The Shining

The Shining

It took me a long time to actually watch The Shining but when I was at work I noticed that the electronics department had horror movies on sale for Halloween and one of them just so happen to be The Shining. The movie starts with the camera "flying" over the lake of Colorado with very eerie music playing which I did enjoy cause it made the movie more creepy. Jack Torrence was on his way to the Overlook Hotel for a interview to be the new caretaker from November to May. Meanwhile back at home Jack's wife Wendy was telling their son Danny about moving to the Overlook Hotel if his dad got the job but Danny wasn't too pleased with this idea and tells his mom that his imaginary friend Tony doesn't want them to move there. Jack's interview goes great and he gets the job as caretaker and one of the workers tells Jack about the old caretaker in the 70's how he suddenly had a mental breakdown and murdered his wife and his two daughters by killing them with an axe.

If someone told me that someone snapped and killed his family while staying at a hotel I wouldn't even want to go into that hotel let alone live there but apparently that didn't scare him since he took the job. While Jack is still at the hotel Danny starts brushing his teeth while talking to his friend Tony then suddenly he starts to have weird flashback of things that happened before but he doesn't know what it is. After that he had a spazz attack so Wendy called the doctor to come check him out but she didn't really find anything wrong with him that's when Wendy and the doctor started talking about his past and how Jack would drink a lot and one night he got drunk and hurt Danny's arm. They get packed up and head off to the Overlook Hotel, once they got there the guy who interviewed Jack was there and gave the whole family a tour of the hotel. Dick Hallorann the hotel's chef offered to give Danny some ice cream while they showed Wendy the other part of the hotel. While Danny was eating the ice cream Dick talks to him about how he was able to talk to his grandmother without even opening his mouth and his grandmother called it "The Shining"

About a month or so goes by and Jack starts showing signs of anger and Danny's flashbacks start getting worse and more intense. Every now and then he would see two twin girls and then he would see them laying on the floor dead with the whole hallway covered in blood with an axe by their body and it shows blood rushing out of the elevator which in fact was my favorite part of the movie. Time goes by and Jack starts to get more hallucinations and his anger starts to sky rocket. He heads down to the bar and starts to have a conversation with the bartender but there is no one in the bar but Jack. He meets Delbert Grady who use to be the caretaker in the 70's who killed his wife and two daughters. Grady tells Jack that Wendy is starting to become a problem and his son is bringing an outside party into the situation and he needs to stop them before they get out of hand. Jack starts yelling at Wendy so she gets a hold of a baseball bat to defend herself and ended up hitting him over the head knocking him out. She locks him in one of the food storage rooms and tries to get Danny out of the hotel since his hallucinations are getting worse day by day.

Jack gets out of the room and gets an axe and starts chopping up the door to get into the room where Wendy was while he's chopping up the door Wendy opens up one of the windows and puts Danny through it and tells him to run and hide. Once he chopped a big hole in the door he sticks his head up against it and says the famous line "Heeeeeres Johnny!" he sticks his hand through the hole of the door to unlock it and Wendy cuts his hand with a knife, Jack leaves to take care of his hand and Wendy runs out of the room to escape the hotel then she starts seeing ghosts of people who stayed in the hotel in the 70's. Jack runs outside sine he could hear Danny out there so he tries to run after him but couldn't find where he was hiding. After trying to find Danny, Jack starts getting tired since being possessed takes a lot out of you and he's running around in the snow then he gets stuck outside and freezes to death. Wendy and Danny drive away from the hotel in a snow tractor and it shows a picture of the Overlook Hotel Ball in the 1920's with Jack standing in front of the crowed wearing a tux then the closing credits appear.

