the stand is one that should stay as just a book.

great concept, but i thought the movie wasnt very good.

book. yay

I kinda enjoyed the television adaptation. Obviously not as good as the Kubrick version, but I thought it stayed pretty faithful to the book (until the very end of course). But I thought Steven Weber did a great job.

I think it's silly to compare books and movies--they're two TOTALLY different art forms. That said, why does a movie get props because it's faithful to the novel?

Anyway, the mini-series is limited by the fact that it's a mini-series--and a NETWORK one at that.

Kubrick's nightmarish vision is one of the greatest horror films ever made--the horror films of today should take a much needed lesson from Kubrick's ability to SLOW DOWN, STEP BACK, and allow the terror to infiltrate the otherwise mundane.

Horror movies today have become too fast, too manic, too impatient. Kubrick took the genre and made it an art. I'm waiting for someone to step and have the bravery to do the same.

the mini series was crap, especially that happy ending.

agreed - though i still think some adaptations are better than others - though its not an issue of how "close" or "true" the adaptation is - sometimes its more about the "spirit" of the novel

I prefer it to Kubrick's but that's because I loved the book so much.

I mean c'mon, check out Kubrick's trailer. http://www.ebaumsworld.com/videos/shining.html

That was hilarious!

Agreed.

The miniseries has some edges over the Kubrick film. While I love Jack Nicholson, he starts out too much on the edge. It makes the descent into madness less satisfying. Watching a crazy person go crazy is far less interesting than watching a nice guy lose it. Also, I like that the miniseries has more of a focus on Danny which is more of what the book's about. The novel's called the Shining, not Jack Goes Apeshit. The happier ending is sort of annoying, though. Kubrick has a place as a creator of high art, but he has no respect for source material. Personally, as a writer, I would hate to think somebody found my novel good enough to adapt, but not good enough to use. The miniseries is simply better heremeneutically.

I think faithfulness is a good quality to have--but not when making a film based on literature or other art. I mean, what's the point? Being "faithful" doesn't mean something is good (in my opinion), and it doesn't mean it deserves more praise.