The Shining author Stephen King remains one of Hollywood's favorite authors to adapt. Dozens of his works have been adapted for the big and small screen, with some faring better than others. Salem's Lot is the most recent King work to be adapted, and director Osgood Perkins' The Monkey is set to hit theaters later this month. Many of the most acclaimed and celebrated adaptations of King's work, however, date back to the '70s, '80s, and '90s.
The Shining from 1980 still stands as one of the most loved adaptations of a King book. Director Stanley Kubrick's movie, which tells the story of a father who descends into madness while with his family at the haunted Overlook Hotel, earned positive reviews from audiences and critics alike, though King himself infamously didn't care for it. , with Shelley Duvall and Danny Lloyd starring as Wendy Torrance and Danny Torrance, respectively.
A surreal new video imagines The Shining crossing over with Xanadu. Released the same year as Kubrick's King adaptation, (Olivia Newton-John). The film was panned by critics and a box office disappointment at the time, but it has since become a cult classic for its '80s soundtrack, unique premise, and special effects.
Sam Kalidi now shares an AI-generated video imagining what it would look like if The Shining and Xanadu crossed over. The result may feature characters from The Shining like Danny, Jack, and the twins, but it totally abandons that movie's dark and suspenseful tone. With Newton-John's Xanadu theme playing in the background, the , with Jack shown at one point gliding around on roller skates. Check out the video below:
Though AI is a divisive topic, the above video certainly shows how it can be used harmlessly to mash two properties together to create something that is, at the very least, amusing. The performances from The Shining cast are a major reason why that film works, and because it's so different from how he is in the movie.
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The video also speaks to the enduring reputations of both and Xanadu. The former still stands as one of the best horror movies ever made, while the latter has been cemented as an '80s cult classic. The two titles definitely make for an odd and unexpected pairing, and it might be best that the crossover not extend beyond a short, AI-generated creation.
Source: @samkalidi
