I do want to say the picks for the cast of this movie is just great. I love Jack Nicholson, I read below Duvall was chosen worst actress, "I still cannot believe that Shelley Duvall was nominated for worst actress in this movie" comment by @kazmierahammond2148 3 years ago. I don't know she seems pretty ok, not bad, good from what I've seen of the movie.
Beautiful hotel but I'm not keen on that dry treeless kind of Colorado scenery and what do you do out there? Of course cozy hotel, eats and drinks, who needs to go outside anyway? not me.
But I just can't bring myself to sit and watch this thing. Maybe someday.
One of the few horror movies I’ve ever enjoyed.
You admit that you haven’t seen it, so you are obviously unaware of any scene where the wife hesitates to kill the murderous husband. Not giving any more spoilers in case someone else hasn’t seen it.
I love the movie. Love it. The scene where Wendy is backing up the stairs, and Jack is saying “Come on, Wendy. Give me the bat. Come on...Wendy! Give me the bat!”
And she is swinging it at him with short little sharp swings, emitting little whines of terror as she does it...
As far as I am concerned, that was great acting by both of them. Not sure why someone would think she was a terrible actress.
Some people just hate it. Of course, some people abhor 2001: A Space Oddest, but I like that one too.
It’s been a long time, but I did read the book and IIRC the dad was an alcoholic, so the mom and son were over him by the time he took the job at the Overlook hotel.
For any Shining fans, be sure to check out Yosemite Lodge in Yosemite National Forest, which was Kubrick’s inspiration for the Overlook hotel in the movie.
Take a breath. It’s a movie. (I happen to think it’s pretty good for a horror flick, and as I recall it’s a fairly faithful adaptation of King’s novel.)
Below is a link to the closing tune they play in the movie while zooming in on the photograph.
The song is "Midnight, the Stars, and You" by Al Bowlly and the vid is made of various stills from 30s era film. Note the date on the photograph in the movie long precedes when the song came out for those who are sticklers for detail.
Nevertheless, a great tune and popular in its day.
There is a scene at the begining of the movie where it infers the boy has an injury from being abused by the dad.
And the dad is on edge all the time and angry all the time.
If you sat and watched the whole movie from start to finish, you would understand.
I saw “The Shining” in a movie theater when I was a teen. IMO, the film was a masterpiece, and all the actors played their roles perfectly. But, I have never, ever watched that film in full again because at least one scene was just... gruesome.
However, other scenes are psychological horror in the buildup to the end, and those clips are kinda fun to watch sometimes, especially the typewriter scene that rlmorel described. That one has to be one of the best scenes in horror movie history.
Give the guy a break! She probably was a lousy cook, lousy house keeper and nagged the hell out of him. I would have tried to kill her myself.....
I have always fantasized about a job like that. Where I can be all by myself in seclusion for an extended period of time with nothing to do but read my books and watch it snow outside, with a full larder of food to draw upon.
Good Lord, you will never know until you watch it. It great in a fun way because you know its totally fiction.
Its unlike 'Silence of the Lams' which was really creepy because you know there are actually people out there that are really like that.
In horror movies, personal flaws and conflicts help lead to horror. Since conflict between people is normal, there is a message in most horror movies against letting personal conflicts and flaw become so severe or abnormal as to lead to horrorible outcomes.
As terrible as the decline of Jack Nicholson into madness and death is, are his faults and poor choices alone to blame? Or did his wife and son also play a role in evoking the evil forces that he fell victim to? Is their lack of sadness at his death due to psychological stress, or is there also a sense of satisfaction about that outcome? Was the haunted hotel helping to liberate them from an abusive husband and father?
Stanley Kubrick was a sophisticated director and storyteller who left little to chance. I think that is what he was hinting at.
But do not threaten my kid. Ever.
At that point you become an unacceptable risk.
Watch or don’t, ffs…
There is a sequel movie to The Shining called Doctor Sleep that i thought was pretty good if anybody is interested.
The third act takes place in a dilapidated Overlook Hotel which was really cool.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5606664/?ref_=tturv_ov_i
No tragedy happened to him. He’s a bad person. Alcoholic. Abusive husband. Abusive father. And then when they go to the hotel the evil spirits find a “kindred spirit” and awaken him. The only tragedy is theirs for not running far far away from him long before they get to the hotel.
As much as I can’t stand Stephen King’s politics I’ll just say... Read the book, I did many many years ago.