The Shining (1980)

Director:

Stanley Kubrick

Writers:

Stephen King (novel)
Stanley Kubrick (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

23 May 1980 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

A Masterpiece Of Modern Horror

Plot:

A family heads to an isolated hotel for the winter where an evil and spiritual presence influences the father into violence, while his psychic son sees horrific forebodings from the past and of the future.

Plot Keywords:

Hatchet | Ugly Woman | Warning | Photograph On Wall | Dead Children

Awards:

1 win & 5 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Wed. May 21

7:30 PM

MAX

Cast

Jack Nicholson	...	Jack Torrance
Shelley Duvall	...	Wendy Torrance
Danny Lloyd	...	Danny Torrance
Scatman Crothers	...	Dick Hallorann
Barry Nelson	...	Stuart Ullman
Philip Stone	...	Delbert Grady
Joe Turkel	...	Lloyd the Bartender
Anne Jackson	...	Doctor
Tony Burton	...	Larry Durkin
Lia Beldam	...	Young Woman in Bath
Billie Gibson	...	Old Woman in Bath
Barry Dennen	...	Bill Watson
David Baxt	...	Forest Ranger #1
Manning Redwood	...	Forest Ranger #2
Lisa Burns	...	Grady Twin Daughter

Also Known As:

Stanley Kubrick's 'The Shining'

Runtime:

146 min (original version) | 142 min (cut) | 119 min (cut) (European version)

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

New Zealand:R16 | Ireland:15 (re-rating) (2007) | Iceland:16 | UK:15 (re-rating) (2007) | Canada:R (Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) (original rating) | Spain:13 | Finland:K-15 (DVD rating) | Denmark:15 (DVD rating) | Australia:M (TV rating) | Brazil:16 (DVD re-rating) | Portugal:M/16 | Australia:R (original rating) | Canada:14A (Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) (re-rating) (2007) | Italy:VM18 (original rating) | Italy:VM14 (re-rating) | Malaysia:U | Denmark:16 (video rating) | UK:18 (video rating) (1986) | Argentina:18 | Australia:MA | Australia:M | Canada:18+ (Québec) | Denmark:15 | Finland:K-18 | France:U | Hong Kong:III | Ireland:18 | Netherlands:16 | Norway:18 | Singapore:M18 | South Korea:(Banned) (original rating) | South Korea:18 (DVD rating) (2004) (uncut) | UK:X (original rating) | West Germany:16 | Philippines:X | Japan:R-15 | Brazil:18 | USA:R | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, USA

Company:

Hawk Films

Trivia:

Much like the casting of the "Jack" character, Stephen King also disliked the casting of Shelley Duvall as "Wendy." King said that he envisioned Wendy as being a blond former cheerleader type who never had to deal with any true problems in her life making her experience in the Overlook all the more terrifying. He felt that Duvall was too emotionally vulnerable and appeared to have gone through a lot in her life, basically the exact opposite of how he pictured the character.

Goofs:

Continuity: The amount of whiskey in Jack's glass rises and falls during the his second conversation with Lloyd the bartender.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Jack Torrance: Hi, I've got an appointment with Mr. Ullman. My name is Jack Torrance.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Angel: Billy (#3.6)" (2001)

Soundtrack:

Lontano

One of the scariest movies ever---8/10

I was never a big fan of horror movies. They usually try cheap tricks to scare their audiences like loud noises and creepy children. They usually lack originality and contain overacting galore. The only horror movie i like was Stir of Echoes with Kevin Bacon. It was well-acted, and had a great story. But it has been joined and maybe even surpassed by Stanley Kubrick's The Shining, quite possibly the scariest movie ever.

The movie follows a writer (Jack Nicholson) and his family who agree to watch over a hotel while it is closed for the winter. There were rumors of the place being haunted and the last resident went crazy and murdered his family. But Jack is convinced it will be OK and he can use the quiet to overcome his writer's block. After months of solitude and silence however, Jack becomes a grumpy and later violent. Is it cabin fever or is there something in the hotel that is driving him mad?

One of the creepiest parts about the movie is the feeling of isolation that Kubrick makes. The hotel is very silent, and the rooms are huge, yet always empty. It is also eerily calm when Jack's son is riding his bike through the barren hallways. Jack Nicholson's performance is also one of his very best, scaring the hell out of me and making me sure to get out once in awhile. My favorite scene is when he is talking to a ghost from inside a walk-in refrigerator.

The Shining is tops for horror movies in my opinion, beating the snot out of crap like the Ring and The Blair Witch Project. It may be a oldie, but is definitely a goodie. 8/10