The Shining

I saw this film when it first came out and after all these years it still gives me the willies. In my opinion Nicholson is top notch at anything he appears in on any screen. The movie may not be for everyone, especially since there's a scene with frontal nudity. The BR disc played flawlessly, audio is good, and there's not much in extras (which you have to hunt for anyway). Worthwhile film for your film library if you collect movies.

This is more about my experience than an actual review. OK here we go....I read the Stephen King novel twice before I finally got to see this movie at a late night showing in Southend, Essex(UK)in the 80's. Stephen King had a problem with Stanley Kubricks interpretation, other websites go into this in more detail but to be fair if you want the actual version of the book, Stephen King remade it in 1997 as a TV mini series, and that version is pretty good. It has a couple of moments in Stephen King's film version of 'The Shining' which I wish was in Mr Kubrick's version. 'The Shining' has influenced me throughout my life. I remember in the 80's when I used to say it was my favourite film of all time, people would look down their noses in disapproval or laugh. Nowadays when I say `The Shining' is one of my all time favourites people agree...My instinct was correct all those years ago.For me there is nothing more scary than having Jack Nicholson chasing you down long corridors with an axe in a hotel isolated in the middle of bloody nowhere. Period. (OK, I lied, if you have played games `Dead Space' and 'Dead Space 2' on Xbox 360 that's not scary, it's bloody terrifying!). I took my film club buddies to a special screening of `The Shining' at the REX Cinema in Berkhamsted, a beautiful red and gold art deco cinema, unmatched by any other venue here in the UK. This cinema will blow you away: [...]The atmosphere of The Rex was perfect to see `The Shining'. The icing on the cake, which was unexpected, was that Kubrick's daughter introduced the film. `Wow, it doesn't get better than this' I said at the time. It was a dream come true to see this film for the second time on the big screen. My good friend Wayne had never seen it before, he said afterwards...'I dunno what to say, I can't say I liked it because it was an experience. It blew me away. I'm speechless'. Wayne's totally right, the film is an experience and one that I've cherished.I remember when I was at drama school we had to be a famous person for a day and I chose to be Jack Nicholson. When I arrived at the school in character, in my old black city mini, I had the third year students check the school over for bombs and security because I asked them to be my body guards. My explanation for driving a small car was due to the fact my limo had broken down. I (Jack) was visiting the school to talk about `The Shining 2'. I never forget Damon Albarn (who was in my class at drama school) decided to be the Ayatollah Khomeini and said he wished he thought of having body guards like I had. I also learned Jacks lines from `The Shining' and continued to use them throughout that drama school day. Great memories!The film had an ongoing impact with me, 'Jack Torrence' would be the part I was born to play, but damn, Stanley made it when I was too young to play a recovering alcoholic father. Years ago when we went to Canada and crossed over to Maine, I enquired about the location of the `Overlook Hotel'. At the time I didn't know the inside scenes were film sets. And I was way off target to travel to the actual Timberline lodge which is an hours drive from Portland. The lodge is featured in the film as the outside of the `Overlook Hotel'. So eventually a video shop owner in Maine (with a shelved wall dedicated to only Stephen King videos) told me where the man himself, Stephen King, lived... I was going to press the button on the open security gate to Stephen's home, but my bottle went, I chickened out. The home was huge, red with iron fencing with three serpent headed iron bats resting on the gate entrances.My friend Guy has an actual framed print from the film which is very cool, I have a Blu - ray copy I bought overseas which is the full version. A long time ago I had the idea for a film `Shining 2'. The story; a group goes on a trip to see where `The Shining' locations and influences are ....and one of the group actually has some kind of breakdown similar to the Jack Torrence character. I remember seeing a similar idea in the sequel to 'The Blair Witch Project'. I missed the boat on that one, I had a good idea and someone else not only thought of it as well, they had the means to implement it.Nicholson is spectacular in the role of Jack Torrence, Shelley Duvall is an absolute wreck as the story develops. The making of `The Shining' by Kubrick's daughter is enlightening, especially about Kubrick's demands on Shelley. The film is way ahead of its time, especially with the Steadicam work that enables the camera operator to run smooth following the actors, most notably the child on the cycle Go Kart rolling over wood and carpet, in turn creating the distinct changing floor thud sounds. Awesome stuff. I also remember seeing the soundtrack available on record once in London, I didn't buy it and boy do I regret it now because it's unavailable. So many film makers have been influenced by this film and deservedly so. Kubrick's obsession with attention to detail is crazy or genius; everyone has their own take on this. I think it's a bit of both. However, it is the end result that matters.I wonder what people in their twenties and thirties feel about the film. Maybe it's not on their radar or they have their own personal film that's made a mark. Who knows. It's inevitable one day `The Shining' will be remade. You could research so much about this film online, it really is that interesting. I remember reading that Simon Cowell almost worked on it but decided not to. I hope this film holds it's value in the future, it's so unique.I'll leave you with this thought; Can you imagine an amusement thrill ride park that has a huge special set built exactly like the Overlook Hotel and real snow covering an external large hedge maze and when you visit this experience....a Jack Nicholson lookalike (one that can act of course) comes after you. Some people would pay alot of money for that thrill. And so would I.Terrific.bleedingcriticbleedingfilms.com

