What can you really say about Jack Nicholson's nerve-wrenching performance as writer turned psychopath Jack Torrance in Stanley Kubricks seminal horror movie that hasnt been said already? The image of Nicholson peering through an axe-damaged doorway has become so iconic that it's been parodied by everyone from The Simpsons to the Nostalgia Critic. Nicholson goes all-out when the character finally snaps, injecting the slow-burning psychological horror movie with a huge burst of manic energy, full of deranged facial expressions and wild gesticulations. Though, at one point Kubrick strongly considered Robert De Niro for the part of the deranged hotel caretaker. The director reportedly changed his mind after seeing him in Taxi Driver and went with his original choice, Nicholson. Stephen King famously said that Nicholson was all wrong for the lead role, and felt that they needed more of an everyman. Could De Niro have been that everyman? Perhaps, but he wouldn't have been nearly as entertaining as ole Jackie boy! Are there any other interesting horror movie "what ifs" you'd like to add to the list? Let us know in the comment section below.
Jesse Gumbarge is editor and chief blogger at JarvisCity.com - He loves old-school horror films and starting pointless debates. You can reach out at: JesseGumbarge@JarvisCity.com
