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‘The Shining’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan

October 31, 2019 · The Shining (1980) · Drama · Horror · 1:47:29

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Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill Simmons▶ 36:33Opening credits with helicopter tracking shot, Jack yelling at Wendy about writing interruption, Jack having a drink with Lloyd, Wendy discovers Jack's novel
Chris Ryan▶ 37:17Supports opening credits discussion, notes Shelley Duvall's annoying quality throughout, discusses interview scene weirdness
Sean Fennessey▶ 37:10Agrees on opening credits and discusses Jack-Wendy writing scene, emphasizes Jack's expressive face during Lloyd bartender scene

What's Aged the Best

Bill Simmons▶ 1:04:18Dick Halloran's bedroom (gold), Steadicam (silver), Big wheel (bronze)
Chris Ryan▶ 1:01:07The Overlook Hotel and Steadicam
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:05:12Steadicam

What's Aged the Worst

Bill Simmons▶ 1:06:31The movie's pacing - could cut 15 minutes, specifically Dick Halloran's extended phone call scene and gas station sequence
Bill Simmons▶ 1:08:07Kubrick's treatment of Shelley Duvall - she became physically ill, hair fell out, was psychologically damaged by his abusive directing methods
Chris Ryan▶ 1:06:51Generally disagreed with pacing criticisms, defended the film's structure, and was more sympathetic to conspiracy interpretations as creative scholarship
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:09:56The conspiracy theory interpretations and bad takes about the movie, referencing Room 237 documentary and how it led to unhealthy obsessions

Casting What-Ifs

Bill Simmons▶ 1:14:40Jessica Lange — Jessica Lange would have made it a different movie; Harrison Ford wouldn't have worked; agrees Robin Williams would be too psychotic; happy Harry Dean Stanton was in Alien instead
Chris Ryan▶ 1:15:00Harrison Ford — Harrison Ford would have been weird and a different vibe; excited about Harry Dean Stanton as Lloyd but glad he did Alien
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:15:25Robert De Niro — Both De Niro and Robin Williams could have done it, finds De Niro casting interesting

Joey Pants Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:15:58Tony Burton
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:16:20Barry Nelson — Discussed Barry Nelson as a possibility but didn't give a definitive pick

Overacting Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:17:05Jack Nicholson — Nicholson at the tail end after Danny's gotten out of the maze, when he has frostbite
Chris Ryan▶ 1:18:02Neither Nicholson nor Duvall are overacting because they're both on 11 - it would not have worked if one was understated
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:17:41Jack Nicholson — Agrees Nicholson is overacting throughout the whole movie, also mentions Shelley Duvall is hysterical throughout

Half-Assed Internet Research

Bill Simmons▶ 1:22:50Film was shot at Elstree Studios in London, took 51 weeks instead of planned 17 weeks, delayed Raiders of the Lost Ark and Reds, Jack reads January 1978 Playgirl magazine in room 337, Timberline Lodge requested room 217 be changed to 237, now room 217 is their most requested
Chris Ryan▶ 1:22:37Made jokes about bodies being 70% water, internet theories about tears and moon landing, commented on the unusual presence of Playgirl magazine in hotel lobby
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:22:55Acknowledged the production delay facts and made analogy about missing deadlines at The Ringer, noted the Playgirl magazine as Kubrick messing with the audience

Apex Mountain

Bill Simmons▶ 1:25:35Shelley Duvall — Shelley Duvall - agrees it's her apex mountain, though mentions Nashville as alternative
Chris Ryan▶ 1:26:08Mentions caretakers and bartenders named Lloyd as having apex mountain moments
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:25:43Shelley Duvall — Discusses Shelley Duvall as possibility, mentions Nashville and Annie Hall as her peak moments in the 70s when people wanted to cast her

Best Quote

Bill Simmons▶ 1:31:15Multiple quotes including 'I would give my goddamn soul for a glass of beer', 'Wendy? I'm home', and 'You've had your whole fucking life to think things over. What good's a few more minutes going to do now?'
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:32:56Some places are like people. Some shine and some don't.

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Bill Simmons▶ 1:36:24Multiple questions posed: La Boheme usage (picked The Shining over Sleeping with the Enemy), impossible windows are conspiracy theories, blood elevator reaction would be to run like Usain Bolt, Danny was physically not sexually abused, hotel turning red could have used the big wheel with Grady riding it with an axe, ending means Jack's soul has always been there in different incarnations
Chris Ryan▶ 1:42:52Jack is a ghost who's always been there and been reincarnated, questions whether it's predetermined, asks practical question about who becomes the next caretaker
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:37:18Impossible windows are continuity errors, Danny was physically abused and traumatized, hotel eats souls in a Faustian bargain due to desecration of original inhabitants, ending means hotel absorbs souls as penance

Who Won the Movie

Bill Simmons▶ 1:45:12Stanley Kubrick — Kubrick - argues Nicholson's performance is uneven in first hour but gets better, while Kubrick creates an entertaining genre movie with disturbing visuals
Chris Ryan▶ 1:44:50Stanley Kubrick — Kubrick
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:44:48Stanley Kubrick — Nicholson initially, but agrees with Kubrick after discussion

Movies Referenced (58)

Alien (1979)

5 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons▶ 16:49IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Halloween (1978)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 0:00IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Raging Bull (1980)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 17:17IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Rocky (1976)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 1:04:03IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Chinatown (1974)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 5:23IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Light of My Life (2019)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 44:30IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)

3 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan▶ 16:18IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Dressed to Kill (1980)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 18:09IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Full Metal Jacket (1987)

2 mentions · Sean Fennessey▶ 14:49IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jaws (1975)

2 mentions · Sean Fennessey▶ 19:29IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Joker (2019)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 4:52IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Magnolia (1999)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:16:38IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (9)

Stanley Kubrick

42 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan · Known for 2001: A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange, Barry Lyndon▶ 0:54IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John Colorado

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Hancock▶ 1:07:03IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Clint Eastwood

2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Million Dollar Baby, Gran Torino, Unforgiven▶ 1:21:31IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Robert Altman

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Gosford Park▶ 18:02IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Foxy Brown

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Jackie Brown, The 40-Year-Old Virgin▶ 56:48IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Kevin Smith

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Clerks, Chasing Amy▶ 28:52IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Paul Thomas Anderson

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Punch-Drunk Love, Licorice Pizza, There Will Be Blood▶ 22:01IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Spike Lee

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Do the Right Thing, Malcolm X, She's Gotta Have It▶ 28:52IMDb ↗Lb ↗

W.K. Border

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 6:17IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (47)

Danny Lloyd

43 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan · Known for The Shining▶ 2:34IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jack Nicholson

38 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan · Known for Chinatown, As Good as It Gets, The Departed▶ 0:55IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Shelley Duvall

25 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for The Shining▶ 0:55IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Scatman Crothers

13 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan · Known for The Shining, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest▶ 2:24IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Johnny Carson

10 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons · Known for Fargo▶ 49:38IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Elephant Man

7 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 18:09IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Robert De Niro

7 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Cape Fear, Raging Bull, Taxi Driver▶ 35:22IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Meryl Streep

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Out of Africa▶ 1:19:23IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Al Pacino

4 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Dog Day Afternoon, The Godfather▶ 18:18IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Peter O'Toole

4 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Lawrence of Arabia, Troy▶ 35:33IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tony Burton

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Rocky, Rocky IV▶ 1:15:58IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Barry Nelson

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for The Shining▶ 21:55IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (2)

Stephen King

18 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan · Known for Maximum Overdrive▶ 4:07IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Roger Ebert

4 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 33:02IMDb ↗Lb ↗