Kubrick and King, Fantastic combination

Rating: Null/10 (27 January 2003)

Steven Kings novels rarely transpose on to the screen with any success (see Tommy Knockers, IT, The Dark Half etc) but Kubricks' mind with the excellence of Nicholsons acting ability create a haunting and mildly disturbing portrayal of Kings harrowing novel.
Jack Nicholson plays the part of Jack perfectly. His whole persona with his 'gifted' son and his whining wife Wendy (Shelley Duvall is again ideally cast)collapses as the Hotels presence invades Jacks' already disturbed mind.
Danny has the Shining, a gift of for-seeing doom, he too sees his own ghosts and the affect this has on his young mind are disastrous, being asked to play by the twin girls killed by a previous caretaker and then seeing their disemboweled bodies would send any sane adult over the edge let alone a disturbed boy with dysfunctional parents.
The blood flow and body count is enough to scare anybody, watch the film a couple of times and really get into the psychological side of the film and it will leave you reeling for days afterwards.
A true horror film even if the book ending is different to the film (read it and see), a classic horror that has pride of place in my DVD collection.
Remember, 'All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy'
10 out of 10, Rest well Stanley you deserve it.
January 2003