The Shining (1980)

The Shining (1980)

 
7/10

Staring
Jack Nicholson
Shelley Duvall
Danny Lloyd
Scatman Crothers


Directed by Stanley Kubrick




Here's Johny

A movie of the 80s, 1980 to be precise and it is known as one of the scariest movies ever made and it has the villain Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) named the 25th greatest villain on the AFI's 100 Years... 100 Heroes and Villains list in 2003.

The Shining is done by the late Stanley Kubrick, who is better known for his 1968 classic 2001: A Space Odyssey, which won an Oscar for Best Special Effects.

Although The Shining is seen as a classic, upon its release it was a slow starter in the box office, which later picked up and gained a profit and it was the only one of Kubrick's last nine films to get no nominations at all from either the Oscars or Golden Globes.

It is based on a book of the same name by Stephen King. King is quoted to have said that although Kubrick made a film with memorable imagery, it was not a good adaptation of his novel and is the only adaptation of his novels that he could "remember hating."

The movie plot is about a writer named Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) who takes up a job as a caretaker in a hotel for 5 months. He would be there alone for all the 5 months with his son and wife. Snowed in Jack loses it and starts to hunt his own family.

Well for a movie of the 80s i have to give it to Kubrick, though i bet it could be scary to most, but to me it was just a thriller showing off Nicholson at his best.

He did well portraying the character, with this distant stares and the wide eye look. Jack made watching the movie fun.

The cinematography in this movie is exceptional as Kubrick had to use long shots to show complete isolation and perfected the use of the steadicam to pass his message across the silver screen. The movie’s score will do justice in sending chills down your spin.

The movie is not violent though; only get to see Jack use the axe once. The catchphrase and now popular saying "Here's Johnny" is a catchphrase used by Ed McMahon in The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and Jack Nicholson said it so well that many believe that The Shining is the originator of the phrase.

The movie actually has a lot of continuity issues, but that don't matter when watching a great movie.

The movies sad point is Shelley Duvall whose acting was just poor.

The shining is a movie to re-watch