As I watch “The Shining"

Okay, it’s true. I’ve never really sat down to watch “The Shining.” It’s not that I never wanted to. I think it was more that I’m not a Stanley Kubric fan, and Shelley Duvall casted as the wife of Jack Nicholson’s Jack Torrance didn’t help either. With all that mixed together, I thought: eh.

I will give Jack credit for his portrayal of a crazy-dude. I think one of my favorite moments is when he’s in the food pantry and he’s calling out to Shelly Duvall (Wendy) and the camera is angled up at his face while he leans against the door, and he says something about a surprise for Wendy, and then he taps the door with his fingers all excitedly and sticks out his tongue. Cuh-reepy. And then Jack, later in life, plays the Joker in “Batman.” No wonder Steph couldn’t watch movies with him in them…

Don’t even get me started on Danny, the son, and the kid who’s playing him. The scene where he’s watching cartoons and stares off into space (because he’s seeing blood spilling from the elevator shaft in his head – which, by the way, doesn’t happen in the book) is a bit much, but before Wendy abandons him to go chase down Jack, he says, “Okay, Mrs. Torrance” with his pointer finger.

What is that about?

As a stand-alone, “The Shining” is actually a great movie, but compared to the book, it’s just insulting.

*yawns*