The Shining (1980)

[AlexIlDottore]

Originally Posted by Eye Candy

https://apnews.com/ee55356bd42b4e909...-bow-in-Cannes

Umm, that's a photo of Jan Harlan, not Leon Vitali.

[Eye Candy]

Originally Posted by AlexIlDottore

Umm, that's a photo of Jan Harlan, not Leon Vitali.

Thanks for the correction!

[shinobipopcorn]

Question, I tried reading back through the last few pages of the thread, but all I got was political discussion...

Which version is on the blu-ray? I'm assuming US since it's being sold in the US, but stranger things have happened...

And how about Netflix? I see mentions of a 142 and 144 minute version, but the one up right now says 143 minutes. I see the list of changes on movie-censorship.com, but I wasn't planning on watching it until later so I figured I'd ask and see if anyone knew right now.

[FilmFreakosaurus]

Originally Posted by shinobipopcorn

Question, I tried reading back through the last few pages of the thread, but all I got was political discussion...

Which version is on the blu-ray? I'm assuming US since it's being sold in the US, but stranger things have happened...

And how about Netflix? I see mentions of a 142 and 144 minute version, but the one up right now says 143 minutes. I see the list of changes on movie-censorship.com, but I wasn't planning on watching it until later so I figured I'd ask and see if anyone knew right now.

The Blu-ray is the theatrical cut as signed off on by Kubrick.

[James Luckard]

Originally Posted by shinobipopcorn

Question, I tried reading back through the last few pages of the thread, but all I got was political discussion...

Which version is on the blu-ray? I'm assuming US since it's being sold in the US, but stranger things have happened...

And how about Netflix? I see mentions of a 142 and 144 minute version, but the one up right now says 143 minutes. I see the list of changes on movie-censorship.com, but I wasn't planning on watching it until later so I figured I'd ask and see if anyone knew right now.

The US BD contains the US theatrical cut, the UK BD contains the shorter UK theatrical cut. Both cuts were approved by Kubrick. It's worth buying both discs, since the cuts are quite different, and there is no BD set available anywhere containing both cuts.

[chip75]

Originally Posted by shinobipopcorn

I see mentions of a 142 and 144 minute version, but the one up right now says 143 minutes.

The original cut was 146 minutes theatrically, but Kubrick trimmed 2 minutes (as films opened much smaller in those days it wasn't too difficult to alter all the prints in circulation or after a few limited release or premiere). So the current one is 144 minutes or 2h:23m:46s. The UK release is about 25 minutes shorter at 1h:59m:38s.

The 2 minutes cut was a hospital scene.

[BluProofie]

It's interesting how the original ending has never been found.

[Kyle15]

Originally Posted by BluProofie

It's interesting how the original ending has never been found.

Didn't Kubrick demand unused/removed footage be destroyed or was that FMJ? (or is the whole destroyed footage thing another Kubrick legend altogether?)

[thegreatmutato]

Opinions on the transfer of this bad larry as well as the release in general? Also I'm tired of buying old releases only for somebody to put out a collector's edition soon after. Has there been any talks of a better release in the future?

[bigbadwoppet]

Originally Posted by Kyle15

Didn't Kubrick demand unused/removed footage be destroyed or was that FMJ? (or is the whole destroyed footage thing another Kubrick legend altogether?)

Warner should issue a seemlessly branched discincluding all three cuts. Even if it only played cinemas for a week, the cut with the hospital scene IS the original theatrical release. It's not like he cut it BEFORE release (like Strangelove).

[Fairfax]

Originally Posted by James Luckard

It's worth buying both discs

I agree, especially as the UK disc is region-free (I know plenty here have region-free players regardless, but certainly not everybody and not me until after Summer, perhaps).

I know it always crops up in these conversations, but I definitely prefer the UK/European cut. The US cut really drags things out and, frankly, gets boring; I watched it with my wife and was bored out of my mind towards the end, whereas the other cut is leaner. Less is more, sometimes; probably one of the few films I can say that with absolute certainty.

[FilmFreakosaurus]

Originally Posted by Fairfax

I agree, especially as the UK disc is region-free (I know plenty here have region-free players regardless, but certainly not everybody and not me until after Summer, perhaps).

I know it always crops up in these conversations, but I definitely prefer the UK/European cut. The US cut really drags things out and, frankly, gets boring; I watched it with my wife and was bored out of my mind towards the end, whereas the other cut is leaner. Less is more, sometimes; probably one of the few films I can say that with absolute certainty.

The U.S. cut builds suspense and a growing sense of desperation and dread. Not boring at all. IMHO

[sfmarine]

Originally Posted by AlexIlDottore

Umm, that's a photo of Jan Harlan, not Leon Vitali.

Harlan is actually Kubrick's brother in law. Leon was the red cloak in Eyes Wide Shut and he played the young Lord Bullingdon on Barry Lyndon.

[Fairfax]

Originally Posted by FilmFreakosaurus

desperation

I could certainly relate to that as I clawed to get away!

[Cook]

The film's sense of isolation and momentum and tension are lessened by showing them watching television and all the unnecessary cutaways to Hallorann's journey to the Overlook. For that reason I will always prefer the international version of the film.

[myway]

Originally Posted by Cook

The film's sense of isolation and momentum and tension are lessened by showing them watching television and all the unnecessary cutaways to Hallorann's journey to the Overlook. For that reason I will always prefer the international version of the film.

But doesn't the European cut also remove the references to when Jack broke Danny's arm and why he is on the wagon?

[AlexIlDottore]

Originally Posted by sfmarine

Harlan is actually Kubrick's brother in law. Leon was the red cloak in Eyes Wide Shut and he played the young Lord Bullingdon on Barry Lyndon.

I know.

[eiknarf]

I still scratch my head when I see people preferring the short UK version. That makes me sad.

I watched it and felt jipped. I want MORE The Shining, not less! I want to get lost in the "The Shining" world, not skip through it.

This isn't a Final Destination or Halloween slasher film where we sign up to see characters die. And I hope ya don't want it to be. Jeez, there's only one on-screen death.

USA version = awesome
UK version = I feel bad for you

[Geoff D]

It's not about more or less, it's about the rhythm of the movie. For me the longer version just can't sustain the tension and IMO Kubrick knew it.

[Filmmaker]

Originally Posted by eiknarf

I still scratch my head when I see people preferring the short UK version. That makes me sad.

I watched it and felt jipped. I want MORE The Shining, not less! I want to get lost in the "The Shining" world, not skip through it.

This isn't a Final Destination or Halloween slasher film where we sign up to see characters die. And I hope ya don't want it to be. Jeez, there's only one on-screen death.

USA version = awesome
UK version = I feel bad for you

^^^ This 110%.

Probably more than any other debate about films, when anybody makes the claim that the UK's lite beer version of THE SHINING is superior to the U.S.'s, I want to slam my head repeatedly against a wall. To me, it's like suggesting that a bite of ice cream is more pleasurable than a bowl. It's one of those points of view I find nearly impossible to just shrug off and say, "Well, that's just their opinion and they're entitled to it."