I really liked this movie and it was one of the best Stephen King movies since my personal favorite Children of the Corn. The music was tastefully done and the acting was wonderful. Jack Nicholson did a great job as Jack Torrence. He was mean, cocky and a major douche bag, every time he opened his mouth I had the sudden urge to punch him in the face. Shelley Duval wasl great as Wendy Torrence, even Danny Lloyd was great as Danny Torrence. The acting in this movie was very outstanding for being in that time back in the 80's. My only complaint of this movie was I wish it was more creepy and more dark, it had some creepy parts but the whole movie in general wasn't very creepy and if they remake this movie since I heard rumors they were thinking about it they should make it more dark and creepy then this one. All in all I did enjoy this movie very much and I would watch it again and it's definitely one of the best horror movies of the 80's. I give this movie 4 1/2 out of 5 Skulls.

Recommendations: The Amityville Horror, Children of the Corn , My Bloody Valentine

JennyB<br />
http://memoirsofascreamqueen.blogspot.com/

THE SHINING

***½

Stephen King's manipulative commercialism and Kubrick's meticulous stylising make for an expectedly but engagingly uneasy combination. The end result is overtly flawed, not least for giving into Nicholson's worst tendencies, but also tense, compulsively watchable and, as lensed by the great, the superhuman John Alcott, visually staggering.

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Last updated: 2010-03-14 05:09:18 by user06

The Shining: Marriage Turned Murderous

Jack Torrance is a torrent of misogyny, denial, and self-loathing: devoured by compulsion, he writes his failure in blood. Director Stanley Kubrick has crafted one of the great horror films: though it deviates from the source novel it stands on its own as a brutal metaphor of secretive domestic violence, the self-destructive impulses of alcoholism, and child abuse that is a preternatural curse, a pre-existing condition that allows Jack to become a violent boy of all work and no play…and his axe isn’t very dull either.

Kubrick creates the dynamic tension from the very beginning as Wendy Carlos’ eerie score haunts Jacks’ tiny VW as it climbs towards the Overlook Hotel, the omniscient viewpoint like some ethereal ghost following his tragic journey. The paternal family is already fractured as Wendy and Danny are left alone while Jack is being interviewed, and the car ride to the Hotel is indicative of their relationship: cold, sparse, and emotionally isolated. Kubrick frames the three of them with Danny in the middle, but the dialogue is icy and static, dreary and rehearsed, a symptom of a family already disintegrating.

Filmed mostly with a Steadicam, the cinematography seems to float and stalk the family, the Overlook like a hulking demon from Danny’s viewpoint. Soon Jack’s mental breakdown comes as no surprise, possessed by some dark power that to him has become a harsh reality. Danny’s gift is only a picture book of ghastly images and dire warnings, while Wendy discovers that a battered woman can indeed find inner strength against her abuser.

Beautifully filmed and masterfully paced, THE SHINING veers towards burlesque with Nicholson’s performance, but it plays perfectly against Shelly Duval’s hysterics, her reactions emotionally claustrophobic and restrained until the final act: she is a woman on the verge of a mental breakdown but, unlike her husband, is able to commit a selfless act to save her son, and find salvation.

THE SHINING is a work of fiction, a Grand Guignol ghost story filled with genre conventions, but strip away the supernatural and the narrative still works on a visceral level: it becomes a believable story of a marriage turned murderous. And herein lies the true horror like the Telltale Heart, a savage rhythm obsessively audible under thin ice. Final Grade: (A+)

Recommendations: The Birds, Breathless (Jean-Luc Godard, 1960), Funny Games

All reviews copyright Korova, Ltd. Visit Alex at his Home Theatre Blog, http://korovatheatrepresents.blogspot.com/

Last updated: 2010-02-27 08:02:36 by AlexDelarge

The Shining

First of all, I have not read Stephen King's "The Shining" (I have started it...but have yet to finish it) and Stephen King did not like Stanley Kubrick's adaptation of his novel (several aspects have been changed in the film version). So judging the movie just as a movie, and not an adaption of a book, "The Shining" is great and one of the best horror movies that I have seen. The reason for this is the great cast led by Jack Nicholson, who is fantastic as usual and someone with whom you would never want to be snowed in at a hotel in Colorado... The rest of the cast includes Shelley Duvall, Danny Lloyd (the reason you do not know who the heck this is is because he made this movie, then a TV movie - yep, one of those, then quit acting to become a teacher and was essentially never heard from in Hollywood ever again), and Scatman Crothers.

