Rating: 
Summary: For once, Hollywood does it right
Review: Stephen King's books have usually made a transition to the screen ranging from so-so to god-awful, but in "The Shining", Stanley Kubrick has made a movie that is actually better than the book. It's tight, spare, lean, mean, and spooky as hell. From the marvelous opening, of a lone Beetle making its way up a spectacularly beautiful and utterly empty mountainous terrain, we get a sense of the crushing loneliness and isolation that eventually drives the film's protagonist over the edge, coupled with his out-of-control alcoholism. Jack Nicholson is a diabolical presence as Jack Torrance, the frustrated playwright who takes an off-season job as caretaker of a once-glamorous hotel gone slightly to seed; after being kicked out of his teaching position at a posh prep school, it's the only job he can find to support his clueless wife and his five year old son Danny. Danny has the "shine" on him, which means he has the gift of Sight, and he is able to see, as neither of his parents can, the ghastly doings that have haunted the old hotel where he and his family are trapped for the long winter. Jack's descent into madness and his wife's growing panic are wonderfully portrayed in the film. Probably nobody else could have played this part as effectively as Nicholson; with his peaked eyebrows and sardonic, twisted grin, he even looks devilish. Shelly Duvall as his wife overdoes the shaking and quaking in some scenes, but she is very good as the wife who just wants to protect their son and get them both out of this possessed hellhole alive. The only disappointment in the film was the diminished role of the cook Hallorann, who understands Danny's gift because he shares it; although Scatman Crothers was very good indeed in this part, we saw much more of him in the book and we should have seen more of him in the movie. The cinematography and the music are both excellent and effectively contribute to the film's atmosphere of haunting isolation and insulation. King must have been glad when he saw this movie that at least one of his books came out right on film.
Rating: 
Summary: Pathetic attempt to increase the book's excellence
Review: I saw both the movie and read the book at the age of 12.
The book horrified me to no end, probably because I was three years under King's suggested age to start reading his novels.
The movie did not scare me. At all. From lazy directing to poor acting, it truly stunk. And if the best horror film ever made could not scare a 12 year old, then we have a problem.
Many people believe the movie is better because of all the things Kubrick added. Tony speaking like a frog with a sore throat, two annoying little girls, and elevators full of blood. He missed out on the book's most important theme: Alcoholism can destroy a family. When you leave that, its just your average ghost film, and it unravels like someone undoing a sweater by pulling a string.
I cannot imagine how silly it is to see Kubrick fans marvel at 'the man in the beaver/bear/dog suit' and wondering what it signified, what Kubrick meant, while the book explained it in gory detail.
What really got me mad was how Kubrick bastaridized Jack. Jack was a loving father who was slowly driven insane by the hotel. It was heart-breaking and scary to see a man like him turn against his family. Watching Nicholson walk around screeching one-liners like Freddy Krueger ruined the book's power. And don't get me started on Shelley Duvall.
Rating: 
Summary: What's the Big Deal?
Review: When I think of a horror movie, I think of a film that is going to scare me in some way. There doesn't have to be any gore involved, no actual acts of violence need to be shown (the greatest horror directors know that less is more), and I usually am startled at least a couple of times. I didn't find THE SHINING to be a scary movie. At times it was disturbing, but it really never was scary. The movie stars Jack Nicholson as Jack Torrance, a writer who is hired to be the winter caretaker of a huge hotel in Colorado. The hotel, the Overlook, is over twenty-five miles away from any inhabitants and is in such a secluded area that the place is virtually cut off from the rest of the world during the winter. Jack moves his wife, Wendy (Shelley Duvall) and his son Danny (Danny Lloyd) to the hotel with him. Danny has a type of ESP that he learns from the hotel's cook is called the shining. The shining allows him to see events from the past and forsee events in the future and speak into other shiners minds. Danny's gift warns him that the hotel is full of evil and is haunted by ghosts, but even Danny's mother doesn't really listen to Danny until he starts chanting "redrum" in a strange voice. By, then Jack is a total psycho and wants to live up to the ghostly Joneses and butcher his family just like the ghosts that haunt the hotel. Jack Nicholson is usually always a joy to watch and THE SHINING is no exception. His portrayal of a man driven mad by alcoholism, mistakes from the past, cabin fever, and a haunted hotel is riveting. Shelley Duvall pulls of a remarkable job of a wife blinded by false hope to all signs of trouble until it is almost too late. And Danny Lloyd is a delight to watch as the young boy blessed with a gift to powerful to control. Kubrick may have been satirizing the horror genre in this film. Or maybe he wanted to make an "artful" horror movie. I'm not really sure. However, outside of a few disturbing scenes (e.g. the lady in the bathtub), THE SHINING isn't scary. It doesn't cause one to think; it doesn't really examine the nature of evil; and outside of a few famous lines (heeeeere's Johnny) is forgettable. The movie was just plain strange and wierd in a very bizarre way. It reminded me of a Coen Brothers picture, but without much taste or class. I don't really know what the big deal is about, but unless your a huge Kubrick, King, or movie fan I really wouldn't reccommend THE SHINING. It's rather dull.
