Factotum Posted October 10, 2018 Share Posted October 10, 2018 I agree with a lot of what you say @BomberPat but I do think King has a point with Nicholson's portrayal in the role. Then again, I'm of the belief that Nicholson was pretty hammy after One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, everything else seemed to be an impression of that. @LokiI really loved KUJO , which is when he was at his most coked up to the nines. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members BomberPat Posted October 10, 2018 Paid Members Share Posted October 10, 2018 Just now, Factotum said: I agree with a lot of what you say @BomberPat but I do think King has a point with Nicholson's portrayal in the role. Then again, I'm of the belief that Nicholson was pretty hammy after One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, everything else seemed to be an impression of that. I agree - he spent decades playing "Crazy Jack Nicholson" after Cuckoo's Nest, and is definitely bringing that to the table here. And I can really see why King hates that - we don't get the sense of a normal man driven to insanity, we get an uncomfortable time spent with an already insane man. It's that constant state of intensity and anxiety that I love the film for, though. What it sacrifices in adherence to King's story, it more than makes up for in a completely unparalleled cinematic experience, because I don't think any other movie can just keep you on edge from the opening credits all the way to the end quite like it does. I do wonder about Kubrick's relationship to adaptations in general, though - he was fairly mercenary with the way he treated source material, from adapting Red Alert into Dr. Strangelove, chopping and changing half of Full Metal Jacket, and so on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Devon Malcolm Posted October 10, 2018 Author Paid Members Share Posted October 10, 2018 Stephen King's continued inability to understand what a film adaptation is after 38 years still amazes me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Scott Malbranque Posted October 10, 2018 Paid Members Share Posted October 10, 2018 I've very recently changed my mind on Full Metal Jacket. As a now 39 year old man, I can safely say it's better than Platoon and possibly the greatest war movie I've ever seen. Quite a contrast from "That's a load of my bollocks!" which is what I greeted it with initially. D-Mal is to blame for my sudden turn into a lust and thirst for all things Kubrick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Devon Malcolm Posted October 10, 2018 Author Paid Members Share Posted October 10, 2018 14 minutes ago, Scott Malbranque said: D-Mal is to blame for my sudden turn into a lust and thirst for all things Kubrick. In all seriousness though, have you seen Paths of Glory, Branquey? Because that's the greatest anti-war film ever made. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Scott Malbranque Posted October 10, 2018 Paid Members Share Posted October 10, 2018 Â 6 minutes ago, Devon Malcolm said: In all seriousness though, have you seen Paths of Glory, Branquey? Because that's the greatest anti-war film ever made. Not yet. I'm working my way backwards through his catalogue. But consider my interest in Paths of Glory, piqued. My reasoning for going backwards, was the thinking that if I start with his more accessible recent stuff first then I'll be more receptive to his earlier stuff that before now, I had little or no interest in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Chris B Posted October 10, 2018 Paid Members Share Posted October 10, 2018 1 hour ago, Loki said: Stephen King was better when he was coked up to the eyeballs. Talking of which, check out this Maximum Overdrive trailer, brought to you by SO MUCH COKE. One of my favourite things ever. 44 minutes ago, Devon Malcolm said: Stephen King's continued inability to understand what a film adaptation is after 38 years still amazes me. I don't know if that's fair - as far as I'm aware, it's only really The Shining he's had a major issue with, and I honestly think that's more a personal reaction to how Kubrick interpreted the character and story. With something so nakedly autobiographical, I can get why he'd react so strongly. King appears to enjoy the great and the shit films, for the most part. It is a shame that he's entrusted some of his best work to some of the worst adaptations, though... but on the other side, we've got stuff like The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile and Stand By Me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Factotum Posted October 10, 2018 Share Posted October 10, 2018 Barry Lyndon for me is Kubrick's best film. Saw it again recently on the big screen and its just fantastic. Its also hilarious at times Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Devon Malcolm Posted October 10, 2018 Author Paid Members Share Posted October 10, 2018 8 minutes ago, Chris B said: I don't know if that's fair - as far as I'm aware, it's only really The Shining he's had a major issue with, and I honestly think that's more a personal reaction to how Kubrick interpreted the character and story. With something so nakedly autobiographical, I can get why he'd react so strongly. It's been 38 years and he's still moaning about it. He did a failed mini-series adaptation that was more faithful to the book to try and prove a point. If he was worried about how The Shining would be interpreted then he shouldn't have sold over the adaptation rights to it. The Shining the film is a massive improvement over The Shining the book, and I continue to maintain that's the real reason he continued to see his arse over what Kubrick did with it. Because he took a mediocre, daft book and turned it into arguably the greatest horror film ever made, and because when people think of The Shining they don't think of his book but rather Kubrick's film. And I say all this as a fan of his. He needs to get over it. @Scott Malbranque - I actually think you're doing the right thing there but I think you'll be surprised how accessible some of his earlier work is, especially The Killing and Killer's Kiss. