This is pure mythology. No he wasn't. Most actors speak fondly of him.
A lot of contemporary critics and fans were expecting a straightforward adaptation of the book, so when it turned it wasn't and did its own thing altogether, it was tough for them to reconcile with what they wound up getting, especially with King being so outspoken on his dislike of the film even back then. Not that it's anything new for Kubrick in particular, since so few of his films had overwhelmingly positive reception on their release, but it's hard to imagine what the world of horror films would have been like had the film not turned out exactly the way that it did, and I can't even imagine how folks who despised it back when it was new would think of its reception these days.
Yeah, the early 80s especially felt like one of those times where folks just did not know what to expect out of genre pictures and weren't prepared for them to break down a lot of barriers in terms of what could be done with them. I immediately think of the likes of Videodrome and the original Maniac for others that received overdue praise and respect after initial drubbings.
Nah, Jack didn't much like making the film himself, since the script was being changed constantly (he wouldn't know his lines until they were ready to start shooting for that day) and Kubrick's shooting style was much slower than he had been used to on other films. Danny Lloyd was about the only actor on the set that had a good time, and that's only because Kubrick made a special effort to protect him from harming him emotionally as a result of him being so young and working on a horror film. Heck, Wendy Duvall is carrying a dummy of him when she's carrying him around towards the end of the film since Kubrick didn't want to have him around with so much screaming going on.
That's not fair to say but it's a very Resetera thing to say.
The only bad thing he ever said about Kubrick was how disappointed he was that he never kept in touch after shooting the film. Arduous a shoot as it was, McDowell was really damn proud of the work he did with Kubrick, and I know that both Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall have said as much themselves on The Shining.
Well said. It is the worst kind of criticism, to me. Critiquing something based on expectation and what it isnt, instead of what it is. Still happens today.