While watching The Shining (1980) last night, a couple of things were impressed upon me...the first thing is that Shelly Duvall is one creepy looking woman, what with those humongous horse teeth, gigantic peepers, and abnormally large ears (I kept expecting her to say something like `Take me to your leader..'). The other thing is it seems regardless of the scariest, twisted, most frightening, and just generally demented nightmare I could conceive either while sleeping or awake, there will always be someone out there to top it, and even perhaps, commit it to film, as is the case here. Based on a novel by Stephen King, adapted and directed for the screen by Stanley Kubrick (A Clockwork Orange), the film stars Jack `I like `em young' Nicholson (One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest), Shelley Duvall (Popeye), and young Danny Lloyd in his first onscreen role. Also appearing is Benjamin Sherman `Scatman' Crothers (Bronco Billy), Barry Nelson (Airport), Philip Stone (A Clockwork Orange, Barry Lyndon), and Joe Turkel (Blade Runner).As the film begins we're treated to some amazing shots of snow-capped mountains and lush valleys taken from a helicopter as we follow a car along a winding mountain road. The scene ends upon a grand, somewhat elegant looking structure we will soon learn is called the Overlook Hotel, an extremely isolated retreat for people who have a lot more money than I do...here we meet Jack Torrance (Nicholson), and he's interviewing for the position of caretaker as the hotel prepares to close its doors for the winter (they need someone to stay on for the five month duration to keep up the place). Jack's eager to get the job (and he does), as it will allow for him to have the time to work on his writing. Jack returns with his family, including wife Wendy (Duvall), and their son Danny (Lloyd), along with Danny's imaginary friend Tony (Danny's got some kind of `special' abilities of an extra sensory sort, which tend to channel through his finger, and he' come to know as Tony). The family settles in, and things seem to be going well enough until Jack begins to develop writer's block along with a touch of the `cabin fever', and a massive snowstorm settles into the area, further isolating the Torrances from the outside world. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention, it seems the hotel had some `unpleasantness' in the past as a previous caretaker also suffered a bout of the winter blues (nowadays we'd call it seasonal affective disorder) and did some very nasty things to his family...and then I should probably also mention that the hotel, which was built in the early 1900's, occupies land that used to be Native American burial grounds, obviously without their permission.I used to read a lot of Stephen King books back in the day, and I've always felt The Shining not only managed to stay pretty close to the source material (keeping and focusing on the important elements), but also reflected much of what made that story so damn scary (the main idea is that psychic activity may not only be inherent in certain individuals, but also places). Now I know author King disagreed with director Kubrick on a number of things (King wanted someone like Jon Voight or Michael Moriarty instead of Nicholson), but given the thoughtful meticulousness of Kubrick as a director, I'm glad King wasn't able to impress upon Kubrick to alter his vision of how the film should look or play out. King's a great writer, but his directorial skills leave something to be desired (as displayed in the 1986 bomb Maximum Overdrive, which King took on the directorial reins stating that `If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself'...whatever dude). The film is filled with wonderful shots featuring interesting angles and unique points of view (the shot with Jack in the freezer, leaning against the door talking to Wendy is inspired) that work amazingly well to foster a sense of claustrophobia in a place that's anything but...some might say the pacing of the film is slow, but I'd characterize it as antagonizing and deliberate, as it takes roughly an hour and 45 minutes before we begin to see the horror appear in more overt forms, specifically Jack becoming more and more unhinged. This role is characterized as a `signature' role for Nicholson (a role he'll always be known as, much like Voight and the character of Joe Buck or Deniro as Travis Bickle), and while the over the top performances by Nicholson are what gets noticed, watch the quieter scenes for some of the most chilling parts as we see his character desperately struggling to maintain his tenuous grip despite the forces piled against him. Duvall does an amazing job here, especially the scenes where she has to react as the situation continually deteriorates. I also thought Danny Lloyd served the film extremely well, helping to create some of the truly shocking and unnerving moments. Other elements that work so well throughout are the eerie music, the beautiful and elegant sets (the interiors were shot on an English soundstage), and the very realistic dialog featuring many memorable lines.The picture on this DVD is presented in fullscreen format (1.37:1), which is representative of the aspect ratio of the original camera negative as intended by the director, and the sound comes through clearly in Dolby Digital 5.1. There are a couple of extras including an original theatrical trailer and a making of featurette by Vivian Kubrick with optional commentary. Is this the most frightening film I've ever seen? No...that honor would have to go to The Exorcist (1973), but this one is certainly in the top five, and may cause a sleepless night or two. By the way, make sure you have a couple of hours before watching this film as it runs nearly two and a half hours, but it's worth it as not a single moment is wasted.Cookieman108By the way, does anyone know where I can get some of those lovely, velvety paintings of nekkid, nubile Nubians featured on the walls of Scatman Crothers characters Florida residence? I'm thinking of sprucing up the old homestead, and they're just what I'm looking for...

