The Shining Movie's Ending - More Artistic Than the Book & TV Series? King vs. Kubrick!

[@TimeAxisMedia]

Very good. I like the commercial / artistic spectrum. Good way to analyze. Probably been done before, but a Jaws movie to book comparison might be interesting too. I never saw the Mick Garris version but have been curious.

[@HeroJournalism]

Not my primary lens of analysis, but I think it's an important one, as it helps to clarify when stories are taking artistic chances, or playing it safe. Not that playing it safe is always bad, I'm a sucker for a smart, well-crafted action movie, but I do think artistic risks should get their due credit. Mick Garris version - good luck. Not streaming anywhere; probably on DVD. I think all of the eps are on YT, but it's hard to find them all, I had to search a lot to find them. However, they're not good quality - I ended up not even using them for clips in my doc, I might have used one or two when I needed a specific shot, but I found several shorter clips from the TV series on YT that worked better. So I bet you won't have the patience for the YT copies of the series. I didn't watch the whole thing, but a lot of what I did see was disappointing. As a completionist, I'd still like to watch the whole thing, but...

[@CorbCorbin]

The Garris version, falls victim to ScyFy channel effects, and bad dialogue, acting etc. It has more from to book, yet it still fails on nearly every level. The Jaws novel, is even more different, so it might make for a good video. It’s not even the same type of shark(Bull Shark), and the book was based on actual attacks that happened around the turn of the century. Men were out killing sharks up and down the east coast, because of a few deaths, attributed to shark attacks, happening very close together. Now scientists would probably say it was a coincidence, snd not the same shark. It was all hysterics, created by word of mouth and coverage in newspapers.

[@HeroJournalism]

@@CorbCorbin - funny you mention Jaws, @TimeAxisMedia who made the above comment is actually quite an aficionado on Jaws himself - he actually filmed a documentary of the actual filming locations and interviewed locals that were in the film or remembered it. Maybe he'll see this and post a link. Thanks for the suggestion, a comparison would def be interesting. I have some more comparisons I'm working on right now, but that might be a good topic for the future. Thanks for watching!

[@CorbCorbin]

@@HeroJournalism Right on. That’s really cool. Keep going, I really liked the video.

[@brayvt71]

Great analysis. Very insightful - as always.

[@HeroJournalism]

Thank you very much! Glad to hear you're a repeat viewer, hope you continue to enjoy the channel's content, and thanks for sharing your thoughts.

[@brayvt71]

@@HeroJournalism Any host with that array of vintage gaming hardware and software exudes credibility in my book! Seriously - your channel always has a unique take on the subject matter. Thanks for all the great content!

[@HeroJournalism]

@@brayvt71 ha ha, you just made my day! I don't claim to have the biggest collection, but I do have some pride about some of the gems. Hey, thank you for the compliment, I really appreciate that - I really do try to find interesting or new angles to look at things for most of my videos, so cool you think so. My research on this Kubrick film re-sparked my interest and theories on the master, and I've worked up some new outlines on videos I think you'll find equally unique. It may take a while before I get to all of them, but I'm fast-tracking the first one, I'll give you the exclusive first tease - the lost ending of 2001: A Space Odyssey! Thank you so much for giving my work a chance and for being a repeat watcher, perhaps the greatest compliment in the YT space

[@augie1272]

I think when he sits down in the hedge maze, he’s actually collapsing, proof of this is that if you look closely, he tries to use the axe so he doesn’t fall but if he were just sitting down, he probably wouldn’t do that

[@HeroJournalism]

Good point, that sounds logical. Still, his injuries didn't seem life-threatening at that point. Thx for watching, hope you found it interesting

[@augie1272]

@@HeroJournalism You’re welcome, and Jack probably had hypothermia

[@jtjdrums]

Artistic, and yet emotionally so austere.

[@HeroJournalism]

That's a valid criticism; many find it cold, especially those that have read the novel, which had deepter characterizations. Thanks for watching and chiming in

[@CorbCorbin]

Kubrick makes the story as much about abuse, as it is a haunted hotel, which corrupts Jack.

[@noneofyourbusiness4616]

Fear is an emotion and this film is masterful in creating it.

[@noneofyourbusiness4616]

Trivia related to your "Star Wars" vs. "2001" comparison: Marvel Comics published adaptations of both movies that went beyond the stories of the films. The short-lived comics series of 2001 was created by Marvel originator Jack Kirby, who turned it into a monolith/star child themed anthology series like "The Twilight Zone."

[@HeroJournalism]

I actually have a connection to BOTH of those series from back in my youth. Usually didn't have much comic money, so I was religious about buying from the quarter bins. I was always hunting for 'characters'; I thought Machine Man was cool, and I saw a bunch of 2001s in there; I always liked the opportunity to get a long run of comics, and sometimes in the quarter bin, you could find a bunch of issues like that; so I picked up a bunch of them! I remember thinking the art was so weird. Yrs later I look back and am so happy I got those issues; def some of my first exposure to Kirby. On another note - I've been researching 2001 a lot lately and am prepping some videos on the movie. Probably won't get views, like this Shining one hasn't - but I've got ideas for at least half dozen of them. And just now your comment has reminded me I never have actually read the full original 2001 treasury - I gotta do that!!! And then dig up my old issues of the ongoing series. Thanks for sharing this trivia! This vid was really fun to do, so I really appreciate when someone sees it and likes it. Oh, and BTW - have you seen Kirby's The Prisoner??? Be seeing you

[@noneofyourbusiness4616]

@@HeroJournalism In regards to that final question, yes I have! "The Prisoner" meant enough to me that in my only trip out of the country as an adult, I visited Portmeirion (among other places). I will subscribe and definitely watch those 2001-related videos when you make them. I loved Machine Man, too, and tried to draw him several times as a kid. Found your channel through the Atari clone video, but glad I clicked on this one at the end.