Everyone's acting is great in this movie and just adds to the suspense and intensity. The music score in "The Shining" is amazing as well (the same cannot be said for the score in "Carrie" which was awful and ruined a potentially really good movie). The score adds something to every scene and the movie most likely would not have been as scary without it. It fits with all the scenes so well. Would the shower scene in "Psycho" be as famous without the amazing score by Bernard Hermann? Would "Jaws" be "Jaws" without John Williams's score?...the answer is no...don't even argue with me.

Finally, the camera angles in this movie are great and I love talking about them. We start off with beautiful aerial shots of snowy Colorado then throughout the movie there are plenty of great tracking shots and just really well set of scenes. You really need to experience this movie for yourself...plenty of suspense, horror, fun things like that...although a couple scenes I felt didn't have a point and the ending really confused me...that may just be me...I have issues following things...short term memory loss. So yeah...watch it and love it and make sure you are never alone with anyone like Jack Torrence (Jack Nicholson) unless you have a baseball bat...

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THE SHINING (1980)

BACK COVER SYNOPSIS: Think of the greatest terror imaginable. Is it a monstrous alien? A lethal epidemic? Or, as in this harrowing masterpiece from Stanley Kubrick, is it fear of murder by someone who should love and protect you - a member of your own family? From a script he co-adapted from the Stephen King novel, Kubrick melds vivid performances, menacing settings, dreamlike tracking shots and shock after shock into a milestone of the macabre. In a signature role, Jack Nicholson ("Heeeere's Johnny!") plays Jack Torrance, who's come to the elegant, isolated Overlook Hotel as off-season caretaker with his wife (Shelley Duvall) and son (Danny Lloyd). Torrance has never been there before - or has he? The answer lies in a ghostly time warp of madness and murder.

FILM REVIEW: The incredible helicopter shot which opens The Shining which follows a car through the mountains, combined with the downbeat, chilling musical score immediately establishes this horror film as being different to almost all others of its type. The film is loosely based on Stephen King’s horror novel of the same name, although it’s very much a Kubrick film, focusing more on psychological terror rather than traditional horror scares. It’s a unique film in its own right, largely thanks to Kubrick’s esoteric vision, offering some very unique images and a memorable performance from lead star Jack Nicholson. I found many things of interest in this film, although at times it does lag, just as many Kubrick’s films do. Even so, this is absolutely worth checking out, if only to see the famous scene where Nicholson breaks down a door with an axe and loudly proclaims, “Here’s Johnny!!”
One element that you’ll notice straight away when watching this film is that it’s bright. Almost all the images are in full daylight; in many respects this make the psychological terror all the more frightening as we get to see in every detail. There isn’t some monster or ghost lurking in the shadows waiting to jump out at you. For those who love their scares to be cattle-prod in nature then you might not like The Shining, but for those who are in to exploring psychological terrors and dilemmas, then this might be right up your alley.
Jack Nicholson is superb as Jack Torrance, a writer who takes the job as winter caretaker of the Overlook hotel, despite getting a strong warning from the owners that the previous caretaker went mad and chopped up his family with an axe in those various same walls. He moves in to the hotel with his wife Wendy (Shelley Duvall) and son Danny (Danny Lloyd) and at first, everything appears normal. But soon, things are not as they seem, as Jack slowly descends in to madness, eventually fulfilling the same fate as his predecessor but ultimately ends up dead himself before he can get to his family.
Jack’s son Danny has a special gift called The Shining, an ability to telepathically communicate messages, a talent he shares with the head chef Dick Hallorann. It is through this telepathic ability that Kubrick assembles some very memorable images, including the river of blood which comes gushing out of the elevators, the two dead girls in a lonely hallway that have been chopped to bits, and the mysterious, disfigured old woman in the bathroom. All of these images will send chills down your spine. But the thrills turn in to high gear when Jack starts to turn on his family; one particularly great moment is when Jack is chasing his wife through the house with a baseball bat, trying to soothe her with the words, “I’m not going to hurt you, I’m just going to bash your brains in…”.
As with all of Kubrick’s films, the picture is a visual delight, even in its square frame 1.33:1 aspect ratio. As mentioned earlier, the opening helicopter shot is a marvel of design, timing and framing, and this is followed by sequence after sequence of memorable images at the Overlook Hotel. The steadicam shots in the hedge maze are truly amazing. The pacing of the film is a little problematic and at times it does seem to drag (but I’ve found this with most Kubrick films except for Eyes Wide Shut). However, this is more than up for with the atmosphere that’s generated in the film, particularly in the sequences where Jack sees people in the hotel that aren’t really there, who urge him to commit actions he otherwise would never act upon.
The Shining is a unique horror film with memorable performances and sequences; it may not be for everyone, especially the horror buffs who like their scares executed in more traditional ways, but nevertheless, this is a memorable film worth checking out.

