When Jack Torrance takes a job as a hotel’s winter caretaker, he and his wife and son move to this hotel that has a sinister spiritual influence over its winter inhabitants. After a month, Jack begins to have strange violent outbursts whilst his son has frightening premonitions about the hotel’s past. Concerned wife and mother Wendy proposes that they leave the hotel for both the boys' mental health. Jack doesn’t like that…not one bit.
“Herreeeee’s Johnny!” I have always wanted to write that in something.
The Shining is one of those iconic films that has been sampled over and over again in other movies and TV shows. I figure if I’m to start watching horror films, I may as well start with the classics and Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining is definitely one of those.
When Jack Torrance takes a job as the winter caretaker for a hotel, he and his wife Wendy and his son Danny move to the hotel for five months. Jack sees the five months of solitude as a golden opportunity to finish a writing project, but after the first month he starts to have strange and violent outbursts and go a little mad. Meanwhile Danny is having nightmarish visions about the hotel’s sinister past as well as menacing encounters with ghostly past inhabitants. Deeply concerned for the mental health of both her boys, Wendy proposes that they leave the hotel. Jack doesn’t like that…not one bit. And under the hotel’s sinister spiritual influence, he begins to get more and more unhinged.
This was a wonderful film that got everything right! The characters, the story, the music, and the effects all fitted together perfectly to make a powerful and psychologically thrilling horror.
I believe that music plays a very large part in establishing the mood of movies, horror movies in particular. The music in The Shining was absolutely, spine-tinglingly, hauntingly, brilliant! It forcefully created the suspense of the moment and then really hit you with the shock of what will happen when you round the corner. Sometimes silent, all the while deadly! Absolutely brilliant!
I particularly like the camera tricks in this movie and the way certain scenes were put together. For many scenes in the film, the camera is following the actors, providing the feeling of a ghostlike presence. Really powerful and spine-tingling.
And what kind of person would I be if I didn’t mention the wonderful performance given by our leading man!? Jack Nicholson is the psycho himself and he plays the part wonderfully. The camera loves Jack, but it does love him in a really sinister way. It’s his eyes and that sinister curl of his mouth that makes you shiver in this film. From his intent stares to his sinister smiling, Jack embodies everything that is creepy and provided a truly and wonderfully insane performance in this flick. I loved it!
Based on the novel by Stephen King and filled with suspense, nightmarish visions, grim and ghoulish characters, and an ending that will really make you think, The Shining is a perfectly crafted horror that will have you wringing your hands in suspense and enjoyment. A timeless classic.
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.
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