100 Movies - No. 81: The Shining

81. The Shining (1980)
Drama, Horror, 142 minutes
Directed by Stanley Kubrick
Starring Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall and Danny Lloyd

When I listed my Top 10 horror movies, The Shining took the top spot. I'm not a fan of campy comedy-horror, so the list is dominated by psychological horror. The Shining is that and a whole lot more. It begins like a drama and takes plenty of time to establish its world, and the majority of the film takes place in the Overlook Hotel.

The opening shots are incredible and set the mood. We are shown a car driving along a mountain road. Kubrick sweeps across the countryside so we can see how isolated the Overlook Hotel would be if the only access road was blocked by snow.

Jack Torrance (Nicholson) is a recovering alcoholic and he's applying for a winter job as caretaker of the hotel. He'll live there for six months with his wife, Wendy (Duvall), and their young son, Danny (Lloyd).

What is shining? It appears to be a form of extrasensory perception. We learn that Danny has the ability and so does the hotel's cook, Dick Hallorann (Scatman Crothers). They can communicate without words. Danny's parents know that he talks to Tony, his imaginary friend, but they aren't aware that he has the shining.

I mentioned that the film takes time setting things up. We are shown the hotel in great detail. They live in an apartment inside the hotel and Wendy spends most of her time there. Jack uses one of the large rooms to work on his novel and Danny explores by driving around the halls in his toy car.

The film is 32 years old, so spoilers won't be a problem for most people, but stop reading now if you are about to see it for the first time.

The hotel appears to be populated by ghosts. All three people see them while they are alone, so that suggests that the ghosts really do exist. Another explanation would be that all the events are happening inside the mind of one of the characters, or that the hotel itself is 'alive' and remembering some of the events that occurred within its walls. I tend to believe that the ghosts and everything we see is real. That would explain all of the events, including how Jack escapes from a locked room and why Danny has marks on his neck.

Time is another factor. Some of the occurrences involve one of the characters visiting the past. Wendy sees guests at a party and Jack interacts with Grady and Lloyd. Sometimes the ballroom is filled with people from the past.

Danny's gift is extremely powerful and attracts the attention of Dick when he is 2,000 miles away. Dick's attempts to intervene are significantly different from the story told in Stephen King's book, and Kubrick makes a lot of other changes. I like both versions of the story, but I have to admit that Kubrick's changes played out well on the screen.

The dialogue is sparse, but very satisfying at times. I particularly enjoy the exchanges when Jack is talking to Lloyd and Grady. Nicholson is convincing when he acts crazy and the final act shows him at his crazy best. Is his transformation some kind of mental illness, or possession by the spirits that occupy the hotel?

The black and white photograph near the end of the film shows Jack attending a 1921 party at the hotel. Grady says at one point that Jack is the caretaker and has always been the caretaker. Is this some kind of living hell? Suppose Jack has had a number of families throughout some kind of supernatural existence and he's been bringing them to the hotel without any previous knowledge of those he has brought there before? He mentions at the start that he's experiencing déjà vu and knows what is around every corner.

One shot shows him looking rather demonic. Is he in fact a demon or Satan?

What's your take on The Shining? What's your version of the truth?

If you like The Shining:

Like Alfred Hitchcock, Kubrick effectively builds tension in The Shining. I would recommend two of Hitchcock's movies to horror fans and anyone who enjoyed The Shining. Psycho deals with mental illness and is among the best psychological horror that I have seen. The Birds takes a snapshot of an unexplained phenomenon and puts us right in the middle of the action.

Kubrick's career saw him explore many different genres. My other favorites are 2001: A Space Odyssey, Lolita, The Killing and Dr. Strangelove.

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My Top 20 science fiction movies: Part 4, #1-5

My Top 20 science fiction movies (continued)

If you have been following this series, you’ll know numbers 6-20 in my Top 20. My tastes won’t appeal to everyone. I’m sure most people would include a couple of Star Wars movies in their own Top 20, while others might like Jurassic Park. The good news is you can just ignore my opinion and buy both when they hit Blu-ray later this year.

