Sunday, 10 November 2019

Doctor Sleep - The scoop and digest

Mike Flanagan adapts Stephen King's novel of same name, which also serves as a sequel to Kubrick's classic and combines elements of original novel.

The whole nine yards then.

Ewan McGregor - Dan Torrance
Rebecca Ferguson - Rose the Hat
Kyliegh Curran - Abra Stone
Cliff Curtis - Ben Freeman
Zahn McClarnon - Crow Daddy
Emily Alyn Lind - Snakebite Andi
Selena Anduze - Apron Annie
Robert Longstreet - Barry the Chunk

Summary

Still traumatised by events at the Overlook, a hard-drinking Danny (now Dan) is doing his level best to distance himself from society.

But when fellow telepath Abra (as in cadabra) tracks him down, alcoholism takes a back seat and ass is dragged back into the supernatural world.

She requires his help to escape from Rose the Hat's cult The True Knot, who in their quest for immortality, suck gifted children dry of 'steam' to delay aging process.

In order to fend off head shine vampire, Dan must literally revisit the past.

Shined off

For nearly 2 hours, I was really bored, but third act woke me up.

Of course, nostalgic sequence owes everything to Kubrick's genius.

Complete with dodgy accent, McGregor was okay, as are those in support, but Ferguson is neither menacing or interesting.

Who knows if intentional, but when True Knot are feeding, glowing eyes smacks of Village of the Damned.

Source material is largely followed, but primary change is how Rose dies.

In the book, with the help of Jack's spirit, she's pushed off a high platform, but here - Dan unleashes the Overlook's ghosts from one of his boxes who swarm all over her.

I suppose the ultimate question is would we give a shit if this didn't exist?

Probably not.

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