Bei dieser Fassung handelt es sich um die längere US-Fassung. Das hat leider gravierende Konsequenzen für die deutsche Version:1. Die in der deutschen Version „fehlenden“ Szenen wurde aus der US-Fassung einmontiert und mit neuen Sprechern synchronisiert. Die Stimmen unterscheiden sich dabei erheblich von denen der ursprünglichen deutschen Fassung und man erlebt bei jedem Schnitt zwischen ursprünglicher deutscher und nachträglich eingefügter Fassung einen Bruch in der Synchro.2. Kubrick hatte vom Film selbst mehrere internationale Fassungen erstellen lassen. Das führte nicht nur zu der kürzeren und strafferen deutschen Fassung von damals (in der zahlreiche redundante, zu lange und zu „(z)erklärende“ Szenen entfernt wurden, sondern auch z.B. dazu, dass speziell für verschiedene Länder Szenen gedreht wurden. So steht in der ursprünglichen deutschen Fassung des Films auf den Schreibmaschinenseiten, die Jack tippt „Was du heute kannst besorgen, das verschiebe nicht auf morgen.“ Das wurde in der vorliegenden Fassung einfach (und ohne erkennbaren Grund!) durch die amerikanische Fassung („All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.“) ausgetauscht.Die vorliegende Fassung des Films ist also nicht anderes als die US-Fassung, die man teilweise mit der alten und teilweise einer neuen Sychronisation „eingedeutscht“ hat. Es wäre ein leichtes gewesen beide Fassungen auf der BR unterzubringen. Aber weil für Horrorfilm-Fans oft „länger“ identisch mit „besser“ ist (man denke an die unsäglichen „ultimate final cuts“ von Filmen wie „Dawn of the Dead“) hat sich der Hersteller hier gedacht, den Zuschauern einen Gefallen zu tun.Ich hoffe sehr, dass es noch einmal eine andere Fassung des Films auf 4K UHD geben wird, die diesen gravierenden Mangel behebt.