Here are my five favorite science fiction movies:

5. I Am Legend (2007)

Directed by Francis Lawrence

Starring Will Smith, Alice Braga and Charlie Tahan

Will Smith was a good choice for the role of Robert Neville. His character looks like he can take care of himself, but he also looks intelligent enough to conduct scientific experiments. I’m fond of post-apocalyptic stories because they encourage me to think. What would life be like if you lived without any human contact? Where would you find food? How would you spend your time? What would your purpose in life be? Neville has adapted to his solitary existence and seeks a cure for the infection which has affected most of the human race. I find it interesting watching actors carry a movie. Tom Hanks had to do it in Cast Away and James Franco had a similar role in 127 Hours. Both are stories that I keep revisiting. I Am Legend has extended periods of quiet reflection as we are shown how Neville lives. When he does encounter somebody, his reaction is believable. The special effects aren’t entirely convincing, but I still love visiting Neville’s world. There’s a little action thrown in, but this is mainly a thought-provoking psychological study. The Blu-ray has been out a while, but the presentation is almost reference quality.

4. Avatar (2009)

Directed by James Cameron

Starring Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana and Sigourney Weaver

Here’s a movie that you won’t have to think about at all. The dialogue is dumb and the second half of the movie is just a standard science fiction battle sequence. So why do I like it? The look of the movie is incredible and genuinely makes me feel like I’m visiting an alien world. There’s also an excellent sequence which lasts for about an hour in which Jake Sully (Worthington) meets some of the native population and learns how they live. The training sequence is easily the most interesting part of the story and I never tire of watching it. Avatar isn’t a great movie; it’s a piece of entertainment which appeals to a vast number of people. Sometimes, that’s exactly what I want. There isn’t a better looking Blu-ray than this and it’s pure escapism. I prefer the extended version which explains a couple of things in more depth and ties up an important loose end.

Click here for my full review.

3. The Matrix (1999)

Directed by Andy Wachowski, Lana Wachowski

Starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne and Carrie-Anne Moss

The Matrix is a strange movie. Although it seems like an obvious story on the surface, there are a number of deeper themes if you choose to dig deeper. When it was released, it looked like something that had never been seen before. The use of slow motion adds to the overall feel and the special effects are still pretty cool. It’s an exciting ride in which Neo (Reeves) learns the truth about his existence. We see that there’s nothing he can’t do once he has been exposed to the relevant training, and that knowledge is downloaded in seconds. The story is also about belief in your own ability and acceptance of the real situation, as well as philosophical layers that make you question things such as religion and fate. The movie is an exercise in style, but it works well because of the action, effects and acting. Reeves is often ridiculed for his acting ability, but he’s certainly a good choice. He’s not meant to know anything, and he plays it exactly right. The Blu-ray release is decent considering the age of the movie and some of the chase sequences will fully test your home theater system.

2. Inception (2010)

Directed by Christopher Nolan

Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Ellen Page

Christopher Nolan delivers good movies on a consistent basis and hasn’t disappointed me so far. I’m not a fan of comic book characters, but Batman Begins and The Dark Knight took the genre to a different level. The Prestige and Memento are presented in an intriguing way and both are among my favorites. Inception is arguably Nolan’s most ambitious effort to date. The plot is complex and it must have taken a long time to get things exactly right. I imagine that many viewers won’t understand everything that happens and Nolan doesn’t dumb things down. Inception could work on some level even if you don’t grasp the whole story. It’s a visual feast with stunning special effects happening at several different rates of speed. The acting is good and there is no shortage of action. The ambiguous ending angered some, but I quite like it. This is a movie that I already love after two viewings, and I’m looking forward to seeing it again.

1. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

Directed by Stanley Kubrick

Starring Keir Dullea, Gary Lockwood and William Sylvester

This is a prime example of how my tastes have changed over the years. The first time I saw 2001, I think I fell asleep. When I revisited it on cable many years later, I couldn’t get past the first act with the apes. But in recent years, I have started to appreciate what Kubrick achieved. The first thing to remember is what science fiction movies were like before 2001 was released in 1968. Most were laughable, predictable and not even remotely believable. Kubrick’s film completely changed the genre. It’s epic in scope, spanning around 6,000 years, and over half of the film is told without the use of dialogue. It may be easy to show apes or people floating around without gravity with the use of modern special effects, but consider what was available in 1968; even making a pen appear to float was a challenge. Actors had to dress up as apes and study the movements of real animals to produce the opening act. Kubrick’s use of music was another innovation. Think about the docking sequence and how Kubrick made it seem like a dance. He also got the details right. How many directors would have shown an explosion in space without sound? It’s not an easy film to watch by any means. If you go in expecting action, you’ll be sorely disappointed. It’s a film that will stay with you a long time after you see it and might even encourage you to investigate some of the deeper themes. If you don’t know what the monoliths represent, it’s interesting finding out. The story does make sense when you take the time to research it, and it’s a work of genius. It also contains my favorite cut sequence, when a bone is thrown in the air and we move on to the next act. I’m sure a lot of people have never seen 2001, while others may have seen it and written it off as meaningless or boring. If that’s the case, I urge you to look at it again. It has to be the most influential science fiction film ever made. How many times have you heard Thus Spake Zarathustra when watching a documentary about space? It’s actually a piece of art as much as it is a film. The Blu-ray looks stunning considering the age of the film. 

Thanks for reading. Feel free to comment or post your own favorites.

Click here to see numbers 6-10 on the list.

Click here to see numbers 11-15 on the list.

Click here to see numbers 16-20 on the list.

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My Top 10 Horror Movies: Part 2, #1-5

My Top 10 Horror Movies (continued)


Silence of the Lambs would have been at the top of the list, but it's listed as a crime/thriller and I decided it was ineligible.

5. The Exorcist (1973)

Directed by William Friedkin

Starring Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow and Linda Blair

Like The Omen, here’s a film that relies on building suspense. The most frightening thing about the film is what it makes you think, rather than anything shown on the screen. It deals with possession and we see a sweet young girl transformed into a growling demon. Imagine if that were your child. How would you handle the situation? Would you resort to prayer even if you were an atheist? The main actors do a wonderful job of keeping the scenes serious. If they believe it, maybe we can believe it. The effects all had to be produced using whatever props were available and most look pretty good. This is a film that relies on mood and your ability to think beyond what you’re being shown. It’s genuinely frightening if you allow yourself to be drawn in to the story.

Click here for my full review.

4. The Mist (2007)

Directed by Frank Darabont

Starring Thomas Jane, Marcia Gay Harden and Laurie Holden

Are you starting to notice a pattern in my choices? The Mist shows what happens when people are forced to abandon the normal rules of behavior. A group of customers take refuge in a supermarket when a strange mist descends. One man rushes in and shouts a warning that there’s something in the mist. Some people believe him, but most don’t. The plot develops and the incidents become more serious, until someone is finally killed. A small group witnesses the event and has to convince the other customers that there’s a real threat. People start to form into groups. One is led by a religious fanatic (Harden) and thinks that some form of human sacrifice is the answer. Another is led by the logical local artist, David Drayton (Jane). It’s interesting to see how people perform under pressure and who the true leaders are when the situation demands it.

Click here for my full review.

3. The Birds (1963)

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock

Starring Tippi Hedren, Rod Taylor and Suzanne Pleshette

Hitchcock loved to deceive audiences and The Birds is a prime example. The first part of the film shows Melanie Daniels (Hedren) randomly encountering Mitch Brenner (Taylor) in a store which sells birds. After Brenner has left, she decides that she would like to know more about him. She purchases two birds and takes a long drive to his hometown. After questioning a few locals, she tracks down his address. The whole setup makes the film look like a traditional romance, but things change when she’s attacked by a bird while rowing across the bay to his home. The attacks start to become more serious and she eventually becomes trapped with Brenner, his mother and his daughter. Hitchcock never explains why the birds are behaving aggressively and doesn’t need to. The group has to battle to survive and the resolution doesn’t completely reveal whether they will be safe. It’s a snapshot in the lives of a few people in an extreme situation.

