Written by Stanley Kubrick And Diane Johnson
Jack (to Wendy): "Here's Johnny!"
Well, I had to review this one at point, didn't I? One of the most iconic adaptations of a Stephen King work and one of the most iconic movies in Stanley Kubrick's filmography. Has it held up after all these years? You bet it has.
In this movie, you've got Jack (Jack Nicholson) and Wendy Torrance (Shelley Duvall). They're a couple whose marriage is on the rocks. Jacks also a struggling writer with resentment towards Wendy and their son, Danny (Danny Lloyd) and that resentment boiled throughout the movie.
Being stuck in the Overlook Hotel during a snowstorm in the winter where Jack took a caretaker position also wasn't the best of ideas. Jack's hostility to Wendy intensified and turned violent as he succumbed to madness.
Then there was Danny. He had a gift that was referred to as a "shining". It's a psychic gift of sorts that Danny got a bit of guidance from by the mysterious Dick Halloran (Scatman Crothers). Halloran shared the same gift as Danny.
As the movie progressed, there was a lot of weird goings on in the Overlook Hotel. There's creepy twin girls (Lisa and Louise Burns), a woman in a bath (Lia Bedlam) and old woman (Billie Gibson) to name a few and things get far more messed up the more Jack descended into madness and Danny became aware of his own powers.
It felt like it didn't take a lot for Jack to completely snap and try to murder both Wendy and Danny. Lloyd (Joe Turkel) did let him out of the freezer and had it not been for Halloran's intervention, Jack would've killed both Wendy and Danny before the final shot hinted at a surprise outcome.
- Room 237 was a room that Danny was told not to look into but he did. Redrum was mentioned a lot and that cascade of blood was an iconic moment.
- One of the few movies to have a Golden Raspberry rescinded due to the treatment that Shelley Duvall endured.
- Vivian Kubrick and Norman Gay had cameos appearances in the movie.
- There's a 1997 miniseries that's closer to the book and a sequel, Doctor Sleep that was released in 2019.
- Standout music: The Shining (Main Title) by Wendy Carlos and Rachel Elkind and Midnight, the Stars and You by Ray Noble.
- Chronology: The Overlook Hotel in the Colorado Rocky Mountains in 1980. Jack ended up in 1921.
I can't believe The Shining was a movie that was ever disliked. I know Stephen King had issues with this adaptation but it's one of the best with sublime performances from Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall. Incredible movie.
Rating: 9 out of 10
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