The Shining

Rating:
Summary: A magic movie
Review: Visually and aurally this movie reminds us of the magic that exist "Out There". It's a funhouse ride that leads you along with vistas of gradeur and reminders of life's unexplainables. A unique treat that illustrates life's moments of beautiful strangness, "The Shining" haunts you and grips you deep, delivering as rich an experience as one could want from a movie.

Rating:
Summary: A Good Film but for purest of the book, not as good.
Review: It's amazing how many people didn't read the book before seeing the film (especially if you read reviews of the book). I'm one of the few people who read the book before seeing what was so commonly called "Kubrick's Masterpiece."

Is The Shining a good movie? Sure it is. It's a great movie if you put the book aside and forget it's supposed to be based off the book. In it's own right, it is a good film. But for the book... it really isn't all it's cracked up to be.

To put it simply, the movie doesn't really follow the book all that well. It's almost an original film. That shouldn't suggest it's a bad film though. As I said, in its own right it's a farily good film. But if you really do want to compare it to the book, you'll find yourself disappointed.

Jack Nicholson plays Jack Torrance, a man who is hired to be a caretaker of the Overlook Hotel during the harsh winter. But there's a history behind the hotel that only those gifted with "The Shining" know. And only Jack's son Danny really knows.

The movie actually is easy to understand (some reviewer said it wasn't) if you actually watch the film. It really is one of those movies that if you stick with it, your questions will be answered. Although, there are some moments from the book I wish they would've included. For example, Danny's "Shining" isn't explained very well, and the movie never actually touches base with where the Overlook's employees go on their time off. Somwhere along the lines one of the characters winds up in Miami but the movie never tells you why he's there (or that he actually ever went). The book explains everything. One should not have to wonder why a character is where they are... especially if the character runs off to a different state without so much as a word or picture from the director.

There are other little things that can be buggy about the film. A kid has an "imaginary" friend named Tony. He says Tony lives in his mouth, but the movie shows us that Tony is his finger. I won't go on to tell you more about the book, but that already doesn't make much sense. That and REDRUM doesn't really play any significance in the movie the way it did in the book.

Now at first I thought I was going to hate this movie, but there was some saving grace: When Jack goes insane and tries to kill his family.

The moment Jack starts talking to Lloyd, the bartender (who is actually a ghost) the movie starts to pick up, and you forget it's supposed to be based off a book. This is because Jack Nichelson really gets into the part and finally starts to do some acting.

The entire chase between Danny and his father is perhaps the most memorable moment in the movie. There are other memorable parts as well. Take the moment when Jack smashes though the door, pokes his head in and says "Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeere's Johnny!" It's a classic line.

The movie is also scary. Is it as scary as the book? Not by a long shot! The book was perhaps the scariest piece of fiction I've ever read, but the movie doesn't hit that level.

Really, if you forget it's supposed to be based off the classic novel by Stephen King then you will love this movie! But if you're a purist of the book, you'll quickly find yourself hating the movie fast. Luckily, I'm not a purist, only someone who likes to compare.

In it's own right, it's a good film. When compared to the book; it's woozy and neglects to explain or touch base with anything. It's well directed and scripted, but sometimes it seems to forget that there is an audience who will want answers to questions. And to some of them, you'll have to read the book.



Rating:
Summary: Stanley Kubrick's horror masterpiece
Review: It is a fairly slow movie however, it will keep you on edge the entire movie. There's high pitched very suspenseful music even when there is nothing scary about to happen. The main freaky things that occur are the lady in room "237", the flashing in the beginning of the movie of the twins, blood from the elevator, and the child screaming, another freaky part consists of the redrum discovery by Mrs. Torrence and the fluxuation of the boys voice. The constant switching of the pictures of the girls alive and dead were also very scary. When the movie comes to these parts be aware, it may scare the crap out of you. Although it isn't that scary when you think about it, It makes the movie all the more freaky. And I never did understand the point of the pig and the guy on the bed.

Whats with that?

Rating:
Summary: A viewer
Review: Stanley Kubrick's "The Shining" is for me, probably one of the finest "atmospheric" horror films ever made, thanks to his style of photography and choice of sound track to heighten suspense. Kubrick's unique style of cinematography is reflected in his previous works, so in a sense you could always spot a Kubrick film. Some critics have argued that Kubrick's films are too clinical and can leave the audiences somewhat detached, but I guess that's up to the beholder. Jack Nicholson gives one of his best, if not, manic performance since "One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest". "The Shining" is a masterpiece you must see!