The Shining (1980) vs. The Innkeepers (2011) - Sometimes, less is … less!

Review by Jack Kost

My use of the Oscar Wilde quote will become apparent.

It was recently suggested to me that the 2011 movie The Innkeepers is better than Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining,

released in the United States on May 23, 1980.

Like Jack Nicholson, in The Shining, my reaction to that suggestion is ...

(keep watching - it's animated!)

I have a great idea!

Take Stanley Kubrick’s classic 1980 movie adaptation of Stephen King’s novel: The Shining …

... shorten it by about an hour … give it a feeble script … characters we know little about and couldn’t care less for … make it devoid of atmosphere, tension and suspense … throw in a bunch of superfluous other characters who pad it out, but add little or nothing to the proceedings … have it plod along painfully slowly – leading to nothing of any real consequence … and you have … The Innkeepers!

With stories of this genre, the environment is the compelling element: a haunted house, hotel, or cabin in the woods, a ship adrift at sea – or out in the vastness of space … the setting gives the story its eerie build up.

I credit The Innkeepers’ attention to that detail with its long corridors and winding staircase, but it’s the only real credit I can give it.

I have a problem with stories that just seem way too familiar, and watching The Innkeepers left me with the feeling that it was simply another pointless rehash of The Shining.

I’ve read other reviews, and I know The Innkeepers has its fans.

I’m not one of them.

When does the line between homage fade to insipid imitation?

Instead of simply retreading old ground, why not show some originality?

Put more effort into writing a fuller story; develop the characters by giving them a history – giving us a reason to care about them.

As to the question of The Innkeepers being, putting it mildly, at least similar to The Shining …

What else am I supposed to think when the high-angle exterior shot of The Yankee Pedlar Inn, from The Innkeepers …

… reminds me of the Overlook Hotel, in The Shining:

Claire (Sara Paxton), resting on a bed watching TV, in The Innkeepers …

… reminds me of the scene with Halloran (Scatman Crothers), in The Shining:

Claire, falling asleep while working, in The Innkeepers …

… reminds me of Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) in The Shining:

Low angle corridor shots, in The Innkeepers …

… reminds me of those, in The Shining:

The cavernous dining/ballroom, in The Innkeepers …

… reminds me of that, in The Shining:

The lounge area, in The Innkeepers …

… reminds me of that, in The Shining:

The bathtub suicide, in The Innkeepers …

… reminds me of that, in The Shining:

The malevolent force making itself apparent, in The Innkeepers …

… reminds me of those great scenes, in The Shining:

I didn’t see anything new or interesting with The Innkeepers; it left me feeling that I’d seen it all done way better in The Shining.

Oscar Wilde wrote:

“Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery that mediocrity can pay to greatness.”

As imitation often seems to be the order of the day, and if I could have had final say over The Innkeepers, prior to its release, I would have happily imitated Jack Nicholson in The Shining:

I would have swept the whole pile off of the table ...

... then I would have taken an ax to it!

Born on this day – Moses Gunn:

Actor

October 2, 1929 – December 16, 1993

Colors - Abstract Color Study 364:

This is among my favorite color studies completed to date.

Each piece is unique...with acrylic pours, you never know what you'll get....but this one turned out quite nice.

Through Zazzle, I've ordered images on greeting cards, mugs, t-shirts, and posters -- including Abstract Color Study 74 which I framed and hung in my home office.

Call out to Debbie Petrina, author of Managing MS - A Roadmap to Navigate Multiple Sclerosis.

It's the current book I'm reading and it has so much practical and relevant information. Thank you, Debbie!

Love playing with colors and beatifying my home work space!

#Art #ColorStudy #AcrylicAbstract, #WallArt #WFH #HomeOfficeArt #ManagingMS #DebbiePetrina 

Born on this day – River Phoenix:

Actor,

Musician

August 23, 1970 – October 31, 1993

On this day in movie history - Signs (2002)

 

Directed and written by M. Night Shyamalan,

was released in the United States on August 2, 2002

Music by James Newton Howard

 

Cast:

Mel Gibson, Joaquin Phoenix, Rory Culkin, Abigail Breslin, Cherry Jones, M. Night Shyamalan, Patricia Kalember, Ted Sutton, Merritt Wever, Lanny Flaherty, Marion McCorry, Michael Showalter, Kevin Pires, Clifford David, Rhonda Overby, Greg Wood, Paul L. Nolan, Ukee Washington, Babita Hariani, Adam Way, Angela Eckert, Jose L. Rodriguez, Paul Wilson, Thomas Griffin, Mark Falvo, Derek Mears, Chuck Pressler, Samantha Steffen

#Signs #JoachinPhoenix #MelGibson #MNightShyamalan #AbigailBreslin #PatriciaKalember

On this day in movie history - In the Heat of the Night (1967)

In the Heat of the Night

directed by Norman Jewison

written by Stirling Silliphant

based on the novel by John Ball,

was released in the United States on August 2, 1967.

Music by Quincy Jones.

Theme song In the Heat of the Night written by Alan Bergman and Marilyn Bergman.

Sung by Ray Charles.

Cast:

Sidney Poitier, Rod Steiger, Warren Oates, Lee Grant, Larry Gates, James Patterson, William Schallert, Beah Richards, Peter Whitney, Kermit Murdock, Larry D. Mann, Matt Clark, Arthur Malet, Fred Stewart, Quentin Dean, Scott Wilson, Timothy Scott, William C. Watson, Eldon Quick, Stuart Nisbet, Khalil Bezaleel, Peter Masterson, Jester Hairston, Phil Adams, Nikita Knatz, Sam Reese, Anthony James, Clegg Hoyt, Alan Oppenheimer, Buzz Barton.

#InTheHeatOfTheNight #SidneyPoitier #RodSteiger #LeeGrant #August 2

Born on this Day - Carol O'Connor (August 2, 1924 – June 21, 2001)

Carroll O'Connor, Actor, Producer, Director, was born on this day in 1924.

Although I remember him most for his role in All in the Family, I've come to love and appreciate the role he played in Point Blank.

#CarolOConnor #AllInTheFamily #PointBlank #August2