UHD Review Doctor Sleep UHD Review (1 Viewer)

[dpippel]

While I appreciate the Kubrick style, I find his movies a bit cold and detached.

Me too, which is one reason I like many of his films so much.

 

[Tino]

While I like The Shining a lot, one thing it is not is scary. It’s well made, well acted and technically impressive. Creepy maybe. Scary?..not at all. Ymmv.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

If you watch it for the first time when you’re in middle school, home alone and in a completely dark basement, it’ll absolutely scare the shit out of you

 

[Robert Crawford]

While I like The Shining a lot, one thing it is not is scary. It’s well made, well acted and technically impressive. Creepy maybe. Scary?..not at all. Ymmv.

First time I watched it during its theatrical run, I thought it was scary. But, I'm a scary cat anyhow, just say boo to me and I'm off and running.

 

[Tino]

First time I watched it during its theatrical run, I thought it was scary. But, I'm a scary cat anyhow, just say boo to me and I'm off and running.

I think I pretty much feel the same way about it as I did on opening day in 1980. I just can’t think of one scene in the film that i I think is actually scary.

 

[Robert Crawford]

I think I pretty much feel the same way about it as I did on opening day in 1980. I just can’t think of one scene in the film that i I think is actually scary.

That's cool, I'm just pointing out that others like myself feel differently.

 

[Tino]

If you watch it for the first time when you’re in middle school, home alone and in a completely dark basement, it’ll absolutely scare the shit out of you

I guess. I was 16 when I first saw it.

 

[Tino]

Which scenes are scary in The Shining to you guys? I don’t think Dr Sleep is scary either by the way.

 

[Matt Hough]

Yes, I'm easily scared, too. I was scared by room 237: we were told by Dick that we should stay out of there, and Danny rode by once and resisted temptation. Later when Jack went to investigate after Danny was injured, I was hiding my eyes behind my hands as he went in and things started to transpire. I was also scared by small things like Danny turning a corner on his Big Wheels and running into the twins (with a crash on the soundtrack to emphasize the shock). I jumped when Jack appeared when Wendy was reading his manuscript horrified by what she was seeing. I knew Jack was lying in wait for Dick and DREADED what he might do to him. The chase through the hedge maze was very frightening knowing what Jack would do to Danny if he caught him (I hadn't read the book and had no idea whether Danny would live or die, much less that the hedge chase was an invention of the movie).

All of these things scared me. I was on the edge of my seat in the theater.

 

[Malcolm R]

Just discovered that apparently I don't own a copy of The Shining, but I do have Doctor Sleep. Do I need to watch The Shining first? Or does DS stand alone?

 

[Wayne_j]

DS plays fine alone but you would probably be best off watching the Shining first.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

Which scenes are scary in The Shining to you guys? I don’t think Dr Sleep is scary either by the way.

For me, it wasn’t any particular scene that stood out; it was more the atmosphere of dread, and being placed inside the mind of someone who’s losing his grip on reality. In the end it wasn’t so much what did happen as it was the feeling that anything could happen at any time. Kubrick films can be very hypnotic and I was just totally under its spell.

The movie can still give me the creeps sometimes probably just from the memory of what it felt like to see it for the first time.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Just discovered that apparently I don't own a copy of The Shining, but I do have Doctor Sleep. Do I need to watch The Shining first? Or does DS stand alone?

I would put a second hight recommendation for THE SHINING first.

I think Doctor Sleep, with all its references, is a far better film with the knowledge of the first.

In fact, it's like re-discovering the first film.

While I appreciate the Kubrick style, I find his movies a bit cold and detached.

I feel exactly the same way.

I can't say I am a huge fan of Kubrik. His style is renowned, but yes, some of his stuff leaves you feeling rather cold.

I was most surprised by that A.I. movie. I always accused Spielberg of making it so "Disney-esque," until you guys on this forum told me that stuff was actually Kubrik's idea. That threw me for a loop because that was nothing that I expected from him.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

How is the theatrical cut in comparison to the director's cut of Doctor Sleep? My mother is currently staying with us, and she's a big Stephen King fan. However, I doubt I could get her or my wife to buy into watching a 3 hour film.

 

[Tino]

Yeah. I thought the theatrical version of Dr Sleep was pretty much perfect as is. To those that have seen both, Does the extra 30 minutes drastically change/improve the film? Or is it pretty much just padding?

 

[Matt Hough]

Just discovered that apparently I don't own a copy of The Shining, but I do have Doctor Sleep. Do I need to watch The Shining first? Or does DS stand alone?

I think the effectiveness of Doctor Sleep is magnified with some prior knowledge of The Shining, especially since it recreates so winningly the look and feel of the hotel that plays such an instrumental part in both movies.

 

[Colin Jacobson]

Count me as someone else who says to watch "Shining" first. Adds a ton of context to "Sleep".

Seems like an awful lot of "Sleep" won't make much sense if you never saw "Shining"...

 

[Colin Jacobson]

For me, the pacing is one of The Shining's greatest strengths. The slow buildup is integral to its chills.

My biggest problem with "Shining" is and probably always will be the lack of buildup for Jack.

This is a character who should descend into madness, but as played by Nicholson, he always seems creepy and weird.

As such, his mental state declines some, but not as much as it should if he seemed like a normal guy at the start...

 

[Colin Jacobson]

While I like The Shining a lot, one thing it is not is scary. It’s well made, well acted and technically impressive. Creepy maybe. Scary?..not at all. Ymmv.

I saw "Shining" 1st run in 1980 when I was 13, and I don't recall thinking it was particularly scary. I loved it - and the movie got me into King's novels - but I can't remember the feeling that it disturbed me.

That summer's "Friday the 13th" got to me, though - the end when Betsy Palmer's head gets lopped off gave me nightmares!

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Okay, I am going to INSIST...

First of all, Matt Hough could not have said it better.

You can't go into DOCTOR SLEEP without seeing THE SHINING first. Most of the film won't make sense to you -- and I didn't want to spoil this part but it has been done already -- the revisiting of the film's main locale is so much more magnified and appreciated after seeing the original film. You just marvel at the reconstruction of the original scenes including some very "pointed" door damage.

YOU MUST see THE SHINING before watching DOCTOR SLEEP.

Another point I am going to insist upon...

I just read a very detailed look at the scenes added to the Director's Cut

https://consequenceofsound.net/2020/01/doctor-sleep-directors-cut-rundown/

Don't read this page until after you see the film, but you will be disappointed if you watch the theatrical version and miss out on these additions.

I believe the Director's Cut only adds about 30 minutes of extra material but after reading what it was, I would have rather watched the longer cut.