The Shining
By: Seth

Stanley Kubrick brings Stephen King's classic novel to life on
the big screen masterfully. The incredible job Kubrick does with King's plot
and setting can be noticed immediately. Covering the major aspects I look
for in a film, this movie aces all of them - directing, acting, plot and
scenery. The plot of course aces its test, as horror master Stephen King
conceived the idea, so already that part is golden. Directing - Stanley
Kubrick, come on. masterful. this movie conceives some of the most famous (or
infamous) scenes of movie history - the hallway scene with the girls, Here's
Johnny, the bar scene, the finale, RedRum - all classic. The acting is
through the roof as well, with several Oscar winners / nominees / notable
actors or actresses. Jack Nicholson stars alongside Shelley Duval, Danny
Lloyd and Scatman Crothers (Lloyd being the only non-recognized actor among
the others), all contributing to this all-star cast. Some scenes may be
overdone or overacted, but when dealing within the horror genre, overacting
is tough to gauge considering the human emotion of fear or surprise. Lastly,
concerning the scenery, The Shining falls nothing short of spectacular. The
secluded, yet, visually stunning set of the Overlook Hotel (exterior shots
taken at the Timberline Lodge on Mount Hood, Oregon and interior shots on a
made set in England) captures its audience immediately. Without the
ingenious scenery used for The Shining, the movie would never take flight,
needing the absolute secluded-ness and massive interior structure to allow
the plot to carry out its actions. Kubrick's work of the camera to
illuminate this scenery is masterful. As far as horror goes in this movie,
don't expect to be let off easy. The final hour to half hour of The Shining
is edge-of-your-seat, pathologically terrifying. Previously mentioned, some
scenes are just unforgettable. Jack Torrance's (Jack Nicholson) final
collapse into madness coinciding with the RedRum scene just command its
audience to be terrified. Overall this movie remains a modern classic in
horror as well as any other genre. Combine a visionary king and commander of
people's fears with one of the world's greatest directors and filmmakers
ever, and you get The Shining. Rating 9 out of 10.