The Shining

Rating:
Summary: The Shining
Review: The smartest thriller I have ever seen. I don't know why Jack Nicholson didn't win an academy award for his character on this film.

Rating:
Summary: A PIECE OF CULTURE
Review: A most-see-and-collect movie.
On of the best horror movie ever made.

Rating:
Summary: Liked the book, and this movie
Review: Let's get one thing straight, the Kubrick film is not, repeat, is not the book. It is a re-invention of the theme under the same title. That being said, let's cut the whining about how different it is from the book and try to judge the film on its own merits.

The movie held my attention from start to finish, and geuniunely scared me at parts. Much has been made of the characters, so let's review them. First, there is Jack, a man who was apparently never very stable and, once placed in relative isolation in a haunted hotel, goes completely crazy. This is consistent with the character's history as explained in the film. His "recovery" after breaking his son's arm was apparently only a thin shell that he developed to hide his abberation. As a side note, this is consistent with the Jack in the book, who never sought outside help to help him control his drinking (unlike the miniseries, the first 20 minutes or so of which seemed like Jack doing a commercial for AA). In this film (and in the book) Jack's erratic nature was invisible to his family because they loved him blindly. Shelly Duval's character appears to be just the kind of person who could love a person so blindly, so she gets five stars too.

Danny's performance in the movie is also widely criticized as over the top, especially with regards to the "redrum" sequence. Let's not forget, however, that he is a child and something unworldly is happening to him. What do you expect, calm acceptance of his situation? I doubt that even an adult could manage that in his situation. Furthermore, the Tony in the film was largely unseen, like the Tony in the book, which enhanced the effect of "his" role greatly. This is in contrast to the Tony of the miniseries, who hovered above Danny and preached like some cheesy b-movie angel.

A lot is made about the elements of the book that were excluded. The things that were lost, however, really made little difference to the plot. The hornet's nest sequence served only to highlight Jack's inadequacy as an exterminator The topiaries were not missed as they were probably the silliest part of the book (when I read that part remember thinking "what is this, 'Day of the Triffids' all of a sudden?"). The hedge maze was a place of fun turned into a trap that required paradoxial thinking (i.e. walking backwards) to foil. This was consistent with the tone of the movie and enhanced it greatly.

Again., I urge viewers to watch this movie with an open mind. Don't criticize it just because it is different from the book. Instead, try to appreciate the creepy atmosphere, shockig visuals and excellent performances.

Rating:
Summary: a modern classic(except with moronic critics)
Review: The Shining. Stephen King's the Shining. Stanley Kubrick's the Shining. And Mick Garris's the Shining. Surprised by the third name? You should be if you invest interest in the absurd KING VS. KUBRICK debate. This is because nobody seems to include the third man(no pun) to try his hand at the story. You may argue that he's the second, because Mr. King doesnt count. He was the inventor. But loyal King fans will remember that stories aren't invented, they are only discovered. "they exist...waiting to be dug up." Or something like that. The point is, the book, Kubrick's vision, and the t.v. miniseries are all justifiably their own life forms; each with a different interpreter.

If all versions turned out the same, then how visionary and fresh could the minds of these three storytellers be? And if Stephen King directed either of the adaptations, both films would be worse off than they are.

Enough already of the tired debate over who's vision deserves final credit on celluoid. All I have to say is this. We watch horror movies to be scared, especially if they entail supernatural agendas and horrific psychological overtones. So if Mr. King is resentful of Kubrick for scrambling his original thems and ideas, then he should at least blame Mick Garris, although remaining faithful to the material, for failing to retain and realize any of the suspense and horror that made the book a horror gem.

So STEPHEN KING'S THE SHINING and STANLEY KUBRICK'S THE SHINING have been approiately seperated forever. And that's where critics missed the boat. My conclusion? Hey, there are plenty of smart, literary men and women who write and appreciate the beauty of words that support the novel. There are also just as many boys and gals who know film, and are just as smart, and are filmmakers themselves, who applaud the eerie brilliance of a near perfect horror film. A horror film that, much to a critic's dismay, unfolds like a nightmare; unaware, and unapologetic. Take it or leave it. Regardless, STANLEY KUBRICKS THE SHINING still prospers today. Even those naysayers still talk about it. Maybe they should watch it again. They know they want to.

p.s. i sound like a biased kubrick supporter. but in fact, i'm a writer who usually cringes when a superior novel is sold for butcher......and i love KUBRICK'S THE SHINING. ah ha.

Rating:
Summary: ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE SHINING
Review: STANLEY KUBRICK'S THE SHINING was slightly disappointing and that is why I left off two stars.
The Torrance family, made up of Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson), Wendy Torrance (Shelley Duvall) and their psychic child, Danny Torrance (Danny Lloyd) move into the stylish Overlook Hotel as caretakers. They all think it's going to be a beautiful trip. But as they stay longer, the hotel takes on an evil, creepy look and feel.
Ms. Duvall's part as Wendy is a very disappointng one. She is alright in parts, but when she is cheery or sad, she over-reacts. She is better when she is staring into space, like in the first sequence we see her. The rest of the acting is great.
The special effects are fabulous. ...The cinematography is so beautiful. The way they contribute the forbidding hallways, the dark rooms, the eerie kitchens is so haunting.

The offside of this movie is that it takes on at a snail's pace. Alot of scenes in the movie should have been cut, but weren't. Obviously the crew never took the time to edit.
Also, in the scary, disturbing bathtub scene that I quite enjoy, there is an offside to that. The full nudity is so unnecessary. I liked it better when it was shown on television and edited.

