"The Shining" (1997) TV mini-series

User Rating:

6.0/10   

Director:

Mick Garris

Writers (WGA):

Stephen King (novel)
Stephen King (teleplay)

Release Date:

27 April 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

Some guests never leave!

Plot:

A recovering alcoholic must wrestle with demons within and without when he and his family move into a haunted hotel as caretakers.

Plot Keywords:

Hotel | Caretaker | Recovering Alcoholic | Colorado | Writer

Awards:

Won 2 Primetime Emmys. Another 2 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Steven Weber	...	John 'Jack' Torrance
Rebecca De Mornay	...	Winifred 'Wendy' Torrance
Courtland Mead	...	Daniel "Danny" / "Doc" Anthony Torrance
Melvin Van Peebles	...	Richard "Dick" Hallorann
Wil Horneff	...	Tony
Pat Hingle	...	Pete Watson
Elliott Gould	...	Stuart Ullman
John Durbin	...	Horace 'Harry' Derwent
Stanley Anderson	...	Delbert Grady
Cynthia Garris	...	Decayed Lorraine Massey
Mickey Giacomazzi	...	Waiter (episodes 1, 3) (as Micky Giacomazzi)
Tomas Herrera	...	George Hatfield (episode 1)
Tim Perovich	...	Croquet Player (episode 1)
Kenn Solomon	...	Basketball Player (episode 1)
Jan Van Sickle	...	Al Shockley
Peter Boyles	...	AA Member (episode 2)
Dan Bradley	...	2nd Bodyguard (episode 2)
Lou Carlucci	...	1st Bodyguard (episode 2)
Bertha Lynn	...	TV Announcer (episode 2)
J.P. Romano	...	First Waiter (episode 3)
David Sosna	...	Gene (episode 3)
David Zambrano	...	Mitch (episode 3)
Mick Garris	...	Hartwell (episode 3)
Shawnee Smith	...	Waitress (episode 3)
Ron Allen	...	TV Weatherman (episode 3)
Rich Beall	...	Airline Gate Agent (episode 3) (as Richard Beall)
Joyce Bulifant	...	Customer (episode 3)
Wendelin Harston	...	Car Rental Clerk (episode 3)
Lois Hicks	...	Bookstore Lady (episode 3)
Stephen King	...	Band Leader (1997)
Billie McBride	...	Principal (episode 3)
Sam Raimi	...	Howie Langston (episode 3)
Lisa Thornhill	...	Lorraine Massey
Michael O'Neill	...	Dr. Daniel Edwards (episode 2)
Christina Faust	...	Screaming Female Ghost (episode 3) (as Christa Faust)
Peter James	...	Praying Ghost (episode 3)
Roger Baker	...	Rover the Dogman (episode 3)
Richard Christian Matheson	...	First Hitman (episode 2)
Richard Peterson	...	Second Hitman (episode 2)
David J. Schow	...	1st Ghost in Playhouse (episode 3)
Preston Sturges Jr.	...	2nd Ghost in Playhouse (episode 3) (as Preston Sturges)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Frank Darabont
Miguel Ferrer	...	Mark James Torrance (voice) (uncredited)
Christopher Loucks	...	Graduation Attendee (episode 3) (uncredited)

Directed by
Mick Garris

Writing credits (WGA)
Stephen King		(novel)
Stephen King		(teleplay)

Produced by
Mark Carliner	....	producer
Elliot Friedgen	....	supervising producer
Laura Gibson	....	associate producer
Stephen King	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Nicholas Pike

Cinematography by
Shelly Johnson

Film Editing by
Patrick McMahon

Casting by
Lynn Kressel

Production Design by
Craig Stearns

Art Direction by
Randy Moore

Set Decoration by
Ellen Totleben

Costume Design by
Warden Neil

Makeup Department
Joe Colwell	....	makeup artist
Bill Corso	....	makeup artist
Joel Harlow	....	prosthetics makeup artist
Rob Hinderstein	....	special makeup effects artist
Steve Johnson	....	prosthetics makeup artist
Tim Jones	....	hair stylist
Barry R. Koper	....	makeup artist (as Barry Koper)
Tracey Levy	....	makeup artist
Ve Neill	....	makeup artist
Douglas Noe	....	makeup artist
Ashlee Petersen	....	makeup artist (as Ashlee Peterson)
Jill Rockow	....	makeup artist
Lisa Marie Rosenberg	....	hair stylist
Barbara Wilder	....	additional hair stylist

