Elevator to hell...

Original...

CG version...

Clever but pointless...
Although not as pointless as this video:

What's up Doc..?

Last night we went to see a screening of Stanly Kubrick's The Shining at the NFT. Great to see this master piece on the big screen with the original stereo sound track, also something about the 1970's decor of NFT1 made me feel as if we were watching it on it's original run.

So far so good, wide areal vistas of Glacier National Park, Montana, USA, probably. That great shot where the camera is down behind the Beetle and then off the edge of the road. Brilliant. I was also aware that although not as wide as usual cinema films, the projection looked wider than the rumored 4:3 ratio. Turns out that its at 1.85:1. See Wikipedia for more info...

A few scenes in and something is different, is it the grating sound track or just viewing the film on the big screen? Turns out my fellow film geeks present also experienced a different film. New scenes, slightly tweaked editing and a new order. This was still a great film going experience and it almost felt as if we were seeing something new, as if Kubrick had returned and re-hashed his master peiec.

Looking on the mighty IMDb I have found there are different versions. After The Shining's original theatrical release in the US on 23rd May 1980 and after a difficult box office reception, Kubrick decided to re-cut the film for it's World wide theatrical relaece. This re-cut version is The Shining I know and love. What we saw at the NFT was the original US version.

These are some of the changes Kubrick made that stood out. For more detail see IMDb...

When Danny first 'sees' the Grady twins in his bathroom at home, he blacks out. When he awakes, he is being examined by a doctor (Anne Jackson). This entire examination scene, and the subsequent conversations were all cut. Danny says that before his black-out he was talking to Tony, "the little boy who lives inside my mouth". Wendy and the Doctor then talk in private, and Wendy mentions an incident in which Jack dislocated Danny's shoulder in a drunken fit of temper, at which time he swore never to touch alcohol again. That was five months ago, and since then, he has kept his word.

During their tour of the Overlook, Jack and Wendy are brought into the Colorado Lounge, and Wendy asks if the Indian designs are authentic. Ullman explains that they are based on ancient Navajo and Apache motifs. He then mentions the prestigious history of the hotel, saying it was a stopping place for the jet set, for four presidents, movie stars and "all the best people".

The end of the scene where Wendy brings Jack his breakfast has been cut. He comments that he has never been as happy or as comfortable anywhere as he is in the Overlook and Wendy reveals that she thought the place was scary when they first arrived. Jack replies that he fell in love with it straight away and he felt as if he had been there before.

Some dialogue has been cut from the first conversation between Jack and Lloyd (Joe Turkel). Jack toasts, "Here's to five miserable months on the wagon and all the irreparable harm that it's caused me". Lloyd then asks him how things are, and Jack comments that they could be a whole lot better, that he is having trouble with his wife. Lloyd comments, "Women! Can't live with 'em. Can't live without 'em", and Jack wholeheartedly agrees.

On the plane, Hallorann asks a stewardess what time they are due to land in Denver and she tells him at 8.20. Jack is then seen typing in the lounge of the Overlook. Hallorann's plane lands at the airport and he calls Larry Durkin (Tony Burton), a garage owner, to rent a Sno-cat so as to get up to the Overlook. Durkin says the mountain roads are completely blocked off, and Hallorann explains that the people looking after the hotel turned out to be "completely unreliable assholes". Hallorann estimates that it will take him five hours to drive from the airport to collect the cat, and Larry says the Sno-cat will be waiting for him when he arrives.

In the final scene, when Jack is pursuing Danny through the maze and Wendy is being confronted by some of the Overlook spooks, a short scene where she encounters a group of skeletons sitting at a table with a champagne bottle and glasses has been cut.

Also interestingly, before these changes, whilst The Shining was on it's US run Kubrick requested changes to the end of the film. Requesting that projectionists cut out 10 mins from the end of the film. These scenes came after Jack is frozen in the Overlook Hotel's maze. Including shots of state troopers and the hotel manager inspecting the Overlook. The scene also depicted Wendy and Danny in hospital being told that Jack could not be found and there is no evidence of the 'apparitions' Wendy saw.

Woof...

Citizen Kubrick...

He only made 15 films in 48 years and three of those were shorts, (compared to Steven Spielberg - in the same time has made over 50)

In his only space picture - released a year before man walked on the moon - there is no dialogue for first 25 minuets and he stets the bench mark for all Sci-fi films to come.

He was notorious for multiple takes and over shooting, allegedly reducing Scatman Crothers to tears over his death scene in The Shining and shot 1.3 million feet of film. Using less than 1% of it for the final 142 minute print.

He refused to fly, despite owning a pilots licence and didn't travel for the last 40 years of his life, with the Isle of Dogs in East London doubling as a war torn Da Nang in his Vietnam War epic and forcing the New York street scenes of Eyes Wide Shut to be shot on the back lot of Pinewood Studios with meticulously reconstructed sets.

In the last decades of his life he was rarely seen and his last film earned a place in The Guinness Book of World Records as "The Longest Constant Movie Shoot" - over 400 days.

In my mind he was an enigma, one of the old greats, so very unique, no one made them like he did and no one ever will.

I was at university when I learned of his death, it was a sad week, but it only spurred me on to do well and follow my dreams of filmmaking and to learn from his oblique view on film all the film processes.

On the 15th of July on More4 at 10pm, a Stanley Kubrick season kicks off with a unique new documentary by writer and documentary film maker Jon Ronson - Stanley Kubrick's Boxes: An access all areas insight and a true behind the scenes look at possibly the last true auter.

I had the fortunateness to work on Stanley Kubrick’s Boxes, and I encourage all Kubrick fans and anyone with an interest in filmmaking to tune in and watch. It boasts strange facts and insightful interviews with close colleagues, ending with some never before seen footage taken on the set of Full Metal Jacket.

The More4 Kubrick season also promises to show some of his less seen early works such as Day of the Fight and his directorial debut Flying Padre.

Turn on, tune in and see how a true visionary lived a life in pictures.

There's something in the mist...

Bonjour!!!!!!

A quick heads up for all you fans of psychological-survival horror. Admittedly a very specific genre. I love this genre and count "The Thing" by John Carpenter as one of my all time favorite films. But enough about me let's talk about Frank Darabont's "The Mist". It has
to be said I'm not a huge fan of Stephen King adaptations with the exception of "The Shining" of course which King apparently hated. But this film is a surprise hit for me. It delivers in horror and tension and whilst it is a creature feature so much is left to the imagination that you really do buy into the characters fear. The sense of claustrophobia really kicks in and we start to see how people deal with a situation like this. That is the key I think. It is not about the mist itself although it does provide the threat it is about the instability of humans our weakness, our strength and our fear. Above all though it asks the important question of how far would you go? A great, great film that should be enjoyed (no matter how bleak) by everyone.

Wow!...

This is really, really cool. Channel 4 have re-created the infamous tracking shot from Stanley Kubrick's The Shining to promote their season of the directors films. They have re-built the set and have even cast look-a-likes in the roles of cast and crew. Check it out here. Amazing!