The following is one of Rabid Doll’s Top 13 horror films of all times picks. We highly recommend this flick for excellent Halloween viewing. When Stanley Kubrick adapted Stephen King's novel "The Shining" for the big screen in 1980, he not only started a decades' long controversy, but also helped to spawn the flood of ghost movies that dominated the early part of the decade. Adaptations of novels are tricky, and undoubtedly, two famous artists with tremendous name recognition were bound to clash. King reportedly was never really happy with Kubrick's "The Shining," including the casting of Jack Nicholson as Jack Torrence. King, with the help of the very competent Mick Garris, even brought it back to the small screen in 1997 as a miniseries. Though it is King's novel, Kubrick's adaption is much superior. That is not to say that Kubrick's version is anywhere near perfect. In fact, seeing the film the first time, I was left scratching my head at some of the changes he employed. The ending of the novel, in which the Overlook Hotel burns to the ground, is replaced with a bizarre ending which shows that Jack, via an old photograph, had always been at the Overlook. Also, King's animal topiaries that come to life are far more interesting than the hedge maze Kubrick uses as a replacement. Likely, this was possibly done out of budgetary concerns and, let's face it, CGI graphics and animation just didn't exist then. Kubrick was not a horror film producer, and it shows in "The Shining." A considerable amount of time is spent developing the setting, and elements from the book are thrown in at times in an incoherent fashion. Waves of blood pour from the elevator. A bizarre image from what appears to be a costume party is thrown in with little to no set up or explanation. Ironically, it is this strategy that makes "The Shining" the classic that it is. Parts make sense-others do not, but the viewer is forced to deal with them nonetheless. One of the most shocking and disturbing scenes occurs when Jack kisses the beautiful woman emerging from the bathtub, only to realize she is an old corpse. Or ghost. We at least know she isn't really a beautiful, nude woman. Casting for the film was a radical departure from the book. Shelly Duvall and Jack Nicholson make a believable couple, but the casting in the 1997 miniseries is far more accurate. Steven Weber and Rebecaa DeMornay are much closer to King's character descriptions. Another character issue that raised an eyebrow or two was Danny Torrence's imaginary friend, which was replaced by the annoying and irritating talking finger technique that, after 28 years, still just seems stupid. Still, this would have been a career defining role for Nicholson, had his career not already been defined by his masterful turn in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest." Who can forget his sardonic face popping through the door exclaiming "Here's Johnny?" If there is one problem with Nicholson's casting it's that he plays crazy way too well. King's novel was more about a gradual decline into insanity brought on not only by the hotel and its ghosts, but by tangible social problems like alcoholism and domestic abuse. As early as the opening scene, Nicholson appears to be a crazy man under a very thin veil of sanity. Oddly, this works to the film's advantage, knowing that this man is going to snap at some point. "The Shining" stood above many, if not all, of the haunting films released at this time. "The Amityville Horror," "Poltergeist," "Ghost Story," "House" and even "Ghostbusters" must be considered its peers of that era. King later remade "The Shining" and further explored the notion of a haunted hotel in the 2007 film "1408." Yet it is Kubrick's version of "The Shining" that still terrifies viewers after all these years. For more information on Rabid Doll’s Top 13 horror movie picks, view these stories: Rabid Doll’s Top 13 Horror Picks ‘A Nightmare On Elm Street’ Ranks High ‘Suspiria’ Is Candy-Colored Nightmare ‘Dawn Of The Dead’ Disturbs After All These Years ‘The Descent’ Crafts Genuine Fear 'Ginger Snaps' Has Smart Bite Express yourself and be part of the news! Leave a comment below or join our rabid discussions on the SyBoards.