The Shining (1980)

Absolutely Fantastic

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

From the very first scenes of all characters we know nicholson is mad.. the kid is mad...the wife is scared... there is no build up..and it is so long so boring...i watched the last half an hour skipping it... it has an 8.4 doesnt deserve a 4.8..

From the very first sequence of Jack driving to the Overlook Hotel through the beautiful mountainous roads till the very last shot which reveals a shocking reality of the palatial hotel, The Shining is a carefully made work of art created by a filmmaker way ahead of his time- Stan Kubrick. Although having a quite usual setting for a horror flick, it's the unpredictability of the movie that sets it apart and makes it one of the all time classics. All the actors especially Jack Nicholson and Danny Lloyd have performed exceptionally but it is the hotel itself that is the standout of this movie. With its deserted ballrooms and spooky corridors the Overlook Hotel makes The Shining what it oughtta be. Although I was a little dissatisfied with the ending the last shot takes the movie to an altogether different level and like A Clockwork Orange here too Kubrick leaves it to the audience's to interpret the last scene as they please. At the end of the The Shining is a must watch timeless classic that can be rewatched with the same zeal multiple times.

At the time of writing this film already has 1469 reviews on IMDB and by the time anyone reads this it may be a fair bit more than that. The Wikipedia article is extensive and cites 166 references, referring mostly to an extensive body of work a lot of which is about the inconsistencies and hidden meanings in this film. So what do you say about a film that has been the subject of so much scrutiny already? Most folk who watch it now, for the first time, will have heard of it already and a good number will already have a fair grasp of the main plot points. in the normal run of things this makes for a poor movie watching experience, but in this case that is not so; the film is still frightening, still fascinating, and still slightly baffling even when you are watching it for the third or fourth time. Kubrick's film leaves you guessing and speculating about the true meaning of the plot and the motivations of the characters; some see this as a weakness (a 'better film' might have been more explicit) but I think it is all part of what makes the film so special. Some folk accuse Nicholson of 'sabotaging the film' but I don't see how this is possible; sometimes filming of a single short scene took all day, there were that many retakes; if Kubrick didn't get the exact performances he wanted, it wasn't for lack of trying.Technically the film is very well done; the scenery, the lighting, the innovative steadycam camerawork, the score; it is all very well done.The casting of this movie is also superb; well before they have any apparent reason to be so, Shelly Duvall looks vulnerable and frightened , and Jack Nicholson is looking more than a little manic. You just know it is going to be downhill from there....It is worth noting that, starting with the same premise, a similar script etc, it would have been possible make a very straightforward film, absolutely lacking in the qualities that make this film so interesting. Testament to the brilliance, obsession even, of Kubrick, I'd say.I am not a big fan of horror movies per se, but I do like films that are well done, in almost any genre, and I do like films that get people talking. This film fits both of those requirements admirably well. Well worth watching.

The Shining is one of those films that never ages.You NEED to watch this.