexplaining too much.
Thank You, everyone seems to forget that King made maximum overdrive as a direct jab at Kubrick and others. Look how that turned out. Kubrick cut out the cheese pure and simple.
Kinda liked that Danny ended the 3 cycles of violence with him. Almost like a petty insult and so that the cycle he’s a part of ends with him. And despite everything he died peacefully, content, and with closure. But I do like that the book let’s him live as an even harsher “fck you, I won” to everything he had to deal with while still ending the two cycles
Sequelizing a Kubrick film alone would seem to be an impossible job. Then to not only sequelize one of his most iconic films, but to do so while also adapting a novel by Stephen King, who openly disliked Kubrick’s work, would seem to be a terrible idea. Being able to do those two things and somehow not have it turn out to be a train wreck is itself worthy of great respect. King was actually right when he said that the Kubrick movie should’ve been baggage but it turned out not to be. This movie not only does the job it set out to do, but it reconciles the King novels to the Kubrick film in a way that pretty satisfying, when it’s all said and done
I just wish the big reveal wasn’t carnival vampires. I wish there was more significance given to the haunting than simple hunger for lightness. Got a bit mawkish, imho. It actually made me appreciate Kubrick’s version of the shining a whole lot more, because the explanation given wasn’t satisfying so perhaps it’s better to leave it a mystery. I watched bc I do adore Mike Flanagan and I was promised resolutions to all the unresolved questions from Kubrick’s film. Now I kinda wish I didn’t know the answer. I do agree though, Doctor Sleep definitely tried to marry the visions of King and Kubrick, but I think King’s influence reigns in this one and to its detriment imo.
What an excellent examination of an amazing movie! I am grateful for your efforts to bring a greater understanding to Doctor Sleep. I too am a great admirer of Flanagan! His work is so unbelievably satisfying. I will never forget my experience watching Doctor Sleep in theater, because it (unintentionally) coincided with my 3 year sobriety date. It was an especially affirming viewing for me that I could not have put into better words than you have with this essay. Thank you!
This is an incredibly well edited video. Excellent work! Mike Flanagan is super underrated and needs to be brought to the spotlight as an iconic horror director. Super well done!
My friend, I don't what to say, you have... Expressed this Film in a way that is, Unparalleled and quite Beautiful. Im stunned, You are a true Craftsman. I know it all too well. I will revisit this and dig myself out. Thank you. I will Subscribe, and all the things, you are cut from a different Cloth. God Bless You 🙏.
"Dr. Sleep" stunk, to put it bluntly. It's simply King's crappy attempt to shit all over Kubrick while still stealing the best of his film. I mean, seriously - KING BLEW UP THE HOTEL but they were going to have a film "Shining" sequel without it? King's simply an ingrate squatting in Kubrick's hotel and still bitching that people love K's version better than the crappy one he did with Mick Garris years ago. (Forgot about it, didn't you? That's how memorable it was.) The one really great thing about the film and the bits I'd watch again is Rebecca Ferguson as a life-force vampire whose favorite past time is torturing children to death for their life essence. (The extended cut has a long, grueling scene of this.) As long as Ferguson is around, the movie is riveting - but when she's not, it's all apologic mush for Jack Torrence being such a dick.
One minor thing, Jack WAS wrong about Grady. He confused Delbert (killed his TWINS in some past decade) with his presumed ancestor Charles (killed his daughters, “eight and ten”) in 1970.
I admittedly came for Ewan McGregor, but I stayed for the whole package. I like The Shining but it wasn't my super duper favorite or anything, but I really appreciate how Doctor Sleep ties together Kubrick's version with King's.
Not sure what needed to be "reconciled", as they're two different mediums, but assuming you're right, it still isn't worth it, as "Dr Sleep" is a conflation of the "Twilight" series with the MCU. Super-power Girl fights moody cabal of soul vampires. Oh well, perhaps King succeeded in his 40-year quest to diminish the greater work of art based off his book.
I don't think Kubrick Told a better story than King. The books ending seems a lot better than Jack Nicholson becoming a comedic popsicle. Kubrick movie just more popular with artsy fartsy types. Frankly the plot barely makes any the sense and the characters are severely underdeveloped. Dr Sleep did a better job at both. The Shining Bearly bring up the whole alcoholism angle. Dr Sleep makes it a major theme instead of a after thought.