Post by dirtypillows on Sept 1, 2018 7:12:52 GMT
I like both of them, almost equally.
"The Shining" has better atmosphere (incredible atmosphere, really) with its unique and foreboding sense of isolation, and that big, grand hotel hidden away in the middle of a blizzard almost can't be beat. The cast is good, and Jack's performance is iconic, even if a bit on the clownish side. I always like Scatman Crothers, and Shelly Duvall is enormously appealing in her vulnerability (though I realize the vote here is split and some viewers found her very annoying, but I loved her. I always love Shelly.) When her character turns terrified, not many actresses could have done it as convincingly. The kid is fine, the score is good, ominous. The biggest negative for me was that the movie was just not all that scary; in fact, most of the time when Kubrick tried to be scary, the movie was never worse. The twins and that naked old crone and the blood filling up in the elevator... all obvious and overdone.
"The Dead Zone" was entertaining and had a better thought out storyline, I thought. There was real feeling in the movie (there's hardly ever any genuine emotion in a Stanley Kubrick film, even if I do really like some of his movies. He is a very cold director.) and the way the characters were written, beyond whatever the actors brought to their roles. It was a much more suspenseful movie ("The Shining" was creepy, not suspenseful) and Christoper Walken is enormously appealing (kind of the way Shelly Duvall is vulnerable and appealing; I almost always want to protect their characters, few actors or actresses can convey vulnerability as well as these two can) and gives an excellent performance, actually much better than Jack's performance. I guess I think that "The Dead Zone" is the better picture and the more enjoyable picture. The only area where "The Shining" does better is the atmosphere, which, of course, is extremely important in a horror film.
"The Shining" has better atmosphere (incredible atmosphere, really) with its unique and foreboding sense of isolation, and that big, grand hotel hidden away in the middle of a blizzard almost can't be beat. The cast is good, and Jack's performance is iconic, even if a bit on the clownish side. I always like Scatman Crothers, and Shelly Duvall is enormously appealing in her vulnerability (though I realize the vote here is split and some viewers found her very annoying, but I loved her. I always love Shelly.) When her character turns terrified, not many actresses could have done it as convincingly. The kid is fine, the score is good, ominous. The biggest negative for me was that the movie was just not all that scary; in fact, most of the time when Kubrick tried to be scary, the movie was never worse. The twins and that naked old crone and the blood filling up in the elevator... all obvious and overdone.
"The Dead Zone" was entertaining and had a better thought out storyline, I thought. There was real feeling in the movie (there's hardly ever any genuine emotion in a Stanley Kubrick film, even if I do really like some of his movies. He is a very cold director.) and the way the characters were written, beyond whatever the actors brought to their roles. It was a much more suspenseful movie ("The Shining" was creepy, not suspenseful) and Christoper Walken is enormously appealing (kind of the way Shelly Duvall is vulnerable and appealing; I almost always want to protect their characters, few actors or actresses can convey vulnerability as well as these two can) and gives an excellent performance, actually much better than Jack's performance. I guess I think that "The Dead Zone" is the better picture and the more enjoyable picture. The only area where "The Shining" does better is the atmosphere, which, of course, is extremely important in a horror film.