"Doctor Sleep" Reviews/Discussion - 2020 Horror Challenge
 

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2020 DISCUSSION | 2020 LISTS
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Re: "Doctor Sleep" Reviews/Discussion - 2020 Horror Challenge
 

I haven't finished watching the movie yet. I just came to briefly bitch about the fact that the director's cut is only available on Blu-ray. Why put out a movie on UHD and not include the director's cut in the same quality? It really annoys me when they do that. Needless to say, I'm watching the UHD. I figure if I paid a premium for that higher quality, I might as well take advantage of it. That's reason enough to research before you buy. I might not have splurged for the UHD if I realized that. Well, so much for briefly bitching.

Re: "Doctor Sleep" Reviews/Discussion - 2020 Horror Challenge
 

Well, I almost came back to bitch more. The movie was at the 98-minute mark, when the gang is just descending on the trap placed for them. All of a sudden, it freezes. I'm thinking nice trick that they pulled freezing them in their tracks. Then I realize the disc is frozen. :lol: Luckily, I got it working.

Up to that point, I was so into the movie, but it started letting me down some after that. All in all, though, I'm shocked at how much I liked it. There was a part of me that didn't want to. A sequel to a classic 40 years later? Come on. But it had me from the opening scene, which I found very unsettling. Also, the child performances were really strong. That one murder was rough.

Now there were things I didn't care for. It bugged me that snake bite Andi was able to put Danny to sleep. I thought it was already established how strong he was, but I guess that's the pollution Rose referred to. Even still, it bugged me, and then a lot started to bug me. Henry Thomas looked pretty silly. Any real acting he attempted was negated by that. A lot of the recreations felt like knockoffs. Too iconic. We've seen versions of those twins a million times. Seeing yet another version still only reinforces it's not the real thing. The whole Overlook section in general felt unnecessary. I will admit the maze scene was good, and Rebecca Ferguson on the stairs was perfect. It felt much truer to Jack Nicholson's performance than what Thomas was able to muster. And then the whole locked boxes in Danny's mind were these spirits he has been carrying around all these years? Why did he have to go to the Overlook to unleash them? We see at the end that at least some of those spirits are fine anywhere.

The version in my mind at the Overlook was better than what we got. I was waiting for more cat and mouse, more driving Rose insane, her getting trapped there. You've always been here, Rose. I don't know. It just felt like, this is why they came here?

So, I guess I'd say this was three-fourths of a great movie that was letdown by its back end. I need to check out the director's cut one of these days, but 3 hours felt a little much.

Re: "Doctor Sleep" Reviews/Discussion - 2020 Horror Challenge
 

Both cuts are on HBO.

Re: "Doctor Sleep" Reviews/Discussion - 2020 Horror Challenge
 

Edit: After watching the Extended Cut and reading about differences with the theatrical I'm not sure there was a big enough difference - a few extended or added scenes that restate themes already covered elsewhere; unless you're a completist. One scene might add a lot but seems controversial in heavily revisiting the original.

I was puzzling on which version of Doctor Sleep to watch, Theatrical or Extended, but think I've decided on Extended after a quick search of 'best version' and because I'll only get to watch Doctor Sleep for the first time once even if it is 3 hours in the middle of a crazy high film count challenge.
It might not help you now but the Director's Cut is in UHD quality on digital as an extra if you redeem the digital code that comes with the UHD disc - which is a lame move and somewhat defeats the purpose in buying the disc.

Re: "Doctor Sleep" Reviews/Discussion - 2020 Horror Challenge
 

Mike Flanagan has a flair for the visual and Doctor Sleep holds up wonderfully despite some gutsy content. I think my favorite Stephan King adaptation from him was Gerald's Game.

