Ugh, old movies and bad acting

Keep in mind that I have never watched the Shining before tonight. The old one I mean. I read the book, and rented the mini-series (the one produced by Steven King), and after 4.5 hours of horror satisfaction, I was satisfied that it was one of the best horror movies I've ever watched. For those that don't know, Steven King hated the Stanley Kubrick movie, and remade it with his vision, uncut but for a few scenes, in a 3 part miniseries. Unbelievable.

So, going thru the rental store tonight, I see the DVD of the Stanley Kubrick version of the Shining. I thought, what the hell, I love old movies, and though it's supposed to be completely different than the book, I heard it was good.

So I pop it in, and I could barely sit through it. The acting is atrocious. Jack Nickolson, who is usually great, sucks shit in this role. The acting by everyone is dry and stilted. It seems like they actually try to speak in monotone. The "scary" scenes are directed terribly, and the kid is fucking annoying. The casting is totally off, the camera work terrible, the acting looks like they're acting against their free will.

And the "good" part where Jack Nickolson flips out in the end? Completely over the top and not believable in any way. I'm surprised he got another role after this movie. His movies since then are great, don't get me wrong, but ugh.

I give this movie a 1 out of 10. Shit, no wonder why Steven King has decided to produce his own movies nowadays.

Annoying kid?! I wanted to punch that little snot-nosed punk in the TV version every time he opened his mouth!

Jack Nickolson, who is usually great, sucks shit in this role.

I couldn't possibly disagree with you more.

The kid in the Kubrick version is terrible. If I have to see him talk with his fucking finger one more time I'll scream!

At least he doesn't have a hideously disfigured upper lip.

REDRUM and "Here's Johnny!" (the way Nicholson says it) have become ingrained in the culture. I'm sorry, but it's a great movie.

The movie was just weird, like a strange dream. I didn't find it scary at all. A bunch of weird and strange things happen, Jack Nicholson chases two people at the end, but it's not scary at all because he's far behind them the whole time and totally disoriented from being beat up. And when he's slowly chasing the woman up the stairs, it's not scary at all, because she's above him and she has the bat.

I've (sort of) seen this movie twice, and I find it to be much more of a mild-fantasy/drama than a horror. It's definitely not horrifying.

what are you talking about? it's a fucking great movie. but fair enough - you are entitled to your own opinion of course [even if it is bullshit!].

and i don't think it really tries to be a horror movie. it's more of a thriller. it seems to have been tagged as a horror because it's based on a steven king book, and is judged so.

Tell me what I'm missing. Tell me what I missed in the movie that makes it so thrilling. Obviously most people like it, so what did I miss?

elbryan42 said:

So I pop it in, and I could barely sit through it. The acting is atrocious. Jack Nickolson, who is usually great, sucks shit in this role. The acting by everyone is dry and stilted. It seems like they actually try to speak in monotone. The "scary" scenes are directed terribly, and the kid is fucking annoying. The casting is totally off, the camera work terrible, the acting looks like they're acting against their free will.

That movie isn't even a horror. It's a freakin comedy. That kid pulls such a stupid face when he screams (stupid enough to make me ROTFLMAO). I don't blame you for hating that movie.

So anyways are we supposed to talk about crap movies in this thread or just this one?

Some people "get" Kubrick movies and some don't. I guess you don't.

I love Kubrick's version of the Shining. The whole movie feels surreal because of the hotel's interior. It gives the movie an 'abandoned' feeling, and I mean that in a positive way. I absolutely love the movie and I think the series were okay. Not superb, but good enough to sit through it. But I simply like Kubrick's vision of the story better.