Very good if you haven't read the book...

Rating: 7/10 (13 November 2012)

...Spoilers...
OK for me this is an odd one. Firstly I should say that I loved the book and the book scared me rigid. The movie, while based on the book, ignores several (some might consider important) aspects of Mr King's masterpiece.
So having watched the movie I felt a little disappointed at the changes in story line, especially the failure of Jack to be slowly seduced into madness, for me it all happened a bit to quickly and easily. There were none of the scenes of him alone in the boiler room discovering the troubled history of the hotel. In the book stuff starts happening to Jack before the others suspect anything to be wrong and he travels a gradual path towards insanity. The topiary animals in particular was a scene conspicuous by it's absence. Apparently it was left out due to SFX budget restrictions, but how hard would it have been to have some hedge animals appearing closer to him every time he looked round? Some clever camera work and appropriate music and it could have worked well. A chilling scene from the book lost in the film.
I also didn't find it particularly scary, however I think this is because having read the book I kind of knew most of what was coming and how things were likely to turn out.
A final couple of negatives - Shelly Duval's acting in the early stages of the film was very wooden and unbelievable, and even later in the film you wonder if she's just reading the lines, her reactions at times are pathetic and unrealistic too (I mean the waving of the baseball bat at him on the staircase - was she trying to hit him or swat a fly?) but to be fair her performance in the bathroom as Jack axes his way through was terrific. The other negative for me - the much lauded musical score grated with me and sounded hideously dated. (Yes I know the film is over 30 years old but some music is timeless, this sounds like somebody experimenting with his new synthesiser).
So why the high score you may ask? Well I have to be fair. Suppose I hadn't read the book? The story remains classic, Jack Nicholson's performance is superb, the cinematography is amazing and there is genuine tension and suspense. I remember watching the film many years ago (before I read the book) and I remember it affecting me considerably. There is no doubt that it IS a very scary film, I had just been desensitised by knowing the story (nothing is ever as scary the second time around) And it was the psychological stuff that was especially scary too, not the traditional baddie jumping out of a cupboard kind of scary - the scene where Wendy discovers Jack's 'work' by the typewriter for example was utterly chilling.
So overall a thumbs up. An excellent film, flawed certainly (especially if you know the original story) but nonetheless a very good watch.
Recommended.