TECHNICAL REVIEW: The video transfer for the most part is great for a film of this age. There are still the odd film scratches here and there, and some of the images are probably not as vibrant as they could be but overall it’s a solid transfer. The transfer is presented in a 1.33:1 aspect ratio, as intended by Stanley Kubrick so those with widescreen televisions will see the black bars on either side of the picture. The audio is likewise of the same quality, faithfully represented the original dialogue track and the dreaded musical score. Overall, it’s a very good transfer.

EXTRAS REVIEW: The extras package is a little short on material unfortunately, although there is an excellent making-of featurette filmed by Vivian Kubrick at the time of shooting which goes behind the scenes and reveals some fascinating tidbits of Kubrick at work. Watching Kubrick tear in to his lead actress when she messes up a shot the crew spent hours preparing is somewhat legendary to watch, especially considering how brutal he is. Jack Nicholson is also fun to watch in the film, but you can tell that the atmosphere on set must have been tense. Apart from that, there’s some subtitles and a trailer. The featurette is great but I would have liked to have seen a lot more.

BOTTOM LINE: Worth having in the collection.

FILM RATING: 8/10 -- EXTRAS RATING: 6/10 -- OVERALL DVD RATING: 7.5/10 

Todd Murphy <br />
http://www.allaboutmovies.net

The Shining [1980] — 8

Now this movie is a classic, straight up genius movie that even to this day is still creepy. I don’t know how Stanley Kubrick made his movies so insanely interesting that no matter how many times you watch them, you actually catch new things, or you completely forget about one part of them.

I am a huge fan of Stanley Kubrick and this is one of his finest films. The only thing that bothers me about his filmmaking is that he likes to shoot in a square format; you know the type that old TV’s were in. With a widescreen TV nowadays, it makes it obsolete that he actually liked to do this. But other than that one thing, he still made amazing movies.

Also this is one of Jack Nicholson’s famous movies. And he plays the act so well it’s ridiculous, but it is my belief that this is the movie that him as famous as he is nowadays.

Now as I was watching I noticed a lot of things about the movie. 1. The music was very intense, but it was designed to not be the focal point at any time. 2. Sometimes the actors made the music, like with the boy, he would be driving his bike through the hotel and he would go across carpet, and wood floors each making a different tone, this was actually a beat, and if you paid attention you could hear it. 3. I never caught before that the hotel was built over an Indian burial ground. That makes all the difference when you are talking about the paranormal.

There are of course things to dislike about the movie. Like how the hell did Jack get out of Dry storage? Why is Jack in the picture at the end of the film? Why and how did he go insane, and when did it actually begin?

I could go on, but the movie is just so great, its hard to pick at it for too long. Stanley Kubrick has a knack of sealing almost every loophole that you could think of.

All in all if you haven’t seen this movie yet, then you sir are missing out and need to get on that ASAP.

