Watch the mini-series instead

Rating: Null/10 (14 April 1999)

I'm sorry, but this movie is a waste of time. Kubrick was a brilliant filmmaker, but even he can make a stinker. Well, here it is. There is no sense of pacing, no character development, and the acting is just AWFUL! Shall I explain? Well, for a movie that is as long as it is, is sure goes nowhere fast. Talk about a snail's pace. Jack Torrance was supposed to slowly descend into madness due to the effects of alcohol and the spirits that surrounded him. In this movie, he is normal one second, and out of his mind the next. The acting. First the kid. Whenever he did speak it was like he was reading right off the page. Oh, and talking to his finger? That has to be one of the most unintentionally hilarious things in any movie of the last 20 years. Give me a break. Shelly Duvall just sleepwalked through this movie. Could her voice be just a little more annoying? Nicholson. He was being Jack Nicholson when he was supposed to be Jack Torrance. I don't know which performance was hammier, this or the Joker. It's as if he knew how stiff everyone else in the movie was, and he had to make up for it by going WAY over the top. Laughable and not scary. Now to its credit, the movie does have some scary visuals. The stedicam work created a very creepy feel, and some the exterior shots of the snowbound hotel were very eerie. The whole maze scene was creepy for about 30 seconds and then got dull. The tv remake was not only more faithful to the book, but the acting was better. Yes it was! The actors remained faithful to the characters and the material. In just about every way, the remake was superior. This movie was NOT scary! I was 10 years old when I first saw it. I remember it vividly, because that night I also saw the scariest movie ever made, John Carpenter's Halloween. That movie scared the crap out of me. That is what a great horror film should be. The Shining, however, almost put me to sleep. Sorry Mr. Kubrick. Oh, and Mr. Nicholson? Switch to decaf.