[@HeroJournalism]

@@noneofyourbusiness4616 Awesome, all of that is cool! Very nice to meet a fellow Prisoner fan, I'm jealous you actually went there! I have some Prisoner vids planned too. Tell me, have you heard of Nowhere Man? It was an homage to prisoner. Yeah, I was collecting as a kid when the 80s MM mini series came out, got me into the character, but always was hard to find more appearances back then, so I snatched up that weird Kirby stuff, ha ha! So glad you found this; I actually JUST changed the end card links on that Clones video a day ago; previously it was my Rick and Morty video, so the timing was perfect for you to find this, I guess

[@noneofyourbusiness4616]

@@HeroJournalism Yes, I was a huge Nowhere Man fan. The creator of the show later had a podcast called "Drinks With Larry and Lauren" I listened to, and I got to interact with him a little through their message board. You can still find the podcast online, though it's not focused on Nowhere Man (he does mention it occasionally). It's more of a philosophical show in which he and his lady assistant would talk about life in Hollywood and relationships between men and women.

[@HeroJournalism]

@@noneofyourbusiness4616 - wow, what was your name? I'm Jason Lethert, I was in the yahoo group (and FB now), though I came pretty late, I only recall Larry chiming in a handful of times before he passed. Still infuriates me that those yahoo pages are gone, we did so much documentation/analysis. Tho I guess some people downloaded some of it. Hey, speaking of Kirby earlier - I'll give you a sneak peek. I'm finishing up a script on two classic Kirby creations, the Fantasticar and Pogo Plane! You'll love it!

[@zeidenmedia]

What is your take on Jack in photo at the end?

[@HeroJournalism]

Oh, cool question Cynthia. I do have a take on that, though it's not what I hear most in analysis vids on it. I usually hear something along the lines like it means he was the caretaker who did the twins, that he is the ghost or reincarnation from the hotel's past (they say this from the end photo and also Grady telling him "you've ALWAYS been the caretaker"). But I think it's a too-literal take on the quote & photo. Too me, both are symbolic of Jack's complete surrender to the Hotel/spirits. When Jack says "you're the caretaker that did ___", Gray first says "you're the caretaker" which is correct, but then adds "you've alwyas been the caretaker". It's symbolic of the finality of his new servitude to evil - as if his previous (real) life identity no longer exists; never did. He has become part of the continuity of the hotel and thus is in the old timey photo. So in this reading of the film, Jack was *not* in the picture at the beginning of the film when he arrived there. The "always" line and phot are symbols of him becoming part of the hotel's evil. I have seen vids arguing the other more literal interpretation - that Jack really was at the party, an thus always in the photo, or that he was really Delbert Grady or something, but to me the story doesn't really hold up logically in that interpretation. But that's just my take, I know many people have different views - what do you think? Thank you so much for your question and for giving the video a shot; this is a theory I've kicked around ever since I read the book in the 90s, largely because of my shock at how different the ending was; it doesn't get many views, but the people who do see it seem to like it, so thank you much!

[@zeidenmedia]

@HeroJournalism That is awesome. Supposedly, Kubrick said it meant he was reincarnated. If that is true, it gives a reason why Jack was acting unhinged from the beginning of the movie. I don't think we are meant to know definitively... that's the mystery and allure of the film and hotel.

[@zeidenmedia]

@HeroJournalism The Pic scene reminds me of the ending to another movie, Burnt Offerings. The last shot is a pan of photos of all people who were absorbed by the house. So creepy! Did you see it?

[@HeroJournalism]

@@zeidenmedia - yes, I can see that! Though I wouldn't use "reincarnated" - it sounds to me like what he might have been implying was what we normally call "the afterlife"; in much fiction, it's a "heaven or hell" question, but we see the pic *after* he dies - as if his afterlife is being part of the hotel and it's evil. I mean, "reincarnated" kind of implies a new body but "afterlife" seems to reflect this take better; he's now officially one of the ghosts of the Hotel. I'm embarrassed to admit I haven't read/watched the sequel Dr. Sleep; I probably need to get on that! (though I know King will ditch the Kubrick changes, so it's impact on the interpretation of the final photo will likely be limited). I have more Kubrick Koverage planned, though I've mostly been researching 2001 and Dr. Strangelove. Also prepping a video on Kubrick's first gay character! If you like his early work, you won't want to miss them!

[@HeroJournalism]

@@zeidenmedia Wow, no I have not, but I JUST heard about it recently! I think I saw the trailer on the YT channel Trailers From Hell; they do commentary from writers and directors on trailers thru history and I've probably watched a hundred of them this week alone. It's a two-fer - learning more about movies I haven't seen (and they often provide some amazing history & trivia), and also aids in another research topic I've been working on, a more long-term research project - analyzing the history and techniques of movie trailers. I think I just watched the Burnt Offerings one a few days ago! It looked great, I'll have to watch the trailer again to refresh my memory!

[@ComicBookCovers]

Ugh, the ending of the TV movie is so much worse than the movie OR book (not the boiler, but the future sequence showing Danny IS Tony!!)

[@HeroJournalism]

Good point, ha ha! Ironically, the TV mini series is hard to find, it's not streaming anywhere

[@HeroJournalism]

That whole epilogue with Jack's ghost seeing Danny graduate was pretty schmaltzy, too