Base Score = 8
-1 for being in a square format
+1 for Jack Nicholson
-1 for a handful of unanswered questions
+1 for music
=8/10

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Last updated: 2010-01-12 02:06:50 by Tolll

The Shining

What happens when you combine the distinguished directing style of Stanley Kubrick and the incomparable acting of Jack Nicholson? You get one of the most poignant and effective horror films of the century. Deeply psychological and utterly brilliant, The Shining sends the viewer to a world where evil reigns over all with a chilling force. Jack Nicholson plays Jack Torrance, a recovering alcoholic who is just trying to make ends meet for his family. Shelley Duvall plays his wife Wendy, a woman who has accepted her husbands past mistakes and is looking to move onto better things for her family. His son Danny, played by Danny Lloyd, possesses a special power that he doesn't quite understand yet. When Jack gets a job as caretaker of The Overlook Hotel for the winter, Danny soon begins to feel that the hotel's walls contain more than just comfy beds and colorful carpeting. After a blizzard strikes and separates the family from the rest of the world, Jack begins to feel the strain of seclusion.

Through the use of frightening images and unforgettable camera work, Kubrick guides us on a paranormal journey that is sure to be cemented in our dreams forever. His use of the tracking shots gives an atmosphere of a creeping evil that is lurking around every corner. When we are in Stanley's world, nowhere is safe. Very few people are capable of capturing sheer terror in such a raw form. Fans of the original novel, written by Stephen King, will probably be quite upset with the director, as his adaptation is very different than the source material.

Jack Nicholson is outstanding as his character slowly slips into the murky depths of insanity. His performance seems all too real as he begins to see people around the hotel that aren't really there. The authenticity of his hatred and malevolence will frighten you to no end, as will his devilish smile that epitomizes evil.

The one problem I had with this film was Shelley Duvall. Granted, her job was mainly just to look scared and act helpless, but she did so in the most irritating way. Her over-acting ruined some scenes that were otherwise great. Luckily, Jack was there to make up for every mistake she made. But I will say one good thing about Duvall. She truly looked terrified as she saw that axe drive it's way through the door. That one image does a very nice job of summing up the overall feeling of the entire movie.

The Shining has proved to be a timeless horror film, as it has now been over 25 years since it's release. In this day and age, films of this genre focus on the blood and gore aspects of horror. It is very refreshing when you are able to watch a scary movie that focuses on the suspense rather than the actual kill. As a matter of fact, there is only ONE on screen killing in the entire film. By today's standards, that is considered very tame. But then again, the majority of horror movies released now suck. (See my review of Halloween). My rating: (10/10)

The Shining

I’m sorry Stanley Kubrick is no longer with us. First, I think he would have loved this review and second, I would have wanted to thank him for allowing us enjoy (or fear) his gift as a film maker.
This is by far one of Jack Nicholson’s best works if not the best. Who can forget the famous phrase from the film: “Here’s Johnny” and his insane look as he peaks through the blasted door?

The Shining was a great novel by horror writer Stephen King and it’s even a better movie made by Kubrick. Who else can deliver so much power, so much fear, so much insanity into the screen than Kubrick? No one…that’s why he is the greatest.

The sound is terrific, you can feel the insanity taking over the hotel little by little and the music helps as well. The quiet moments with bits of music here and there help the fear take over our bodies and minds. The cast is Nicholson, his acting makes the movie what it is…when Jack goes insane, you know you hit the jackpot, and when it happens in a deserted hotel, well…it’s fireworks everywhere! The best special effects scene is the pile of blood rushing and streaming through the corridors, soon to be spilled in your living room…and you know there’s more of that…

The Shining is one of the greatest films ever made and if you haven’t seen it, well…I guess you’re not from around here. Everyone should see this masterpiece. It’s a scary movie, it’s a great movie and it’s a movie you would want to see in a dark room just so you could feel Jack breathing next to you. Kubrick shows the world here how to truly make a horror film. Little by little, we all go mad by the end of the film. I’m just sorry there won’t be another movie like this one. So Mr. Kubrick, wherever you may be, from the bottom of my heart I’d like to say two words – Thank You!

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Jessie