Production Management
Robert Birnbaum	....	unit production manager
Robert Del Valle	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Stephen King	....	third unit director
Peter Merwin	....	second assistant director
Lincoln Myers	....	dga trainee
David Sosna	....	first assistant director (as David O. Sosna)
Denise Strong	....	second second assistant director
Jerram A. Swartz	....	first assistant director: second unit

Art Department
Peter Croyle	....	propmaker gangboss
Matthew D. Egan	....	propmaker gangboss
Robert E. Knight	....	lead scenic painter
Tim Perovich	....	property master
Lars Petersen	....	construction coordinator
Robert Lee Robinson	....	lead man
Victoria Stasica	....	set dressing
Steven C. Voll	....	general foreman
Gregory P. Alcus	....	on-set dresser (uncredited)
Steven Hintz	....	carpenter (1997) (uncredited)

Sound Department
David Barbee	....	assistant sound editor
Peter Bergren	....	sound effects editor
Thomas DeGorter	....	supervising sound editor
Don Digirolamo	....	sound re-recording mixer
Joe Earle	....	sound effects editor (as Joseph H. Earle Jr.)
Ron Evans	....	dialogue editor
Ginger Geary	....	foley artist
James Hebenstreit	....	adr editor (as James B. Hebenstreit)
Barbara Issak	....	dialogue editor
Kenneth L. Johnson	....	sound effects editor
Bradley C. Katona	....	sound effects editor
Linda Keim	....	sound effects editor (as Linda L. Keim)
Gary Lewis	....	dialogue editor
Paul Longstaffe	....	dialogue editor
Alyson Dee Moore	....	foley artist
Brian Thomas Nist	....	sound effects editor
Eric A. Norris	....	sound effects editor
Elmo Ponsdomenech	....	sound re-recording mixer
Michael Primmer	....	boom operator
Richard Schexnayder	....	production sound mixer
Larry Stensvold	....	sound re-recording mixer
Bruce Tanis	....	sound effects editor
Andrew Ellerd	....	sound effects editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Lou Carlucci	....	special effects (episodes 2 and 3)
Jeffrey Cupernell	....	model maker
Patrick M. Gerrety	....	creature effects
Edward T. Reiff Jr.	....	special effects technician

Visual Effects by
Rick Cortes	....	digital compositor
Tim Drnec	....	motion control operator
Mark Leo Perry	....	3D technical director
Carlyle O. Livingston II	....	miniature effects crew chief: VIFX (as Carlyle Livingston)
Rob Menapace	....	motion control operator
David Robert	....	lead modeler
Chris Ryan	....	digital compositor
Boyd Shermis	....	visual effects supervisor
Brad Spencer	....	film scanning: VIFX
Paul Taglianetti	....	production coordinator: VIFX
Brian C. Davis	....	3D digital artist: VIFX (uncredited)
Gian Ganziano	....	visual effects (uncredited)
Dan Kaufman	....	digital effects supervisor (uncredited)
Michelle Murdocca	....	executive producer of digital imaging (uncredited)

Stunts
Dan Bradley	....	stunt coordinator
Laura Dash	....	stunt double
Peter West	....	stunt driver

Camera and Electrical Department
Robert J. Babin	....	first company grip (as Bob Babin)
Danny Brazen	....	grip
Michael C. Butler	....	crane operator (as Michael Butler)
Don Devine	....	director of photography: second unit
David Eubank	....	first assistant camera: second unit
Terry Hall	....	chief lighting technician
Kent Harvey	....	camera loader
Kent Harvey	....	second assistant camera: "b" camera
Stephen King	....	still photographer
Rick Senteno	....	assistant chief lighting
Stefan Tarzan	....	second assistant camera (uncredited)