Rating: 
Summary: HERE'S JOHNNY!!!!
Review: Probably Stephen King's best work. The shining is one of the creepiest, spookiest movies ever made. If your looking for blood and gore this movie wouldn't be for you. If you want an eerie feeling and some spine-tingling this may be for you.
Despite hearing a horrifying tale of the previous hotel keeper(Grady) that lost his mind and brutally slaughtered his wife and twin daughters Jack Nicholson(Jack Torrence)and Shelly Duval(Wendy Torrence) decide to watch over a hotel in the mountains during the off season. Jack feels the quiet will help him finish the novel he's been working on. They bring along their young son Danny. Danny has a special ability to communicate telepathically. As the days go along the Jack begins losing his mind and we begin seeing the eerie visuals of the previously murdered family. The plot is a strong one. It starts off slow but builds to a great climax. This movie is certainly is remembered for two things I believe. The scene where King spills gallons and gallons of blood out of the elevator and the line "Here's Johnny" as the crazed Nicholson chops down the door with an axe in pursuit of his wife. Whether your a fan of suspenseful thrillers, a Stephen King fan, or just a fan of a well made movie The Shining is worthy of your collection.
Rating:
Summary: Dont let Spielberg get near this movie or remake it
Review: Classic movie free in style exactly the opposite from Spielberg ,who knows how he persuaded Kubrick just before he died to make a movie with him. Jack Nicholson at his best form , beatiful landscapes of America and old fashioned classic movie in colors.
Jack is menacing but not annoying like harry potter or spielberg's actors.
Rating:
Summary: Shining Bright
Review: Admittedly not the King novel, this film still manages to frighten in its own way. The beginning is somewhat stilted and there are times you think someone is right next to you, nudging and winking, "Oh, yeah, there's trouble ahead. You see it, don't you, huh? Huh?" There's also the line-by-line delivery in some of the earlier scenes especially between the cook and the little boy that made me want to scream: "Get on with it!" It almost seemed like the cook would say something and then look meaningfully at the little boy as if to say, "Ahem...it's your line. Now. Today." Pity Haley Joel Osment wasn't around to take his place. Once you get beyond that, though, the beginning is also an understated stunning opener! Think about it...was the hotel really so menacing when people were walking around? ...Then you get into the meat of the movie, with its abandoned halls and wide, open and VERRRRY quiet spaces, then it becomes extremely menacing. Chilling moments abound in the film. My most notable favorite is Shelley Duvall's discovery of the hundreds of pages with the words ... to almost look like a real book when viewed from afar. The hedge maze is spectacular, although it is sad that the film was made too early to make the hedge monsters a compelling reality. The film's ending (though not spoiled here) differs from the novel, but I liked it so much better...P>The film manages to get under your skin with Jack Nicholson's character development. Worth getting...and it still manages to scare, too!
Rating:
Summary: Stylish and scary
Review: They just don't make horror movies like The Shining anymore. This masterpiece by Stanley Kubrick is an example of how a good horror flick is supposed to be made. Excellent direction and photography, those trademark Kubrick moving tracking shots, and great acting by both Jack Nicholson (definately a signature performance) and Shelly Duval. Well developed charecters and an intriguing plot that slowly builds to the dramatic climax. The Shining is one of the few horror movies that is actually scary and NOT just stupid. If you want a horror flick packed with action and supernatural monsters, this is not the movie for you. If on the other hand, you want an excellent story, superior movie making, spooky ambiance, this haunting masterpiece should be in your DVD collection.
The DVD has a "Making of The Shining" documentary and a commentary by Vivian Kubrick, that gives you a rare glips into the genious movie making process of the late Mr. Kubrick. The disc also features an excellent thetrical trailer.