I've often been confused by the vauge 'Shining' power and how it relates to the supernatural [which might have lead me to assumptions that were not accurate]. Shining's teeter tottering balance of psychological and phantasm, never revealing which is which, is part of what made it great and the odd mind communication stuff seemed teasingly eerie/unexplained. The 'sequel' seems to seize on the most awkward part of that and clarify that this is a world of comic book style super humans (?) living in the muck of every day life. Not only that but that there's a group of modern gypsy super humans who get high off the vapors of dead super kids (?). It's left field stuff from what made the original film so acclaimed - epic astral battles, mental control, and mind reading dashes any doubt and is more action oriented than subtle - the world of Dr Sleep is not psychological, and not exactly supernatural, but super human. I'm still trying to digest this approach becuase it's not what I expected having been intentionally blind to everything about Doctor Sleep before this first time viewing. I think the girl was too overpowered to the point it hurt the film, it was a foregone conclusion we were treated to a spectale of but without doubt to who was the superior X-man. Supporting characters were all dashed aside mid-way in a fell swoop because they were only set up anyway (which is where the film declined).
The references to the original mostly felt redundant. I hated the fake Jack Nicholson. The staging of Danny carrying the Overlook specters in his mind then unleashing them again is a cool idea but I don't get why the woman who killed herself in 237 ever left her infamous room to end up in Danny's tub (thematically him haunted by trauma is great, but this gets too explictly literal). I agree with clckworang, if it had ended before The Overlook it would have been a better film rather than rehashing imitations even if some of the imagery was effective.

Re: "Doctor Sleep" Reviews/Discussion - 2020 Horror Challenge
 

A very good, atmospheric and creepy follow up to a classic film. The fact Mike Flanagan even attempted this deserves much respect.

8/10

Re: "Doctor Sleep" Reviews/Discussion - 2020 Horror Challenge
 

This is my third viewing of this and I still like it a lot. I saw it in the theater and the extended version twice. I prefer the extra scenes. Maybe it’s the completist in me.
I saw the films before I read the books so my attachment will me to the movies. My brother on the other hand is the opposite. I had him explain a few things to me. I just started the book so maybe that’ll clear some things up soon.
I really liked the old folks home stuff with him and the cat. I can see how the jack stuff turned some people off, but I thought it was ok. I do agree they rely on the overlook way too much in the film.

Re: "Doctor Sleep" Reviews/Discussion - 2020 Horror Challenge
 

I watched the 2.5 hour version, which I believe is the theatrical cut. I was in a rush to get this one started and just picked the first icon on Amazon. I will admit, that I have not seen The Shining in over 25 years, so that much is a bit fuzzy. If this is a standalone movie, then I thought most of the flashbacks were not really necessary. There were there for nostalgia. I believe I'm going to set aside a day, once the challenge is over so I can revisit both movies.

Re: "Doctor Sleep" Reviews/Discussion - 2020 Horror Challenge
 

This was my first time watching this. I liked a lot about it. The best thing, to me, was the badass character of Abra. Nice to see such a fearless character as a little girl (and one also not inherently evil). I also liked the vampire-esque clan. I found Ewan McGregor a bit weak, honestly. And I agree that the Overlook section felt underdeveloped. Also the ending --



Overall, I quite liked it. 7/10. It did feel very long, though.

Re: "Doctor Sleep" Reviews/Discussion - 2020 Horror Challenge
 

It's not convincing but I understood, not sure it this is accurate

Re: "Doctor Sleep" Reviews/Discussion - 2020 Horror Challenge
 

If Rose was to be believed, Dan was a goner already because his femoral artery was cut. If not, then I agree with you that it was weak. He needed to stay inside to keep the spirits there? I think the whole Overlook section was just an excuse to do whatever they wanted to do at that moment, the rough equivalent of the wizards did it from Simpsons. So much of it seems contradictory.

Like why was Dan worried about Abra spending too much in the hotel when apparently all the spirits were locked up in his head? Why did he need to warm up the hotel? Was it just for the final fire? Because it was at least implied he was warming up the spirits. You know, the ones in his head that were apparently already hungry. The bathtub lady at the end doesn't make much sense to me either other than for one final gag. I thought Dan sacrificed himself to purify the hotel and destroy those spirits. The more that I think about everything in that last section, the more it bugs me. Maybe I'm not interpreting something correctly. I don't know.

Re: "Doctor Sleep" Reviews/Discussion - 2020 Horror Challenge
 

Even with the collateral damage of her father Abra had the upper hand on Rose the Hat so the stakes did not seem that high to me (it was nice seeing Abra kicking arse though). The main characters sensing each other and having a big showdown reminded me of The Stand too. A nice but unnecessary visit to the Overlook Hotel.

Re: "Doctor Sleep" Reviews/Discussion - 2020 Horror Challenge
 

First time seeing it (watched the director's cut) and really liked it. Even at 3 hours it moved along nicely.