The Shining: Book vs Movie?

[Gabriella]

I much prefer the book! The Shining was a brilliantly written masterpiece, and I feel the film didn't quite live up to that. I wasn't too fond of casting, either: given the choice, I'd employ Simon Baker as Jack and Naomi Watts as Wendy. What is your opinion?

[tojoro]

In my opinion, King's books always smoke the movies. In a few rare instances, a film has come close to the intensity of the book, (The Green Mile, for example), and never has one of the films ever topped the book it was based on.
The Shining, the novel, was far more frightening than the film, (either film), could have ever hoped to be.
I am well overdue for a revisit to The Outlook...perhaps once I'm through riding around in Christine...

[davemelnick]

The novel is A LOT better. The re-make of the 1980 movie version is nearly spot-on like the book though. However, Jack Nicholson is definitely The Best Jack Torrence. The role was made for 'em.

[Rand]

Are you talking about the 1980 Kubrick movie or the 1997 mini series later released as a movie?

Either way the book is better, but the mini series was much better than the Kubrick offering. The guy was a brilliant director, but I often felt that, if he was so insistent on rewriting so much of the books he turned into films, he should have just started writing his own original screenplays. Which, come to think of it, he essentially did with 2001: A Space Odyssey.

[SharkGunslinger1999]

Are you talking about the 1980 Kubrick movie or the 1997 mini series later released as a movie?

Either way the book is better, but the mini series was much better than the Kubrick offering. The guy was a brilliant director, but I often felt that, if he was so insistent on rewriting so much of the books he turned into films, he should have just started writing his own original screenplays. Which, come to think of it, he essentially did with 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Actually 2001 was kind of based of a short story by this guy who's name is....something...can't remember. But I heard somewhere (might've been here) that Hal 9000 inspired Blaine the Mono (Na NA! Na na! na Na! Na Na! na na na na na neh neh nana going off the rails on a crazy traaa--aaaiiin...)

[strange]

the novel is defintely the better one, though the film has its charms. Rarely does a film ever outshine (bad pun) the book

[Jojo87]

I prefer the book before the movie. I had watch shining few times before I read the book and though I'm not gonna like the book because I don't really like the movie either. But after I read Shining I completely change my mind. The book was awesome.

[GNTLGNT]

Alas, the big screen version sucketh most mightily. Kubrick's folly I call it. The TV flick is better, but the book still redrums em all...

[catnoel]

Book over movie with the exception of the original Shining, Green Mile, Cujo, Misery, and the Mist. In these cases, the movie was pretty good as a stand alone and did not compare it too much with the books.

[91rewoT]

Alas, the big screen version sucketh most mightily. Kubrick's folly I call it. The TV flick is better, but the book still redrums em all...

You took the words right outa my mouth GNT!!!!!