The Shining (Stanley Kubrick, 1980)

[mfunk9786]

Another thing that despite not paying close attention to on each viewing, is subtly disorienting enough that I consider it an arrow in the film's quiver.

[Big Ben]

I couldn't find any specific article that satisfied every idea I wanted to convey but simply googling "The Overlook Hotel doesn't make sense" should give you a lot of things to look at.

As I've aged and my rose tinted glasses fell off I've thought less of some of Kubrick's film (Namely A Clockwork Orange) but the one thing I'll defend without question is that from the technical standpoint the man was a wizard. The version of the Overlook Hotel in Kubrick's film is a bizarre house of horrors made by someone who certainly seemed to know exactly what they were doing. It's all one giant disorienting illusion. You step outside and it's one building. You go inside and it's another one entirely. I know this is a common technique for things but I think it's a great example of it being used to disorient.

The Shining is not however a carefully coded message by Kubrick to relay to the world that he helped NASA fake the Moon Landing. If you're willing to lose some brain cells check out one of the hottest takes you'll ever see.

[calculus entrophy]

Kubrick constructed it like one of those Carnival houses you go to have your senses messed with.

Well, and then there's this:

[JabbaTheSlut]

Can you even get the shorter version anywhere?

Here

[kidc85]

Can you even get the shorter version anywhere?

Up until very recently (and even then, only in a specific-store-only exclusive edition) the shorter cut was the only version you could get in the UK.

[Orlac]

Apprently, Kate Bush's "Get Out of My House" is based on The Shining. Not sure how the lion became a donkey though...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_uHUUwgGW5c

[mfunk9786]

UHD release coming October 1st

I know I should probably dislike this artwork, but I don't...

[domino harvey]

Seems like a Mondo poster, but it’s at least refreshing (if somewhat ungainly) for a primary studio release

[ivuernis]

No more pink tennis balls!

I don't care much for the original U.S. theatrical cut but is there any reason why this shouldn't be released alongside the shorter European/International version in a single release now?

[EddieLarkin]

The press release states that the UHD disc will contain neither the US cut or the shorter European cut that have both appeared on home video so far, but instead the even longer premiere cut with the original ending:

The 4K remastering is of Kubrick’s original 146 minute version of the film which premiered in the United States on May 23rd, 1980.

It doesn't clarify if either of the other cuts will be available via branching.

[dustybooks]

It seems like Warner would be making a (much) bigger deal of this aspect of the release if that were the case, I wonder if it's just an error...

[mfunk9786]

The press release states that the UHD disc will contain neither the US cut or the shorter European cut that have both appeared on home video so far, but instead the even longer premiere cut with the original ending:

The 4K remastering is of Kubrick’s original 146 minute version of the film which premiered in the United States on May 23rd, 1980.

It doesn't clarify if either of the other cuts will be available via branching.

There's no way. The ending of this film has become one of the most iconic in history, there's no way they went back to the original cut

[andyli]

Given Cannes listing the new resto as 146 min. and now this, I'd be surprised if it turns out a typo.

[mfunk9786]

I can definitely see it being the big bonus of this release but I can't see them whitewashing Kubrick's intentions by only including that cut. Gosh, I'm very excited to see it if this is true though

[flyonthewall2983]

In the end, it seems to me Warner are amongst the rare studios (maybe the only one) to include remastered BDs with their UHDs. They also did it for Unforgiven, the Matrix trilogy, 2001, and possibly others.

I think Sony did with the recent release of Black Hawk Down. They at least upgraded the audio to DTS from PCM on their Blu from over 10 years ago.

[andyli]

I can definitely see it being the big bonus of this release but I can't see them whitewashing Kubrick's intentions by only including that cut. Gosh, I'm very excited to see it if this is true though

The reasoning might be that if you prefer the 144 min. version you can always switch off the show right before the epilogue.

[ivuernis]

This has got to be an error. Not a chance a cut of the film other then the 144 min US or 119 min international cut will be released by WB. Nor should it. The shorter version is better anyway. Those edits were necessary.

[mfunk9786]

Discussion of UHD/Blu-ray combos moved here

[WmS]

This has got to be an error. Not a chance a cut of the film other then the 144 min US or 119 min international cut will be released by WB. Nor should it. The shorter version is better anyway. Those edits were necessary.

"The 4K remastering is of Kubrick's original 146 minute version of the film which premiered in the United States on May 23rd, 1980."


Warner engaging in some rank revisionism right here. Yuck.

[mfunk9786]

Leon Vitali worked on it. I'm still willing to withhold judgment until we find out what the hell is going on here

From Reddit, take with a grain of salt of course:

I'm seeing lots of mixed reports and speculation here, and I'd like to clear a few things up... (SOURCE: am a Shining fanatic. See post history for a little evidence of this).