2. Psycho (1960)

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock

Starring Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh and Vera Miles

More Hitchcock and another deceptive plot. If by some chance you haven't seen the film, please skip the rest of this summary. The plot is fairly simple, but unexpected. A young woman (Leigh) steals money from work and decides to flee the town. The setup leads us to believe that the story will be about her struggle to evade pursuit. But she stops in a motel for the night and is murdered by the owner, Norman Bates (Perkins). I like how Hitchcock makes us root for Bates and we almost want him to avoid being caught. Perkins plays the role perfectly and appears logical and nervous at the same time. The strength of the film is that it could happen. It's more psychological horror than slasher movie and Bates is a character that we can pity. Some of the shocks were original at the time, but probably seem pretty lame now that we know about such techniques. Imagine seeing this 50 years ago. The Blu-ray presentation is incredible.

Click here for my full review.

1. The Shining (1980)

Directed by Stanley Kubrick

Starring Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall and Danny Lloyd 

Kubrick was comfortable working in any genre and The Shining was his attempt at horror. I like so many of his films, but this might be his best. It’s not a strict adaptation of Stephen King’s novel, but I like the changes that he made. Technology probably wasn’t capable of showing Danny’s solo encounter in the hedge maze, but it would have been great to see it. Jack Torrance (Nicholson) is a writer who takes a winter job as caretaker of the Overlook Hotel. The setting is perfect for a horror movie. He takes his wife (Duvall) and young son (Lloyd) and they plan to live there alone until the hotel re-opens in the spring. All three family members witness weird events. Torrance is a recovering alcoholic and finds that the bar is full of people. The hotel is supposed to be empty. He drinks and talks to the barman. We start to see ghosts of people who lived, stayed or worked at the hotel. The story is about how Torrance loses his grip on reality and becomes a danger to his family. It’s full of mysteries and many are never explained. Kubrick’s film creates its own atmospheric world and it’s good to visit when you’re in the mood.

Click here to see #6-10 on my list.

Did I mention any of your favorites? Feel free to let me know what you think of the list or post your own Top 10 in the comments section.

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Lolita: Kubrick's controversial film finally available on Blu-ray

Lolita (drama, romance)

Directed by Stanley Kubrick

Starring James Mason, Peter Sellers, Shelley Winters and Sue Lyon

Warner Bros. | 1962 | 154 min | Released May 31, 2011

Video:

Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC

Video resolution: 1080p

Aspect ratio: 1.66:1

Audio:

English: DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0

French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish (Castillan and Latin): Dolby Digital 1.0

Subtitles:

English SDH, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Norwegian, Portuguese, Portuguese (Brasil), Spanish (Castillan and Latin), Swedish

Disc:

Single 25GB Blu-ray Disc

The Film 4/5

Stanley Kubrick was capable of working in any genre, ranging from historical epics to futuristic science fiction. He gave us serious drama and dark comedy. Lolita certainly has its serious moments, but it’s also filled with dark humor and is arguably his most controversial film.

Vladimir Nabokov’s book was about a 12-year-old girl and would have been an even more controversial film if Kubrick had kept Lolita at that age. In the film, Lolita (Lyon) is a 14-year-old and it changes the overall tone somewhat.

Professor Humbert Humbert (Mason) is a British author looking for a home in New Hampshire. He visits Charlotte Haze (Winters) who is looking to rent a room. Humbert is on the verge of leaving and looking elsewhere, but sees her daughter, Lolita, sunbathing in the garden. He decides to stay and becomes obsessed with her. From his viewpoint, Lolita is flirting with him. She kisses him and plays with her hula hoop right in front of him. Meanwhile, Charlotte is hoping to start a relationship of her own with Humbert and doesn’t notice the attention he gives Lolita.