Rating:
Summary: Very Scary Arthouse Fare
Review: This movie starts out slow and progressively gets scarier and scarier. Thats what I liked, some people may want more speed, but I find that it makes it more scary slowly building up to the ultimately freaky frightful ending. I say freaky because Kubrick makes this film weird and strange. There is one shot of two people in the hotel room, obviously ghosts, and one is dressed up like a mouse or some other strange kind of animal. It just has a strange twist to the normal scare tactics. The movie has alot of beauty to it. The blood scene coming out of the doors and flooding the room is of course horror, but it also has an artsy touch to it. I recently watched it with some kids and they were very bored at first, not enough action for them, but if I kept them focused on it, telling them things about it, kept refocusing them on it, they got really scared. They wanted me to turn it off after the old lady in the bathtub. I just love the acting. The little boys withdrawn nature and how he talked for Tony. Shelly Duvall and her naive, passive nature. Also some of the looks she gives when all the scary stuff is happening are priceless. Jack is great as head of the family turns demonic, but always with a comic edge. The movie takes that bizarre turn and mixes some real scary stuff and pairs it with strange scenes or as I said there was a sort of comedy attached to the way Jack was acting, even though it was awful, which I think made it even more the scarier. Like a man just really going through a mental breakdown. Overall, one of my favorite scary movies! A definate go see, if you don't have to be scared right away, and can allow the movie just to flow. Lisa Nary
Rating:
Summary: Good, not as good as the book but good
Review: Stanley Kubric mind of horror along with Stephen Kings chilling master piece novel make this a much watch. And with DVD. The special features will have you screaming for your 'mummy'.
The stroyline is mainly revolves around the mysterious Overlook Hotel. Ex-alcholohlic Jack Torrance[ Jack Nicholson] takes on the winter caretakers jb of the hotel. Little do they know it is haunted. Haunted by Grady and his family. Grady, the past caretaker and his family who he brutally murderderd with an axe and commited suicide with an axe. Frightening. Grady convinces Jack to kill his family for a drink. God, does he need a drink. Danny or Doc as his parents call him is telapathic and has what Mr Halloran[ The chef] calls 'The Shining'. The power to read other peoples thoughts. When he is at the overlook. REDRUM appears many times. Only a mirror will tell it's true identity.
What follows are gruesome sequences with the legendry seen when Jack smashes through a door and screams.'HEEEEERES JOHNY'.
[Pictured above]/ Not as well composed as the novel but well worth watching.
Rating:
Summary: Classic horror versus fine analysis of alcoholism
Review: In 1975 King stayed with his family in a hotel in the Colorado mountains, and there "The Shining" was conceived, to be published two years later. Already famous, with this book King entered the hall of fame where he resides to this day. In 1980 Stanley Kubrick directed a bone-chilling silver screen adaptation of "The Shining", starring Jack Nicholson. A breakthrough in cinematography, the film defined the modern horror as it was. Strangely, it does not diverge from the book as much as the author claims it does. With one slight irrelevant exception of an ending, there was only one issue that enraged King, and created animosity between the two giants ever after. Whereas Kubrick put emphasis on madness, King wanted the film to have dealt more with the alcoholism and the wreckage of personality. Therefore in 1997 we had a chance to see the TV miniseries directed by Mick Garris, "Stephen King's The Shining", which appeared to be a complete failure compared to its silver screen predecessor, although produced in cooperation with the author, and slavishly faithful to the novel. In my humble opinion, the infinitely longer King's version didn't create anything close to a frightening, suffocating atmosphere of Kubrick's version. Moreover, I can't possibly imagine anyone coming ever so close to Nicholson's interpretation of Jack Torrance, the haunted alcoholic from the novel. Nicholson was born to play such roles, and certainly, if you have seen this film at least once, you won't be able to forget it ever. I also claim that the wretched fate of a failed man, an alcoholic, was adequately and sufficiently portrayed in the original film version. The book is slightly repetitive in this respect, and the great virtue of Kubrick's vision is that he was able to get rid of the redundancy apparent in King's novel. In the mid-seventies, "The Shining" must have been a lightning of prophecy. A rich novel, which combined fantastic storytelling, and portrayal of alcoholism and hopelessness of the young marriage - "The Shining" was an instant success. Of course it might be a flagship example of an intelligent horror novel, but there are better accounts of haunted houses out there. Second, after a third novel crossing the genre territory, King was pigeonholed as a horror writer, and thus ever after his works were ignored and ridiculed as not worth reading. I agree that half of the time his books do not deserve mentioning and fall well into usual, categories, there are volumes to which there is more than it appears at a glance. The Shining is a best example of a novel where horror is used as a starting point for good old storytelling, where the crucial element has little in common with the supernatural, and much to do with mainstream portrait of the society and ordinary individuals faced with extraordinary circumstances. It's worth to read the book, and then see Kubrick's and King's film versions. This way, you will be able to approach the same grand story from three different angles, and none of them weak, quite to the contrary.
|
