by Jason Daniel Baker

Created on: July 09, 2008

The Shining (1980) Starring Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Scatman Crothers, Barry Nelson, Joe Turkel, Danny Lloyd, Phillip Stone, Anne Jackson, Tony Burton, Billie Gibson, Lia Beldam, Barry Dennen, David Baxt, Manning Redwood, Alison Coleridge, Jana Sheldon, Kate Phillips, Robin Pappas, Burnell Tucker, Norman Gay.

Directed by Stanley Kubrick.

Runtime: 90 minutes.

Rating: (Horror Violence, and Coarse Language)

"There ain't nothin' in room 237"

One of the most deeply disturbing horror films in the history of American cinema.

Within the isolated and claustrobic setting of in the Colorado Rockies in a lush mountainside hotel resort during its five month offseason, alcoholic writer Jack Torrance (Nicholson) works as caretaker. Having relocated from Vermont with his spectacularly homely wife Wendy and flaky son Danny (who has a creepy imaginary friend named Tony) he is looking for a change. It is his dreamjob and would be for many of us given the immaculate living arrangement it provides.

Since Jack is a writer he also likes the potential it has for quiet and isolation to concentrate on his prose. He has been hired after an excellent interview and things look too good to be true. But he is informed of a couple of troubling facts relating to the hotels past. He is told that it was host to a multiple murder spree and was built over indian burial grounds (check me in!).

The family is haunted by the memory of an axe murder that happened in same hotel some years before and numerous other bizarre phenomena. Jack goes completely insane. But he was a little bit out there before taking up residence in the hotel anyway.

Jack, as we hear has a history of violence and alcoholism. Like most writers he is less difficult to deal when having a bout of writers block than he is when he is actually inspired and flowing with ideas. His wife probably looked a lot better back when he was drinking and seemed a lot less irritating. Interupting his work the way she does strikes a bigger nerve than usual.

Atmospheric shots of panoramic vistas give way to close-ups that are surreal in their ugliness and the composition is well accentuated by a kind of clash of light and shadow. I don't know if enough fans of this movie appreciate the production value of the deliciously desolate Overlook Hotel set. Its own depth and balance give an added dimension to telling the story that is essential to communicating the isolation of the characters and situation.

This mainstream horror classic captures the feel of

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>