Casting Department
Nina Axelrod	....	location casting (as Nina Kether Axelrod)
Eileen Barker	....	extras casting associate
Brian McCulley	....	location casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Nancy Butts Martin	....	costume supervisor
Michelle M. Pershing	....	key costumer
Randall Thropp	....	costume supervisor

Editorial Department
Carrigan Compton	....	post-production assistant
Skip Kimball	....	telecine colorist
Chad Mochrie	....	assistant editor
Chad O. Mochrie	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Joe Garland	....	composer: song "In the Mood"
Michael Jay	....	music editor
Stan Jones	....	music editor

Transportation Department
Richard Belyeu	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Sherry Erickson	....	location manager
Christian Feldhaus	....	first assistant accountant
Dawn Jeffory	....	acting coach: Courtland Mead (as Dawn Jeffory-Nelson)
Anne Johns	....	assistant production coordinator
Larry K. Johnson	....	script supervisor
Kathleen Long	....	production coordinator
Yuell Newsome	....	stock librarian
Tony Smusz	....	production assistant
Yvonne Yaconelli	....	production coordinator
Michael Hubert	....	assistant production coordinator (uncredited)
Reg Krueger	....	key craft service (uncredited)
Thomas J. O'Connor	....	production assistant (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Lakeside Productions
• Warner Bros. Television

Distributors

• Sandrews (2003) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (????) (Japan) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video

Special Effects

• Steve Johnson's XFX (special makeup effects)
• VIFX (visual effects)

Other Companies

• CIS Hollywood  additional digital compositing
• Castle/Bryant/Johnsen  main title design
• Modern VideoFilm  post-production services
• Steve Johnson's XFX  topiary design

Also Known As:

"Stephen King's The Shining" (USA) (complete title)

Runtime:

273 min (3 parts)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

USA:TV-14 | Iceland:16 | Netherlands:12 | Australia:M | South Korea:12 (DVD rating) | Spain:13 | UK:15 | USA:Unrated | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Arvada, Colorado, USA

Company:

Lakeside Productions

Trivia:

The scene between Jack and Wendy in the hotel lobby goes on for just over ten minutes. Something almost unheard of for a mini-series. Lengthy scenes like these are very expensive for a television format, which is probably why all of the other scenes are much shorter.

Goofs:

Boom mic visible: Reflected in the Overlook's main doors, behind Watson.

Quotes:

Jack Torrance: Congratulations, Dick!
Dick Hallorann: Jack?
Jack Torrance: You're a Publisher's Clearing House winner!
Wendy Torrance: Dick, watch out!
Jack Torrance: And here's your prize!
[hits Dick with mallet]

Movie Connections:

Version of The Shining in 30 Seconds (and Re-enacted by Bunnies) (2004)

Soundtrack:

Chattanooga Choo Choo

A decent into madness? No, just a waste of 6 hours.

Claiming the TV mini-series of The Shining is better than the 1980 Kubrick film because it's more like the book is like saying the 1976 version of King Kong is better than the 1933 film because the special effects are better. Yes, the mini-series is more like the book, but that doesn't mean it is good.

I loved the book, and was surprised at some of the changes in the 1980 film. But I still loved the movie. Movies are a visual medium , so not every concept from a book will work. Best example is the topiary hedge scene. In King's book, the idea of attacking hedge animals was frightening. Kubrick didn't use the idea and inserted a hedge maze. The hedge animals show up in the mini-series and the scene is laughable. Visually, hedges aren't scary. I'm guessing Kubrick understood this.

Worst of all, the mini-series tries too hard to be a drama. The Shining is a scary story, why not concentrate on that fact? So much time is spent on exposition and character background, that the result is just frustration waiting for something to occur. Basically, the problem is pacing. Usually, people complain that Kubrick's film are long and drawn out, but his Shining is a crack of the whip compared to this adaptation. While the acting and look of the film is decent, I'd have to say that King's adaptation fails mostly because of the fact that it is just like the book. Books work cause they're in your head. Movies show you those images. Kubrick's version worked because he concentrated on the aspects of the story that worked best visually. That scene where Jack is in the empty bar which suddenly is fully stocked with an eager bartender is great stuff, and those moments tell us all we need to know about Jack's drinking problem and the effect the Overlook was having on him.