"The Shining" is one of the best horror thrillers ever made, it is absolutely fantastic. In my opinion, it is significantly better than the TV mini series, being more scary and haunting. While the mini series is much more true to the book, The original Shining is much more better overall. The acting is great, Jack Nicholson receives an Oscar for portraying Jack Torrance - he is perfect for the part. If you want an actor to play a role about going mad and crazy, you can't go wrong with Nicholson. Danny Lloyd stars as Jack's son, Danny! He plays really well too, those eyes is why he was chose to play the part. He made it really effective when he stared for a really long time at something ghostly in the hotel. Wendy is played by Shelley Duvall, many people thought she was too weepy and soppy, but that was all for affect. Mister Halloran was also brilliant, as was all the cast, a perfect set-up in that respect. This film was directed by Stanley Kubrick back in 1990, and he did a great job, making a suspense-filled masterpiece.Plot:Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson), his wife Wendy (Shelley Duvall) and young son Danny come to the vacant, isolated Overlook Hotel to get away from it all. Also, Jack is off-season caretaker and is working on his new writing project, the silence and vacantness of the Overlook seems a perfect place for him to focus on his work. However, not all is as it seems. Jack's son, Danny possesses a very unique gift, "The Shining", where he can see things other can't. Danny has a psychic gift that the hotels vile spirits desperately want. But that's only part of the trouble. Due to the isolation at the Overlook, there is another danger far closer, Danny's dad slowly starts to go insane...Stephen King did not like Stanley Kubrick's adaptation of his hit novel, one of the reasons for this judgement was due to Jack Nicholson playing "Jack" way too over the top. But it's Nicholson, obviously he's goanna play him over the top. Well in a way I can see where the mans coming from because Jack was crackers all the way through. He was nuts - just nuts. Jack Nicholson made the film good along with its dreamlike tracking shots, shock after shock of occurrence with vivid performances and menacing settings. There is certain feeling you get all the way through this film, a dread of deadly expectation, but don't confuse that with predictability. I bet all of you who have already seen this film always remember the scenes where Danny rode his kind of mini car around all of the Overlook's corridors, this was really effective, with the wheels of the car making a noise that makes you think of some kind of terror waiting to happen. Not to mention the masterful insertion of REDRUM, which really made you crap your pants before the "Here's Johnny!" scene. When Jack sticks his head through the gap in the axed door, he makes a face only he could and the way he acted in that scene just sums up what a great actor he really is - he did that from the heart. It was like staring into madness, but he was mad. He had lost it completely by the time this scene took hold. Many people did not understand why Jack said "here's Johnny!", instead of "Here's Jacky!" Well, I'll explain. Jack Torrance used to watch a popular show every night that millions watched on the TV, and the presenter was always introduced by the phrase "Here's Johnny", because the presenters name was Johnny Carson. When Jack Torrance says it, it just shows how insane he's gotten, with a psycho grin on his face to demonstrate how demented his mind was by that point. We did have a premonition early on in the film that Jack might go mad, when we were told by Mister Ullman, the manager of the hotel, that Delbert Grady took care of the hotel during the winter last time and killed his wife and children with an axe. He said that "long term isolation" must had made him suffer from a complete mental breakdown. This film does not fail with comes to pace consistency, keeping us hooked right the way through by throwing things in are face nearly every five minutes. The hallway scene was the first impression that something bad was happening, with one of the scariest moments in one of the Overlook's guest rooms - the bathtub scene. This was so well done and damn bloody frightening! There are so many reasons why this film is memorable, with the climax making it all the more brilliant will a full-on, crazy resolution. This was very ambitiously done, and paid off really well.The setting is perfect for the nature of the film. The snow scenes were beautifully shot, with great scenery. The music in this film is really good, making each scene eerie and with shivers going up the spine. It suits the theme of the film perfectly, Kubrick really knew what he was doing with this.The question throughout the film is whether Jack is imagining the spirits and ghosts that thrive in the hotel, or if there is actually a terror really going on. The supernatural side of this film ties in perfectly with this question and makes you think how and where this terror originated from. The TV mini series is good as well, don't get me wrong. But the actor who plays jack isn't a cut over Nicholson portrayal. The main factor for me, is that it is not scary. This film is a classic for that reason and for it being the first epic horror film that stood out from the crowd. The cast is good though in the mini series, namely Wendy who is played by one of Tom Cruise's ex girlfriends, Rebecca De Mornay who did an excellent job, as did the boy who played the part of Danny. The actor was played Jack was great too, but when you compare him to "here's Johnny!", it's no wonder he's put in the shade. I also found that the mini series tended to drag on in parts, it was much longer and had more time for development of characters and background history - Jack's alcoholism. As well as, in this one we saw Jack Torrance slowly transform from normal person to mad psychopath, it was gradual, good to see how he changed. In this version, Kubrick got straight to the point. Jack was mad right the way through really, he was a proper odd-ball, with his weirdo faces which was supposedly his "normal state", but his psycho state was the same but worse. This version is better, but both are good in their own right.Now, with this Blu-ray release you can see the film in the best format ever - high definition, a classic film that deserves classic representation.With the exception of Misery, "The Shining" is perhaps the best adaptation of King's books ever. IT and CARRIE are also good, but this is better. Never again in the history of film will there be a harrowing, mind-blowing masterpiece as good as this. It's enthralling, think of the greatest terror imaginable. Would you think of fear of murder by someone who is supposed to love and protect you? Perhaps, because this could really happen - making it all the more fantastic. It's realistic, not in the sense of being taken to the extremes that this film was, I mean no ones madder that Jack Nicholson, but someone could really go insane. Sometimes the terror is far closer to home. Once you have watched this film, you will never forget it, ever. It is stunning, one of the best horror thrillers ever. See it, you'll be glad you did.

Großartiges UHD-Remaster! Der Film sieht wirklich um einiges besser aus als auf der alten BluRay & es liegt erstmalig der US-Cut in einer deutschen Version vor. Die neu synchronisierten Szenen fallen zwar auf, sind jedoch nicht störend, da die entsprechenden Synchronsprecher gut gewählt worden sind. Ein Wendecover ist vorhanden und außerdem sind noch einige Extras auf der BluRay vorhanden. Außerdem ist zu erwähnen, dass die enthaltene BluRay ebenfalls Remastered ist, deshalb lohnt sich der Kuaf auch für Leute die noch kein 4-SetUp haben.Zum Film an sich muss ich wohl nicht viel sagen: einfach ein Meisterwerk und Meilenstein des Horrorfilms vom Meister der Regie höchstpersönlich!Lieferung von Amazon war wie immer schnell! 5/5 Sterne

Just as I remember,jack is still scary

I’d forgotten how petrifying JN is!!!!