Last Podcast On The Left
Last Podcast On The Left
"He's my hero. He's my favorite author. He has been, since I was a kid. And I think the reason why I think what, you know, to your question about what about him and his writing really grabs me, um, it's that he's not really writing horror. You know, he, it's about his characters. He's, he's writing, um, these humanistic explorations of, of such kind of relatable and profound human ideas. And they just happened to kind of be told through the lens of horror." — Mike Flanagan
"And then you read it and it means so much. But yeah, it's really, it's kind of a lovely, lovely note he did there." — Henry Zabrowski
"You know, I want people to to walk out feeling the way I felt when I walked onto the set of the Colorado Lounge in the Overlook Hotel. It was so much like walking into a memory for me, kind of walking into a dream of a movie that's so near and dear to me." — Mike Flanagan
The episode features an in-depth interview with director Mike Flanagan regarding his work on "Doctor Sleep," the sequel to Stanley Kubrick's "The Shining." Hosts Ben Kitzel and Henry Zabrowski discuss the monumental task of following such an iconic film and the unique relationship Stephen King has with his literary adaptations. Flanagan expresses his long-standing admiration for King, highlighting that King's work often transcends traditional horror by focusing on profound humanistic explorations of relatable ideas, which is a key inspiration for his own filmmaking.
The conversation navigates the complexities of adapting "Doctor Sleep," a story that deals heavily with themes of addiction and recovery, drawing a contrast with the original "Shining" which explored King's personal struggles with alcoholism and his anxieties about family. Flanagan emphasizes that Ewan McGregor's portrayal of an adult Danny Torrance is centered on his journey through sobriety. He also discusses the challenge of incorporating elements of psychic phenomena, such as "the shine" and the "true knot," while maintaining a grounded emotional core, stressing that the universality of human anxieties, like the fear of being "drained" emotionally, makes these concepts resonate.
Flanagan also shares his approach to directing, contrasting his collaborative and actor-supportive methods with the famously demanding style of Stanley Kubrick. He speaks about the significance of filming at the Stanley Hotel, the real-life inspiration for "The Shining," and the profound impact Stephen King's work has had on the horror genre. The interview concludes with Flanagan's reflections on the thematic importance of recovery and responsibility within "Doctor Sleep," and his hope that audiences will have an enjoyable and emotionally resonant experience with the film.