Anyway, this is quite a good movie, so don't go running off, not ever seeing it, because it is worth the viewing. Recommendations if you like this movie are the eerie made-for-tv NIGHTMARE ON THE 13TH FLOOR and the classic Hitchock hit PSYCHO.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent movie, threadbare features
Review: If you buy the "Digitally Restored and Remastered version," you will be pleased with the film. The only problem I had was that there was a shot where a helecoper was visible. I'm sure that they intentionally left it in there for laughs, but for the second and third and forth times, it gets boring. I saw a helicopter on another shot, just because I was looking for them. You probably won't notice. It's an overhead shot, and you see the helicopter when it was on the road, but when it gets to the trees, it was digitally taken out. The trailer was pretty good, but I would of liked if they did 4 or 5 trailers.
The documentry was good, too. I realize that most Kubrick films are lucky to be on DVD. I'm lucky that I have The Shining on DVD, but they just stuck the DVD out there for big fans of the film, like me. I know of an alternate ending. It would have been great if they had dug up Kubrick talking about it and done directors commentary. I would have loved if they had included deleted scenes, outtakes, and bloopers. They could have put in the Simpsons halarious episode. They could have put in Steven King talking about the film (even though he didn't like it). They could have had other directors talking about it. They could have shown the spot about it from the AFI's top 100 most thrilling movies. They could have included a collectible booklet. And I don't care how Kubrick intended it, I want it for once in Widescreen. Maybe widescreen (letterbox, please) and "standard."
I don't mean to be greedy. Someday, they will have an ultimate edition DVD. I'm not grumpy about it, I'm content. But, the DVD could be soo much more. It is still worth owning, but darn you Warner Brothers. Never mess with Kubrick.
GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!!!!!

Rating:
Summary: Good horror movie.
Review: 'The Shining' is not like most horror movies. This is not surprising considering it was made by Stanley Kubrick and stars Jack Nicholson. What keeps the intensity throughout the whole story is Nicholson's acting, which I think is one of his best performances. It might be even worth buying. Watch it with the lights OFF. :)

Rating:
Summary: "All Work And No Play Makes Jack A Dull Boy...."
Review: Okay, there has been much debate over this film because of how it doesn't exactly ring true to Stephen King's book. I think it's just as good either way. King should be happy. This is one of the better film adaptions of his books(the other good ones being "Stand By Me" and "Misery"). Jack Nicholson stars as family man Jack Torrance. He gets a job as a caretaker for a large hotel that's closed for winter. He brings his wife and young son along with. The eerie hotel is filled with possessive spirits. Little by little, day by day, Jack begins to go mad as the spirits start to take him over and turn him into a crazy, murderous psychopath, who turns on his family. Sound scary?. It is. There's nothing scarier than when something evil is after you and there is no escape. You can run, but you can't hide. The actors are over the top brilliant. Nicholson. What can I say?. He is one of the greatest legends we have. This is one dandy of a teriffic, classic performance. Nobody else could have done this role. NOBODY. He is creepy and mad, and will get under your skin. There are a few classic(and often hilarious)lines and scenes here. Nicholson delivers them in a pitch perfect portrayal of a normal guy driven to insanity. Shelley Duvall, as his victimized wife, is very effective as well. Director Stanley Kubrick really filmed this classic very well. Establishing the hotel and it's creepy inside was filmed just right. It's long, empty, silent corridors and rooms. Oh lord. It's scary just thinking about it. Some people have problems with the movie. That is too bad. Some others think Nicholson's performance was pure ham and was really overacting. Some times, people, what seems like ham and overacting is what's best. It's acting. Some people don't understand that. All in all, this is a good, well made movie. A classic!.

Rating:
Summary: The film that started it all
Review: 'The Shining', hands down, was the horror movie that set the standard for the films to follow it. Stanley Kubrick did a fantastic job adapting Stephen King's classic novel onto the screen, and now we have a magnificent DVD to go along with it.

By now, if you're looking this movie up here, you probably know the basic plot and the surroundings of this film. So for me to go back and babble on about it, I'd be wasting your time. Instead, here's a run-down on the DVD itself:

Picture Quality: 4/5. There are some moments where it is not as clear as I would like--mostly the opening scene--but all in all, nothing that will distract you.

Sound Quality: 4.5/5. The screams and the chaotic music transfer wonderfully onto the disc.

Extras: 3/5. There are very few extras with 'The Shining', but mostly because when this film was made, little additional footage was shot. We are given the film's original trailer--though not very long or eventful--and a making-of video shot by Kubrick's wife. If you're buying this for the extras, don't bother, but if you're a fan of the film, go for it.

Overall: 4/5. A great movie, one of the best of all time, with a great DVD. Lack of extras takes away from the overall worth of the film, but still one that should be included in your DVD collection.

Rating:
Summary: Wendy, whenever I'm here, and you hear me typing...
Review: Classic horror from the great Kubrick: struggling writer Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) takes his wife Wendy and son Danny to a remote, islolated hotel in Colorado where they are caretakers for the winter. No guests. No company. Just pure isolation. Meanwhile, their son Danny has "visions" of murders, dead people, and other horrible images that eventually prove that the hotel is haunted by ghosts. These ghosts take hold of Jack and egg him on to murder his timid, shabbily-dressed wife (Shelly Duvall)and son. For a film with a low body count, "The Shining" is one creepy affair, and as with all Kubrick films, Stanley makes great use of the camera, particularly the steadicam shot of Danny on his bicycle and during the opening credits. Many people complained that the movie radically differs from the Stephen King book on which it's based. I never read the book, but I can say that "The Shining," as a stand-alone film, is an excellent horror classic that must be purchased by movie buffs and horror fans alike.