Humbert’s obsession grows and he keeps a secret journal about his feelings, but he’s dismayed when Charlotte sends Lolita to summer camp 200 miles away. Charlotte then writes a letter to Humbert declaring her love for him and issues an ultimatum. She tells him to leave, or stay and marry her. He finds the letter hilarious and has no interest in her, but marries her to be close to Lolita. This act shows the extent of his obsession.

After the marriage, Charlotte decides to send Lolita to boarding school. Humbert fantasizes about killing her and spending the rest of his life with Lolita. Charlotte discovers his diary and true feelings and decides that she can’t live with the knowledge, leaving Humbert to pursue his plan.

Another key character is that of Clare Quilty (Sellers). The opening scene of the film shows Humbert tracking down Quilty and shooting him. The remainder of the film shows the events leading up to Quilty’s murder. Sellers plays the part well and tries to manipulate Humbert by pretending to be several different people. In Dr. Strangelove, the characters he portrays actually are separate individuals, but that’s not the case here. Sellers writes plays and wants Lolita to appear in one, but seems to have an ulterior motive.

We see everything from Humbert’s point of view and he’s also the narrator at times. Was Kubrick trying to make us empathize with Humbert’s feelings by placing us in his position? Was he trying to get us to root for Humbert and hope that he would somehow end up with Lolita?

The film is long at 154 minutes, but never seems to drag. Although we know that Humbert shoots Quilty, we don’t know why until we see the preceding events. Kubrick makes some of Lolita’s actions deliberately ambiguous so that we’re left wondering whether she was flirting with Humbert. The overall impression is that she’s not as innocent as she may appear.

The film is mainly about obsession and its impact on people’s lives. Humbert’s thoughts are far from pure. He wants Lolita and, although he doesn’t kill Charlotte, he certainly considers doing so. The choice to make Lolita 14 helped avoid some of the controversy, but this is still a film that will be emotionally upsetting for some. Much of its impact depends on our imagination and will vary from one viewer to the next.

Mason is particularly effective as the polite Englishman, while Sellers and Winters also play their parts well. Lyon doesn’t get much time on screen considering she’s the motivation for everything that Humbert does, but she’s believable in the role.

With the release of Lolita and Barry Lyndon, and The Killing announced for August (with Killer’s Kiss among the special features), all of Kubrick’s films will be available on Blu-ray with the exception of Fear and Desire which he disowned.

Video Quality 3.5/5

Lolita looks a little disappointing on Blu-ray. The 154-minute running time is contained on a single-layered disc with a modest bitrate, making me wonder whether the quality was compromised. The black and white presentation is lacking in detail and generally looks soft. It doesn’t hold up well alongside a title such as Psycho. Grain is light and some scenes do look quite impressive, but I hoped for more. It’s still a clear upgrade over the DVD of course.

Audio Quality 4/5

The DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0 track is a definite upgrade. The mono presentation packs quite a punch and dialogue is clear throughout. We can also hear background effects such as water filling Charlotte’s bath. There are no disturbing pops or crackles. The sound quality couldn’t have been much better considering the limitations of the source.

Special Effects 0/5

With the exception of a 1-minute trailer in SD, there’s nothing included apart from the film.

Lolita demonstrates the variety of Kubrick’s subject matter and challenges the audience. I would recommend the Blu-ray to any Kubrick fan as I believe it’s one of his best films. It has drama, a sense of mystery and a lot of humor. It’s an easy decision for fans of the film with Amazon.com’s asking price of $14.99 at the time of writing.

For those new to the film, be aware that the presentation is merely adequate. The story won’t be for everyone and could drag if you aren’t familiar with Kubrick’s style.

I’m delighted to have it in my collection, but did hope for a release with better video quality and extensive special features.

Overall 4/5

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