1.) The standard theatrical and home video release US audiences have been enjoying for 40 years has been listed as 142, 143 and 144 minutes by Warner Bros themselves on various home video releases through the years. I know, I have copies of each of these releases (and a hundred more from across the world) and I just double-checked.

2.) The reason this is causing so much discussion is because Stanley Kubrick famously had an ending scene excised from the original release of the film days after it opened on May 23, 1980 in NY and LA. It was a short epilogue that fell between the shot of <SPOILER, I guess> Jack's frozen body and the final tracking shots and close-ups into the photo. It took place in a hospital where Stuart Ullman goes to visit Wendy and Danny who are recovering. He checks in on them, explains to Wendy that there was no evidence of anything supernatural at the hotel, and then he goes to see Danny, where he silently gives Danny the tennis ball as a wink to the audience. After it opened, Kubrick decided that it made the supernatural elements in the film much too explicit, and the film lost all of its psychological edge. (For reference, please see 40 years worth of analysis, literature and debate on whether or not Kubrick's Overlook Hotel is haunted.) Again, this was mere days after release, and it was only playing in NY and LA, so there were very few prints of that cut of the film at the time. Projectionists were ordered to physically splice out that scene and return it to Warner Bros. Legend has it that Kubrick himself ordered every copy destroyed. He was a notorious perfectionist and once he'd decided the film was better off without it, he would have wanted to ensure that's how it remained, or so the legend goes.​

3.) Until recently (2013-ish), the only cut of the film available in Europe was an even shorter 119 minute cut of the film. This version is often considered Kubrick's preferred cut. After the American release, he cut the film down even further for Europe following mixed critical reception in the US. LOTS of material was cut.

4.) In 2011, a theater in Rochester, NY advertised a very unique screening of The Shining featuring a "deleted coda" cut after the film's initial release. Film sites widely reported this once it was announced and it became a very big deal that a rare, not-seen-in-decades version of the film would be screening. I know all of this because I had purchased plane tickets to Rochester to attend the screening. DAYS before the screening was to take place, the theater corrected the listing and said that the details were announced in error and what they would be playing was the standard cut of the film on 35mm. Rumors abound that this "mistake" was too obvious to make and that Warner Bros had essentially sent them a cease-and-desist. (For those of you wondering, no, I wasn't able to get my plane tickets refunded and the theater received a strongly-worded email from me as a result).

5.) Last year, many websites began reporting that a cut of the film with the deleted scene was up for auction from Kubrick's assistant's (Emilio D'Alessandr) personal collection. Many of these articles are still live. I suspected this was not actually what was being auctioned (since it wasn't what was pictured and the description was misleading) and confirmed that with the auction house. (Screen grab of my email exchange). What was originally listed as "Long cuts" of the original film was subsequently corrected to "Long fragments." This was not the complete film, it was unused film from various takes of the scene where Wendy carries Danny (which was pictured in the auction listing the entire time and made me wonder just how in the hell none of the sites reporting this thought to check). Bottom line: anyone reporting that the full cut of the original film with deleted hospital scene was auctioned off in 2018 is mistaken

6.) The likelihood that this release includes the deleted scene is very small. It would be the first time this footage would be publicly seen in 40 years, and would be a MAJOR and explicitly-stated selling point in the announcement and press coverage. I'd be very excited, but would advise that people manage their expectations on this one until we have more info and a confirmation from Warner Bros.

Here's the entry for this hospital ending scene on the Lost Media Wikia (one of my favorite rabbit holes on the internet)

[mfunk9786]

Complicating matters more, TIFF Cinematheque is showing the restoration in 2K (today and tomorrow), listing a runtime of 143 minutes. Then they're showing it in 4K on the 18th and 19th, listing a runtime of 146 minutes.

Starting to buy into the idea that this is actually going to be the complete original U.S. theatrical cut, which absolutely blows my mind sky high.

[FlickeringWindow]

WBShop just sent out an email specifically noting it’s the premiere version.

I do hope it at least has an option for the three cuts branched.

[mfunk9786]

The Best Buy steelbook is horrendous

[domino harvey]

Huh? That’s a cute idea and nice melding of the original design with this take

[Roger Ryan]

WBShop just sent out an email specifically noting it’s the premiere version.

I do hope it at least has an option for the three cuts branched.

The thing is, as I guess has already been pointed out, is that it would be easy to call the standard U.S. edit the "premiere version" since the film was subsequently edited-down for the European market. We need Warner Home Video to specify it contains the previously unseen hospital coda. If it does, there's no way the standard U.S. edit would not be included as well since it's the version Kubrick wanted for general U.S. release (and the shorter European cut should be on there as well).