I thought that was a well-written article. Didn't diminish King or Kubrick, unlike most of Kubrick's defenders. And now that I've started Doctor Sleep, the thing that hit me immediately when I saw the thread title was the alcohol usage (or lack thereof) in the movie.

When I see a Kubrick movie, I always feel disconnected from the characters, even in my favorite of his, Full Metal Jacket. The Shining is definitely a creepy movie, but I never felt anything for anyone on the screen.

Great post Thad regarding the disconnect from Kubrick's characters. I never thought too much about it, but except for that kid in A.I., I would have to agree with you.

Aw come on guys, what about "Paths of Glory" or "Sparticus" or "Lolita" or even "Barry Lyndon"? I connected emotionally, even viscerally, with characters in each one of those. True, he got a bit cold and distant later in his career, but those early-to-middle period films were definitely not. Just my 2 cents. And yes, Jack should have descended into madness, not arrived thus. And Shelly Duvall? Really?

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Keith Minnion

I guess I can only speak for the Kubrick films I've seen, Keith, but they all feel...sterile. Different folks see different things.

Even the ones you mentioned have more of a voyeur feel to them than being a participant in the story. I'm not saying they are aren't great films, it's just that the atmosphere of those films is what stays with you as opposed to the characters.

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Mike Styczen: As far as I can tell, all of Toronto is on the lookout for some sort of demented leprechaun. If Toronto didn't exist, we'd have to invent it

Just watched an interesting documentary about people's different theories on Kubrick's SHINING, regarding what they think the film is really about. Included were the theories that it's about the holocaust, early America's treatment of native americans, the faking of the Apollo 11 moon landing, and minotaurs. You heard right, lol. Most of these are probably crazy, but it was really fascinating to look at the film through someone else's eyes and see what they're reading into it, especially since Kubrick was so notorious for his detail and having a lot going on beneath the surface.

The doc is titled ROOM 237 and it's on Netflix instant right now, if anyone else wants to give it a gander.