MovieChat Forums > The Shining (1980) Discussion > An overrated piece of crap.

An overrated piece of crap.


This is The Amityville Horror in a hotel, nothing more. Yet for some reason it has the laughable rating of 8.4 and a classic like Jaws gets saddled with an 8, and 2001 the movie that changed EVERYTHING also rates lower on here. People who rated this movie a 10 are idiots. This is nowhere near the best Kubrick film, it's one of the worst.

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Good points.

I gave this a 6. It's no more than a 7, maybe 8 for fans, and another movie on here that fan boys overrate like Fight Club. just had a troll put this up there with the Godfather when discussing top movies. Think the fan boys began to believe their own hype with this one- another example.

It's pretty good, but not what the fan boys act and treat it like. It's a solid 6-7 like hundreds of other movies. Stuff like this ruins the top 250.

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i understand why horror fans give it a high rating, they have low standards and are impressed by a movie with good cinematography and production values, but why kubrick fans think this compares well to Strangelove and 2001 is baffling

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Funny you mention Jaws -- The Shining is one of Spielberg's favorite movies. He claims to have seen it more than twenty five times (maybe he's one of the idiots who rated it a 10).

btw, before the boards are gone for good, try to go into detail about why you think it's an overrated piece of crap. Bring up things like the filmmaking, the performances, the writing...

"This is The Amityville Horror in a hotel, nothing more" doesn't really cut it as insightful criticism, ff.

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1. the kid talking to his finger is one the stupidest elements of any movie ever made, mystery science theater stuff

2. nicholson is hammy, seems like a serial killer rather than a father, right from the beginning

3. shelley duval is terrible, has no chemistry with her family, gawky and annoying, terrible casting

4. the kid has esp powers... why? he ends up getting haunted just like his mother and father who dont have powers, so it's useless

5. blood pouring by the gallon out of the elevator is not scary - it just looks like fruit juice

6. choice of music is heavy-handed, though kubrick does that in other films too

7. in terms of photgraphy, kubrick does nothing cinematically that he hadnt done before, just his standard shots you see in all his movies,

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All those things are in the book.
Build a bridge and get over it.

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i didn't know shelley duvalls performance was in the book  must have been some book  did you get the 'remedial readers' edition 

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Only the Stephen King version.
Don't worry - am just venting on these boards because it's closing in a few days.


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feelingfine99 & Boner_Xmas

Please stop lying to yourselves.

The Shining is the best movie you've seen and will be the best movie you both will ever see.

Accept this fact.

If it bleeds, we can kill it.

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Boner_Xmas said "did you get the 'remedial readers' edition "
mcgmcgmcg said "Only the Stephen King version."

I say "Same thing"

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1. Danny talking to floating version of his future self is stupider.

2. Jack Torrance is crazy from the very start whether you like it or not. He is supposed to be.

3. A strong blonde such as the one in the novel is less likely to stay with a person like Jack so Shelley Duvall's take is more believable.

4. ..And he didn't in the novel??

5. What does blood look like then?

6. Music is fine

7. It's called 'style.' Every film director has one and they bring it through in all their films.

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Nice counter-points.

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Jeez... people like you are cancer.

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I saw "The Shining" on TV some years ago, and I felt that it was kind of overrated, also.

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I liked it, but it is probably one of the Kubrick films I like the least. When it first came out the critics were hard on it. I guess time changes everything.

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Thank GOD you were here. I almost formed an opinion all by myself.

Incidentally, the people who rated this film a 10 are not idiots. They are people who just happened to like the movie. Everyone has different tastes and everyone can form an opinion without your help. No one is an idiot just because their opinions don't match yours, you speed bump.

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Thank GOD you were here. I almost formed an opinion all by myself.

Incidentally, the people who rated this film a 10 are not idiots. They are people who just happened to like the movie. Everyone has different tastes and everyone can form an opinion without your help. No one is an idiot just because their opinions don't match yours, you speed bump.


Agree 100%. I didn't care for this film, and FWIW, I didn't care for the Garris version all that much either. For some reason, the story itself did not appeal to me all that much. However, like the poster I quoted said, if you do like it it doesn't mean you are an idiot. Opinions of any artwork, including films, are matters of taste, not intelligence.

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[deleted]

Thought it was great!!!
Rated it 11/10
Does that make me a super idiot?

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I bet you liked the TV movie, didn't you.

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Not sure who that was directed at, but I will take it. Personally, I thought the Garris version was HORRIBLE. (Again, MY opinion and no one is expected to agree). The 1997 version had just TWO things going for it over the Kubrick version. A creepy ass bath tub chick, and a kickass Wendy, just as she was written. That's it. As for Steven Weber, every time he stepped in front of the camera, or opened his mouth to say something, I cringed. He was a complete embarrassment as Jack Torrance., though I've never seen him in anything I liked him in anyway, so that may have something to do with it.

And Courtland Mead????? I was rooting for a really true on screen death, very early on. I wanted someone to knock that drooling duck face clean smooth OFF HIS BODY. Equally as cringe worthy as Steven Weber himself.

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It's also 4 hours long! Enough said...

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