Why did Kubrick cut down "The Shining" for international release?

I knew the film since my teens, but only read the book a few years ago. Can't say I enjoyed it very much, I like the film a lot more. But I guess I'm just not much of a fan of King as an author. Funny, since there are a number of movies based on his novels that I like.

 

Man, that was great. If you didn't know the film it would seem totally real. The use of "Solesbury Hill" worked perfectly.

 

Which ones?

I enjoyed The Dead Zone and Needful Things in particular. It had very poor acting (except for the brilliant Tim Curry) and collapsed at the end, just like The Stand.

 

It was the winner of a "recut" contest several years ago.

 

"Shining" and "Dead Zone" are by far my favourites, but I always attributed it mostly to the directors. Others I like are "Carrie", "Misery", "The Shawshank Redemption" and I have fond memories of "Creepshow" from my youth.

 

All good adaptations. Creepshow = my favorite Stephen King on-screen appearance. I'm also fond of Salem's Lot, although that's mainly an attachment from childhood.

Did de Palma tinker much with the Carrie novel? I was fortunate to see the movie when it first appeared. Half the audience stood straight up from their seats when Carrie's hand shot out of the ground at the end.

 

I can't say. I only read "It" and "Shining" and since I didn't enjoy either, I decided that King's books may not be for me.

 

There are definitely better King novels, and much worse.

 

I love The Shining. I wasn't aware of the international cut. Just ordered it on blu-ray (along with "Obsession") and looking forward to seeing this trimmer version.

 

Not surprising, given the sheer amount of books he wrote.

 

True. Above all, it is a film about Horror-films. It explains, it shows, and it let's you experience it. Like with so many Kubrick movies you can pretty much put an end to the genre after it.
A couple of years ago they had a Kubrick retrospective at the Berlinale. The cinema was packed to the last seat and at the end of The Shining the audience was absolutely stunned.
This is a monster of a film.

 

Saturday Night Live did a funny skit about King in which they're interviewing King (Jon Lovitz) while he's furiously typing away on his next novel, about a dog who starts fires or something silly like that. Suddenly King stops and says, "That's it. I've lost it." Then a split second later he says, "No, I guess not" and continues typing.

 

Here is a very short "Family Guy" Stephen King bit:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nc7ZaZz4CoU

 

Please elaborate. I think his films might be high points in their respective genres, but putting an end to those genres? What does that mean?

 

Lots.

In the book Carrie was overweight, acne-covered, greasy haired, had severe BO and was generally physically unpleasant, which was why she was shunned and ridiculed by the other girls but De Palma cast a conventionally-attractive actress in the part, tossing aside loads of motivation and back story. The walk back to Carrie's house after the prom where she pretty much destroys her entire town was entirely cut out. Also, the book is pretty much the epitome is mid-70's "in touch with my sensitive side" male apologism (is that a real world?). Not since 'Sometimes When We Touch' was released have I come across a guy so desperate to prove to any female readers that he "understands" them - it's an odd touch that painfully dates the book (did King go on Phil Donahue to promote it?) but leaves the film relatively timeless. Also; the book is entirely in flashbacks and news clippings, piecing together what happened from the survivors after the fact. The film is entirely linear, starting at the beginning and moving forward in chronological order.

 

Watch it durring a major snow storm.

 

From the long-range forecasts I've been reading, it appears there will be plenty of opportunity to do so this winter.

 

I think your conclusion is correct as those two books would be in most fan's top 10 list of favorite Stephen King novels. If they don't work for you, I doubt anything else he wrote would either.

 

That's what I thought too. I've seen both books being recommended lots of times by fans of Stephen King.

 

I haven't seen Carrie since it came out and I didn't like it (I hadn't read the book). It just seemed like a cheap teen horror movie to me.

 

It's no Shining, but I liked it. Have you seen and liked any other Brian de Palma directed films? He has a very distinctive style that turns off some people. And a penchant for paying homage to Hitchcock.

 

Heh. Being in similar surroundings can sure ramp up the tension when you're watching a scary movie. I once watched Friday the 13th (or maybe it was part 2) while I was by myself at an empty summer camp. We were cleaning up after the summer season was over and I elected to stay another night to enjoy the peace and quiet. I scared the crap out of myself watching the movie under those circumstances. One of my friends was going to sneak back into camp with a hockey mask and chain saw just to scare me but decided the drive was too far for two minutes of fun. Good thing he didn't - I was freaked out enough to attack first and ask questions later.

 

THough, now that I'm hearing about Ulman's appearance at the end, I really want to weigh the film with that ending.

 

Yes Shelley Duvall's horrifically bad acting made it a monster(more like a monstrosity) of a film! How fitting that she won a best Razzie for her campy/unintentionally funny performance. She was like a Warner Bros cartoon character come to life in spots! Nicholson seemed to be nuts from the very beginning unlike the character in the book. So the transformation from a father who loves his son deeply to a maniac is hardly believable. Last but not least Kubrick. He crafted a film that was all style and no substance.All spectacle and no heart. As a wise old writer once said:"The Shining was like a beautiful car with great upholstery and no engine in it."

I wonder if anyone has seen the scene that Kubrick cut while the movie was in the theaters. Supposedly people were laughing at this scene which was the next to last scene in the film. It featured Shelley Duvall in the hospital with Barry Nelson meeting her and telling her to not say anything about what happened at the hotel. I find it amusing that SK didn't catch the adverse reaction to this scene earlier in previews.

 

On the subject of GOOD King films, I actually like Firestarter. It was very close to the books and George C. Scott was cool to see in a thriller. I think the TV adaption of the Shining was quite good, except for the casting of The Walking Dude. Hated that casting, but otherwise it was a nice telling of the story. Well done. Likewise I liked Storm of the Century. They dragged it out about an hour too long. A smart cut of that to make it two hours would be a classic little horror film. And even though it was anywhere as scary as it should have been, Christopher Walken's Dead Zone was well made, although that really not a good King adaption. Not enough horror, too much love story. Martin Sheen was good, though. Funny thing is King writing of the Shining as lousy, when his own "approved" TV adaption was horrible.