Usually I don't like to give Rob Zombie credit because most of the time he is either making grossly violent garbage or just bad music but he could not have more perfectly stated this sentiment in documentary about horror movies. "Most critics will say I don't like horror movies but they all love the Shining." Zombie could not be more right when it comes to this amazing film from one of the greatest of all time Stanley Kubrick.
The Shining is a example of what happens when two people with two separate visions try to reach the same ending. Stephen King has said on several occasions that his book and the film are very difference and he is right but this does not make the film that Kubrick made a bad one. However in 1980 it was not as well received as it is today. At the time it garnered two Razzie nominations including worst director for Kubrick. I feel this is one of those films that took some time for people to realize its brilliance of it.
The Torrance family is staying at the Overlook hotel for the winter and watching the place while its off season as the new caretakers. It's your typical family father Jack (Jack Nicholson) mother Wendy (Shelly Duvall) and little boy Danny (Danny Lloyd). It seems like a great place for a kid to hang around and a mom to raise him while dear old Dad finds some time to complete his new book. Everything seems to be going fine that is until winter sets in and the hotel begins to take on a life of its own Danny shows signs of psychic powers and the three learn they are not alone.
Kubrick is a master of taking you into a world that he holds all the keys too and makes you feel ridiculously comfortable with the fact that you don't know where the ride will take you next. Before the Shining Kubrick had never touched the subject of horror and after this would never again. In one short film he managed to reinvent the genre and completely change the way we view it. He uses things to scare you on one level but uses other elements to get under your skin making you think about his film for days at a time. His pacing in the movie is also another master stroke. Most horror movies can't wait to get to the scares but with the shining he takes his time letting you feel the way the characters do like this has been going on for quite some time. He keeps people guessing at all times and when he finally lets the other shoe drop you are floored by the results of what has taken place. I use the Mount Rushmore a lot as a comparison but Kubrick would be one of the faces on it for directing. Even with a limited 13 feature films under his belt before he passed in 1999 he is still a huge influence and managed to never repeat himself both in genre or in overall tone of a film. The man is a legitimate genius and one day down the road when I start doing a regular top five or top ten you best believe I will tackle his filmography in a deeper way.
In 1980 Nicholson was at the top of his acting game and had already one an Oscar while being nominated five times over. In the Shining Nicholson shows us a performance that only Kubrick could bring from him. Nicholson has played menacing before but always in a controlled way. In this he shows us a dangerous and all together unhinged monster that from minute one you are not trusting of and feel very nervous around at all times.
The Shining is a marvelous film with several scenes that are now iconic either by everyone knowing them or some form of parody has taken place. This is one if you are doing a Halloween movie marathon not to leave off your list.
Well we are out of the world of isolation and claustrophobia and now we are into the final four days of October so its time to break out the big guns. The Next four days will be some of the biggest and the best in the genre. Coming up tomorrow we pay homage to the movie that all other slasher movies call daddy or maybe mommy? For High Weirdness I'm Benjamin Kolton reminding you "It's Only a Movie." "It's Only a Movie.""
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