Movies/TV worth watching (or at least discussing)

[richardjackson199]

Some on the reading thread have been reading King novels. We watched the Shining one night and then watched Doctor Sleep (director's cut) the next. If you watch Doctor Sleep, you should definitely watch the Shining first. There are many references to Kubrick's classic, and it is a sequel.

Doctor Sleep is decent, but it isn't the Shining. It's long, beautifully shot, and well acted by the lead (Ewan McGregor) and lead villain. A few of the actors are not good which is obvious by comparison (Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall are eons better than the people playing Jack and Wendy Torrance in Doctor Sleep).

Comparing any atmospheric horror movie to The Shining is like comparing something with Pulp Fiction. Of course it isn't anywhere near as good as the Shining, but few are. This movie realizes that so it's chock full of references to the original for fans. The first half of Doctor Sleep is good, and the ending is good. The middle drags some. It's deeper and thought provoking as it makes you contemplate the consuming nature of time and life.

Doctor Sleep is disturbing and scary. I like good horror, but kids getting brutally murdered crosses the line for me. So overall I'd give this movie a B- and the Shining A+.

If you're a big fan of the Shining and Stephen King, it's worth checking out after seeing the Shining again. If this kind of thing isn't your cup of tea, definitely skip this one. It's decent, but it's not It Chapter One.