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members chokeout Posted October 10, 2018 Paid Members Share Posted October 10, 2018 (edited) 9 minutes ago, Factotum said: Barry Lyndon for me is Kubrick's best film. Saw it again recently on the big screen and its just fantastic. Its also hilarious at times It's a technical masterpiece. Just a beautiful film to watch  Edit: Jesus that Stephen King trailer just reminds me of this  Edited October 10, 2018 by chokeout Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Chris B Posted October 10, 2018 Paid Members Share Posted October 10, 2018 12 minutes ago, Devon Malcolm said: It's been 38 years and he's still moaning about it. He did a failed mini-series adaptation that was more faithful to the book to try and prove a point. If he was worried about how The Shining would be interpreted then he shouldn't have sold over the adaptation rights to it. The Shining the film is a massive improvement over The Shining the book, and I continue to maintain that's the real reason he continued to see his arse over what Kubrick did with it. Because he took a mediocre, daft book and turned it into arguably the greatest horror film ever made, and because when people think of The Shining they don't think of his book but rather Kubrick's film. And I say all this as a fan of his. He needs to get over it. Yeah, that's fair - I was looking at it more as a general statement, rather than about that specific film. While I like the book a lot, the film's a masterpiece. It's turning up in a bunch of cinemas again this month, and I'm tempted to see it (yet) again - it just looks and feels so good on the big screen. Not convinced at all about the upcoming Dr Sleep, unless it's a VERY loose adaptation. The book had so much potential but was as disappointing as I've read from him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Scott Malbranque Posted October 10, 2018 Paid Members Share Posted October 10, 2018 Funnily enough, Barry Lyndon is next on the list so I'll give that a watch and then I'll go onto Paths of Glory and The Killing. For some reason I always thought the Killing and Killers Kiss were just potboilers with better options out there in that era, but my oullad has always maintained The Killing was a trailblazer. On The Shining though, watching it there a few nights ago shit me up. I was fine watching it and enjoyed it (and the pacing) more than I did the first time I seen it, but it was when I went to bed that it all started flooding into me and I started wondering what exactly happened and the fucking imagery haunted me. Something as simple as the wallpaper in the hotel. Can't explain it. But yeah, I'm all in on The Shining now, and it's probably one that I'll watch another six times before the year is out. Has anyone read Doctor Sleep? Bit curious as to how that works... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Chris B Posted October 10, 2018 Paid Members Share Posted October 10, 2018 Yeah. Doctor Sleep is a really mixed bag. Mild spoilers: Grown-up Danny is now a reformed addict. King clearly knows what he's talking about here, and some of the takes on AA and the low-points/journey are really good. Easily the best bit of the novel. A girl starts to contact him using The Shining, looking for guidance/help. She's also the target of... a bunch of RV-driving old-age travelling energy vampires, who prey on people who have The Shining. Which just doesn't really work. Although the suggestion that The Shining is the same thing Carrie, The Firestarter, and a whole bunch of other characters had.... that's all quite fun. I was expecting her to find out more about his background/low-points via his memories, which never really happened. It was a bit all a bit mundane, which when you have a story that's crying out for the hero to unintentionally trap someone in their fucked-up-addict's-memories-of-the-Overlook is disappointing. That said, I really enjoyed both The Intruder and Sleeping Beauties, after a run of not loving the stuff that came before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Devon Malcolm Posted October 10, 2018 Author Paid Members Share Posted October 10, 2018 11 minutes ago, Scott Malbranque said: Funnily enough, Barry Lyndon is next on the list so I'll give that a watch and then I'll go onto Paths of Glory and The Killing. For some reason I always thought the Killing and Killers Kiss were just potboilers with better options out there in that era, but my oullad has always maintained The Killing was a trailblazer. I think The Killing has been surpassed by other heist films since but many of those owe it a huge debt. It's a great crime film in its own right. Killer's Kiss is pretty good but certainly a minor Kubrick and was only really regarded as a B-pic back in the day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperBacon Posted October 10, 2018 Share Posted October 10, 2018 Private Life A subject rarely tackled on film, which is the painful and frustrating process in which people struggling to conceive a child. Paul Giamatti and Kathryn Hahn (who is fucking PHENOMENAL), attempt fertility treatment for the nth time, and then take in their niece, played by Kayli Carter who is great as well, and it's all very dark and bittersweet. Molly Shannon is in it too and she's always great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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