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cathalosandair
Reviews
The Shining (1980)
Classic, but not for the Oscars!
I've read the book and so I've seen the film - some similarities and I won't reveal any details to ruin the viewer's enjoyment. I don't think it's the best adaptation from a Stephen King novel, Carrie is a great work as is Misery but as a film in itself, it's hauntingly effective - silence and space are the key elements Kubrick used here to developing the enshrining tension and inevitable horror the hotel beholds! You can see how 2001 A Space Odyssey not only initialised these elements of audio and visual technique but how they were used to great effect here. I'll never understand why the panel of the Academy Awards avoid it though? Jack Nicholson has been nominated so often for perfect performances on film, yet this is another performance that went unrewarded. Correct me if I'm wrong!
Hot Rod Horror (2008)
Junk in a junkyard.
Just spent the afternoon viewing a horror double bill before heading out for the night. The Shining was the other movie - understandably, that film has an experienced director, cast, crew and a budget that yielded what it sowed: a horror masterpiece. Hot Rod Horror - the second on the double bill - is the complete opposite. It wasn't the fatigue of the double bill that made me dislike this. We watched Hot Rod Horror first as we had preconceptions of The Shining through its reputation and having read the book. The thing I didn't like about this is its weak structure, terrible direction and bad dialogue. I got the feeling that the cast were amateurs - some were OK, whilst the others seemed not to know what they were doing. There's simply no tension or horror in Hot Rod Horror - the car lot of junk was cool and the film being shot in daylight gave me the presumption that I had a Texas Chainsaw Massacre / The Hills Have Eyes on me hands. Unfortunately, there was nothing here - no thrills, no suspense, no fun - looks reasonably shot for a low budget, but there's nothing here to write home about.